We know the 76ers already broke their historic losing streak last week by blowing out the Detroit Pistons 123=98, but we wanted to examine exactly what made the Sixers so bad for so long. Prior to the Pistons game, the 76ers were just one game away from a dubious NBA distinction of having the longest losing streak in NBA history.

Up until their clutch win, the 76ers lost 26 games in a row, tying the all-time NBA record that no player, team, owner, fan or mascot wants to a part of.  During the streak, Philly did not win one game in the whole month of February and waited until the second to last game in March to pull out a win.

While it was expected before the season that Philly would be one of the wo

rst team in the league, no experts ever predicts this kind of losing streak. So what caused this kind of futility? There are a few reasons that we can point to behind why the Sixers were able to secure only one win in the last couple months.

Slow Down, Young Man

With an average age of 23.7 years among the players on their roster, the 76ers are the youngest team in the NBA by almost a full year. While this could mean good things for the future, if their players develop, youth usually means struggles in the short term. By comparison, the two-time defending champion Miami Heat have an average age of 30.2 years – with a good mix of superstars (Lebron James), younger players (Norris Cole), role players (Chris Andersen), and veteran journeymen (Rashard Lewis).

Bricks from the Charity Stripe

There have been more than a few blowouts during the Sixers long losing streak, but there have been some close games as well. One of the keys to winning close games is making free throws – and that is something that Philly struggles to do.

The team ranks 28th out of 30 NBA teams when it comes to free throw percentage, barely topping 70%. On the other end of the spectrum, the Portland Trail Blazers are shooting almost 82% from the free throw line, and have a great win-loss record to match.

There were a hell of a lot of blowouts during the streak, but there were also games in which free-throws could have made the difference. Specifically, two losses against the Nets and Knicks that were by 6 points or less where the Sixers shot 72% from the line or less.

Bricks from All Over

It’s one thing to brick from the free throw and lose a couple games, but when you can’t shoot straight the rest of the game, that’s a recipe for disaster when the goal is to put it in the goal. The 76ers as a team are the league’s worst shooters. The team is shooting a league-worst 43% in overall field goal and are at the bottom of the entire league in three-point field goal percentage (31%). Ouch.

You Can’t Brick a Shot When You Don’t Have the Ball

Wow. It just gets from worst to worser. The 76ers lead the league in turnovers, too. At 17.4 turnovers a game, they’re losing out on possessions, and when you’re the league’s worst-shooting team, you can’t afford to cough it up.  What’s odd is that even with a league -leading 17 turnovers, the Sixers still lead the league in attempts per game with nearly 88 FGAs every night they’re on the court!

Less Bricks From Your Opponents

It’s hard to win when you don’t score well from three, free, or in-between, but it certainly doesn’t help your cause when you can’t stop the other team from scoring either. Eek. In addition to having the worst shooting percentage in the league, the Sixers are allowing a league-worst 110.2 points per game. Considering they only average 98.7 ppg, it’s not hard to see why they can’t come up with a win. The Indiana Pacers, one of the favorites to win the title and best defensive teams in the league, only allow 91.7 points per game.

Future’s Bright, But Look For Warnings

It’s not all doom and gloom for the 76ers and their fans? There might not be a championship or a division title coming down the road anytime soon, but there are some talented players on the roster who could mature into a quality NBA team over the new few seasons.

Among the young core that could contribute to a turnaround in Philadelphia include Michael Carter-Williams, Tony Wroten, and Nerlens Noel. With another high draft pick coming in 2014, there might be some light at the end of the tunnel in the City of Brotherly Love.

Still, if you’re a NBA GM, you need to pay attention to these red flags. It’s not like the 76er’s roster came together just this year. Moves (and non-movement), trades, attitudes (Andrew Bynum), contracts, coaches, and the draft all contributed to the team’s embarrassing moment.

These type of streaks just don’t spontaneously appear, but they develop over time.  If you find your team is slowly being comprised of young, offensive-minded players, you might want to lobby your organization to add a couple more experienced players. (The 76ers veteran is 33 year old Jason Richardson who he hasn’t played one game this season)

That veteran is important to the psyche of your young team. He may no longer put up 15 and 8 every night, but can get in the ears of rookies and a calming influence in the locker room. When you have youth leading the youth and no experienced leader on the court or off, like the 76ers do,the team can tune out the coach and let bad habits and selfishness dictate the season.