Thanks 76ers...

I would like to thank the Philadelphia 76ers for proving that when you put a group of hardworking, talentless players together for a while, your team can acheive mediocrity status. As teams are dying to lose to increase their odds on drafting Greg Oden or Kevin Durant, the 76ers have decided to take the Rudy approach to the season, and play .500 basketball by out hustling and outworking everyone. As every Celtic lost slightly increases their chances on getting one of the 2 aforementioned future superstars, the Sixers are diving for balls out of bounds, racing down the court for an uncontested layup and playing an in your face defense that nobody really cares to try to score against.

If you prorate the success of the 76ers since the Iverson trade, the 76ers probably would be a 7 seed in the playoffs. If they continue to build great team chemistry, maybe next year they can get a 6 seed. And as the Sixers battle for a 6 seed next season, teams will be figuring out how to avoid Greg Oden on their way to the basket.

Chemistry and hardwork can only get you so far in the NBA today...You need talent. Talent eventually puts teams over the top. With the current structure of the NBA, it is nearly impossible to obtain talent via free agency. Thanks to the Larry Bird rule, teams can resign their own Superstars for more money than any other team. You need to get bad before you get good, and the Sixers chose to get mediocre. And, because of this philosophy, they will remain mediocre.