Sixers Land Shocking Placement on NBA’s Misery Rankings

Times have been tough for the Philadelphia 76ers. Although they were playoff regulars up until the most recent NBA season, the Sixers have struggled to make a deep playoff run in each of their last seven postseason appearances.

Lately, there’s been a string of regressions. The Sixers dropped out of the playoffs in the first round of the 2024 postseason for the first time in four years. Last season, the Sixers’ injury woes piled up to the point where they couldn’t even make the NBA Play-In Tournament.

Despite the recent struggles, ESPN’s viral misery index doesn’t rank the Sixers among the top teams.

Which Fans Have It the Hardest?

76ers, Piston — Nov 10, 2023; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Detroit Pistons guard Cade Cunningham (2) defends against Philadelphia 76ers forward Tobias Harris (12) during the in the first half at Little Caesars Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Reginek-Imagn Images | David Reginek-Imagn Images

Remember what it was like to cheer for a tanking Sixers team, holding hope that the “Process” could someday work? That was where the Detroit Pistons were in the years leading up to last season. While they made the playoffs recently, the Pistons still rank first on this list.

The Charlotte Hornets, Washington Wizards, New Orleans Pelicans, and the Orlando Magic fill out the rest of the top five.

Outside of the Magic and the Pistons, none of the other top-five organizations have much to look forward to once again. The Hornets and the Wizards are still stuck in a rebuild. The Pelicans finally started theirs, and are still relying on Zion Williamson to stay healthy enough to find consistency with availability.

Where Do the Sixers Rank?

Feb 11, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid (21) reacts against the Toronto Raptors in the second quarter at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Ross-Imagn Images | Kyle Ross-Imagn Images

The Sixers are right in the middle, ranked with an 86 ranking at No. 14.

They are just behind the Utah Jazz and in front of Daryl Morey’s former franchise, the Houston Rockets.

You would think the misery rating would be worse, considering everything the Sixers have gone through. It seems a bunch of recent playoff appearances, along with some MVP-caliber basketball from Joel Embiid, is enough to keep them outside of the top 10 in this conversation.

Still, fans are far from happy. Top draft picks have either not panned out or fizzled out. Injuries have piled up, and drama has been following the Philadelphia 76ers since Sam Hinkie was in the front office.

Will it get better next year? The team certainly hopes so, but again, they are banking on a big comeback from Joel Embiid and Paul George, who might not be ready in time for training camp. Faith isn’t totally lost, but the 2025-2026 NBA season could be make-or-break for this era of Sixers hoops.

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