| Opportunity Knocks For The Sixers Authored by Jim Serratore - February 7, 2005 - 7:34 pm
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Gaining the full, undivided attention of the local Philly fan base can be both a blessing and a curse, depending on whether the team is playing well or not. In the case of the Eagles, the Philly fan base was about as supportive as humanly possible in 2004. In the case of the Sixers, the Philly fan base will have to take a wait-and-see approach with this team. The reason? Most Philly fans have not had a chance to pay more than a moment’s attention to the Sixers in the midst of all the Super Bowl hype that invaded the city over a month ago, making it nearly impossible for Philly fans to think of anything else but football until now. For anyone who has been too busy supporting the Eagles to know what’s going on with the local hoops squad, and that’s mostly everyone, here’s what you missed.
The Sixers still revolve around Allen Iverson and will ultimately live or die based on his ability to carry the team on his back. This has been the case every year since Iverson turned pro back in 1996. The only difference with this year’s team is that for the first time in Iverson’s career the Sixers actually have a few players who have the potential to help Iverson carry the load on a nightly basis. Future stars Andre Iguodala and Samuel Dalembert both have what it takes to be premier players in the NBA. Unfortunately, both are extremely young, raw and inexperienced at the present moment. Patience is the key to enjoying the current Sixers team because they are still very much a work in progress. On the bright side, even though the team has not had a record at .500 since they were 6-6, they still find themselves in a virtual tie with Boston at the top of the Atlantic Division. Win the division and they guarantee themselves the third seed in the playoffs and home court advantage in the first round. Not bad for a team that is, for all intents and purposes, waiting till next year.
Having coasted well below the radar screen up to this point in the season it will be interesting to see how the Sixers respond to the pressure of having an entire city paying attention to their every move for the first time all year. Prior to Monday night’s game against New Jersey, the Sixers have had the luxury of playing second fiddle to the Eagles. Such a situation was just what the doctor ordered for a team desperately in need of the extra time they received. First they had to learn Jim O’Brien’s new, complex system. Then they had to adjust to life in the NBA with a new coach and a bunch of new players in new roles. Lastly the time spent in the shadow of the Eagles has allowed several key young players develop on the fly without the added pressure of having to win weighing them down. Time has officially run out though. And now it’s time for the Sixers to step up and play winning basketball from here on out. If not, the Philly fan base will be taking out it’s collective disappointment, anger and aggression on this Sixers team that will share the stage with the Phillies as fans wait for the next Eagles season to kick off at the end of the summer.
In the coming weeks Philly fans will start calling for GM Billy King to make a big, bold trade before the deadline passes. The reasoning behind a trade is understandable, but it doesn’t add up when all things are considered. Obviously the Sixers could use another quality player or two to help them get over the hump of becoming the class of the Eastern Conference. Clearly they are wasting $12 million dollars of precious salary cap space on Glenn Robinson, who has yet to play in a single game this year. Add it all up and you’re likely to hear plenty of criticism directed at King, who is essentially caught between a rock and a hard place. On the one hand, King would love nothing more than to unload Robinson before the deadline. On the other hand, every team in the NBA knows that, and has known that since the first game of the season, so the chances of King getting anything of value in return for Robinson are slim to none. Throw in the fact that Robinson’s contract comes off the books at the end of the season, thus freeing up a huge chunk of valuable cap space, and the question of what to do with Robinson becomes even more complex. Here’s my take. The only way Robinson gets traded this year is if King can find a team willing to take him off the Sixers hands in return for a player or two who will not compromise the flexibility the Sixers are looking forward to having this off-season. The bottom line is the Sixers of today will probably be the Sixers of tomorrow, and also the Sixers at the end of the season. Major moves are not likely, and for good reason. Remember, patience is the key right now. Better days are just around the corner.
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