This 76ers-Wizards Mismatch Proves Today's NBA is Soft

The 76ers Are Feasting on Air

You watch these games, and you just shake your head. The Philadelphia 76ers rolled over the Washington Wizards again, 121-102, back on December 2, 2025. Tyrese Maxey went off for 35 points that night, 20 of them coming in the third quarter alone. Good for him, I guess. But where was the defense? Where was the physicality that defined the game?

Real talk: You think Michael Jordan would let someone drop 20 on him in a quarter without a fight? No chance. The Wizards let Maxey get comfortable, and he did what today's scorers do – light it up without much resistance. It wasn't exactly a grind-it-out slugfest from the 90s, was it?

Overtime? More Like Over-Soft

Then there was the March 4, 2026 game, a 139-134 overtime win for the 76ers. Overtime. For a game against the Wizards. The 76ers moved to 4-0 on the season with that win. The Wizards, meanwhile, fell to 1-3. Look, a close game is fine, but 139 points? In a single game? That scoreline looks like an All-Star Game from my era, not a regular season contest. You can talk about pace and space all you want, but the simple fact is, teams aren't playing defense like they used to.

When I watched teams like the Bad Boy Pistons, every point was earned. Every drive to the basket meant you were going to hit the floor. Nowadays, guys get whistled for breathing on an opponent. It makes for high scores, sure, but it's not the same brand of basketball.

Joel Embiid wasn't even playing in that March 4th game, and the Sixers still hung 139 on Washington. Maxey had 28.8 PPG that season. He's a good player, but he wouldn't get those numbers if every possession was a war.

Wizards Need a Reality Check

The Wizards lost to Utah 122-112 on March 4th, the same night the Sixers beat them in OT. Something isn't right there. The fact that the 76ers can put up 139 points on them, even in overtime, just shows how far the Wizards have fallen from any semblance of defensive competence. Drummond pulled down 8.4 RPG for the 76ers. These guys are just playing exhibition ball out there.

It’s no wonder these games are trending. Fans see the high scores and think it's exciting. I see defensive indifference and a league that's forgotten what real basketball looks like.

I predict the 76ers will continue to rack up these inflated scores against teams like the Wizards until the league decides to let defenders actually play defense again, and that won't happen anytime soon.