While you were having a hard fight with Flyers – or maybe over the bench stood Sixers coughing a late lead over the Toronto Raptors – another game in Orlando was about to decide part of the future of Philadelphia. Deep in the heart of the bubble, Mike Muscala ensured the Sixers would have a first-round pick in this year’s NBA Draft.
Wait, what? I know, it’s one of the few times Muscala came through for the Sixers, and that happened, of course, in one’s uniform. How did we get here?
Most of you know that the Sixers have a top-20 protected pick from the Thunder in this year’s draft, thanks to the trade that Markelle Fultz sent to Orlando on last year’s trade deadline. Some of you may have forgotten that this pick was originally traded to Philadelphia in 2016 (in the Jerami Grant-Ersan Ilyasova exchange), was transferred to the Magic in Philadelphia Trade for Anzejs Pasecniks (yikes), and returned in Philly in that Fultz deal. Round and round we go.
The Thunder, one of the league’s surprising success stories behind a rebellious Chris Paul and young guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, have flirted in the bubble with the cut-off line of the top-20 protection. Wednesday’s game against the Miami Heat was critical for the Sixers, who would make the choice if they won.
Why is that? Partly because of the goofy scheme of the restart. The Thunder will finish their regular season on Friday, having played just 72 games, less than a handful of teams (Dallas, Indiana, Miami) ranked in 20th place. That’s significant – with up to 44 wins and a maximum of 28 losses, the Thunder could not fall below the 21st draft position, thanks to a date between Indiana and Miami on Friday.
If you’ve got it all figured out, you’re ready for the Muscala part. Oklahoma City and Miami played their starters and rotation players in the first half of Wednesday’s game before the Heat dismissed the Dogs at halftime. It was tight in the first 24 minutes, but both teams turned matters over to the bench in the second half, and it was last in the third, with the Heat up by 18 points at the end of the third quarter. Sure, the death of Philly’s pick dream, right?
Nope. The OKC bench came storming back into the final frame, with rookie Darius Bazley continuing on a score to punish things halfway through the quarter. With the game in the last minute in reach, it was time for a former Sixers player to bring it home.
In Muscala steps:
This was Muscala’s second enormous make of the last minute, his first tying the game at 113-113 with 35 seconds to play, bringing down the comeback of 22 points in the last minute. Talk about rubbing salt in my wounds – d’oh! Philadelphia’s favorite has never been the favorite forward.
Do not overdo this development – this is seen as a weak class, and the Sixers will at best end up with pick no. 21 – but it’s another piece of ammunition for a franchise that does not currently have much flexibility. For those of you who keep scoring at home, the Sixers will have that OKC pick, plus four second-rounders, via Atlanta (34), New York (36), their own (49), and the Lakers (59) .
There are many possibilities for how they could use the Thunder pick. The easiest use, of course, is to just stand pat and sign someone in the back half of the first round, but it’s also a means to potentially earn, sweeten in a deal to move bad contracts this summer ( and boy, can they need more of you), than if we were pessimistic, something to deal with back to bring up casho considerations to the fanbase’s resentment.
For now, if you’re a Sixers fan, you can just enjoy a rare victory without strings attached. Joy has been a few and far between for people following Philadelphia this year, and it feels right that it had to be delivered by another team.
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