Week Nine NBA Power Rankings: 76ers Lose Some More

The Philadelphia 76ers added two losses to their current five-game losing streak between this week and last week, and have continued to slide in the NBA Power Rankings. The doubters are back in full force, because the Sixers' offense has been atrocious lately – an offensive efficiency under 93.0 in four of the last nine – and they haven't recorded a notable win since they beat the Lakers exactly three weeks ago.

Before you make the jump to see the Sixers' free-fall in this week's power rankings, check out this stat: Over the last 10 games, the Sixers guards – Jrue Holiday, Jodie Meeks, Louis Williams and Evan Turner – have averaged a combined 42 points per game on 38 percent shooting. Yikes.

John Schuhmann, NBA.com - 9th (4th in East)

A stat: The Sixers turn the ball over 11.4 times per 100 possessions, the lowest rate of the last 20 years and 2.6 times fewer than any other team this season.
A question: Can Jrue Holiday recover from a rough February?
A prediction: The Sixers will hold on to a top-four seed in the East, because the Hawks don't have Al Horford and the Magic won't have Dwight Howard.

Tom Ziller, SB Nation - 9th (5th in East)*

The Sixers' slide isn't terribly surprising or dispiriting: They aren't losing to patsies, and their early season schedule was very light. Things had to normalize at some point.

Chris Sheridan, Sheridan Hoops - 12th (5th in East)

We now enter the penalty phase of the rankings, where Doug Collins' team gets dropped four spots (you could argue the penalty should be harsher) for going into the break on a five-game slide. There is only so long you can endure getting nothing out of your starting shooting guard, and it may be time to sit Jodie Meeks and let Evan Turner give it a go.

John Hollinger, ESPN - 8th (3rd in the East)

Marc Stein, ESPN - 7th (3rd in the East)*

A healthy Spencer Hawes was one of the first contenders to emerge in the MIP race now led by J-Lin. Now? Hawes is simply missed. The Sixers are 8-10 without him and an equally frustrating 0-5 in games decided by four points or fewer, which makes Philly the league's only team without a win in those circumstances.

Composite: 9th (4th in East)

*Same as last week

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