Sixers vs. Mavericks Recap: Sit Back and Enjoy The View

I already detailed the narrative of the Sixers' 124-112 loss to Mavericks in the immediate reaction thread. The Sixers entered this game with a shorthanded crew of only eight available players. Despite the tough circumstances, they fought hard and hustled against a Mavs team that is simply better than they are. But my biggest takeaway from this game was something that had nothing to do with the players on the court. It was about taking relief in the players who are gone.

It was really getting to the point where I was just so done watching Evan Turner and Spencer Hawes. It wasn't a personal issue. I had just had enough. And now, thanks to Sam Hinkie, they're gone. I can watch the Sixers and not have to do deal with the frustrations of watching two players who were frustrating to watch and clearly not part of the long-term plan in Philadelphia. Instead, I enjoyed watching Thad Young work his hardest despite feeling disappointed he didn't traded to a better situation. I enjoyed watching Michael Carter-Williams work on his game. I enjoyed Tony Wroten recklessly attack the rim, and hear Malik Rose coin a new nickname for him: Wrecking Ball Wroten.

With only 26 games left to play, these are the kind of results that are most ideal. The Sixers lose but the players try their best and play hard. There's nothing else to do but to sit back and enjoy the view.

Final Thoughts:

• Tank Watch: The Magic won (17-40 record), which means there's more of a cushion between them and the Sixers (15-41). The Pelicans lost, which is good. The Pistons won, which means they are now tied for the same record with the Pellies.

• Sam Hinkie joined Zumoff and Malik during the broadcast. That was cool. He didn't say anything too earth-shattering, especially considering he already addressed the media earlier in the day. He did note that Thad Young's presence as a leader and role model make him more valuable to the team than ever. Hopefully the young guys can learn from the consistent hard effort that Thad plays with night in and night out. Another thing Hinkie touched on was the status of Nerlens Noel. Hinkie said it's "so far, so good" with Nerlens, and "let's make a decision when there's a decision to be made." Still not sure Noel plays this year, but it's encouraging to see them not ruling out the possibility.

• 10 straight losses in a row. Beautiful. 26 games left. Can they make it 36? Probably not... but, maybe?

• One thing to look forward too, I guess, is the arrival and incorporation of the players the Sixers traded for. New faces! Who's ready for some Byron Mullens?

• So is Danny Granger going to be bought out or what?

• Did I mention how much I don't miss the players the Sixers traded away?

• Arnett Moultrie got the start at center tonight and played 31 minutes. He put up 6 points on 3-5 shooting along with 5 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals, and 4 fouls. Meh.

• Tony Wroten got to the line a total of 13 times. MCW made it there 9 times. Nice.

• Spencer Hawes' first game as a Cavalier: 3-10, 7 points. I'll conveniently ignore mentioning his 10 rebounds, 3 assists, and 3 blocks. The Cavs lost, by the way.

• The Sixers are 0-6 when I have recap duty. You're welcome.

Up Next: No more games until Monday, when the Sixers take on the Bucks in Philly. That's a must-lose affair if I've ever seen one.

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