We are beyond the point of silver linings, hopeful conjectures, and patient optimism. The Philadelphia 76ers have now lost six straight games in varying degrees of embarrassing fashion. Through the sheer incalculable ineptitude of the Eastern Conference, the Sixers are still just 1.5 games out of the Play-In Tournament, but this recent stretch has shown that such a goal is a fool’s errand.

The Sixers even have the majority of their guys on the court these days and they’re still putting forth some of the most depressing efforts of this era of Philadelphia basketball. Joel Embiid looks like a shell of himself and Paul George has the world’s most debilitating finger injury and is getting pain injections like he’s on Varsity Blues. Both guys are having season shutdowns thrown around when they’re being discussed. It is time to embrace the tank and hope that the lottery gods smile upon this team’s top-6-protected pick.

Speaking of top-6-protected, the Sixers are 20-35, tied with the Brooklyn Nets for the sixth-worst record in the league. And look at that, tonight’s opponent is Brooklyn, marking this game as an incredibly important one for the Sixers’ standings stumble. The Nets got a head start on their own tank with the offseason trade of Mikal Bridges, followed by a December deal sending out Dorian Finney-Smith. Their rotation is currently full of a bunch of guys who sound like auto-generated names in Year 8 of a video game dynasty mode. It’s weird to look back so fondly on similar days of Process past for Philadelphia, as at least there weren’t stunningly unfulfilled expectations. And yet, Brooklyn beat the Sixers at the Barclays Center just less than two weeks ago. Can the Sixers reach that level of failure once more? Let’s find out!

On the injury report, D’Angelo Russell (ankle), Cam Thomas (hamstring), Noah Clowney (ankle), and De’Anthony Melton (ACL) are out for Brooklyn. Justin Edwards (ankle), Eric Grodon (wrist), Kyle Lowry (hip), and Jared McCain (knee) are out for the Sixers. On paper, the Sixers’ list of available guys should be more than enough to snap back into the victory column. FanDuel has Philadelphia listed as 10-point favorites, which feels to me as if the bookmakers haven’t checked in on the Sixers recently. Because anything on paper this season has been shredded up and rained down like a snowfall of ashes, so who knows.

Enough doom and gloom for the moment. Let’s try to enjoy relative newcomers Quentin Grimes and Jared Butler make some plays off the bounce. Every Dancing Bear dunk still brings a smile to my face. Or even an old-fashioned Tyrese Maxey heater would be exhilarating. If you made it to the end of a Sixers preview right now in this spiritually draining season, you’re certainly invested to what would clinically be labelled ‘sicko’ levels. I hope tonight’s game still brings you joy, possibly just through some extra lottery combinations sent the Sixers’ way in the spring.

Saturday, Feb. 22, 7:30pm ET
The Center, Philadelphia, PA
TNBC Sports Philadelphia
97.5 The Fanatic