Losing the rest of their games in the 2024-25 season would benefit the Philadelphia 76ers, as their first-round pick is protected in the top six. Nick Nurse, however, is still coaching for wins.
As the NBA looks into teams like the Utah Jazz tanking too hard, Nurse said the Sixers are continuing to compete. He wants the players who are filling in on Philly’s injury-riddled roster to have a chance to showcase their skills and try for wins.
“Listen, we’re gonna prepare this group to go out there and have some success,” Nurse told reporters after the Sixers’ 130-125 win over the Dallas Mavericks. “Again, they played very well tonight, this group of guys. I just thought they kept making enough shots, shot the ball well from three, rebounded well enough — just did everything well enough. Probably, the three-balls are the difference in the end. We just wanna prepare ’em well and give these guys a chance to show what they can do and have some success.”
76ers still competing despite incentive to tank
Obviously, no coach is going to admit to tanking and no player goes out there to lose on purpose (nor should they). Everyone who makes it to the NBA is far too competitive and prideful for that. But organizations certainly take steps to make losing more likely. With the draft lottery still rewarding teams that lose the most, teams want to secure the best odds they can get, especially when a talent like Cooper Flagg awaits at the top.
In the Sixers’ win over the Mavs, Nurse played starters down the stretch and allowed Quentin Grimes to keep going. That suggested that he isn’t interested in losing games. The team is also preparing to get Tyrese Maxey back from injury soon. Philly isn’t going to compete with most teams anyway but it’s also not rolling over.
For comparison, the Toronto Raptors sat one of their starters, Jamal Shead, for an entire half in a game against the Sixers that they incidentally won. When Ja’Kobe Walter hit a game-winning three against the Orlando Magic, Darko Rajakovic was playing players at the end of his bench. The Raptors have kept Immanuel Quickley out due to rest in recent games. The Jazz have done the same with Walker Kessler, now switching to making him a DNP-CD with the league keeping an eye on them.
The difference between the Sixers finishing with the fifth-worst record compared to the sixth, which they are at right now, could go a long way in how likely their pick is to stay put. Losing is what’s best for them but the guys wearing the uniforms are going to compete as hard as they can every single time.
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