The Philadelphia 76ers are not off to the worst start in NBA history. Yet.

No, the 76ers’ 0-17 start still beats the 2009-10 New Jersey Nets’ opening 18-game skid. But don’t worry, Philadelphians, history can be yours tonight. (Please refrain from asking Michael Carter-Williams about tanking, though.)

There’s one impediment to tying (and then, Friday night against Kevin Durant and the Oklahoma City Thunder, breaking) that record: the Minnesota Timberwolves, whom they play tonight (8 p.m. ET, and no, it’s not on national TV).

The Sixers may be the worst team in NBA history, but they also may not be the worst team in the NBA right now. The T’wolves are 4-12 but 2-10 since point guard Ricky Rubio went down with an ankle injury. They also are without shooting guard Kevin Martin and center Nikola Pekovic, meaning three of their four best players are down.

Thaddeus Young is the only high-quality veteran on the T’wolves right now. That’s exactly what he was for the Sixers in the second half of last season, which included a 26-game losing streak.

The Sixers shouldn’t be considered favorites in this game, and their lack of depth and experience ensures they can lose any game they play. They’re also playing in Minneapolis, though home court hasn’t exactly been a boon for the Sixers (whose closest loss came at the Houston Rockets).

But point guard Michael Carter-Williams, last season’s rookie of the year, should have his way with Minnesota rookie Zach LaVine, who still is adjusting to playing point and has been very up and down. And second-round rookie K.J. McDaniels of the Sixers has played about as well as No. 1 overall pick Andrew Wiggins for the T’wolves.

They’re also coming off a 26-point loss to the Los Angeles Clippers that wasn’t even that close. Motivation or exhaustion?

The injuries haven’t been all bad for the T’wolves, thanks to nice contributions from second-year players Shabazz Muhammad, Gorgui Dieng and Anthony Bennett. And even this depleted roster has a stronger, more experienced bench than Philadelphia.

But if the 76ers are going to win a game, this probably is the one.