Sixers Bright Spots
By James Park / Dec. 10, 2004
It’s already been a harrowing season for fans of the Philadelphia 76ers, and the season isn’t even a quarter complete. With a record of six wins and 12 losses, the Sixers hang in the playoff race only by residing in the weakest division currently in the NBA.
What's not right with the Sixers? Lack of size, lack of performance, lack of proper coaching, perhaps? That’s a question for even darker times and if the Sixers keep sinking we'll look into it.
But for now, let's look at the positives. Yes, they exist.
On the bright side, the record could be worse. The Sixers have made several heroic comeback victories and appear all but unbeatable in OT games. But recent losses to teams like Atlanta and Memphis have exposed some very real problems with the Sixers lineup. The definitive lack of an inside defensive presence and horrible substitutions will likely continue to haunt the Sixers for some time to come.
However, all is not lost. Here's what's right about Philly:
Youth: The majority of the Sixers are very young, developing players with their best years ahead of them. Inconsistent play by young guards John Salmons and Willie Green still shows nice flashes of inspiring talent. Center Samuel Dalembert needs to work on not fouling on nearly every defensive possession by the opposing team, but he has already developed into a legitimate shot blocker and rebounder. Andre Iguodala shows an exceptional understanding of the fundamentals. While his outside shot is suspect, he has been able to put on dunking clinics against teams who don’t respect his ability to get to the hoop on the break. Kyle Korver, the second year forward out of Creighton, is starting to earn enough respect from opposing teams; defending players are now regularly glued to him. His amazing release from beyond the arc, his developing defense and a slowly developing inside game suggest that Korver is going to develop into something special. Despite defenders sticking tightly to him, he’s shooting an amazing 44% from beyond the arc and an extremely impressive 48% overall, and that’s after being in a slump.
Injuries: Knock on wood, but other than Glenn Robinson, no one has suffered any lingering ailments to keep them out of the roster. It may seem like a small thing, that a team is not filling up its IR, but anyone who’s followed Philadelphia for the past five years or more knows that the one thing fans always say is, "Just imagine how they’d be if they were healthy." Of course, right now, Philly fans are just dying to use that excuse.
Billy King: Hardly a trade rumor goes by that doesn’t have the Sixers on the periphery. Billy King is a shrewd individual and has been known to unload unwanted players on teams that don’t seem to have a reason to take them. If faith remains in the City of Brotherly love, it’s that Billy King can work out a deal to bring better talent to the team. Players discussed in trade rumors: Glenn Robinson with his 14 million dollar expiring contract and Kenny Thomas, the blue collar power forward who seems to have a problem consistently finding his game.
The Sixers fly to Chicago on Friday. Perhaps they can break their losing streak by using the struggling Bulls as a launching pad towards a brighter future.
|