Deep Sixer

OAKLAND -- The 76ers have won eight of the last 10 and their two biggest victories during this time came over teams that had to play the night before in New Jersey, while the Sixers were more rested.
The Sixers had a day off in between games before beating Dallas, 84-76 on Feb. 11.
During Wednesday’s 101-89 win over visiting Orlando the Sixers were even more well rested, having not played since Saturday’s 101-96 overtime win in Miami.
And even though the Sixers will have a day off before their Friday night matchup in Golden State, they had a rough travel day on Thursday.
It took more than seven hours to fly to San Francisco because the plane had to stop in the Midwest and refuel.
Once the Sixers landed, coach Maurice Cheeks cancelled practice, although the team did meet to watch film.
Golden State, meanwhile, will be playing its fourth of five straight home games and the Warriors have been off since Tuesday’s 105-99 win over Seattle.
The NBA schedule is unforgiving for all teams. This is just one of those times it favors Golden State.
That still shouldn’t give the Sixers any built-in tired excuse.
Like the Warriors, the Sixers are involved in a playoff race, although it almost seems unfair.
Here are the Warriors with a 34-22 record (.607) and only holding the eighth and final Western Conference playoff spot by a half game over the Denver Nuggets entering Thursday.
Meanwhile the Sixers (26-32, .448) were in the seventh position, a half game ahead of the New Jersey Nets.
This isn’t going to change, so the Sixers should just try to take advantage of their good fortune.
The Golden State game is the key one on the trip. If the Sixers can beat the Warriors, then they could realistically look to come home 2-1 from out West.
Few give the Sixers much of a chance at Phoenix, while they have a decent shot against the Los Angeles Clippers.
So if the Sixers can steal one in Golden State, it would make them forget about any fatigue.
Golden State overcame a 13-point deficit in the third quarter to beat the Sixers, 100-98 in overtime at the Wachovia Center in November.
To show how long ago that truly was, that win only improved Golden State to 5-7, while the Sixers dropped to 3-9.
Things have changed drastically since.
What hasn’t changed is that Golden State, which leads the NBA in scoring and points allowed, will try to run the Sixers into the ground.
Playing Golden State while well rested is difficult enough. Now the Sixers have an extra challenge, but one that is far from impossible.

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Considering the opponent, the Sixers arguably played their best first half of the season in Wednesday’s 101-89 win over the Orlando Magic.
The Sixers led 61-42 at the half and even though the Magic got within 9 points with under six minutes left in the game, the Sixers never allowed it to get to nail-biting time.
A few things about the game. Sure, Orlando hit 11 of 26 three-pointers (42.3 percent) but the Magic was just 4 for 12 when in the first half when the game was essentially won.
Most of all, Orlando’s big three of Hedo Turkoglu, Rashard Lewis and Dwight Howard managed to shoot just 16 for 40 from the field.
The Magic needs more than 40 shots from their three top offensive threats.
For the second time in three games against the Sixers, Howard was a mere mortal, with 14 points (on 6 of 13 shooting) and 16 rebounds.
Most centers would take that evening in a heartbeat, but so much more is expected of Howard.
The Sixers did a good job of doubling him when he had the ball and either force him to pass the ball or turn it over. Howard had three turnovers.
For those Willie Green bashers, and you know you exist in blogsville, this might be a good time to start giving the veteran guard some credit.
Green scored a season-high 26 points and has 82 points in his last four games. During this span, he is shooting 35 for 59 from the field.
Green has admitted to being more aggressive offensively. Instead of settling for a 20-footer, he’s driving and then pulling up from 15 or taking it all the way to the basket.
That all said, the Sixers’ fate will be determined by how they play on the defensive end. Orlando averaged 111.5 points in its first two wins over the Sixers.
The Sixers have held opponents below 90 points 22 times this season and are 16-6 in those games. That is no accident.
Against Orlando, the Sixers forced 20 turnovers and had 12 steals.
Of course the defense will be tested in consecutive upcoming games at Golden State and Phoenix.
At least the Sixers f(26-32) are heading to the west coast with some confidence that comes from beating one of the top four teams in the Eastern Conference, not to mention having won eight of their last 10 games.
With 24 games left the Sixers’ destiny is in their own hands. And who ever thought in the beginning of the season we’d be saying this with a little over a month in a half left in the regular season.

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NOTE: The latest podcast is up. To listen: http://go.philly.com/sixerscast

One of the interesting questions this season centers on the 76ers attendance, or lack of it. The Sixers have a team that the Philadelphia fan usually appreciates – scrappy, hard-working and one that never quits.
Our guess is that the Philadelphia fan isn’t ready to invest in a team financially or emotionally that it doesn’t think will make the postseason, or if so, would enjoy a short stay.
It’s clear that the Sixers have to win big for fans to embrace them.
Philadelphia is often called a basketball town, but it’s difficult to tell by the way the Sixers have been supported over the years. Even when the Sixers won the NBA title in 1982-83, they averaged 15,775, which was about 2,700 shy of capacity at the Spectrum.
The Sixers all-time high was in 2001-2002, the year after they reached the NBA finals. In 2001-2002, the Sixers averaged a club-record 20,560.
Since then it has been steadily declining. Entering Tuesday, the Sixers were 27th in attendance, averaging 13,078.
The attendance woes have been well-documented, but not enough for everybody, especially a reader named Joshua, who is usually well informed on NBA issues.
He mentioned how Miami had 19,600 for Saturday’s game with the Sixers (although being in that arena, we saw more than a few empty seats).
His point was that Miami has the worst team in the league and was still able to sell out the game with the Sixers. And then Joshua questioned the local media in relation to the topic of attendance.
“Why is the media in Philly dodging the attendance fiasco issue,” he asked. “It’s not as if the players are not disgusted by the Philadelphia fans non-attendance, either.”
Later in his post, Joshua hit a true nerve. He ends by writing, “If Comcast as owner, impedes The Inquirer’s response (to the low attendance) then shame on them.”
Wow, there is a lot to tackle here.
First, our advice is to read The Inquirer. We have written two fairly big stories about the attendance since the beginning of the regular season.
On Nov. 18, this reporter wrote in the Sunday Inquirer about attendance. The story was titled “Growing pains are causing a shrinking audience.” The subhead read, “The Sixers are scrappy, but they're rebuilding. The combination has led to empty seats.”
On Feb. 1 The Inquirer ran a story on the front page of the paper by Joe Logan titled, “Shaking the box-office blues.”
In it, Joe wrote about some of the marketing ideas the Sixers are using to attract fans. He also discussed in length the team’s attendance woes.
This doesn’t look like The Inquirer is afraid to write about the dwindling attendance.
Both stories talked about how the Sixers were near the bottom in attendance.
So while we respect everybody’s opinion, one can’t make the accusation that we haven’t dealt with the attendance issue.
And it’s preposterous to suggest that we would allow Comcast or any company to control what is written.
And to the Sixers and Comcast’s credit, they have never tried to discourage me from writing any stories.
We can’t write about the attendance every day. How much can it be beaten to death?
One writer, Dean, mentioned that the Heat probably sold out many games before the season when they still had Shaq and the fans thought it would be a quality team.
That could be true, but the real story is that Philadelphians when it comes to supporting the Sixers, are frontrunners.
It would be interesting to see how many who are regulars reading and posting on this blog, actually buy tickets to the Sixers games.
Come clean. If you haven’t attended a game, admit it. There is no crime to it, but it would be interesting to see if the people who are interested enough in the team to read the blog daily (which is greatly appreciated) have also seen the Sixers play in person this year.

Anybody reading this blog will see various opinions of the Sixers’ postseason chances. Right now, it seems like a reach for the Sixers to reach the postseason, especially with the upcoming schedule that has 11 of the next 17 games against teams with winning records.
And as stated in the previous blog, if the Sixers are having trouble putting away teams such as Miami while losing to the Timberwolves, what happens now, with consecutive games against Orlando, Golden State and Phoenix.
As one reader datruth4life says, “I think it’s fool’s gold to think this team can win enough games to get in the playoffs.”
Another reader named Joshua took the opposite view after we took the Sixers to task for making too many mistakes in Saturday’s 101-96 overtime win over the Heat.
He called it Negadelphia when it was pointed out how poorly the Sixers played against the Heat.
“The Sixers again showed, down five in OT, the will to fight and overcome. Give the Andre brothers credit,” Joshua wrote.
The Sixers do deserve credit for never quitting and they showed character as we pointed out against Miami. There are many teams in the league that wouldn’t have allowed the Sixers back. And there are many teams they would have lost to while committing 23 turnovers.
The Sixers are 25-32 and is says here that even in the Eastern Conference, it would take at least 37 wins to make the playoffs.
That would mean the Sixers would have to go 12-13 in the final 25 games.
This is not impossible, but also not a slam dunk to happen either.
So the question posed is a simple one. Will the Sixers make the playoffs or not and why?
Let’s face it. Besides seeing the young players develop, the prospect of competing in the postseason is the main thing, if not the only thing creating any type of interest in the final 25 games.
So for one moment, forget about the players that the Sixers didn’t acquire by the trade deadline or who they might get in the offseason.
The games at least at this point do matter. Do the Sixers have what it takes to extend their season, or will the schedule and their own inexperience finally catch up to them?

MIAMI -- The mood in the 76ers locker room on Saturday was one of pride, overcoming a five point deficit in overtime to finally put away the Miami Heat, 101-96 after scoring the game’s final 10 points.
The win did show character, especially since they were down by five with 2:24 left in overtime after Ricky Davis hit a trey.
However, Sixers fans should be worried that in the last week the team lost to the worst team in the Western Conference (Minnesota) and barely survived against the team with the NBA’s worst record.
The next three games are against Orlando, Golden State and Phoenix. It’s safe to say that if the Sixers play the way they did against Miami in the next three games, the outcome won’t be to their liking.
The Sixers were careless with the basketball against the Heat, committing 23 turnovers.
It’s interesting that the Sixers have gotten to the point where they don’t have to play their best to beat some teams, especially ones that have lost 26 of the last 27 games.
And while they should be happy for grinding out a victory that looked like defeat, if the Sixers truly want to be in a playoff race, they have to play much better.
The Sixers were saying that a comeback win like this would boost their confidence.
The teams they are coming up on the schedule wouldn’t have allowed such a comeback.
So it’s fool’s gold if the Sixers feel they can play this way and stay in the playoff race, even in the Eastern Conference.
They should feel fortunate to have earned a split of their two games this weekend in Florida.
The competition now increases drastically and so must the Sixers' performance if they want to still harbor realistic postseason dreams.

ORLANDO – If Hedo Turkoglu played all his games against the 76ers, maybe he wouldn’t have been complaining about being snubbed from the Eastern Conference all-star team.
Turkoglu bombed his way to 31 points in Friday’s 115-99 win over the Sixers at Amway Arena.
He shot 7 for 11 from three-point range as Orlando was a stuning 15 for 33 from beyond the arc.
Many of them were uncontested three’s. (Chester and St. Joseph University standout Jameer Nelson was 5 for 5 from beyond the arc).
In Orlando’s 108-106 win over the Sixers on Feb. 1, Turkoglu had 23 points, shooting 9 for 15 from the field. He also had the winning free throws to snap a 106-106 tie.
In the two games, Turkoglu has hit all 10 of his foul shots.
When a 6-foot-10 player like Turkoglu can hit from the perimeter and foul line, it stretches a defense.
Of course the person doing the most stretching was Dwight Howard.
Living up to his Superman reputation, Howard had 24 points and 18 rebounds.
And one wonders what will ever happen if Orlando actually ran a play for him. Howard took just 12 shots, hitting nine.
He commands double teams and enables his teammates to get wide open shots from the perimeter.
The only problem last night was even when Howard was out of the game for the seven or so minutes, Orlando still got open shots.
The Sixers continue to have a problem defending dribble penetration.
Give a team like Orlando open shots and it’s a sure-fire way to lose. Especially when Howard is rarely missing from inside.
Having an ouside game and an inside presence makes Orlando awfully difficult to defend. The Sixers would settle for being proficient in one of those areas.
Besides the usual weaknesses
If the Sixers are going to remain competitive, they must do a better job on the road, against good or not so good competition.
Since 2008, the Sixers are 2-10 on the road, with the wins coming in Houston (a good team) and Charlotte (the opposite).
It shows that the road to respectability is a long and winding one.
There are a laundry list of things the Sixers have to improve on. And one wonders if meeting the listless Miami Heat on Saturday can even help cure some of these ills.

(NOTE: The latest podcast is up. To listen: http://go.philly.com/sixerscast)

There are plenty of fans who are disappointed that the 76ers didn’t make a splash at the trade deadline.
While many advocated trading Andre Miller, the best thing the Sixers did was hold on to him. First of all, teams weren’t offering close to the value for him we’ve been told and there is no use getting 60 cents on the dollar for Miller.
Plus if Miller is eventually traded in the offseason and the Sixers don’t receive a point guard in return, is the team ready to live with Lou Williams as a full-time starter?
Williams has been very effective off the bench and players like that are hard to come by. It might be better in the long run to keep Williams coming off the bench, giving the Sixers an instant offense type player.
As stated in the past, the Sixers might even be better thinking of extending Miller, whose contract expires after the 2008-2009 season, than shipping him away.
Much depends on how the Sixers address other issues and acquiring an offensive minded power forward remains the No. 1 objective.
As for not making a move, the Sixers weren’t going to do anything just to help their playoff push. As we stated before those Ron Artest rumors never had much chance of materializing.
The Sixers listened to all teams, but weren’t knocked over by any proposals.
So this is your 76er team. Now there will be no excuses that there wasn’t enough time to evaluate the young players or the veterans for that matter.
The Sixers will enter the off-season with a definite game plan. Whether it can be carried out remains to be seen, but Stefanski was intent on not just making a trade for the sake of making a trade.
Now the Sixers get to see for sure what they have before getting ready for what should be an active offseason.

On the night that Sixers coach Maurice Cheeks received a one-year contract extension, the team extended itself in a rebound effort against the New York Knicks.
The Sixers plastered the Knicks on Wednesday, winning by 40 points. That came a night after a listless effort in a 104-88 loss at Minnesota.
The Sixers really should have won both games, but for some reason they were listless in their first game coming out of the all-star break.
What’s more, the schedule is going to get much tougher and kicking away the Minnesota game could come back to haunt the Sixers.
So they had to beat the Knicks and to their credit the game was over after the first quarter.
One note about Cheeks’ extension. While one year isn’t much for an extension, it buys the team some time to see if Cheeks is the coach for the Sixers when they get an expected upgrade of talent this offseason.
By the way, for those of you who are writing in that Cheeks gets one year and an option, that's inaccurate. There is no option.
For now, the offseason can wait. The final seven weeks have
From here on, the schedule will get much tougher. The Sixers are 24-31 and have 27 games left. There are two games in the next week against Orlando. The Sixers also have to still play Phoenix twice. There are also two games with Detroit, one with San Antonio and even two crucial games with Atlanta, which has beaten the Sixers in both games.
So the Sixers have a difficult road. They will have to pull quite a few upsets just to stay in postseason contention

Maurice Cheeks has been rewarded for his loyalty and his ability to motivate a young team. And most of all, it was the right move to agree in principle to a contract extension with the 76ers coach.
Cheeks in the eyes of many has defied odds earning the one-year contract extension.
He was on the third and final year of his contract and many felt that new president and general manager Ed Stefanski would want to bring in one of his own people.
Cheeks never made his contract and issue and when asked about it was adamant about not allowing it to become a distraction.
While some have questioned Cheeks’ ability to adjust to certain game situations as a coach, the fact that he has kept a young team together while also showing improvement was no doubt a big reason why he was retained.
The players have responded to him, although it’s ironic that the extension was announced the night after one of the Sixers’ flattest performances, a 104-88 loss at Minnesota.
Still, for the most part, the team has played hard for Cheeks and in the minds of many, has overachieved. Remember the one national columnist who picked the Sixers to win 20 games the entire season.
They are 23-31, still far from turning the corner, but in his time here, Cheeks was never been dealt a great hand to work with.
Now these young players are showing improvement and the bar will be raised on the Sixers.
If the Sixers have the same record at this time next year, there could be people calling for Cheeks’ job. For now, Cheeks has earned the right to keep coaching the team.
Now the focus shifts to getting better players so he could be around for another extension in the future

MINNEAPOLIS – The 76ers aren’t talented enough to play with a lack of emotion. That happened during Tuesday’s 104-88 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves at the Target Center.
The Sixers were riding a five-game winning streak while the Wolves had lost five in a row.
And Minnesota deserves a lot of credit for playing with such a high level of intensity.
Even Sixers coach Maurice Cheeks admitted that the Sixers could have used an energy boost.
And as much as the Sixers said that they weren’t taking the Wolves lightly, it was difficult to tell by the way they played.
Minnesota set the tone early, getting plenty of second chance opportunities, capitalizing on hustle plays.
The Wolves looked like the team that was battling for a playoff berth and not the Sixers.
And if the Sixers learned one thing, it’s that teams will come at them hard, regardless of their 23-31 record. Minnesota’s Al Jefferson, who had 19 points and 14 rebounds in a dominating inside performance, talked about wanting to burst teams’ playoff bubble.
The Sixers have to realize that now with 28 games to go, there will be no easy matchups.
The Wolves are now 11-41, which is the worst record in the Western Conference.
They played like a hungry team. The Sixers seemed in a fog.
And nobody can use the all-star layoff as an excuse because both teams had the same amount of time off.
There is a tendency when a team has had success such as a five-game win streak, to begin to think that things come easy.
This loss was a stark reminder that the Sixers have to bring a high level of intensity every night.
And they also have to find a way to score consistently when the opponent stops their fast break. The Sixers had just five fast break points in the first three quarters when they trailed 74-62.
The never made it a game in the fourth quarter.
Most of all, the Sixers blew a golden opportunity. Maybe we all should curtail the playoff talk and have the Sixers concentrate on beating teams that they are supposed to put away.

There is a passionate 76ers fan who contributes regularly to the blog and to e-mails named Raymond who made a statement that can’t go unnoticed.
Before getting to that statement, it must be noted that Raymond was one of the first people backing Thaddeus Young. When Young wasn’t playing, Raymond said that he should be starting and he deserves credit for that.
But he said suggested that the Sixers should go out and get Gerald Green and Morris Almond and then said that Andre Iguodala would then be the sixth man because he is not a better guard than Almond or a better forward than Thaddeus Young.
What?
Enough is enough. Almond has spent his share of time in the D-League. Again, Raymond wanted the Sixers to draft Almond, who came out of Rice with a great reputation as a shooter, but he has only played six games for the Jazz. Somebody that good should at least get rotation minutes. And if the Jazz valued Almond's perimeter game that much, they probably never would have traded for Kyle Korver.
And as impressive as Young is, at this point he doesn’t compare to Iguodala.
Young no doubt has great potential and if his game keeps growing there is no telling how good he can be. At this time, if somebody had to decide whether he starts or Iguodala is the starter, there doesn’t seem to be much of a decision.
As for Gerald Green, one reader put it best by saying that he is having trouble getting minutes in Minnesota. If there is a slam dunk contest, Green is my man, but being a consistent NBA contributor is something that he hasn’t proven to this point.

Here are some other issues the readers bring up.

Item: A majority of the fans would still like to see Ron Artest becoming a Sixer.

Response: As stated before, we don’t see that happening based on certain conversations with NBA people, but one never knows in the crazy trading period.
Artest can opt out of a contract that pays him more than $8 million next season.
The feeling among Artest backers is that if he doesn’t work out, that the Sixers will have another big expiring contract.
Most have suggested a package of Rodney Carney, Willie Green, Kevin Ollie and the future No. 1 pick from Utah for Artest.
My question: Why in the world would Sacramento make that trade? They would get Ollie’s expiring contract, but Green would be on their books for three more years and wouldn’t see a lot of time behind Kevin Martin.
And our reservations with Artest have been well documented. On all three of his NBA teams – Chicago, Indiana and now Sacramento – there has been serious baggage.
There is no question that he is a top talent on both ends of the court, but one never knows if he will have a professional attitude from day to day. And with a young team, that is important. The Sixers may not have the most talent in the league, but they have great veteran leadership, starting with Ollie. Even though he doesn’t play much, Ollie is highly respected in the locker room for the professional way that he approaches his job. The young players have benefited greatly from him and the other veterans.
Those in the Artest camp say he would be on his best behavior over the final playoff push for the Sixers. That could be, but could anybody say that with certainty?

Item: There is some conjecture by readers that the Sixers could earn the sixth seed in the Eastern Conference.

Response: Isn’t this getting a little ahead of things? The Sixers have been impressive during their five-game winning streak, but four of the teams had losing records and the other one, Dallas was banged up. That isn’t the Sixers fault and they deserve credit for taking advantage of things. But the worst things Sixers fans (not to mention the Sixers themselves) can do is look ahead like that. Earning the eighth seed will be hard enough. For now, all the Sixers and their fans should be thinking about is trying to beat Gerald Green and the Timberwolves on Tuesday.

Item: Great post by Craig, who writes about the uncertainty of the lottery, even near the top. He asks where is Seattle after having two of the top five picks?

Response: While Seattle has a great young nucleus, Craig is right, the lottery is a crapshoot. And what has been proven is that young teams really have trouble winning in the NBA. People are pointing to Portland and the Trail Blazers have done a great job, but there is still a good chance that they won’t make the playoffs (even though if they were in the Eastern Conference they could probably begin printing playoff tickets). We agree that any team not trying its best to win in order to get a better chance at a higher lottery pick, is a disgrace to the sport. Now we are not trying to be high and mighty, but any team with true integrity will try to win games, not do enough to lose them. We know that this has been beaten to death, but our stance won’t change. The Sixers should do everything they can to win and heck with the lottery.

Item: Nice job by Dean pointing out the solid drafts under Billy King. Dean says that Billy King was a lot of things, but a poor drafter wasn’t one of them.

Response: No argument here. Getting Lou Williams, Kyle Korver and Willie Green in the second round is pretty impressive. Getting Iguodala at No. 9 turned out to be a tremendous value pick and it looks like the same will be said of Young at No. 12. And even though he has been up and down, Jason Smith at 20, looks like a solid pick. Current assistant GM Tony DiLeo is a very good evaluator of college talent and it has shown in the drafts. Despite the knowledge of DiLeo and the staff, King was the one on the firing line and the one who had final say on the picks and his draft record over the past five years was very good.

NEW ORLEANS -- Even though the 76ers were riding a five-game winning streak, virtually all the players welcomed the all-star break. Most of them needed a breather, both mentally and physically from the game.
During the break, the players scattered around the country, many of them going to their hometowns for a few days of R&R.
Now the big question is whether the players can pick up where they left off when they return to practice on Monday in Minnesota.
The Sixers begin the second half with two very winnable games, in Minnesota on Tuesday and home against the New York Knicks on Wednesday.
These first two games will give a true indication as to whether the Sixers will be legitimate playoff contenders over their final 29 games.
Before the break we suggested the Sixers had to go at least 4-1 in their five-game homestand for the post-all star part of the schedule to have meaning.
Now we’ll go one step further – they should go 2-0 in these first two out of the gate to show that they (a) they can beat teams with worse records than their own and (b) they aren’t reading their press clippings.
There are many fans out there who aren’t enthralled about the Sixers possibly earning a seven or eight seed in the East, where the prize would likely be a series with either Boston or Detroit.
The players don’t want to hear that. They really are excited about the possibility of competing in the postseason.
So the fun and games are over. The Sixers are getting back to work.
No doubt, many of the players watched an all-star game that had a little bit of everything, with the exception of defense.
The all-star game was highly entertaining. Now we’ll see if the Sixers final two months prove to be the same.

NEW ORLEANS -- The Atlanta Hawks were considered one proven veteran point guard from being a solid playoff-worthy team. Now the Hawks have given their postseason hopes a major lift by acquiring Mike Bibby from Sacramento for Anthony Johnson, Tyronn Lue, Shelden Williams, Lorenzen Wright and a 2008 second round pick.
So the Hawks really didn’t sacrifice any of their main nucleus and have now acquired Bibby. A few years ago Bibby was near all-star status and while injuries have hurt him, he is still a more than capable point, able to give Atlanta the leadership it needs.
At 21-28, Atlanta is in a virtual three-way tie with the Sixers and New Jersey Nets for the seventh spot in the Eastern Conference.
While the Western Conference teams have been making most of the big trades, it will be interesting if the teams in the East, including the Sixers try to counter this move by Atlanta.
The Hawks were an improving, but still inconsistent team without Bibby. He should give them a certain degree of stability.
And now it will make the Sixers chances of earning a playoff spot more difficult, but far from impossible.

NEW ORLEANS -- Rumors that the Sixers are in line to acquire Ron Artest most likley won't materialize. We checked this out and it doesn't appear to be a course that the Sixers will be taking.
And again, as talented as Artest is, it doesn’t make sense to bring him here. The Sixers have prided themselves on bringing in character players.
As stated before, Artest is a terrific basketball who stands out on both ends of the court. He also has the ability to pull a team apart when things aren’t going well. And his history suggests that at some time, things will begin to unravel.
Too many times people get smitten with talent, but fail to take into account the character of a player.
As we always state, anything can happen in the NBA, but from our vantage point, Artest isn’t likely to become a Sixers. (And if we’re wrong, we’ll be the first to admit it).
Below are some other items along the NBA trail.

Item: While watching the Rookie Challenge, it’s clear that Thaddeus Young has a good chance to play in this game next year with the sophomores.

Response: By this time next year, it should be apparent that Young is among the nine best players in this class, even with Greg Oden joining the group next year.
And after seeing Al Thornton against the Sixers, he also could be here next year. Everybody knows that Young didn’t play much in the first 18 games, so he was hurt by his statistics. Yet if he continues to show the development, Young certainly has a chance to join the elite players in his class.
Right now, also factoring in potential, we would take Young over Luis Scola, Sean Williams and Jamario Moon, three members of the rookie squad.
That is not to downgrade these players because they all have talent, but Young, if he continues to work and develop confidence in his perimeter game, then he could be more multi-dimensional than the aforementioned trio.

Item: People keep writing in and asking about trade rumors regarding the Sixers with Thursday’s trade deadline approaching.

Response: We’re not going to make up something that isn’t there. Ed Stefanski is working the phones diligently, but that doesn’t mean the Sixers will make a trade. Right now the Sixers are getting plenty of calls, but Stefanski isn’t going to make a move for the sake of it. We haven’t received strong indication of any potential blockbusters. Then again, that could change as the deadline nears. If the Sixers don’t make a trade at this point, it wouldn’t be considered a disaster. What would be disastrous is if they Sixers make a bad deadline trade. The question we’d like to throw out there – would you consider it disappointing if the Sixers stand pat at the trade deadline?

Item: An e-mailer suggested that we’re talking about the Sixers as having a successful season to date despite being 23-30.

Response: Even in the Eastern Conference 23-30 can’t be considered successful. What we pointed out was that the Sixers have done better than many (including this reporter) had expected. It’s obvious that if the Sixers were in the Western Conference that we would be talking about this season as a major disappointment. But they are not in the West and the young players should gain valuable experience playing pressured games with postseason implications.

(The latest podcast is available. To listen: http://go.philly.com/sixerscast)

The appearance of Kyle Lowry the other night against the 76ers produced quite a bit of reaction here in blogsville. Lowry played extremely well, scoring 15 points and adding six assists while also showing the toughness that is his trademark.
There seem to be a number of people who are calling for Lowry becoming a Sixers, but also a good number who wouldn’t add him to the team.
As we wrote recently in The Inquirer, the Sixers have talked to Memphis about Lowry, but a source doesn’t expect anything to materialize. Then again, things can change in a hurry in the NBA.
According to a source, Memphis has been shopping Lowry which is no surprise since the Grizzllies have three promising point guards.
Even Memphis GM Chris Wallace told us that it’s likely one of the three among Lowry, Javaris Crittenton and Mike Conley will likely be gone by next season if not sooner.
Memphis isn’t trading Conley, the No. 4 pick in the draft. There are plenty of potential suitors for either Lowry or Crittenton, who played at Georgia Tech with Thaddeus Young.
There was one person who wrote on the blog, suggesting that the Sixers should give up Low Williams in a trade for Lowry. Keep in mind, Memphis doesn’t want to take another point guard back.
The Grizzlies main goal is having a team take the salary of Brian Cardinal off their hands. If that means packaging one of the point guards, it’s likely that the Grizzlies would do that.
Even if Memphis would take a point guard back, trading Williams for Lowry is something we wouldn’t do. (First of all, the two would have to be traded in a multi-player deal since the salaries don’t match up).
Williams is a player who can give scoring off the bench. Lowry is the better defensive player. While the Sixers could always use an upgrade on defense, finding somebody to fill Williams’ scoring role off the bench isn’t easy.
This is not to downgrade Lowry. He’s a very good player, and a number of NBA teams have inquired about him, but the only way the Sixers would likely think of bringing him in is if Andre Miller is traded. And for the 100th time, we just don’t see that happening, at least not by the trade deadline.

(The latest Sixers podcast is up. To listen: http://go.philly.com/sixerscast)

The 76ers are getting a lot of credit these days and rightfully so. What stood out in Wednesday’s 102-88 win over the visiting Memphis Grizzlies was the Sixers' composure. Memphis, which also showed some fight of its own, had trailed by as many as 22 points in the third quarter and cut the margin to 92-86 with more than four minutes left in the game.
One could hear the collective groan from the Wachovia Center crowd as Memphis was coming back.
Maybe earlier in the season the Sixers would have wilted, but they got a basket from Andre Miller and then an alley oop dunk from Andre Iguodala off Miller’s feed and Memphis was finally put away.
Sure, Memphis is 14-38, but earlier in the season the Sixers may not have known how to finish the Grizzlies off. In fact, even last month, the Sixers may not have been able to regroup the way they did against Memphis.
Now the Sixers have to make sure they don’t cool off during the all-star break.
They return with back to back games on Tuesday in Minnesota and Wednesday at home against the New York Knicks. Both are not only winnable, but the way the schedule gets more difficult, these are games the Sixers have to win if they are a serious playoff contender.
And the Sixers have to keep running. During this five-game winning streak, the Sixers have outscored their opponents, 119-51 in fast break points. They had a 23-8 margin in the win over Memphis.
This is the best stretch the Sixers have shown with their transition game.
What’s more, the team’s confidence is the best it’s been all year. That’s not surprising because they own a season-high five-game winning streak.
The Sixers are playing exciting basketball and deserve a lot of credit.
They have 29 games left and that’s a long way to go before accomplishing anything tangible.
Still, to get to this point, with so much to shoot for, is probably a lot more than many of us expected to see.

The trade proposals that our amateur GM’s make on this blog continue to draw tremendous interest. We’ll look at some of the proposed trades and try to answer some of the questions posed. (By the way, if anybody wants a personal response to any comments, the best way is to email - mnarducci@phillynews.com)

Item: Dean, a regular on the blog, has proposed this trade with Memphis
The Sixers receive Mike Miller and Kyle Lowry and Memphis gets Willie Green, Kevin Ollie, Jason Smith and a 2009 first round pick.

Response: If I’m Memphis, I wouldn’t do that trade. If I were the Sixers, it would be done in a split second.We know the Sixers like both Miller and Lowry, but so do many other teams. It wouldn’t be surprising if at least one if not both are dealt by the trade deadline.
Memphis would be receiving an expiring contract with Ollie, the potential in Jason Smith and a guard in Willie Green who really wouldn’t fit into the Grizzlies plans.
Lowry brings toughness and could develop into a top defensive player, but his offensive game is still a work in progress.
Miller is bordering on all-star status and if he played on a better team, he might get consideration. He played last summer on the U.S. National Team and it wouldn’t be surprising to see him in the Olympics. He is one of the best shooters in the league, but he can also create his own shot.
Having him at the two-guard and Andre Iguodala at the small forward would be a good combo. It’s just that Memphis should get much more for him, although the same was said about Pau Gasol.

Item: After pointing out that the Sixers have outscored teams, 87-49 in the fourth quarter during their four-game win streak, one reader asked about the differential in bench scoring during the streak.

Response: The Sixers bench has outscored opponents, 118-68 during this streak. The only time the bench scoring was even close came against Dallas, when the Sixers reserves held a 22-20 advantage.

Item: Joe Doc proposes a three-way trade among the Sixers, Golden State and Cleveland. The Cavs would get Andre Miller and Calvin Booth, Golden State would receive Drew Gooden and Willie Green and the Sixers would acquire Ira Newble, Brandon Wright, Patrick O’Bryant and a first round pick from both.

Response: There is logic in this deal, but if I were the Sixers, I wouldn’t go near it. If I’m giving up Andre Miller, I want more than a couple of expiring contracts and a young power forward such as Wright, who may never develop a back to basket game. And the first round picks will be past the midway point. For Miller to get traded, I’ve said it before the Sixers need a quality player back. That leads us to our next item.

Item: Not only wouldn’t I trade Miller by the deadline, but would think about beginning talks to extend him.

Response: While Miller would like to play for a playoff team, he has been enjoying working with this young group. And Miller, while not one to seek or enjoy attention, seems taken back by all the praise he has been receiving lately. He seems almost embarrassed, but also appreciative. A point guard who knows how to play the game is a precious commodity and as I stated in the paper last week, maybe the best team for Miller is the one he is on.

Item: Dean had another trade proposal that was interesting, but one I wouldn’t do if I were Ed Stefanski. Here is the proposal:
Sacramento gets the Sixers 2009 first round pick and Utah’s conditional first rounder that it owes the Sixers along with Jason Smith, Kevin Ollie and Rodney Carney. The Sixers would get Ron Artest and Beno Udrich.

Response: While there is no questioning Artest’s talent, he has had too many blowups to be considered reliable. The Sixers have done a good job of bringing in character players who aren’t head cases. Artest simply can’t be counted on. Udrith is probably a better than solid point guard who has really hurt the Sixers. He had 15 points – all in the second half and eight assists when the Kings won in Philadelphia. When the Sixers won in Sacramento, he had 19 points and six assists. Another intereseting proposal, but one we wouldn’t do.

Item: A person named Theo wrote that Andre Iguodala has the potential of being a special player.

Response: We totally agree. Iguodala has taken many hits, mainly because of the contract demands. If that is taken out of the mix, look how much he does on a nightly basis. And his defensive contribution shouldn’t be minimized. Sure, there is plenty about his offensive game that has to grow, but this year he has become more comfortable with his outside shot. The handle is a work in progress, but it will continue to get better. It’s the opinion here that Iguodala may be among the fans one of the more unappreciated players in Philadelphia.

Item: Iguodala mentioned that Wednesday’s game with Memphis could be a trap game.

Response: It sure can and the Sixers have to watch out. It was stated here that winning four of five on this homestand would be a success, but now with the four in the bag, nothing short of five will do.
That’s because Memphis will be playing the second of a back to back games and traveling to Philadelphia after hosting Sacramento.
What is a little worrisome is that the Sixers have been fielding a lot of questions from the media recently about their playoff run and how well they have done recently. Keep in mind, the Sixers haven’t accomplished anything except to put themselves in a position to keep playing meaningful games. The Memphis game will be a test to see if the Sixers can stay focused and not get caught up in all the positive press they have been receiving.

One knows that things are going well for the 76ers when they don’t even play close to their best game and were still able to beat the Dallas Mavericks, 84-76 for their fourth consecutive victory.
The Sixers won despite scoring just 34 points in the second half. That’s because Dallas could total only 23, setting a Wachovia Center record for the lowest scoring half.
The skeptics out there will say that the Sixers beat a beat-up Dallas team. The Mavs were without injured players Devin Harris, former Sixer Jerry Stackhouse and Erick Dampier. And then Josh Howard missed most of the fourth quarter with a sore lower back.
Then again, that’s not the Sixers problem. And the Dallas players and coach Avery Johnson said afterwards that the Mavs still had enough players to win.
Dallas led by as many as 10 points in the second quarter. So give the Sixers credit for beating a good team when it was down.
That didn’t happen earlier this year. The Lakers beat the Sixers by 31 points without Lamar Odom. Indiana won at the Wachovia Center without Jermaine O’Neal.
Now the Sixers are taking advantage of their breaks. And most of all, they are getting the job done in the fourth quarter, learning to close out games.
During their four-game win streak, they have outscored the opponent, 87-49 in the fourth quarter.
The closest fourth quarter they had was against Dallas, when the Sixers outscored the Mavs, 14-10. That’s a quarter that will set offensive basketball back a few decades, but the Sixers did what they had to
The Sixers are playing better defense. They have allowed fewer than 100 points in nine of their last 10 games. During that span, the Sixers are 6-4.
It had been stated here that the Sixers had to go at least 4-1 on this current home stand.
Now with Memphis coming to the Wachovia Center on Wednesday before the all-star break, the Sixers have to get greedy.
Memphis is 24 games under .500 and has to play at home on Tuesday against Sacramento while the Sixers are idle. So the Sixers have to take advantage of this sudden good fortune and go into the all-star break with some serious momentum.

Never flashy, but highly efficient, 76ers point guard Andre Miller has been named the NBA’s Eastern Conference Player of the Week.
Miller averaged 19.5 points, 9 assists and just 2.5 turnovers during the Sixers 3-1 week. He had his season-high of 29 points in the Sixers only loss of the week, a 96-91 defeat in Atlanta. Miller recorded a season-high 14 assists in the Sixers 101-96 win over Washington and he didn't even play in the fourth quarter when the Sixers went on a 17-0 run.
The NBA stated that Miller outscored the opposing team’s starting point guards, 78-35 in the four games.
Phoenix’s Amare Stoudemire was named the Western Conference Player of the Week.
After a slow start this season, Miller has continued to play at a high level. He unofficially leads the NBA in trade speculation, but it would now be a surprise if the Sixers dealt him by the Feb. 21 trade deadline.
Miller has helped guide a young team that has shown some recent improvement. Statistics don’t begin to tell the steadying influence he has had on this team.

There continues to be a blog debate concerning the merits of the 76ers winning. It’s something that will be debated from now until the NBA Lottery and likely afterwards.
The position here has always been clear – the Sixers should win as many games as possible and that the only way young players learn how to win is by actually winning.
The opposite view is that winning won’t net the Sixers a blue chipper such as Michael Beasley, Derrick Rose or Kevin Love.
One person who sent a post into the blog actually stated the case for the Sixers winning much better than anything that this writer has written. So here is the post from a person who calls himself tormentedinbeantown
“Last year about this time, the popular view of Golden State was about as low as the Sixers are now. However, thanks to a late season surge, they snuck into the playoffs and brought down the Mavs. Now they are a respectable team, nine games over .500 and on the upswing. Heck, even Chris Webber considers it an attractive destination (and No, I do not want CWebb again!). Fact of the matter is that winning breeds success. It gives you control of your situation. By losing, you’re putting your future in Luck’s hands.”
Well put tormented.
Then there is this post by BoomDrizzle
“There’s a difference between winning a few extra games unexpectedly while still being in the lottery with winning a few extra games unexpectedly and making it to the playoffs. If the Sixers make the playoffs (which, again, I don’t think they will because of a very tough March schedule), it would hopefully be encouraging to the young guys and be a valuable experience.”
Again, well put. It would be a surprise if the Sixers made the postseason. And whether they do or not, the opinion here will be that it’s beneficial to try to win as many games as possible.
Maybe it’s an ideal outlook, that every team should try to win every game. There is no doubt that everybody in the Sixers organization wants to win. It’s now convincing the fans, many who feel more losses and ping-pong balls will be the best way for the Sixers to rebuild.
Some fans would disregard the integrity of the game in order to get a top player. Not here. It would be better to see the Sixers not get the best players, but give their best effort every night in order to win.
Some fans also want the Sixers to try their best, but also hope they lose. It just demonstrates the grip that the lottery has on fans.

Item: A post by Chris Zak read: “I’m all for the Sixers trying to win every game, but I had a thought: You said teams only learn to win by winning – how do you explain the Blazers suddenly becoming a team that knows how to win this season?”

Response: The Blazers are still in the early process of learning how to win. Since they are not even assured a playoff berth in the wild Western Conference, this will be an ongoing process. What has happened here is that second-year players such as Brandon Roy and LaMarcus Aldridge have progressed much quicker than expected. While Roy was the rookie of the year last season, few expected him to be an all-star this year. And Aldridge is a future all-star.
Forgotten in their success was that Portland was 5-11 at one point this year. Then the Trail Blazers went on a 13-game win streak and began believing that they could have success instead of listening to pundits who suggested they were too young.
It sounds so simplistic, but Portland realized it could win once it stated winning. Learning how to win is an on the job process. And with the expected return of Greg Oden next season, the learning should continue at a rapid rate.

Item: Another reader wondered how it would help the Sixers if they made the playoffs and then got swept in four games.

Response: Everything changes in the postseason, the intensity of the players, the pressure, the attention. This is all good for players to experience. Andre Iguodala was a rookie when the Sixers lost in five games in the first round to Detroit. While some may question what benefit that was, it was an invaluable experience showing him what the postseason is all about and whetting his appetite to return. The lessons learned in the postseason are invaluable, even if a team is swept. The difference in covering the postseason as a reporter and the regular season is light night and day. Imagine what it is like for the players and coaches.

Item: Many didn’t agree with our post that stated Corey Maggette would be an interesting player to look at if he declares himself a free agent after this season.

Response: It wasn't stated that the Sixers should sign him and he might be too pricey anyway, but Maggette is somebody at least the Sixers should look at very closely.
He played extremely well against the Sixers, scoring 26 points (although he had no assists, which shows he is usually has a one-dimensional scoring mindset).
There are definitely other needs the Sixers have, but at this point, they shouldn’t discount the possibility of bringing somebody with Maggette’s offensive ability to the team.

Item: There continues to be a groundswell of support among those who write in about Rodney Carney.

Reponse: A key question is whether Carney will develop into a consistent NBA player. What he has been doing recently is showing a more aggressive mindset on defense, while tipping a lot of passes and causing turnovers. Carney has admitted that he is reenergized since his minutes have gone up and he has made a true contribution.
The question is, whether he will ever become a competent shooter from the perimeter. Since he plays shooting guard most of the time, Carney eventually has to develop some consistency on his jumper (He’s shooting 10 for 47, 21.3 percent from beyond the arc). While coach Maurice Cheeks has told him basically to not worry about shooting and do the other things such as defending and running the floor, eventually he will have to become a better shooter, especially when teams force the Sixers into a half-court game.
Carney is getting his confidence and he has worked hard after practices on his shooting, so maybe it will come around. At this point, the Sixers still don’t know quite what they have in Carney, but at least he is now getting the chance to show them his ability. It’s still a question whether he will be helpful to the Sixers in the future or possible trade bait. At least with the way he’s playing, the Sixers and other teams are going to have an easier time evaluating his ability.

Item: A reader proposed trading Andre Miller, Samuel Dalembert and this year’s No. 1 to Miami for Dwyane Wade and Ricky Davis’ expiring contract.

Response: One of the most interesting parts of this blog centers on reading some of the creative and well-thought out trade proposals by those making the posts. This one with Miami was neither. The proposals have to have some sort of realism to them and Miami wouldn’t consider trading Wade at this point unless another superstar was coming back. And even then it likely wouldn't happen.

OK, it was only the Los Angeles Clippers. Of course, that’s probably how Toronto fans felt on Friday before the Raptors lost at home to the Clippers, 102-98.
So the Sixers 101-80 win over the Clippers on Saturday can’t be taken lightly.
Even though the Clippers looked three steps slow and were outscored 29-10 in fast break points, the Sixers deserve a little credit also.
They are currently winning the games they have to win and are now 12-14 at home.
We earlier wrote that the Sixers had to win four out of five on this current homestand to have a chance of making the post all-star schedule meaningful.
So far the Sixers are 3-0 on the homestand with games Monday against Dallas and Wednesday against Memphis.
No, this isn’t time to pop the corks because the Sixers have won three in a row, but they at least have put themselves in a position to play in games that have meaning after the all-star break.
For a young team, that is a good thing, getting the players used to pressurized games.
We again interrupt this to acknowledge that many out there in blogsville want the Sixers to lose in order to receive the best positioning for the lottery.
A young team only learns how to win by winning so we consider these games important. And so do the players.
Now, back to business.
The Sixers have shown that when they get on the fast break, they can be an entertaining and even dangerous team.
Even after the win over the Clippers, coach Maurice Cheeks acknowledged that the Sixers have to do better when teams don’t allow them to run and force them in a half-court set.
No argument here.
What has been the most positive aspect of this recent run has been the return of both Rodney Carney and his confidence.
Carney is the Sixers fastest player and while his jumper is a work in progress, he is a terrific finisher on the break.
He has once again earned a spot in the rotation and Cheeks’ earlier discussions this year with him about showing more intensity, seem to have made an impression.
Another key has been the play of Andre Miller and again, those who want him traded, try to imagine the Sixers without him.
So the Sixers still have a lot of terrain to climb with a 21-30 record, but they are showing progress and after struggling for so much of the season, that’s definitely a step in the right direction.

While the 76ers’ No. 1 priority is a power forward and No. 2 should be a pure shooter, one person who may draw interest will be in town tonight – Los Angeles Clippers forward Corey Maggette.
This season Maggette is making around $7 million and he can opt out of his contract after this season and become a free agent.
While Maggette is known more as a scorer than a shooter, he is hitting 41.5 percent from beyond the arc this year. If anybody is interested, that is better than anybody on the Sixers.
Plus he gets to the foul line an awful lot, 9.1 times per game this season. Better yet, he makes his share of free throws, hitting 82.8 percent this year and 82.1 percent for his career.
Maggette is averaging 21.2 points and matched his season high with 35 points in Friday’s surprising 102-98 win at Toronto.
While the Sixers already have a quality small forward in Andre Iguodala (and yes we think Iguodala is a top-flight player, contrary to those who want to see him traded), they can move him to shooting guard and play Maggette at the small forward.
An interesting sidelight is that Maggette and Iguodala have the same agent, Rob Pelinka.
Now the question is would Maggette come to Philadelphia and for how much money.
There will likely be a number of teams who will be interested in his services.
The one drawback is that Maggette won’t ever come close to being named to the all-defensive team. And for a Sixers team that has struggled to defend, especially the three-pointer, that could be a detriment.
Maggette, who will be 29 in the first month of next season, also has some durability issues. In his first eight full seasons he played under 70 games in five of them.
Still, he is instant offense and for a Sixers team that struggles in a half-court set, Maggette could be a true spark. It would also take some of the scoring pressure off Iguodala.
For now, the Sixers have to figure out a way to stop him when the Clippers visit the Wachovia Center tonight. And fans could get a first-hand glimpse of a player who could be an interesting fit not only to the Sixers but many other teams next season.

This is another one that we’ll spare the analysis. The Sixers won a game they simply couldn’t afford to lose with Thursday’s 101-84 victory over the visiting Miami Heat.
For long stretches, it wasn’t very pretty. The Heat were within five points with just over nine minutes go when the Sixers finally went into overdrive.
There are some who will try to downplay the win, suggesting that the Sixers just beat a team that is now 9-39 and has lost 21 of the last 22 games.
Remember, it wasn’t that long ago when the Sixers were one of those teams that the opposition was embarrassed to lose against.
Things turn quickly in the NBA, but the key is that the Sixers won a game they absolutely had to win. And they play two more similar teams before the all-star break – the Clippers on Saturday and Memphis on Wednesday.
A pessimist would suggest that the Sixers allowed a depleted Heat team, without starting forward Udonis Haslem (sprained left ankle) and newcomers Shawn Marion and Marcus Banks, to stay in the game way too long.
An optimist would point out that the Sixers won the game and in the NBA that is all that counts.
Actually, the Sixers will have to play better if they want to win games against formidable or even mediocre competition.
Still, it shows improvement when it is suggested that the Sixers can’t take any opponent for granted.
The Sixers have won two in a row and are looking for their first three-game winning streak since earning three victories from Dec. 22-28.
The teams back then?
Memphis, Miami and Sacramento.
Those were teams at the time the Sixers had to beat.
So while the most recent win over Miami was far from a masterpiece, the Sixers must now go no less than 2-1 in their next three home games against the Clippers, Dallas and Memphis.
And remember, Dallas will be playing the second of back to backs after being in New Jersey the night before.
Could it be 3-0?
Don’t get carried away, but some momentum before the all-star break would give the Sixers some optimism as they get ready to compete over the final two months of the season.

The latest podcast is up. To listen: http://go.philly.com/sixerscast

Even though it’s been stated here that we don’t think Andre Miller will be traded by the trade deadline, all bets are off right now with the crazy happenings going on in the NBA.
The Lakers get Pau Gasol. Now Shaq goes to Phoenix for Shawn Marion and Marcus Banks.
These moves could enhance the value of a player such as Miller because teams out West may be desperate to make moves to keep up with the Lakers and now the Suns.
However, if one looks at the contenders, the one potential playoff team that can use Miller the most in the West is his old Denver team.
And we’re not sure Denver has what the Sixers are looking for.
Forget about some of the suggestions on this blog about trading for potential expiring contracts of players such as J.R. Smith and Eduardo Najera. As stated before, we feel the Sixers have to get something tangible for Miller, a player who will help this team in the future. Expiring contracts and picks won’t cut it. We think the Sixers are also using this line of thinking.
Actually, the team that could use Miller the most remains Cleveland, but unless the Cavs are going to offer LeBron James, what do they have to trade that would interest the Sixers? And this just in, the Cavs aren’t offering James.
Some people are in the Drew Gooden camp, but don’t count us there. We think Gooden is too inconsistent.
Still, nothing would surprise us. There used to be an outcry among fans to trade Samuel Dalembert, but he is having his best season and it’s not easy getting a center who is averaging a double-double. We would have to be knocked over to trade Dalembert.
Again, with some of the blockbusters being made, nobody on the Sixers or any other team can be declared untouchable.
If a contender is looking for that final piece, then that team may be willing to overpay. That’s the only way the Sixers should make a trade with a contender.
And the Sixers don’t have to be involved in a blockbuster deal to make improvement. As readers of this blog know, we’re in favor of acquiring Milwaukee’s Charlie Villanueva. Would a trade of Rodney Carney and Louis Amundson for Villanueva be appealing? We’d sure give it a lot of thought.
Whether Milwaukee would, or for that case whether the Sixers would, is another question.
There has also been a groundswell from readers about acquiring Tyrus Thomas from Chicago
Again, there is no denying that Thomas has outstanding athletic ability. Yet like Gooden, we wonder if he is the type of player who brings it every night.
Say what you want about the Sixers, but their most admirable trait is that they play hard virtually every game. Opposing scouts, players and coaches always talk about their grit.
A player who doesn’t go all-out all the time, wouldn’t fit in here. NBA teams sometimes get enamored with talent, but we always like to look at a player’s motor.
So for now, we’re not in the Thomas camp, despite acknowledging his off-the-charts athletic ability.
Anyway the days leading up to the Feb. 21 trade deadline should be interesting because the unexpected can surely happen as we continue to see with the recent blockbuster deals.

The latest Sixers podcast is up. To listen: http:go.philly.com/sixerscast

Before Tuesday’s game with the 76ers, Washington Wizards coach Eddie Jordan talked about his strategy in defending the Sixers.
“You saw what they did in the first quarter against Atlanta and we have to keep them in a half-court offense,” Jordan said.
That is sound strategy, but it wasn’t executed very well, especially in the fourth quarter when the Sixers went on a 17-0 run enroute to a 101-96 win over the Wizards.
The Sixers have shown this year that when they get their transition game going, that they are a dangerous team.
Against Atlanta, they outscored the Hawks, 15-0 on fast break points in the first quarter of Monday’s 96-91 loss. The problem was that the Sixers only scored two fast break points the rest