Early in the 2013 offseason, the Philadelphia 76ers have been projected by many as the worst NBA team in the upcoming 2012-2013 NBA season. The unabashed, almost shameful offseason has seen the following transactions for the once-proud franchise.

Philadelphia supporters/haters call it tanking, the Sixers front office call it “starting over”:

- During the 2013 NBA Draft, they traded away starting point guard Jru Holiday to the New Orleans Pelicans for the rookie Nerlens Noel. In February 2013, Holiday played in his first-ever NBA All-Star Game. Also in February, then-Kentucky Wildcat Noel suffered a gruesome injury versus the Florida Gators. Noel tore an ACL on his left knee and missed the rest of the college season.

- Without blinking, they let Andrew Bynum walk to free agency. Bynum was the centerpiece of the deal when they traded away franchise player Andrew Iguodala in 2011. To be fair, it wasn’t the Sixers fault that Bynum did not have the heart to (try to) play in Philadelphia. With a Tank Mode Plan in place, letting him walk away for nothing was a no-brainer decision.

2013-14 Philadelphia 76ers Projected Depth Chart

PG - Michael Carter-Williams/Tony Wrotten/ Darius Morris
SG - Evan Turner/Vander Blue
SF - Thaddeus Young/Jason Richardson
PF - Lavoy Allen/Nerlens Noel
C - Kwame Brown/Spencer Hawes/Tim Ohlbrecht

3 Reasons Why You Should Follow the Sixers This Season

1. Because You’re a Masochist – If you like losing until it hurts, then this is your team. If you like watching a bad team which is bad on both ends of the floor, this is your team. If you want to order NBA League Pass to watch NBA unknowns, busts and discards, this is your team.

In the 2012-2013 NBA season, the Sixers averaged 93.2 points per game, dead last in the NBA for Points Scored in a Game. And that was a team that had an all star in Holiday.

In the same season, the Sixers started at 10-6 in the first month of the regular season. From December until April they went 24-42.

2. #BeWell – They have in a player in the line-up named Royce White, one of the most polarising figures in NBA history. Not bad a feat considering White has NOT played a single game in his life in the pro league. With a change of scenery from Houston to the City of Brotherly Love, will he be more mentally ready to finally suit up for an NBA team?

3. More Moves for a Bigger Tank – With the shameless tanking already an open secret, why not explore more trades and add more future assets? Thaddeus Young and Evan Turner are the obvious targets by other teams and the Sixers will listen to all offers until the 12 midnight of Feb 20, 2014—the NBA’s trade deadline.

The Verdict

Fearless Forecast: Short and sweet (like the Sixers season): A grand total of 15 wins — two of which coming from unintentional buzzer-beaters—for the league’s worst record.

Other 2013-2014 NBA Teams Previews:

Phoenix Suns | Cleveland Cavaliers | Washington Wizards | Charlotte Bobcats | Philadelphia 76ers | Orlando Magic | Dallas Mavericks | Los Angeles Lakers | Chicago Bulls | Brooklyn Nets | Houston Rockets