Villanova Should Not Be A Heavy Underdog Against Carolina

In March 2005, Villanova played North Carolina in the Sweet 16. Nova was without star forward Curtis Sumpter who had injured his knee in the 2nd round against Florida. Without Sumpter, the Cats were heavy, heavy underdogs against a loaded Tarheel team - a squad including Raymond Felton, Rashad McCants, Sean May, and Marvin Williams that was even more talented than the current group. But Nova played the Heels to a standstill, losing 67-66 to the eventual champions with the help of a terrible traveling call against Allan Ray with 9 seconds to play.

So the Wildcats have a chance at a reversal of fortune when they play NC next Saturday and while Carolina will be favored, Nova will not be the long shot it was in '05 or for that matter in 1985 against Georgetown. North Carolina has balance and depth - but so does Villanova who can get scoring from at least as many sources as the Chapel Hill bunch. For the past two months, the Cats have been playing as well as anyone in the country when you consider their competition. In particular, their defense has been otherworldly. What that "D" did to 30-win Duke and Gerald Henderson was nothing short of humiliation- if it were a boxing match, the ref would have had to declare a TKO. Nova actually should have beaten a fine Pitt team by a wider margin. That they didn't is a tribute to the collective heart of Blair, Young, and Fields (Fields' two free throws to tie the game were a profile in moxie).

But to beat Carolina, there is little margin for error. Their size poses match-up problems but no more than Connecticut to whom the Cats lost a tight game in the regular season. Ty Lawson, of course, poses match-up problems for everybody, but the Nova guards should be able to attack the 5' 11" Lawson as well. If the team can hold its own on the boards, avoid foul trouble (the downside of playing their aggressive brand of defense), and survive some early-game nerves, Villanova basketball could be on the verge of something very big.

The Re-Emergence of Thaddeus Young

Going into this season, there was probably no player on the Sixers with greater upside than Thaddeus Young. As a rookie in 2007-08, he struggled early in the season and saw limited playing time. But in the second half of the year, Young thrived in the team's new up-tempo system where his athleticism was on full display. In the off-season, he worked on his outside shot and this paid dividends as the 08-09 campaign kicked off. However, this was short-lived as the team in general, and Young in particular, went into a deep funk, probably at least partly due to difficulty in adapting to the presence of Elton Brand. The Georgia Tech star averaged only in the low double figures for the first couple of months and then picked it up only to the 14-15 ppg level with a poor shooting percentage. He seemed confused, indecisive and was settling for too many three-point attempts.

But in the last 4-6 weeks Young seems to have regained his confidence. He is going to the hoop with authority, taking advantage of his speed and elevation, and his left-handedness. In March, he has been averaging 20 ppg and scored 29 last night in the win over the Timberwolves. The Sixers now have a very solid threesome of Young, Miller and Iguodala who are capable of scoring 60 or more points in a game and this triple threat presents a challenge to opposing defenses.

In order to make a run in the playoffs, these three need to keep their foot on the gas pedal, but they will need help. This is where the coaching staff needs to think outside the box. Lou Williams and Marreese Speights are excellent offensive players who need more minutes. Yes, you sacrifice some defense and rebounding but it's worth the risk. They don't necessarily have to start but it should be possible to up their playing time. Williams is only averaging 23 mpg and Speights 15 mpg. Williams in particular is such an explosive scorer that if he saw 30-33 minutes, he could well score 17-20 ppg. The rest of the roster - Dalembert, Green, Ivey, Marshall, Evans - is just too inconsistent.

Sixers Squander "Big Win", No Offensive Superstars in the Big Dance

SIXERS SQUANDER A "BIG WIN"

The Sixer loss to Phoenix a couple of nights ago completely negated what might have seemed to be a very significant road win over the Lakers the previous night. The fading Suns have been imploding and may not even make the playoffs but Philly could not ride any momentum from their "big" win in LA. That "big" win surely must now be considered a fluke, enabled primarily by Kobe Bryant's foul trouble. Dalembert, Speights and Ratliff combined for 4 points against Phoenix. Iguodala managed only 11 points. Unacceptable. Webster may have to add a new synonym for "mediocrity" - the 2008-09 Sixers.

SEARCHING FOR AN OFFENSIVE SUPERSTAR

With the absence of Davidson and Stephen Curry from the Big Dance, there is a notable absence of a true offensive superstar - someone who can carry his team with successive 30+ point nights through the tournament. Basketball is a team game but this is an element of March Madness that I will miss.

Sixer Malaise, Bobcats in Rear View Mirror, Pitt's Tourney Chances

Sixer Malaise

The Sixer win over the Raptors Wednesday night comes under the dog bites man category. But the home team needs any kind of win right now, so they can't be too fussy over the caliber of the competition. Likewise, Sam Dalembert had a monster night, for him, 18 pts and 13 rb, but against pretty much phantom opposition. But it shows how important he can be for the team, particularly when Miller and Iguodala are having sub-par nights. For reasons which are not altogether clear, this Sixer team just does not seem as dangerous as they appeared 4-6 weeks ago. They are not as energetic, perhaps because the two Andres - their two most important players - are pretty banged up. The team's defense is spotty and yes, their outside shooting deficiencies keeping resurfacing. At times, Andre Miller looks like their most reliable shooter and that's not a good sign.

It's been said over and over again but the Sixers have to run if they're going to make any noise in the next couple of months. To fully exploit Thaddeus Young and Iguodala, they should be filling the lanes. And if the break isn't there, they should push the ball up anyway. They should be doing this on every possession but it's not happening, not even close.

Bobcats in the Rear View Mirror

Charlotte is a hot team and has moved into the playoff picture. While it's very unlikely, if the Sixers collapse, the Bobcats could catch or surpass them. It would be both ironic and embarrassing if Larry Brown's crew was to upstage his old team.

Pitt's Tournament Chances

The University of Pittsburgh has had another outstanding season under Jamie Dixon. He, like Jay Wright, does a remarkable job without the benefit of the top heavy talent at the likes of North Carolina and Connecticut. Pitt hasn't gotten past the Sweet 16 in recent years but this year they are projected #1 seed and many are predicting them to be a Final 4 team. I hope they're right, but I don't think so. They just don't have a margin for error as they are small and depend so heavily on Sam Young, DeJuan Blair and Levance Fields. But Blair is prone to foul trouble and Fields is hurting. Young is their best player and a real blue chipper, but unless they get exceptional production from their role players like Wanamaker and Dixon, too much pressure will be put on Young to carry the offense. Of course, much depends on brackets and match-ups, but I think this very likeable group of overachievers will come up a little short, again. Unfortunately, last night's loss to West Virginia in the Big East Tournament only reinforces this thinking.

The Best Center in the NBA?: Hint - It's Not Dalembert

The Best Center in Basketball?

Is Yao Ming the best center in basketball? That would not be the first choice here, but when Richard Justice, the respected writer for the Houston Chronicle made that claim recently, it gave pause. Justice sees Yao on a regular basis and the Chinese star certainly possesses remarkable skills for a 7' 6" man, notably a soft shooting touch. And he certainly has solid numbers, 20 ppg and 10 rpg. But he is slow and plodding, usually late getting down the court, prone to injury and he seems to tire quickly. Dwight Howard gets my vote. Young, more athletic, more of a defensive and rebounding force, with solid numbers of his own - 20 and 14. But it's noteworthy that there isn't more competition. The center position, particularly with Shaq in the twilight of his career, is just not the glamour position it once was. Most of the big men now tend to be role players, specialists, and very few are offensive minded.


Samuel Dalembert - Perpetual Work in Progress

Sam Dalembert is definitely not in the conversation when discussing the best centers in the NBA. In the Sixers-Hornets game last week he spent most of the time on the bench with his head in a towel. Perhaps with his French heritage, he has an existentialist bent and was contemplating the meaning of life. Or perhaps he was lamenting investing his money with Bernie Madoff. But the best guess is that he was displeased about his meager playing time. After getting lit up by David West, admittedly a tough match-up, for 14 points in the first quarter, Dalembert finished the night with only 12 minutes and 2 points.

The Seton Hall alumnus has a penchant for pouting but he now in his 7th year and he needs to get over it. He will be paid well over $30 million over the next three seasons and there aren't many professions where a mediocrity can pull in that kind of cash - investment banking does come to mind though. Kate Fagan did a nice job in the Sunday Inquirer of enumerating Dalembert's shortcomings. In all his time in the league, has he learned a single post-up move? If he has, it's the best-kept secret since the Manhattan Project. In the Hornets game, Dalembert took 4 shots. One was an off-balance baseline jump shot, a terrible percentage shot. Another was a tear-drop, a la Tony Parker, from 5 feet - this should have been an emphatic slam dunk. Last night against the intimidating Oklahoma City Thunder, things went from very bad to very, very bad as Dalembert tallied 0 points and 3 rebounds in 17 minutes. At times, he looked absolutely bewildered by what was going on around him.

Yes, Dalembert's primary roles are defense and rebounding. But when the Sixer offense is sputtering, as it has been lately, a no-offense center is a real liability. And when you throw in the tendency to commit silly fouls, is it any mystery the team found little interest in Dalembert as the trade deadline approached in February? Signing him to a huge long term deal was one of the biggest mistakes the previous front office regime made and it will continue to be an albatross around the neck of this team as it attempts to move to the next level.

Unfortunately for the Sixers, Dalembert is far from their only problem right now. Since the All Star break the team has been mired in mediocrity. Last night, against the dreadful Thunder, they were dreadful themselves. Right now, they are indeed looking like a one-and-done team in the playoffs.

Thoughts on Barkley, Calhoun, Iverson, Vitale

Barkley for Governor?:

For some time, Charles Barkley has expressed an interest in running for public office, specifically, the governorship of Alabama. However, there may be a better opportunity in another state. Since he will be serving a jail term in a few weeks, that should give him the inside track in the next race for governor of Illinois where incarceration seems to be a right of passage for ambitious politicians. Usually the governor does time after his term in office, but why not reverse the sequence and get it out of the way?

Another Look at Iverson for Billups:

Questions were raised here and elsewhere about the wisdom of trading Chauncey Billups for Allen Iverson at the beginning of the season. Or should we say lack of wisdom? The Pistons, with Iverson, had until recently gone under .500 and were fading fast. Meanwhile, the Nuggets were in first place in their division, a real upside surprise. To add fuel to the fire, with Iverson out with a back injury, the Motor City squad has won two in a row to get back to .500, including a win over the Celtics on Sunday. Defenders of the trade can still cite cap space considerations as the primary rationale for the deal. But is this a case of destroying the team in order to save it?

Jim Calhoun - How to Win Friends and Influence People:

Jim Calhoun of Connecticut has never come across as Mr. Warmth or as a master of tact or diplomacy. So when he was ambushed by a journalist/activist/community organizer over his lucrative pay package, sure enough he proceeded to propel a very awkward situation into a public relations nightmare, saying, among other things, that he was getting old and would "like to be able to retire one day". Calhoun must be another one of those gloom-and-doomers who think Social Security and food stamps won't be there when he needs them.

A million dollars has practically become the minimum salary for big-time college football and basketball coaches, and many coaches like Billy Gillispie, Billy Donovan and Nick Saban make considerably more, not including outside income. Saban was reportedly given the entire state of Alabama. There are probably a dozen things Calhoun could have said to diffuse the situation, like "I don't think this is the appropriate time to discuss your legitimate question but I would be glad to meet with you at a mutually convenient time either publicly or privately". Or, "I am aware that I make a ridiculous amount of money to do something I love but I bring a great deal of revenue into the university and in our society, for better or worse, collegiate athletics is big business". Maybe the University of Connecticut should include anger management classes in Calhoun's compensation package.

Dick Vitale - Spokesman for the Downtrodden:

In commenting on the Calhoun affair, Dick Vitale, never content to put just one foot in his mouth, said that Calhoun is grossly underpaid. It's not the money you understand, but the principle.

Stephon Marbury - Worth the Risk?

There is always a risk when a team with good chemistry acquires a problem child, as the Celtics have done with Stephon Marbury. However, in this instance, Rasheed Wallace could be an appropriate case study. Wallace was a perennial poster boy for underachievement and uneven effort as a Trailblazer while being paid tens of millions - not exactly a testimony to his professionalism. But when traded to a championship caliber team, he took advantage of the opportunity and cleaned up his act enough to become an integral part of Detroit's championship run. Marbury could do the same for Boston. It's also unlikely that Kevin Garnett would put up with any nonsense from his new teammate. The one difference, and it's a major one, is that Marbury hasn't played for 18 months.

Chad Durbin's Importance to the Phillies

Last July 4th, on a rainy night in Philadelphia, the Phillies hosted their kissin cousins, the Mets. The odds makers makers had to like New York's chances as free agent sweepstakes winner Johan Santana was facing off against J.A. Happ in the latter's first big league start. Prior to the game, a simple but moving ceremony was held with members of our armed forces to mark the national holiday. Once the game got underway, the home team probably wished they could enlist the Army and Navy into their cause as Santana pitched like the superstar he is paid to be. He looked untouchable through five innings, but in the bottom of the 6th, the Phils were able maximize a few seeing eye hits and manufacture 2 runs.

Meanwhile, Happ was giving a good account of himself but he succumbed to a high pitch count and four walks after yielding two runs. Charlie Manuel pulled him with two outs in the fifth and brought in Chad Durbin. This is where things started to get interesting. Durbin proceeded to pitch 2 1/3 innings allowing no runs or hits and striking out 6 of the 7 batters he faced - one of the most scintillating performances of any Phillie hurler all year. Against a pitcher like Santana this effort might well have been wasted. But in a scenario which would be repeated more than once in '08, Durbin held the fort for Madson, who held the fort for Lidge. And Shane Victorino came through with a game-winning hit in the bottom of the 9th against the always cooperative Mets' bullpen. A most unlikely 3-2 victory.

31 year-old Chad Durbin probably carries one of the lowest profiles on the Phillies' squad and not just because of his understated personality. Prior to last season, his 10th in the big leagues, his career had been rather nondescript. In 2006, in fact, he spent a good deal of time in the minors. But in 2007, he had a very serviceable year with the Tigers. He made 36 appearances including 19 starts and compiled an 8-7 record with an ERA of 4.72, his personal best for a full season. However, the Tigers thought they had enough pitchers (remember Dontrelle Willis?) so Durbin opted for free agency and signed with the Phils.

In 2008, his first year in South Philly, coming out of the bullpen in middle relief for the most part, Durbin pitched 87 innings with an ERA of 2.87 with 63 strikeouts and a 5-4 record. A breakout season. He played a key role in a bullpen which was the glue for the team for most of the year when the hitting sputtered and the starters faltered. And the Fightin's were hardly loaded with long relievers so the Illinois native and Louisiana resident provided an unexpected lift, particularly in the mid-portion of the campaign when the starting rotation was being held together with scotch tape and Krazy Glue - Myers was in the minors and Kendricks was faltering.

The question before the house is can Durbin continue to be effective? There were some dark clouds forming late last year. While his ERA was 1.89 before the All Star break, it was 4.33 after the break with a lower strikeout ratio. Moreover, in September and October, the ERA rose to 5.50. The explanation most often offered for the drop-off was fatigue. Durbin was called on so often early in the season, he was running on empty in August and September, or at least that was the theory offered by the coaches and front office. Hopefully, this was the case and the coaches will be able to pace him this summer. But it's also possible that he was coming back down to earth - remember that his career numbers didn't foreshadow greatness. Or perhaps the hitters around the league just started to get on to him as he had been primarily an American League pitcher - his National League experience consisted of 9 innings with Arizona in 2004.

These questions are not trivial. While one of the big political stories last year was the "bridge to nowhere", the big story involving the Phillies was the bridge to Lidge, which culminated in the bridge to a championship. Chad Durbin was an important component of that bridge. With J.C. Romero out for a long stretch, the team is going to need the rest of the pitching staff to pick up the slack. Durbin could play a key role here if he can help the team get past the 7th inning when the starters get the early hook. The right-hander may not be irreplaceable, but the team would prefer not to have to find out. They don't want that bridge to Lidge to turn into a wide open drawbridge.