Hannibal Buress, Frank Caliendo say 76ers are a joke, literally

The 76ers have been called a joke by NBA fans and NBA experts alike, as the squad has twice tanked their season and traded any marketable player to collect draft picks for the future. A future that is continually farther and father away.

And now, comedians Hannibal Buress and Frank Caliendo are getting in on the joke-making.

“I think it’s funny and strange,”Buress said. “I just don’t get what they’re doing. To me, the Sixers are like a company that produces mayonnaise. If the Sixers were a mayonnaise company, the marketing would be like ‘we’re going to be producing some very bad mayonnaise for a couple of years. For three or four more years our mayonnaise is going to be so bad that it will make you sick. But after that we might be good.’ It’s just really strange to me.”

Buress, who grew up in Chicago at the height of Michael Jordan mania, loves basketball but would have a hard time supporting the Sixers if he was a Philadelphian.

“It would be asking a lot to get behind that team,” Buress said. “No wonder so few people come out to Sixers games in Philly.”

Sports impressionist extraordinaire Frank Caliendo can’t believe that the Sixers might tank for a third straight season.

“I think it’s weird to operate the way they do,” Caliendo said. “If it’s the middle of the season and you’re in a free fall, well, maybe then I can see a team tanking. But it was obvious before the last two seasons began that the Sixers were tanking. I was at the Bucks opening game, which was against the Sixers in Milwaukee, this year. It was a strange vibe facing the Sixers. Compare the Sixers with the Bucks. They both were horrendous the prior year. The Bucks drafted Jabari Parker with the second pick of the draft and he was out for most of the season and the Sixers pick (Joel Embiid), who was the third pick of the draft was out for the season and the Bucks [were] in the playoffs and where are the Sixers? What that proves to me is that the Sixers GM (Sam Hinkie) doesn’t know how to pick players.”

Hinkie traded Michael Carter Williams to the Bucks and MCW, who is averaging 12 points and 4.8 assists during the first round of the playoffs, helped Caliendo’s Bucks beat Buress’ Bulls Saturday night.

“And thank you Philadelphia for Michael Carter-Williams,” Caliendo said. “You trade the (2014) rookie of the year for a draft pick. Good luck with that. Are the Sixers going to get a player as good as Carter Williams with that pick?”

Great question since the Sixers scored the Lakers 2016 first round pick for MCW. That may not be such an enviable pick since the Lakers will have a healthy Kobe Bryant and Julius Randle next season and the word is that a number of impact free agents want to play for the Lakers, which has considerable cap space, such as Rajon Rondo.

Caliendo looks at the success of the Bucks and the Atlanta Hawks and wonders if the Sixers should try it their way.

“Shrewd draft picks and free agent signings helped those teams,” Caliendo said. “I think that’s a better way to go than tanking. Philadelphia is a pretty angry sports town and it just might get angrier if the Sixers’ plan doesn’t work.”