Jameer and Delonte; Nova Rules the Roost

Jameer Nelson and Delonte West Hit Their Stride

It's been deja vu all over again this year as both Jameer Nelson and Delonte West are having breakout years on contending teams in the NBA. It brings back sweet memories of Nelson and West as the magical back court tandem on St. Joseph's 30-2 team in 2003-4. Now Jameer is performing magic nightly for the Orlando Magic, West for the Cavs.

Nelson was an impact player with the Magic from the beginning and has averaged in the low double figures until this year. This season he has emerged as one of the top point guards in the Eastern Conference, currently averaging 17 ppg. West is on his third team in five years. While he had a couple of double figure scoring seasons with the Celtics, those were on some bad Celtic teams - remember them? Now playing alongside the King of the Universe in Cleveland, at shooting guard, he is averaging 12 ppg and showing the multifaceted skills he displayed at St. Joe's - defense, passing, rebounding, three-point shooting. It's fun to see these two men succeed at the next level, but not as much fun as when they were in the same backcourt five years ago.

Coincidentally, Randy Foye, the Villanova great, is also blossoming this year after several years of growing pains with the Timberwolves. West, Nelson and Foye are the three best NBA guards the Philadelphia area has produced in recent years. Any or all of them would look particularly good in a Sixers' uniform.

Villanova Rules the Big 5

Villanova clearly owns Big 5 basketball bragging rights after its 62-45 victory over Temple the other night. But Temple, with its tough national schedule, figured to give Nova more of a run for their money. The Wildcats didn't break the game open until the second half but the Owls have had too many patches of inconsistency this year, even allowing for their strength of schedule. St. Joseph's has been disappointing at 5-6 with no real quality wins. LaSalle is 7-5 with no significant wins. The bottom line is that as conference play begins, Temple, St. Joe's and LaSalle have their work cut out over the next couple of months to qualify for the big tournament. Penn (1-7) of course has no choice but to win the Ivy League title. On the other hand, it's difficult to imagine a scenario where Nova doesn't get to the Big Dance.

Eagles and 2007 Phils, DiLeo Loses 4th in a Row

Eagles and 2007 Phillies Have Something in Common

The Eagles' finish is reminiscent of the Phillies' division win in 2007. Neither team could have done it without remarkable collapses by the opposition. When the Phils proceeded to get swept by Colorado in the first round of the playoffs, all the excitement generated on the final day of the regular season with Jamie Moyer's victory dissipated very quickly. For the Eagles to prove they really deserve to be in, they need to beat Minnesota. Otherwise, the exhilarating win over Dallas is reduced to a footnote.

The DiLeo Bounce is Over

Tony DiLeo is now a sub-.500 coach after Monday night's Sixer loss in Utah, the fourth consecutive loss after 3 wins:

When DiLeo took over, there was rhetoric about "new direction" and "attention to detail". In last night's post-mortem, Coach DiLeo described "phases where the team gets away" - the same thing Mo Cheeks talked about a month or two ago. The more things change, the more they remain the same. Explain to me again why the coaching change was made.

The three point line bit the Sixers again as they went 1-9. Perhaps the answer is for the team to stop taking three's, it's just not their strength. Unfortunately it was the strength of the Jazz who shot 8-18. The Sixers gave up 112 points and their three point defense or lack of it continues to be a major liability.

In the interest of at least shaking things up a bit, it may time to increase the minutes of Marreese Speights and Lou Williams. In fact, it may be time to consider starting Williams, if for no other reason than as an experiment. He has been one of the team's most consistent scorers and perhaps it would provide an adrenaline boost to the offense.

Rocky Mountain Breakdown, Sixers Lose in Denver

A very tough loss on Friday night in Denver in a game the Sixers seemed to have under control in the third quarter. But blowing a 17 point lead in the NBA, particularly on the road, with more than a quarter to go is not much more unusual than dog biting man. Some comments:

For a change, the Sixers shot respectably from the three-point line, 5-12. Unfortunately, the Nuggets went lights out, 15-31, a club record. That kind of shooting is tough to defend but Philly should have made some defensive adjustments to counter Denver's long-range barrage, particularly at crunch time. The home team scored 37 points in the fourth quarter.

Sam Dalembert played 27 minutes and totaled 13 rebounds and 2 blocks, respectable numbers. Less respectable was his offensive "output", 2 points on 1-5 shooting. He also made a huge mental error in failing to contest a dunk by Kenyon Martin late in the game. Marreese Speights scored 12 points in 18 minutes and continues to show real offensive flair.

The Sixers had another poor foul shooting night, 18-30. One assumes that the squad spends adequate practice time at the foul line. Beyond that, foul shooting is what it is. To say they would have won if they made more from the charity stripe, as some do, is like saying that if they played better they would have won.

Tony DiLeo says it doesn't matter if the team wins right now as long as they continue to improve. The emphasis on patience by the Sixer management is admirable. It was not as evident a few weeks back when they expressed a need for "new direction" and showed Mo Cheeks the door 23 games into the season.

Free Agency Gone Wild

The Yankees' latest free agent splurge has generated much controversy and even outrage - there have even been unconfirmed reports of shoes, both loafers and oxfords, being thrown at Brian Cashman and Hank Steinbrenner. Prior to the advent of free agency in baseball, the reserve clause permitted a team to retain the rights to a player in perpetuity after that player was initially signed. Clearly the reserve clause was unfair and unjust to players and needed to be addressed, and it was, thanks to the efforts of Curt Flood. The reserve clause was overturned and the players have prospered, more than Flood or anyone else could have ever dreamed.

But there was a price to pay. Pre-free agency, the cost for for a ballpark ticket, hot dog and beverage was affordable for almost anyone. Since the players on a team were for the most part same year after year, fans could develop a connection with them. The players and the franchise were one and the same. Even watching a game on TV was more enjoyable - a faster pace with few commercials. Fast forward to free agency and what are the results? Wildly inflated salaries even for the most mediocre of players. A night at the park is now prohibitively expensive for an average family. Team rosters in flux except for stars under long-term contracts. Interminable commercial breaks during the broadcasts.

The point is that the genie is out of the bottle and has been for decades. Once you combined free agency with the arrival of cable and its insatiable need for programming, you had a combustible mix. ESPN and Fox are in the driver's seat. Money rules and in the new landscape the big media markets in New York and LA will always have a huge advantage on the free agent market. A salary cap is unwieldy and of questionable efficacy. A more punitive luxury tax might help but it's still only a slap on the wrist for a rich franchise. One even wonders how critical it is for the big market teams to win championships, at least from an economic point of view. Sure it's a lucrative bonus, but they either way, the mega-franchises will be continue to be profitable cash cows.

The best revenge on the Yankees and Mets and Dodgers continues to be to beat them with less expensive talent. And in fact while these legendary franchises have been less than dominant in the recent past, there has been no shortage of small-to-mid-market teams who have had post-season success including Minnesota, St. Louis, Detroit, Colorado and now Philadelphia. Superstar-laden rosters, while they probably provide a bump at the box office, are not a guarantee of success on the field. And the unique nature of baseball is that with a couple of starting pitchers, and a closer, anything is possible.

Sixers Offer Little Resistance to Celtics

The Sixers played the best team in the world last night and the results were entirely predictable. In the Tony DiLeo era, the team has beaten two bad teams, lost to a bad team, and lost to a great team. It was certainly hard to find any silver linings in Boston. Curiously, the Sixers got off to a fast start, as they have repeatedly this season. In the first quarter, Andres Miller and Iguodala were white hot, finishing off fast breaks, Iguodala above the rim and Miller with his clever below-the-rim maneuvers. But like a comet burning itself out, it was downhill from there. From then on, it was the Celtics on the run and the Sixers in slow motion. It hardly seemed to matter whether the coach was Cheeks or DiLeo, or whether Brand or Green were in the lineup or not.

Aside from the first quarter last night, the Philly offense continues to struggle for its identity. Look no further than Reggie Evans outscoring Thaddeus Young 12 to 7 and Evans accomplishing this in half as many minutes as Young. Thaddeus, who started the season well, has been floundering for weeks, reduced to a long-range shooter which he decidedly is not. Until this Sixer team figures out how to get Young involved in the offense to the tune of at least 15 points a night, they are not going to succeed.

The three-point line continues to be a nemesis for the Sixers, at both ends of the court. They shot 0-11 last night, their second consecutive shutout. Perhaps even more damaging, they allowed 7-14 shooting from the Celtics. Admittedly, Boston creates many matchup problems, but this has been a problem against other teams as well.

But make no mistake, these Celtics are at the top of their game as they make history. It's hard to see what could derail them aside from major injury.

Paterno, Utley, Temple

Joe Paterno, age 82, has had his contract extended for another three years. In the last couple of years, he coached a number of games from the press box. If Penn State could arrange for Paterno to coach from his home, he could probably continue for another 10 or 15 years. All he needs is to get over his technophobia and get comfortable with an I-Phone.


Chase Utley continues to be less than contrite regarding his famous expletive at the Phillies' championship celebration. His uplifting message to kids: yes he said a bad word but if you're 29 and just won a World Series, it's OK. Charles Barkley once famously said that athletes are not role models and should not be expected to be role models. Utley has apparently taken Barkley's words to heart. Or to put it another way - take the money and run.


Temple, after rolling over Tennessee last week, had an opportunity to strike a second major blow for Big 5 basketball against Kansas over the weekend but they came up short. This time, the Owls were on the road and Allen Fieldhouse is not user-friendly for visitors. Temple stayed within striking distance most of the way but there wasn't enough offensive balance to complement Dionte Christmas.

DiLeo Loses First Game

Tony DiLeo was an undefeated NBA coach going into Saturday night's game against Indiana. And no doubt the Las Vegas oddsmakers figured he would stay undefeated. The Sixers were at home, they seemed to be building a little confidence in the last few games, and the Pacers were a 9-17 team. And there was more. Indiana was decimated by injury or illness with three top players out and a couple more under par. Not since Washington wintered at Valley Forge has such a rag tag team passed through the Delaware Valley. The only thing missing was the fife-and-drummer. Actually, life was less complicated for General Washington as there was no 24 second rule or three-point line back then. If Larry Bird had been in town on Saturday, no doubt he would have been activated.

So naturally the Sixers lost. This was the kind of game that is very frustrating to analyze. The home team seemed to do a lot of things right. They started the game according to script, running up a double digit lead early but of course in the NBA that means little. In the second quarter, they went flat, allowing the Pacers back in. Iguodala and Miller had strong games, with the latter notching a triple double. Dalembert had one of his best games of the year, with 14 rebounds in 36 minutes. Speights scored 12. Williams cooled down from his recent torrid pace but still was a factor offensively. In fact, a half-a-dozen Sixers scored in double figures, not a common occurrence. Only two negatives really stick out. One was a bagel from three-point land, 0-8. The other was giving up 26 points in the fourth quarter whereas in the previous two games they had held their opponent under 20 points in the final quarter. The bottom line last night was the Sixers really didn't have an answer for T.J. Ford who scored 25 and buried the winning pull-up jumper with Iguodala's hand in his face.

A four-game winning streak would have been nice, but the rubber hits the road in Boston on Tuesday night where the Sixers will take their mid-term examination.

Three in a Row for Sixers

The Sixers edged the Wizards on Friday night:

Lou Williams scored 26 points in 28 minutes, his second breakout game in a row.

Five Sixers scored in double figures.

Marreese Speights scored 17 points on 7-9 shooting.

The marginalization of Samuel Dalembert continued; he played but 11 minutes.

Perhaps most significant, for the second straight game, they held their opponent to less than 20 points in the fourth quarter.

But it's hard to assign much weight to any of these developments until they play some teams they're not supposed to beat. They are going to face that challenge this week.

Brand Injury Lets Stefanski Off the Hook

One of the ironies of the Elton Brand injury is that it muddies any attempt to compare the DiLeo era with the Cheeks era. Or is it the DiLeo/Stefanski era? If the Sixers should struggle for the next month or so, it can be excused because of Brand's absence. If they should find their groove, would it confirm they are a better team without Brand, or that they run more effectively without brand, or that DiLeo's "attention to detail" is paying off? Or would it show that minus Elton, Mo Cheeks could have built on the success that earned him two contract extensions last season? Etc, etc, etc. In any case, it probably gives Stefanski some cover for the Cheeks firing since it's so hard to make any straight-up comparison.

Quick Takes:

The Boston Celtics are looking scary good right now and are on track to be on a 19 game winning streak going into the their Christmas day matchup with the Lakers. The emergence of Rajon Rondo as a scorer as well as a defender, playmaker and yes rebounder has provided Doc Rivers with offensive and defensive balance coaches dream about.

The NBA and the NFL each have seven teams with winning percentages under .300. This makes for a lot of uncompetitive games. Clearly both leagues have too many teams and not enough quality players. If parity is truly a goal of the leagues, they have a funny way of showing it. The NBA in particular should do some soul-searching. Last year, two perennial doormats - Memphis and Minnesota - provided key players (Gasol and Garnett) to the eventual championship finalists, the Celtics and Lakers, while receiving virtually nothing in return. It may be a truism that the rich tend to get richer but this was ridiculous.

Sixers Beat Bucks: Lou Williams Breaks Out

The satisfaction of two consecutive wins for new coach Tony DiLeo was muted by the injury to Elton Brand. Some notes on the game:

In the previous game, Andre Miller had taken just a handful of shots and failed to score double figures for the first time in a while. A number of commentators remarked that this was Miller's proper role, strictly a distributor of the ball. I don't agree. Last night, Miller scored 19 including 12 in the first quarter when the rest of the Sixer offense was AWOL. Miller needs to go to the hoop to be effective. And even though he is not a high-flyer, he is one of the best finishers on the team.

The Sixer defense really stepped up in the fourth quarter, a key to the win. The Bucks were held to 15 points but we can't get too excited about this yet because this was, after all, the Bucks.

The bench contribution was enormous, shades of last season. Speights scored 12 points, mainly from just running the floor and being active. Reggie Evans is hard to explain. He gets zero points for artistry and he can't throw the ball in the ocean. But somehow he makes things happen. He's kind of like the Joe the Plumber of the Sixers. Come to think of it, given the NBA salaries, Reggie has a lot more reason to be concerned about higher taxes than the real "Joe".

And then there is Lou Williams who had a season high 25 points. Williams started out tepidly this year but for the last few weeks, his offense has been getting into gear. Lou may well be the Sixers' most talented, most creative offensive player although he probably doesn't know it. When his outside shot is working he is almost unstoppable. Based strictly on merit, he should probably be starting but he may be just as important coming off the bench in the mold of some of the classic NBA sixth men such as John Havlicek. Just so Williams gets enough minutes and is around at crunch time.

Phillies' Opening Day Lineup and Dalembert's Offense

Now that the main pieces of the Phillies' roster seem to be in place, we can make some educated guesses as to the opening day batting order. Charlie Manuel did a lot of lineup shuffling last year and that is sure to continue as the new season progresses. Mitch Williams predicts that on opening day it will look like this: Rollins, Werth, Utley, Howard, Victorino, Ibanez, Feliz, and Ruiz with Victorino inserted to prevent a lefty-lefty-lefty scenario. But Shane is really ill-suited for the 5th spot. Playing every day, Werth should be a 30 home run guy which would make him a more appropriate replacement for the slot after Ryan Howard. Admittedly, Victorino is not an ideal #2 hitter either. Ultimately it's going to come down to who's swinging the hot bat. Werth and Victorino are each coming off career years but their consistency is still in doubt.

Dee Lynam said on the air the other night that it doesn't matter if Sam Dalembert scores if he pulls in 17 rebounds (his total in the Wizards game) and blocks some shots. Well if he got 17 rebounds and 3-4 blocked shots every night, it probably wouldn't matter. But the fact is if you're almost 7 feet tall, reasonably athletic, and play 25-30 minutes, there is no reason not to score at least 10 points per game. Dalembert should have at least three dunks a night, which he could get easily just by running the floor. He should also pledge in writing - witnessed and notarized - that he will never again take a fadeaway jump shot.

Eric Bruntlett - Nice Work If You Can Get It

In 1956, Mickey Mantle of the New York Yankees won baseball's Triple Crown with 52 hrs, 130 rbi's and a .353 batting average. It was the last time a player led both leagues in each category. That year, Mantle was payed $30,000. Later in his career, Mantle's salary topped out at $100,000. Willie Mays of the Giants, Mantle's contemporary who hit more than 600 career home runs, made a similar sum. Making a very rough allowance for inflation, Mantle's 1956 salary would correlate to $150,000 today. $100,000 would correlate to between $400,000 and $500,000 in today's dollars. Mays and Mantle were widely considered the two greatest players of their generation and of course are near the top when discussing baseball's all-time greats.

The reason for this brief history lesson is to draw a contrast. Last week, utility infielder/outfielder Eric Bruntlett signed a one-year contract with the Phillies which with incentives could yield him about $1 million. Pinch-running and part-time fielding certainly have their rewards nowadays.

The Cheeks Firing - Window Dressing 101

Mo Cheeks is one of the classiest and most likable personalities in sports in general, and in Philadelphia sports in particular, and in the best of all possible worlds he would have coached for a decade or more in the city where he made an indelible mark, and then left on his own terms.

But pro sports is big business with little place for sentiment. If a team is losing, particularly in the NBA, the ex-coaches' trap door opens wide and down the next victim slides ending up in the recyclables bin. More than a dozen NBA head coaches have been down the chute since the end of last season. Mo knows the drill and we're certainly not talking economic hardship here. Still, something is wrong with this picture.

Late last season, the Sixers were the toast of the town, a team with lots of upside and little downside - young with a sprinkle of wise veterans, athletic, loose, deep, and gaining confidence. This was an especially dangerous mix going into the playoffs and no doubt the Pistons anticipated trouble. They got that trouble but ultimately they were able to hold off the Sixers. But the Philadelphia team showed they were the real deal and there was the feeling that Cheeks' squad, not to mention the entire city, couldn't wait for the 08-09 campaign to begin. In the meantime, the coach's contract had been extended not once but twice. They began the season very tentatively but then they went on a mini-streak and got over .500 and things were looking up. But then an absolutely horrific 10 games and Mo is gone.

Now Cheeks certainly deserves plenty of responsibility for the slide. But at what point in the last 3 weeks did Mo Cheeks forget how to coach? At what point in the last 3 weeks did he lose the respect of his players? Management had enough confidence in Mo just a few months ago to extend his contract. Now they need a "new direction"? So new coach Tony DiLeo is "change you can believe in"? On Saturday night, in the win over the hapless Wizards, Bob Salmi remarked on how Dalembert was running the floor for coach DiLeo. Was Dalembert unable to run the floor for Mo? Did Cheeks tell him not to run the floor? It just doesn't add up.

Elton Brand is the only tangible difference from last year's squad and presumably his acquisition was primarily a front office decision. Clearly, a major issue has been integrating Brand with his new teammates. The difficulty of accomplishing this integration should not be underestimated and sometimes the only road map is trial and error. It may not have seemed so at the time, but obtaining a player like Brand was a huge gamble. The young Sixers were an unorthodox mix of players with an unorthodox style of play. Unless there were some behind-the-scenes issues we are not aware of, the front office should have understood that Cheeks needed more time to splice Brand into the system. Not a quarter of a season.

Most of the time, changing coaches is just window dressing. Perhaps there will be a short-term bounce. Or perhaps Tony DiLeo will turn out to be Red Auerbach and John Wooden rolled into one, but skepticism is advised. And if DiLeo fails, then what? Larry Brown will be brought back to save another franchise, just like he resurrected the Knicks and the Bobcats? Larry Brown - now that's change you can believe in.

In the meantime, if we could somehow recoup all the money the Sixers have payed to ex-coaches and ex-players, we could bail out General Motors, Chrysler and the Wachovia Center's namesake.

Sixers-Cavs, Another Ugly Loss

It's hard to say which is worth less these days, Sixer tickets or General Motors stock. Perhaps the Sixers should ask Congress for a bailout. Some notes on Friday night's ugly loss to the Cavs:

Willie Green rebounded from a poor effort with a fine shooting game ending up with 19 points, but most of it was early in the game. Unfortunately this was offset by Andre Miller who was not offensive-minded, taking only 8 shots and making 2.

Except for Thaddeus Young with 10 points, the Sixers got virtually nothing from their bench. Yes, Lou Williams was out but up until a few weeks ago, depth was considered a strong suit for this team. Now it's anything but.

Dalembert actually started strong but faded and ended up with but 6 points. Elton Brand scored 11 but on horrible shooting. Speights didn't score. There is just no consistent production from their big men.

Brand, his offensive struggles not withstanding, puts out maximum effort. But in general, the team looks lethargic. They are getting beat on the offensive boards and they are not getting enough loose balls. There is no absolutely no excuse for this.

There is also absolutely no excuse for scoring 72 points in a 48 minute NBA game.

Villanova, Outplayed for Most of Game, Edges St. Joe

The talent on the floor last night at the Pavilion won't be confused with North Carolina-Duke, but Villanova and St. Joseph's played a great Big 5 game last night. St. Joe's outplayed Nova most of the way, leading by 9 deep into the second half with excellent outside shooting from Darrin Govens and the usual strong inside presence of Ahmad Nivins. Dante Cunningham had another solid effort for the home team and Reggie Redding hit several key shots down the stretch, but Scottie Reynolds was the offensive leader throughout the game, something he was not against Texas at Madison Square Garden.

St. Joseph's played a near-perfect 30 plus minutes. They slowed the game down on offense using at least 30 seconds of the clock but were still able to get high percentage shots frequently yielding three-pointers by Govens. But you had the sense that Nova was going to be around at the end and they were as St. Joe's began turning the ball over, something they had avoided in the first half. Ball handling looks like it's going to be an issue for St. Joseph's throughout the year.

It's also apparent that after Reynolds and Cunningham, Villanova's points are going to be hard to come by. They are going to have to depend on one or two of their role players to step up from game to game. To succeed in the brutal Big East this season, this team is going to have to overachieve.

Sixers' Lineup Change No Panacea

The Sixer meltdown continues. Some notes on last night's game:

Moving Iguodala to small forward makes sense and starting Willie Green is reasonable. Iguodala had an excellent game and it is a better position for him although he has been playing very well recently anyway. The problem is that Green scored but two points and unfortunately that has been his MO throughout his career - excruciating inconsistency. You can do all the shuffling you want, if your shooting guard can't shoot you're in trouble.

The only Sixers earning their pay right now are the two Andres and of late, Lou Williams. Dalembert continues to be AWOL - last night 2 points, 2 rebounds. Elton Brand's offense was AWOL last night but to his credit, his hard work produced 10 rebounds. Thaddeus Young is in a real funk and is shooting far to many outside shots.

There are still far too many defensive breakdowns.

The Sixers shot %10 from three-point range.

Lebron James is the 8th wonder of the modern world; as a matter of fact you can throw in the ancient world as well - say, just after the Great Pyramids. If he were a foot shorter, his speed and quickness would still be blinding. Forget about the Knicks. David Stern should create a special league just for Lebron.

Villanova's First Test - Texas at the Garden

Villanova's basketball team had the opportunity to make a statement on a national level at Madison Square Garden last night against 6th ranked Texas. But that statement was muted in a ragged game dominated by aggressive, physical defense and horrible foul shooting as the Longhorns won 67-58.

The Big East is widely regarded as the strongest conference in the country from top to bottom this season with an outside chance of sending 10 of its 16 teams to the NCAA tournament. Jay Wright, not prone to exaggeration, thinks his league is the strongest the country has ever seen. Currently, 8 conference teams are in the top 25, with Nova at #12. But much of this is hypothetical, particularly for the Main Liners as their schedule has been less than imposing. Connecticut, Pittsburg, Louisville and Notre Dame are considered the league's elite with Villanova knocking at the door. Based on last night's performance, they're still knocking.

Texas has a reputation as one of the best defensive teams in the country and this was on display in the Big Apple. But Nova's defense was almost as impressive although they could not quite match Texas' brute strength. The other positive for the Main Liners can be expressed in two words, "Dante Cunningham". Dante had a 23 and 12 night while giving away size and strength. It is very unusual for a role player who has been under the radar for 3 years, to suddenly become a team's go-to guy. Especially someone as unassuming as Cunningham. But that's the end of the Nova highlight reel. The rest of the offense sputtered. Scottie Reynolds struggled mightily to get 10 points, and Corey Stokes and especially Corey Fisher were ineffectual. It goes without saying that without a major contribution from Reynolds, Villanova will have to lower its expectations.

Nova should have learned a lot last night, but for now, they're still knocking at the door.

21 Games In and the Sixer Glass is Half Empty

Here's a measure of how disappointing the Sixers' season has been to date. They are tied for last place in the Atlantic Division with the Raptors, who just fired their coach. Ahead of the Sixers in the standings are the Knicks, who are paying Stephan Marbury $21 million not to play, and the Nets, who were the consensus pick to finish in the cellar. Oh yes, and there are the Celtics who have already clinched a playoff spot. Looking at the rest of the Eastern Conference, there are only four teams with records worse than Philly, the Bobcats, Wizards, Pacers and Bucks. Complementing this on-court ineptitude has been anemic attendance at the Wachovia Center.

Perhaps the Sixers can draw inspiration from the Eagles who were given up for dead just a few weeks ago. But 21 games into this season which began with such lofty expectations, there are far more questions than answers.

Sixers-Nets: Winning Streak Ends at 1

The Sixers wasted no time in showing why it would have been premature to get overly excited about the win in Detroit on Friday, losing to the Nets on Saturday 95-84. The good news is that the Sixers played well defensively again with energy and aggressive switching but they fell victim to some excellent long-range shooting. The Nets made a number of three-pointers with a hand in their face and the shot clock winding down.

The Philly offense was another story. New Jersey played a zone and with the Sixers' lack of outside shooting, the results were about what you would expect - a 35% field goal percentage. Had Louis Williams and Donyell Marshall not combined for 26 points off the bench, it could have been really ugly. Thaddeus Young scored only 8 points in 36 minutes. The Sixers really should be pushing the ball up the floor more, particularly against a zone. It's one of the best antidotes for their lack of shooting. Why they don't is a mystery.

Lastly, there is Sam Dalembert who produced 0 points and 5 rebounds with Elton Brand again out of the lineup. Right now, Dalembert looks like he is lost at sea clinging to a life preserver. Theo Ratliff has been much more productive at center in the last few games and there have to be serious questions raised about Samuel's future with the team.

Sixers-Pistons - How Significant a Win?

There were lots of interesting angles to Friday night's win over the Pistons: Elton Brand's absence, Donyell Marshall's contribution, Lou Williams' contribution, the bench in general, the minimal role of Dalembert (not helped by early fouls), and more solid play from the two Andres. Also very encouraging were a ratcheting up of defensive intensity and but one turnover in the second half. More sobering is that the Sixers have so many moving parts right now, it's hard to project any consistency. Did coach Cheeks find some winning combinations in the Motor City, or will he have to reshuffle the deck every night? And it can't be ignored that Detroit has been a rather mediocre team since Allen Iverson joined them.

The Importance of Andre Miller

Andre Miller, the Sixers' point guard, got off to a slow start this year. His scoring, shooting percentage and assists were all down from last year and he seemed somewhat tentative, perhaps due to uncertainty about how to integrate Elton Brand into the offense. In at least the last two games, however, there has been a change. He seemed more assertive, more aggressive. He was offensive-minded, driving as well as shooting from the outside. His shot attempts were up but so were his shooting percentage and total points - he scored well over 20 points against both the Bulls and Lakers, whereas he had only been averaging about 13 ppg prior to that.

At first blush, this might be somewhat concerning. Shouldn't Miller's priority be distributing the ball on a team with a fair amount of firepower, particularly with the addition of another proven scorer in Brand? Not necessarily. Andre recognizes that he needs to be less passive to keep the defense honest and open up the passing lanes. During last year's stretch run, Miller was also hardly shy about going hard to the hoop or taking his mid-range shot, and his team thrived. His outside stroke will never be confused with that of Kyle Korver, and Miller's range is limited, but he does have a knack for hitting it in clutch situations. Yes, he does take some ill-advised shots and occasionally forces some passes; sometimes he dribbles too much. But the vast majority of the time, he makes good decisions. If the Sixers are to get back on track this season, in his quiet way Andre Miller is going to have to provide the leadership and the grease for the Sixers' offense, both off the fast break and in the half court. He makes Iguodala, Young, Brand, and Dalembert better, not the other way around.

Sixers-Lakers - Not Ready for Prime Time

Coming off an exciting overtime win Tuesday night over the Bulls, the Sixers had a chance last night to make a statement at home against the Lakers, one of the NBA's elite. Unfortunately, the only statement they made was that they are not yet ready for prime time. This followed by less than a week a bad loss to the other half of the league's elite, the Celtics. When the Sixers lose to struggling teams like the Timberwolves and Bobcats, it is explained as a tendency to play down to the competition, but apparently the converse is not true. They have no such tendency to play up to the competition. Make no mistake. The Lakers are a very good team with a true superstar but except for a few fleeting moments, they were never seriously threatened by the home team.

Elton Brand has had a series of very solid games but last night was unquestionably his worst game of the year. He was so ineffective that it's probably not worth even analyzing his effort. Just one of those nights. But if he brings anything to the table, the game would figure to be much more competitive. The Lakers' dual seven-footers did pose match-up problems for the Sixer defense as evidenced by the 114 points allowed. But a porous Sixer defense has been a recurrent issue. Once again, there was a lack of defensive intensity and much confusion on switching.

On the positive side, the Sixers were able to generate some fast break baskets with Andre Miller, Andre Iguodala and Thaddeus Young running the floor. And Louis Williams shot very well from long range in the second half which is hopefully a sign of things to come. Normally, if the team scores more than 100 points, the game should at least be on the line in the last two minutes.

What's Wrong With the Sixers? The Brand Factor

When the Sixers struggled in the first two weeks of the season, it was noted here and elsewhere that the arrival of Elton Brand may have disrupted the chemistry and style that the team had established without him in the second half of the 2007-08 schedule. Unfortunately, the ensuing four weeks have done little to alleviate those concerns. Let's hasten to add that Brand can't be blamed for this. While toiling in virtual obscurity on the left coast with one of the least distinguished franchises in pro sports for the better part of a decade, he posted impressive numbers. If nothing else, he has shown in the last 4-5 weeks that there was nothing tainted about those accomplishments. He brings an all-round game, intensity, intelligence, and good attitude. But still the Sixer gears are not meshing.

There is a frequent deer-in-the-headlights look by the team at both ends of the floor. On defense, there are late switches and general confusion. The fast break has slowed to a crawl. Players don't seem to know their roles - Andre Iguodala, Sam Dalembert and Andre Miller seem particularly bewildered. Even Thaddeus Young, who has probably been the most consistent player since opening day, has lately seemed somewhat out of sync. All of these issues might not in fact be traceable to Brand's presence. He just may be a convenient excuse. For example, the lack of defensive intensity should not be blamed on Elton. Maybe last year's run was fluke. Perhaps the rest of the league has caught up with the Sixers.

Adding a high-profile player is always a huge gamble even though on paper it seems irresistible. The Suns took such a gamble when they traded for Shaquille O'Neal and right now it looks like a disaster in progress, but admittedly Shaq is a unique case. But there is still reason to believe the Sixers can succeed with Elton Brand. Why shouldn't they be able to run with Brand? Why shouldn't their defense be even more effective with another shot blocker? The coaching staff is going to have to continue to experiment with rotations and player minutes. But right now it sure isn't going according to plan.

What's Wrong With the Sixers? Redefining Andre Iguodala

Yesterday we discussed the enigma of Samuel Dalembert. Another Sixer puzzle is how they use arguably their best player, Andre Iguodala. Iguodala is an outstanding talent who is coming off a very productive season - 20 ppg, 5 assists and 5 rebounds per game, good defender. This year, there has been much commentary about his poor shooting - his early season shooting numbers are down somewhat from last year but that is more a function of shot selection. Given his very awkward technique, it's a miracle that he shoots as well as he does. His shooting numbers last year compared quite favorably with the likes of Kobe Bryant, even from three-point land. But all that is beside the point. Sheer numbers can be deceiving. Iguodala is not a pure shooter, no matter what the stat sheet says. While Andre's field goal percentages may hold up against Bryant, or Labron or D. Wade, as an offensive force he is not at their level, no matter what the size of his new contract. Yet the Sixers and Andre seem to act as if he is. He is a multi-dimensional talent, but he is not the kind of player you build an offense around.

Let's cut to the chase. Iguodala should not be handling the ball as much as he does. His ballhandling and quickness with the ball are adequate only. He is at his best as an off-the-ball player, slashing, spotting up for jump shots, finishing off fast breaks from the wings - for those old enough, think James Worthy. A revival of the Philadelphia fast break with Thaddeus Young on the left wing and Iguodala on the right wing is tantalizing. It's true the Sixers don't have an abundance of ballhandlers. Perhaps Andre Miller should get more minutes. Perhaps Louis Williams, Willie Green or some of the other bench guys will have to elevate or cultivate this aspect of their game. Perhaps the team should go shopping. If the Sixer offense is going to get out of first gear, Mo Cheeks needs to retool the offense, particularly the half-court offense. And that includes redefining Andre Iguodala's role.

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.