There was a time, not too long ago, when the 76ers' future appeared brighter than that of the Boston Celtics.
Smart decisions over an extended period of time by the Celtics combined with the Sixers' focus on acquiring assets over much-needed players have proven otherwise.
And it might be a long time before the Sixers can reach the Celtics' level unless they're lucky.
While the Sixers (9-60) felt it was best to extend their tank job into a third straight season, the Celtics (39-30), as of Friday night, had the sixth-best record in the Eastern Conference.