Philadelphia Inquirer Sixers beat reporter Keith Pompey joined The Mike Missanelli Show to discuss the latest on a Ben Simmons trade, including Damian Lillard’s availability.
The Sixers have experienced their fair share of losing, and they have also experienced their fair share of turnarounds.
Across 72 seasons, the Philadelphia organization has seen some glorious highs and dreadful lows. Whether it’s climbing out from the bottom of the standings or making the leap to a contender, the Sixers have experienced some notable year-over-year improvements.
Here’s a look at how the Sixers have improved on prior disappointments, as well as the biggest year-to-year comebacks in franchise history.
Stay in the game with the latest updates on your beloved Philadelphia sports teams! Sign up here for our All Access Daily newsletter.
What was the worst season in Sixers history?
The Sixers own the two worst records for an 82-game season in NBA history.
The lowest mark came in 1972-73 when Philadelphia went 9-73. It stands as the most single-season losses for any team in league history and trails just the 2011-12 Charlotte Bobcats for fewest single-season wins. Charlotte posted a pitiful 7-59 record in the lockout-shortened 2011-12 season.
The Sixers also had an infamous 10-win season in 2015-16. Joel Embiid, the team’s No. 3 overall selection in the 2014 draft, missed his second straight season to begin his pro career as “The Process” kicked into full gear. The result landed the team the No. 1 pick in the 2016 draft, which was used to take Ben Simmons.
NBA
The team saw noticeable jumps in the win column following those two notorious seasons. Philadelphia won 25 games in 1973-74 and won 28 games in 2016-17.
What was the Sixers’ best one-year turnaround in history?
The Sixers’ best one-year turnaround came two seasons after Simmons was drafted.
Philadelphia went from 10 wins to 28 wins to 52 wins in a matter of three seasons. A 52-30 record in 2017-18 marked a 24-game improvement, the largest in franchise history. It was the Sixers’ first time reaching the playoffs since 2011, and the team has been in the postseason each season since.
