| Sixers Appear A-OK In Standings And Stat Sheets Authored by Brian Poliakoff - February 1, 2006 - 6:43 pm
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Heck, a week after the mid-way point, the Sixers (23-22) are only one game behind the Nets for first place in the Atlantic Division.
Allen Iverson is having another superstar season. His 33 points per game trails just Kobe Bryant for best in the league. In fact, AI is the leader on the NBA’s second highest scoring offense. Only the Suns (who dominated the Iverson-less Sixers last night) score more than Philly’s 103 points per game.
A look at the stat sheet also suggests Iverson’s right-hand man is having an outstanding year. Chris Webber nearly averages a double-double with 19 points and just under 10 rebounds per game, respectively. And even Sammy Dalembert is a big-time contributor, on paper at least, with his nine points and 10 boards per contest.
However, a different picture is painted for the few fans that actually attend (Philadelphia has the fourth worst home attendance in the NBA) or watch the games on TV.
These fans see a mediocre Sixers squad that flat out doesn’t play defense. The result? A failure to compete with top-tier teams.
The alarming stat, one that somehow hides behind the standings and individual stat leaders, is that the Sixers are 6-12 against teams that are over .500. Surrendering 102 points per game and getting out rebounded 43-42 on average per game won’t cut it in this league. That’s why the Sixers are able to beat the bad teams and why they struggle against the good teams. You can’t just hope to outscore teams each night. Winning teams rely on their defense just as much as their offense to win games.
But the Sixers still are in second place. Indeed they are. Second place in a league that has far too many bad teams due to expansion, high school kids, early college departures, etc. The Sixers are fortunate that the NBA lets a ridiculously high eight teams make the playoffs from each conference (that has nothing to do with making money and TV contracts of course).
And while the individual stats look great, they don’t result in enough wins.
You would think a team with an elite scorer, two big men who nearly get you a double-double each night and two promising young players in Andre Iguodala and Kyle Korver would be good enough to have a better record than 23-22.
Clearly, the stats on paper are misleading.
And don’t get me started on this team being better without AI.
With Iverson nursing his sprained ankle for the third consecutive game, the Suns killed the Sixers on Tuesday night. Did Dalembert’s double-double last night do anything to stop the Suns from hitting wide open jump shot after jump shot? How about Webber’s 15 points or John Salmons’ 17 points?
That game should put to rest the ridiculous notion that Philadelphia is better off without AI just because they beat two awful teams in New York and Orlando when he was out.
Without AI, the Sixers are a bad team. With AI, they are middle-of-the-pack.
Please don’t tell me this team is better without its only superstar. But either way, the debate in Philly on whether the Sixers should trade him has heated up for what seems to be the one millionth time in AI’s career.
I think the organization would be foolish to trade the first ballot hall of famer unless they are overwhelmed with an offer that provides a young star plus a first round pick. That scenario is unlikely and this city will not be OK with a trade that mirrors the Charles Barkley for Jeff Hornacek trade that sent the franchise to the bottom of the league for the better part of the 90’s.
So what’s the solution? Unfortunately, the current roster does not have what it takes to get this team to the upper echelon of the NBA, or even past the first round of the playoffs. Maurice Cheeks needs to somehow instill a defensive mindset into a roster that seems to be allergic to actually guarding jump shooters.
With the trade deadline looming, Billy King should do his best to bring in a veteran player known for defense. Even if that means giving up a John Salmons or dare I say, Kyle Korver. For example, it’s not a secret that the defensive-minded Eric Williams wants out in Toronto.
Will he bring Philly a championship? Haha, absolutely not. But brining him or another good defensive player can help put the anemic defensive players on notice and help change the direction of the Sixers as they gear up for a playoff run. |
