What to Make of the Sixers Getting Spurned in ESPN’s Recent Player Poll
We currently sit in the dull abyss between the end of the NBA All-Star break and the return of actual NBA games. In a week notorious for inaction, ESPN did what ESPN does: talk about Tim Tebow and speculate where Lebron will land in free agency. As many of you have seen, ESPN ran an article in which they polled current NBA players on a variety of topics but focused predominantly on the impending Lebron free agency saga:
We asked 48 NBA pros to look into the crystal basketball for their free-agency predictions: https://t.co/6NU75KfKSd
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) February 19, 2018
Many of the questions are fluff, as you may expect, and the Sixers are only mentioned once. What is intriguing is the manner in which the Sixers are mentioned. When asked where Lebron should NOT go, the Sixers, not the Warriors, were the top choice:
Sixers: 31 percent
Warriors: 28 percent
Lakers: 16 percent
Rockets: 16 percent
Other: 9 percent
Others gaining votes: Clippers, Spurs, Wizards
As someone who spent nights wondering whether Michael-Carter Williams could be a cornerstone for the Sixers, it’s still remarkable we are even being mentioned in Lebron’s free agency plans. But, the poll, and especially the Sixers being the top choice for that question, has got to raise an eyebrow or two. Now, anyone who’s ever done a survey knows to follow up the initial question with “and WHY?”. I guess those ESPN layoffs are really taking a toll. This leaves much to be desired as to why the players chose the puzzling answer that they did. My guess is the Sixers getting 31 percent of the vote probably came about for one of two reasons:
- The League Doesn’t Believe the Sixers Can Be a Title Contender With Lebron
While I certainly don’t agree, I can see why there would be speculation. Whether it’s a medical staff that’s been maddening, a less than proven front office, or too small of a sample size from its players, there’s uncertainty with this franchise. Lebron would be relying on a center who just got to play back to backs for the first time last week, a point guard who cannot shoot yet, and Dario Saric. It’s justifiable to think if that’s the core, and no other free agent acquisitions are made (unlikely), they will not have enough firepower to end the reign of the Warriors.
- The NBA hates the Philadelphia 76ers
Every network television show has done an episode where a new guy comes in and steals the shine of the established character. The Sixers are the new guy and it’s not far-fetched to say they have drawn close to, if not as much attention as the Warriors since this past summer. With Ben Simmons drawing comparisons to Lebron himself, Embiid becoming a social media savvy basketball superstar, and “Trust the Process” transforming from a phrase to a global phenomenon, it’s going to rub established guys the wrong way. The Sixers have taken the most unconventional route possible to relevance while still only being a 7 seed in the Eastern Conference. The rest of the league is the box-boys at Super Club watching Dane Cook fuck Jessica Simpson.
They hate it. They hate US. They understand that the unequivocal path to success we are on will only be in enhanced if Lebron arrives, rejuvenating his career and continuing his domination of the Eastern Conference. The last thing a title hungry team wants is the man who has owned this league for a decade and a half now, finding the fountain of youth to sustain his ability to thwart any legitimate opponents outside of the Warriors super team.
The reason the Warriors weren’t the most popular answer to this question is because the league knows it won’t happen. The reason the Sixers were the most popular answer is because they allow the Lebron era to continue. They are the destination the league fears the most.
Or at least that’s what I’m going with.
And if that is the case, and you do hate us, see you June 30th at Midnight.