Sam Hinkie is gone, but "The Process" is progressing.
With the Philadelphia 76ers' 105-95 victory over the even lowlier Brooklyn Nets on Sunday, Philly matched its win total from 2015-16 in this season's 35th game.
Last year's 10-72 finish counts as the third-worst record in the NBA's 82-game era, and came just one loss shy of tying the Sixers' own putrid 9-73 mark in 1972-73.
The still young Sixers have made incremental improvements over the same period a year ago, although they still rank near the bottom of the league in turnover percentage. Their defensive rating is also actually worse than it was through 35 games in 2015-16.
| Through 35 games | Record | ORTG | DRTG | NET | TOV% | TS% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015-16 | 3-32 | 92.3 | 104.2 | -11.9 | 18.6 | 50.5 |
| 2016-17 | 10-25 | 98.4 | 105.4 | -7 | 16.6 | 53.1 |
Joel Embiid again led the 76ers in scoring against the Nets, and he's now put up 20-plus points in six straight outings. His player efficiency rating of 23.3 is at an All-Star level.
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Following the win, Embiid went so far as to suggest that the playoffs are in sight. "I think we're ... eight games from the eighth place so I think that's a goal," he said, according to CSN's Jessica Camerato. "I think we have a chance."
While that's frankly unlikely, it's difficult not to admire Embiid's enthusiasm. These are baby steps, however. The addition of another player who wasn't there last year - Ersan Ilyasova - has assisted the process as well. Going into Sunday, the Sixers were 7.6 points per 100 possessions better with the 11-year veteran on the floor, according to Basketball Reference.
Philadelphia returns home for two games against the New York Knicks and Charlotte Hornets.
