In surprising development, Sixers apparently tanked for 7 years

Less than seven years ago, the Sixers ignited an unexpected fire when they defeated the Chicago Bulls and took the Garnett-Allen-Pierce-Rondo Celtics seven games in the 2012 NBA playoffs. For a team that finished just four games above .500, it was quite an exciting time in Philadelphia. And it made ownership hungry for more: the following summer, they would make a franchise-altering attempt at jumping into the NBA’s elite by trading for All-Star center Andrew Bynum.

The Bynum experiment was an epic failure though, and after the 2012-2013 season, the Sixers ownership decided to blow things up. Sam Hinkie was brought in and the Sixers began their tank initiative in the summer of 2013. The…