What's Wrong With the Sixers? - Let's Count the Ways

The Sixers went into the season with great expectations. After a handful of games, the early reviews described a team off to a "slow start". After another half-dozen games, it had become a "disappointing" start. Now well into a weak early-season schedule, the Sixers are three games under five hundred and they are a decidedly bad team, just coming off an ugly loss to the nondescript Chicago Bulls. The beauty of the interminable NBA schedule, if "beautiful schedule" is not an oxymoron, is that there is plenty of time to right the ship, particularly given the steep decline in quality in the Eastern Conference once you get past the Celtics, Cavaliers and Pistons. But the Sixers were one of the biggest stories in the NBA late last winter and early spring - a young, deep, exciting team with seemingly unlimited upside. What happened? There is no shortage of issues. We'll discuss some of these over the coming days, not necessarily in order of importance.

First up is the puzzle inside the mystery inside the conundrum that is Samuel Dalembert. Dalembert is coming off two reasonably productive seasons averaging about 10 points and 10 rebounds and 2 blocks per game. It's too early in the year to make too much of numbers but his production is down in all categories. Of course, much of this is due to the presence of Elton Brand, and the Brand effect on the team is a separate topic. But some of the issues surrounding Dalembert pre-date Brand.

Everyone would agree that Sammy's primary value to the team is at the defensive end. There is no question that he is a defensive presence. At his best, he can anchor the interior defense and make the rest of the team better, bailing them out when necessary. And he is an effective rebounder. The downside is that he can be slow on defensive rotations and he tends to commit silly fouls forcing him to the bench early. Someone long and athletic should not be so foul prone but this really minimizes his contribution to the team. And while Dalembert may get the rebounds, his outlet passes are not aggressive enough to ignite the Sixer fast break, so essential to the team's success late last year.

It is at the offensive end where Sammy is at his most enigmatic. He plays much too soft. If he gets the ball anywhere inside 10 feet, he should be going hard to the hoop and jamming. Too often, he opts for finger rolls or fade away jump shots. 4-5 dunks a game should be the norm. Judging by his comments, he fancies himself an outside shooter and would be content to make this the focal point of his game. It's hard to imagine that the coaching staff would concur.

Most of the difficulties Dalembert has, at both ends of the court, are probably attributable to his poor footwork - the foul trouble, his ineffective offense with his back to the basket, weak outlet passes. A few years ago, it was hoped that this was something that could be overcome with work and Samuel could provide something like what Ben Wallace brought to the table in his prime. That may have been wishful thinking.