The Philadelphia 76ers continue to pile up the losses, except for a great victory last week  over the Boston Celtics at the Garden.  Why does it always seem that the Sixers only play well against the league’s best.  Those efforts usually result in close, competitive games that end in defeat but make you think if they play this well against Boston (11/25 loss 110-113, 12/18 win 98-97), Cleveland (12/16 loss 97-91), and Dallas (11/30 loss 102-104) they would surely be able to beat the likes of the Los Angeles Clippers and Washington Wizards.  Not so.  The Sixers fall short against those teams as well.  After a huge upset, they have started another losing streak.  They have a record of 7-21, meaning they will have to go 34-20 for the rest of the season just to finish at .500.  If they want that to happen, it will need to start with what is historically the most difficult part of their schedule: the late-December West coast trip.  These include trips to Utah (loss), Portland (loss), Sacramento (potential win), Los Angeles Clippers (potential win), and Denver (loss).  If the Sixers win both the Kings and Clippers matchups, it won’t be a terrible trip, but because of the hole they have dug themselves in, they need to upset one of the three teams that I have penciled in as losses.  On a positive note, Allen Iverson is expected to return to the team after missing the last three games on Saturday when the Sixers head to Salt Lake City.  At the end of this West Coast trip, we will know if this team is going to have a prayer to make the playoffs or if it’s time to start looking towards the NBA Draft in June.

Dear Readers,

It has come to our attention that another blog with the same name, but different spelling (The Philly Four), has reported a fabricated lie about the ongoings within the Philadelphia Flyers locker room.  We would just like to take this time to state that in NO WAY, SHAPE, OR FORM ARE WE IN ANY WAY RELATED TO THE BLOG, THE PHILLY FOUR.  As the Flyers writer on this blog, I’ve received countless text messages today telling me that “I shouldn’t have started a rumor.”  This infuriates me because this is clearly not true.  I am as passionate a Flyers fan as anybody, but as far as the team struggles and what not, what goes on behind closed doors is none of my, your, or anyone not directly affiliated with the Flyers’ business.  I hope that this clears up any confusion that the past week or so has caused.   As it says in the “About the Philly Phour” section of this blog:

“These men have grown up loving the Phillies, Sixers, Eagles, and Flyers, and will stop it nothing to cheer for and defend their teams each and every season.”

Let that go to show you that in no way would we make up any lies about these teams.  Anything and everything published on this blog is either our opinion, or stated fact.  There is NO in between.

I’m sorry that we had to put this up today, but we just wanted to clear everything concerning our name and this story.  If you have a problem or question regarding this matter, take it up with The Philly Four ,  not us.

Otherwise, stay right here for all your news and opinion on the Flyers, Eagles, Sixers, and Phils!

Thank you for reading,

Josh, Alex, Stephen, and Zach

After upsetting the Celtics on Friday, the Sixers have dropped winnable games to the Clippers and Wizards.

Following the team’s 105-98 loss to the Wizards, Elton Brand went off on the way the team played and implied coach Eddie Jordan did a poor job managing personnel. For the record, Brand hasn’t been happy coming off of the bench for the Sixers.

Elton Brand was not happy with coach Eddie Jordan after the team's loss on Tuesday.

After a 4th quarter in which the Sixers were outplayed, outhustled and outcoached to the tune of 33-19, Brand made his feelings known.

“Certain guys didn’t box out, didn’t rebound. Certain guys had a longer leash than others,” said Brand. “They played longer and the mistakes showed. No one should have a long leash if we’re not going to box out, not rebound and not play, you shouldn’t be out there.”

He clearly thinks Jordan didn’t make substitutions early enough. Jordan admitted as much after the game when he clearly was not pleased with the way his defense played.

Brand has not been happy with his role on the Sixers for weeks, but has not been as vocal as he is now. If the team continues to lose, this could get even uglier. I’m sure he wants out of Philly as much as Philly would love to unload his contract. The Brand experiment is just not working.

However, unless he wants to give up some money to make his contract more tradeable, he better get used to coming off the bench for a losing team. We don’t see Jordan putting him in the starting lineup anytime soon.

Players have come and gone. One venue is no more (Veterans Stadium), while two others have risen on Pattison Avenue (Citizens Bank Park and Lincoln Financial Field). The Philadelphia fandom experienced frustrating cases of déjà vu (three consecutive NFC Championship Game losses by the Eagles) and exhilarating highs (one significant moment comes to mind). We watched as a legend pack his bags, only to return three years later in an attempt to reinvigorate a franchise on the fast track to nowhere. We witnessed the tenuous marriage between a disgruntled wide receiver and his oft-maligned quarterback disintegrate into a national mess. We held out hope that the underachieving Orange and Black would get over the hump and we cried in triumph when the boys of summer finally ended the championship drought on a cool October night.

From the mastery of Allen Iverson (remember Tyron Lue and 60 points?) to the recent excellence of Eagles wide receiver DeSean Jackson in the final days of 2009, the decade in Philadelphia sports was certainly never dull. For all the grumbling, fans will never forget 4th and 26, Keith Primeau’s multiple postseason heroics, or Jimmy Rollin’s magical swing to win Game 4 of the 2009 NLCS. Of course, there were plenty of villains and heartache. The Flyers collapsed after holding a 3-1 series lead over the hated New Jersey Devils in the 2000 Eastern Conference Finals. The 76ers ran into the Lakers dynasty of Shaq and Kobe, falling 4-1 in the 2001 NBA Finals. The Eagles were thwarted by the likes of Ricky Manning Jr., Tom Brady, and Kurt Warner (twice). The Phillies became the first professional sports team to reach 10,000 losses and continually fell short of the playoffs.

The Numbers

• 76ers (with five games remaining in 2009)- Regular season record: 416-399 (.510), 1 division title, 7 playoff appearances (including the one after the 1999-2000 season), 1 NBA Finals appearance, 0 championships. Best description for the decade: An opening flash of success, followed by early playoff exits and poor roster moves.
• Eagles (with two games remaining in 2009)- 103-55-1 (.651), 5 division titles, 8 playoff appearances, 1 Super Bowl appearance, 0 championships. Best description for the decade: Although the story can be rewritten in the weeks to come, the Eagles of the Reid-McNabb era have fallen painfully short of their ultimate goal of winning the Super Bowl. Very good? Yes. Great. No, not yet at least.
• Flyers (with four games remaining in 2009)- 360-253-55-65 (94 points per year), 3 division titles, 8 playoff appearances, 0 Stanley Cup appearances. Best description for the decade: Always in the thick of the chase for the Cup, but never an elite team when it counted.
• Phillies- 850-769 (.525), 3 division titles, 3 playoff appearances, 2 pennants, 1 World Series title. Best description for the decade: Who would have guessed that the Phillies would end the title drought? They built a strong foundation around homegrown talent, including Pat Burrell, Cole Hamels, Ryan Howard, Jimmy Rollins, and Chase Utley, and grew into one of the greatest teams in the city’s history. With the help of some key acquisitions, they became the best National League squad in more than a decade.

Awards and Recognition

Philadelphia Sportsman of the Decade

I did my best to find a Philadelphia athlete who was an integral part of his team’s success and a fixture throughout the decade. I limited the pool to players who spent at least 3 years of the decade in Philadelphia. After much thought and deliberation, it was difficult to pass on Brain Dawkins, Allen Iverson, and Donovan McNabb. Who is left for the honor? Two men, actually. Both born in California less than a month apart in the winter of 1978, this unlikely duo matured into the main ingredients behind the Phillies’ current reign. Inseparable on the diamond as one of the best double play combos in baseball history, it is only fitting that Jimmy Rollins and Chase Utley are my Co-Sportsmen of the Decade.

Rollins is the straw the stirs the drink. He is the leader. Bold and outspoken, Rollins is among a select group of Philadelphia stars that have remained in the city for the entire decade. McNabb, David Akers, and Simon Gagne, I believe, are the only others. The Phillies’ shortstop has averaged 104 runs, 10 triples, and 36 stolen bases per year in his nine full seasons with the club. He has captured three consecutive Gold Gloves and was the 2007 NL MVP. That year J-Roll became the first player ever to compile 200 hits, 15 triples, 25 home runs, and 25 stolen bases. Always one to make brash predictions that he always seemed to back up, Rollins helped to change the culture in the clubhouse. He is a flat-out winner.

Likewise, Chase Utley does anything for his team. One of the most defensively underrated second baseman in baseball, Utley refuses to let a game go by without soiling his uniform. He is the quiet assassin who exudes the city’s thirst for hard work and non-stop dedication. In his five full seasons as a starter, Utley has posted averages of 29 home runs, 111 runs, 101 RBI and a batting average of .301. He has belted 9 postseason home runs in only 32 games, with 5 coming in the 2009 World Series. Without a doubt, Utley is the best Phillies hitter since Mike Schmidt.

Best Team of the Decade

The 2008 Phillies, of course.

Best Individual Season:

A handful come to mind…

• Donovan McNabb, 2004: 3,875 yards passing, 31 touchdown passes, 8 interceptions, 104.7 passer rating
• Allen Iverson, 2005-06: 33.0 points per game and 7.4 assists per game
• Ryan Howard, 2006: .313 AVG, 58 home runs, 149 RBI, 1.084 OPS
• Brian Westbrook, 2007: 1,333 rushing yards, 771 receiving yards, 2,104 total yards, 12 total touchdowns
• Brad Lidge, 2008: 41 save opportunities, 41 saves. 7 postseason save opportunities, 7 saves

If I have to choose, I will take Brad Lidge’s season of perfection. The Phillies would not have won it all without him.

Best Single Game Performance:

Cliff Lee, Game 1 win, 2009 World Series

9 innings, 6 hits, 0 ER, 10 strikeouts

Best 76er:

Allen Iverson (A distant runner-up: Andre Iguodala)

Best Eagle:

Donovan McNabb (Runner-ups: Brain Dawkins and Brian Westbrook)

Best Flyer:

Simon Gagne (Runner-ups: Keith Primeau and Mark Recchi)

Best Phillie:

Chase Utley (Runner-up: Ryan Howard)

Best Manager:

Charlie Manuel- 3 division titles, 2 pennants, 1 championship (Runner-up: Andy Reid- 5 division titles, 1 league title)

We enjoyed it while it lasted:

Jeremy Roenick, Peter Forsberg, Jim Thome, Andre Miller, Brian Mitchell, Jeff Garcia

It didn’t work out in the end:

Kevin Millwood, Bobby Abreu, Scott Rolen, Adam Eaton, Billy Wagner, Terrell Owens, Javon Kearse, Chris Webber, and Elton Brand (or at least it is looking that way)

Quiet, steady and solid:

Jon Runyan, Tra Thomas, David Akers, Chad Lewis, Mike Lieberthal, Randy Wolf, Jamie Moyer, Eric Desjardins, Mike Knuble, Aaron McKie, Theo Ratliff, and Eric Snow

Gone, but Philadelphia heroes forever:

Harry Kalas (may he rest in peace), Lee, Burrell (he went out on top), Dawkins, Aaron Rowand, and Matt Stairs (The Greatest Home Run of All-Time).

Stars and leaders for the coming decade: Roy Halladay (despite his age), Domonic Brown, J.A. Happ, Hamels, Jackson, LeSean McCoy, Jeremy Maclin, Brent Celek, Kevin Kolb, Stewart Bradley, Mike Richards, Claude Giroux, Jeff Carter, James Van Riemsdyk, Ryan Parent, Jrue Holiday, Marrese Speights, and Thaddeus Young.

Questions for the future:

For the 76ers: Where is the reliable foundation? Are Holiday, Iguodala, Speights, and Young starters for the future? Who will be the next free-agent pickup? This team needs a dominant player.

For the Eagles: Can the young talent push this team over the top? Is McNabb his generation’s Jim Kelly or John Elway? Who is McNabb’s heir?

For the Flyers: Who will be the rock in goal for a team in need of a consistent stopper? Are Jeff Carter and Mike Richards dependable leaders and scorers going forward?

For the Phillies: Will they capitalize on their World Series-caliber roster with more championships in the coming years? Is it possible to hold onto Hamels, Howard, Utley, and Victorino?

Here is to hoping that we add more championship trophies in the next decade.

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Following their most lopsided defeat of the season to close a rough road trip, the Washington Wizards return to the Verizon Center looking to avoid their first four-game home losing streak of 2009-10.The Wizards host a Philadelphia 76ers team opening a six-game trip Tuesday night.The Wizards (8-17) snapped a six-game skid with a 118-109 victory over Golden State on Friday, but went on to finish a 1/3 trip with a 121-95 loss to Phoenix on Saturday.The defeat was Washington’s worst since its last visit to Phoenix a 128-96 loss March 21.”It was like the last thing we wanted tonight was to be out there, as far as how we played,” said Wizards coach Flip Saunders, whose team shot 36.4 percent from the field and trailed by as many as 33 in the third quarter. “It was extremely disappointing and pretty much unacceptable.”

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Hello world. It’s been a while since I last posted and a lot has gone on. We are 1/4 of the way through the season and these past 2 weeks, a few things have surprised me.

I’d like to start it off with Allen Iverson and his return back to the Sixers. As i expected, the fans welcomed him back. Once his name was announced in the starting lineup for the first game, the roof nearly blew off the top of the stadium. Iverson proceeded to make his way to half-court and kiss the floor. Now most people may think he did it because he loves Philly and the fans there…I don’t think so. He is just happy that Philly is the only place that wanted him. No one else wanted him for obvious reasons. He has missed wide open lay-ups numerous times and he has just gotten injured, once again. They still aren’t winning with A.I. and I don’t predict that they will win with him. This was strictly a move to try to get fans into the seats. It sickens me that he went and kissed the floor. His acting grade dropped big time in my book.

Next, I’d like to move on to the New York Knickerbockers. What the hell has happened to them??? They are playing like they actually want to win all of a sudden. NY put together a nice 4-game win streak and are 7-3 in their last 10 games, very impressive. Now, we all know the NYK are not playing for anything this season. They are not going to make the playoffs. They are not going to win 30 games. It’s what they aren’t doing is what I have respect for. Unlike the NJ Nets, they Knicks aren’t trying to lose every single game on purpose. And yes, the Nets are trying to lose every single game. If they weren’t, they would not have traded away 4 all-star caliber players. But anyway, back to the Knicks. I am not doing a Stock Up, Stock Down portion this week, but if I was, the Knicks would certainly be in the stock up. They got something working up there in NYC and hopefully they can keep it up, for the hope of basketball around the world.

The next topic I would like to address is Kobe Bryant. In the last month or so, he has hit 2 game-winning shots. One against the Heat and most recently against the Bucks. The most impressive part about this whole thing is that he is playing with a broken index finger on his shooting hand, which is the most important part of shooting. With the game on the line, Kobe is the guy I want shooting the ball. I’d take him over Jordan, LeBron, Magic, Bird, or anyone else you can name. Simply put, he is the greatest ever at making bad shots go in. He is the reason why the Lakers are the most dangerous team in the league in the 4th quarter.

Eastern Conference Standings

In the East, we have 4 teams at the top. The C’s, Magic, Cavs, and Hawks. After these 4 teams, you will notice a HUGE drop off in the East. Every other team is struggling to stay above .500

1. Boston Celtics (21-5) (previously 1 in the East)
2. Orlando Magic (21-7) (previously 2 in the East)
3. Cleveland Cavaliers (20-8) (previously 3 in the East)
4. Atlanta Hawks (19-7) (previously 4 in the East)
5. Miami Heat (13-12) (previously 5 in the East)
6. Toronto Raptors (13-17) (previously 6 in the East)
7. Chicago Bulls (10-15) (previously 9 in the East)
8. Milwaukee Bucks (12-14) (previously 7 in the East)
9. Detroit Pistons (11-16) (previously 10 in the East)
10. New York Knicks (10-17) (previously 13 in the East)
11. Charlotte Bobcats (10-16) (previously 8 in the East)
12. Indiana Pacers (9-17) (previously 12 in the East)
13. Washington Wizards (8-17) (previously 11 in the East)
14. Philadelphia 76ers (7-20) (previously 14 in the East)
15. New Jersey Nets (2-26) (previously 15 in the East)

Western Conference Standings

In the West, the top 8 teams all have winning records, with the bottom 7 all hovering around the .500 mark with the exceptions of Minnesota and Golden State….a big difference from the East.

1. Los Angeles Lakers (22-4) (previously 1 in the West)
2. Denver Nuggets (19-9) (previously 3 in the West)
3. Phoenix Suns (18-9) (previously 2 in the West)
4. Dallas Mavericks (20-8) (previously 4 in the West)
5. Portland Trailblazers (17-12) (previously 8 in the West)
6. Houston Rockets (16-11) (previously 5 in the West)
7. Utah Jazz (16-12) (previously 6 in the West)
8. San Antonio Spurs (14-10) (previously 7 in the West)
9. Oklahoma City (13-13) (previously 10 in the West)
10. New Orleans (12-14) (previously 9 in the West)
11. Los Angeles Clippers (12-14) (previously 11 in the West)
12. Sacramento Kings (12-14) (previously 12 in the West)
13. Memphis Grizzlies (12-15) (previously 13 in the West)
14. Golden State Warriors (7-19) (previously 14 in the West)
15. Minnesota Timberwolves (5-23) (previously 15 in the West)

This wraps up the quarter mark of the NBA Season. Photos courtesy of Yahoo! Sports. Stay tuned for next week’s update.

Marreesse Speights dropped a career-high 28 points in the Sixers loss on Saturday.

A night after beating the Celtics in Boston, the Sixers looked to continue their winning ways against a poor Clippers squad.

Instead, it was the Clippers who captured a win on a snowy night in Philly despite an impressive comeback by the Sixers.

Trailing 60-47 at halftime, the Sixers came out and worked possession-by-possession, minute-by-minute to put themselves in a position to win.

As time expired at the end of regulation, Andre Iguodala apparently hit the game winner, but replay officials disagreed, saying he didn’t get the shot of in time. Instead of a 101-99 win, the Sixers headed to overtime.

The Sixers apparently spent too much energy trying to win the game in the second half as they were outscored in overtime, 13-8.

Marreese Speights continued his impressive play with a game-high 28 points and nine boards in 35 minutes. Samuel Dalembert is the starter, but Speights is the Sixers’ center.

“He is coming along,” coach Eddie Jordan said of Speights. “He still needs to learn to defend better, but he’s getting better.”

Iguodala added 20 points and nine rebounds, while Thaddeus Young registered 19 and 8.

Center Chris Kaman led the Clippers with 20 points, while Marcus Camby had 11 points and 22 rebounds. Baron Davis added 20 points and 13 dimes in the win.

The Sixers now embark on a six-game West Coast swing.

Sixers guard Allen Iverson will not play tonight against the Los Angeles Clippers, and will likely be out until late next week.

The Inquirer’s Kate Fagan tweets, “Here’s the AI news: not playing tonight, might be back for Utah game on Dec. 26.”

The Sixers themselves tweeted, “No @alleniverson tonight and likely not back until late next week; @teamlou23 will be active tonight.”

It appears that Lou Williams will return to the lineup tonight after missing nearly a month with a broken jaw. Williams had the wire from his mouth removed earlier this week.

Iverson is out with an arthritic condition in his knee. It remains to be seen how this will affect his health throughout the year. Arthritis is never good, especially not for a 34-year-old guard who relies on speed.

Mother Nature has finally affected one sporting event in the city this weekend. The Eagles-Niners game has been moved from 1 p.m. to 4:15 due to a wicked snowstorm that is crippling the Northeast today.

Philly is expected to get from 12-18 inches. While those in Buffalo are likely laughing at us, the fact is snowfalls like this are rare in the City of Brotherly Love.

Even with the added time to clear roads and parking lots, we still suggest taking public transportation to South Philly on Sunday.

In other sporting event news, the Flyers and Rangers are playing this afternoon, while the Sixers game against the Clippers is till slated to start at 7:30. Check back for updates later in the day.

A major Northeast snowstorm can’t stop the Flyers or Sixers. Both teams say their games will go on today at the Wachovia Center despite snowfall that could leave 12-18 inches of white stuff on the ground.

The Flyers host the Rangers at 1 p.m., and since the major part of the storm isn’t expected until later, we expect that game to happen.

The Sixers tip off at 7:30 against the Los Angeles Clippers. The team just tweeted, “Game tonight vs. Clippers has not been postponed and is scheduled for a 7:30pm tip-off. Please check SIXERS.com for any add’l updates.”

With such a major snowstorm, we suggest checking the team’s web site prior to departing for the arena. We’ll also keep track and try to provide updates on DailyPhiladelphian.com.

No Allen Iverson. No Lou Williams. No experienced point guard.

No problem.

Enter Jrue Holiday

Rookie Jrue Holiday and the Sixers beat the Celtics, 98-87, on Friday.

Without a steady, experienced ballhandler in uniform on Friday night, the Philadelphia 76ers managed to squeak out a 98-97 win over the first-place Boston Celtics at TD Bank Garden in Boston.

But rookie Jrue Holiday had his best outing to date as the UCLA Bruin dished out seven dimes, dropped in nine points and had three boards for the Sixers, who have now won three of their last four after dropping 12 straight.

Elton Brand, who continues to thrive while coming off the bench, poured in a game-high 23 points, grabbed eight boards and registered two blocks in 27 minutes. Andre Iguodala added 18 points.

Meanwhile, Marreese Speights, in just his second game back following a knee injury, had 17 points and 10 rebounds in 22 minutes.

Speights, the talented second year player out of Florida, may just be playing Samuel Dalembert to the bench.

Kevin Garnett led the Celtics with 21 points, followed by Ray Allen’s 17.

The Sixers (7-19), who expect Allen Iverson and possibly Lou Williams back, host the Los Angeles Clippers on Saturday night.

If the team continues to play inspired basketball as it has during the last week, we could see a team in the beginnings of a playoff push. The Sixers sit four games behind Charlotte for the final playoff spot in the East.

As the teams were warming up before Wednesday’s Cavaliers/76′ers game LeBron James wanted to pay his respects to one of the best players in NBA history, Allen Iverson. And what better way to show your deference than to place your balls over his face?

That’s how the Caesers greeted one another right?

Maybe that was  just Caligula…

Last year as a member of the Detroit Pistons, Allen Iverson saw Rodney Stuckey get some of the minutes that Iverson felt he deserved. For years Allen Iverson was (metaphorically) breaking ankles all over the NBA, but as he’s aged he’s lost a little of his quickness; Stuckey, at age 23 has all of his still and makes Iverson look foolish, at least for one play.

A new #1 in the rankings. The Lakers win streak is over, so which of the NBA elite took their place? Let’s go to the rankings:

1. Boston Celtics (19-4) (previous ranking: 2)- 10 straight wins, playing great ball. With the Lakers’ loss to Utah, they take back the top spot for the first time in weeks.

2. Los Angeles Lakers (18-4) (previous ranking: 1)- One loss makes a difference. The loss in Utah, plus the Celtics 10 straight wins drops them to #2. They won’t be there for long.

3. Orlando Magic (17-6) (previous ranking: 3)- Not much room for Orlando to go with the Celtics and Lakers at the top spot. They remain at #3 for a second straight week.

4. Atlanta Hawks (17-6) (previous ranking: 7)- Excellent week from the Hawks, four straight wins moved them into a tie with the Magic for first in the Southeast Division

5. Cleveland Cavaliers (17-7) (previous ranking: 4)- Great week for the Cavs, but they were victims of the streaking Atlanta Hawks.

6. Denver Nuggets (17-7) (previous ranking: 5)- The Nuggets, like Cleveland. They had a good week, and still lead the Northwest, but they were victims of the streaking Hawks.

7. Dallas Mavericks (17-7) (previous ranking: 8]- Dirk is showing why he’s one of the best in the game. The Mavericks know how to win the close ones, reason why they lead the Southwest right now.

8. Phoenix Suns (16-8) (previous ranking: 6)- The Suns are slumping. Is it weird that the Suns started slumping after losing to D’Antoni, and the Knicks are rising after beating the Suns.

9. Utah Jazz (14-9) (previous ranking: 10)- Snapping the Lakers win streak is a very important thing, and the Jazz deserve a spot in the top 10.

10. San Antonio Spurs (12-9) (previous ranking: 13)- Just a matter of time before the Spurs were among the tops in the NBA. Everything looks like it’s coming together. Matt Bonner has been playing very well as of late.

11. Houston Rockets (13-10) (previous ranking: 11)- The Rockets are playing good ball without Tracy McGrady and Yao Ming. We already know Yao’s out, but is McGrady ever going to come back to the team, and if he doesn’t, what team would take that massive salary?

12. Portland Trail Blazers (14-11) (previous ranking: 9)- The Blazers are not the same team without Greg Oden. The psyche of this team is off, and they are not the contenders they were at the start of this season.

13. Oklahoma City Thunder (12-10) (previous ranking: 14)- After three weeks at #14, the Thunder are finally moving up. It’s a matter of time to see if they will move up further or back down.

14. Milwaukee Bucks (11-11) (previous ranking: 16)- The Bucks were in a slump, but seems as if things are slowly turning around for them. It’s a matter of time if this is true.

15. Miami Heat (11-11) (previous ranking: 12)- The Heat are really showing that there is no real supporting cast behind Dwyane Wade. Michael Beasley has not been consistent as he should be.

16. Detroit Pistons (11-12) (previous ranking: 22)- The Pistons are playing improved basketball. Rip Hamilton is back, and Tayshaun Prince and Ben Gordon are on the mend. Perhaps all hope is not lost in Detroit

17. New Orleans Hornets (10-12) (previous ranking: 18)- 2-1 week puts New Orleans up a spot. Chris Paul is back to his old form, but can they get back to among the Western Conference elite?

18. Sacramento Kings (10-12) (previous ranking: 15)- The Kings are still two games off .500. They are going to be special when Kevin Martin returns.

19. Toronto Raptors (11-15) (previous ranking: 20)- Are the Raptors ever going to live up to their potential? Newsflash to Bryan Colangelo: fire Jay Triano.

20. Memphis Grizzlies (10-13) (previous ranking: 21)- How about the Grizzlies? They have beaten the Mavericks, Cavaliers, and Heat all this month. Iverson leaving was the best thing for this team.

21. Charlotte Bobcats (9-13) (previous ranking: 19)- The Bobcats should not be ashamed in their Texas road trip. They came back from double-digits against the Spurs before running out of gas, and then they lost a heartbreaker in Dallas to the Mavericks. They will get the road woes together eventually.

22. Los Angeles Clippers (9-13) (previous ranking: 17)- The Clippers have weathered the storm of not having Blake Griffin. It will be interesting to see how good they will be when they return.

23. Indiana Pacers (8-13) (previous ranking: 25)- No Danny Granger, the Pacers are in a world of trouble. Considering this team is not as great with him there, he does make them better.

24. Chicago Bulls (8-14) (previous ranking: 23) Vinny Del Negro came out and said that he is the right coach for the Chicago Bulls. If that is the case, why are the talented Bulls underachieving so much?

25. New York Knicks (8-15) (previous ranking: 27)- The Knicks have been playing some of their best ball in a long time… Still wonder how Jonathan Bender will fare after being away for three years.

26. Washington Wizards (7-14) (previous ranking: 24)- The Big Three in Washington is not working out. Must be time to blow this team up.

27. Golden State Warriors (7-16) (previous ranking: 26)- No true leader on this team since Stephen Jackson left. Curry’s a rookie and Ellis is nowhere near ready. Still a team that’s in disarray.

28. Philadelphia 76ers (5-18) (previous ranking: 28)- If the Nets or Wolves could string together some wins, the Sixers might be in the cellar. A.I. has not made much of a difference

29. Minnesota Timberwovles (3-21) (previous ranking: 29)- In reality they should be #30, but they did beat New Jersey on opening night. Have to keep them at #29.

30. New Jersey Nets (2-22) (previous ranking: 30)- Team’s getting it together. Still has a long way to go.

A much underrated story on the National Basketball Association so far is the fact that Allen Iverson had not won a single game this season. “The Answer” had dressed for 6 games on the 2009-10 season, 3 with the Memphis Grizzlies and 3 with the Philadelphia 76ers, and was yet to pick up a W which finally happened yesterday on the Sixers 117-101 win over the Warriors.

After missing part of training camp, the whole preseason and the first 3 Regular Season games with a partial right hamstring tear, AI dressed up for the first time on November the 2th against the Kings in which Memphis lost 127-116. In only 18 minutes, AI scored 11 points and complained already about coming off the bench. It was the beginning.

Two days later, November the 4^th, in Oakland the Grizzlies lost to the Warriors 113-105 behind Anthony Morrow’s 27 points. Iverson came off the bench again, saw more minutes (28) and scored 18 which allowed him to reach the 24,000 points milestone and become the 16^th all time to do it.

Two days later, November the 6^th, in Southern California against the Lakers, Memphis was smashed, 114-98. Iverson came off the bench once again, playing 21 minutes and scored a season low 8 points. He complained once again about being part of the second unit, talked to owner Michael Heisley and set up a meeting to the next in which he asked for a leave of absence. It turned out to be Iverson’s last game with the franchise. A week later, he was released and cleared waivers.

(Funny thing about Iverson’s brief history with the Grizzlies is that he was brought to boost attendance and left without playing a single home game)

After signing with the 76ers on December the 4^th to replace Lou Williams, out with a broken jaw, AI made his debut against a former team, the Denver Nuggets on December the 7^th, and caused instant impact, not on the court but on the seats. At the time the Sixers have lost 9 straight and watched the fan base to quit on them. On AI’s day view, Philadelphia had the first sellout of the season and saw its investment pay off. On the court though, the result was the expected. Although leading midway through the 3^rd, the Sixers watched Chauncey Billups single handily win that game, even without Carmelo’s help at any time. Iverson looked truly excited and affected but after 38 minutes played, scored only 11 points looking old and out of sync.

Passed the emotional act, two days later the 76ers received another Iverson’s former team, the Detroit Pistons and the result was the same, another loss. The idea of defending anybody never passed through Iverson’s mind his whole career but at least he was always able to stand in front of anybody. That’s not the case anymore. Rodney Stuckey did what he wanted and led Detroit to a 90-86 win. Iverson also became ineffective also on the offense event. He played 33 minutes and scored again 11 points but with 6 turnovers.

A couple of days later, December the 11^th, the Sixers extended their losing streak to 12 with the loss against the Rockets. Iverson had a season high 20 points in 35 minutes, shooting 7-18 from the field. The Sixers played their best offensive game of the season with excellent performances of Andre Iguodala, 24 points, Thaddeus Young, 15 points, and even Elton Brand, 19 points. However they still fell short to the Rockets because AI couldn’t stand in front of a young PG again, Aaron Brooks who scored all the most important points down the stretch.

Yesterday, December the 14^th, against the Warriors, AI had his most solid performance of the season. He went for 20 in 32 minutes, shooting 7-10 with a single turnover. On a night when Iguodala scored only 14 points in 35 minutes, the Sixers broke the 12 game losing streak mostly because Monta Ellis scored only 8 points and did not play well on the road which was shocking considering the fact that Don Nelson did not travel with the team.

It took Iverson seven games to win his first of the season in games he dressed up and it took two against Golden State with two different teams to get it done. That says a lot about who Iverson decided to be at this point of his career. Danny Ainge showed some interest but AI emphasized time and time again his feelings about coming off the bench and he wouldn’t take it even with guys like Rajon Rondo and Ray Allen at the starting Guards and the huge possibility of fighting for a championship, instead “the Answer” settled for the most comfortable situation. Philadelphia is such a distorted team that even when looked well at times yesterday night, it was clear that they are not going anywhere anyway. But that doesn’t matter because the decision was made a long time ago when they decided to save the franchise financially for one year by signing Iverson who clearly can’t carry the franchise anymore, and with that they showed to the rest of the league and the few good players that actually think with the brain and not with the wallet that character and winning aren’t the franchise priorities and that will coast them down the road.

Yesterday Philadelphia and Iverson both broke a losing streak that they should start getting used to it because as they seem linked until their ends, losing will be the thing they’ll have most in common.

There’s a lot to like about Comcast SportsNet.  Let me say thanks for Derrick Gunn.  Let me say thanks for Ray Didinger. Let me say thanks for Leonard Weaver.  Let me say thanks for Mitch and Rick. Let me say thanks for bringing us so many Phillies, Flyers and Sixers games. Let me say thanks for Keith Jones.  Let me say thanks for Vaughn Hebron. Let me say thanks for Chris Wheeler (I hear you, boo birds. Be quiet.). And let me say thanks, and blow a kiss for all those years with our Harry the K.

Regular readers know how much I detest the Monarch, Barkann; the sophomoric, incomprehensible mumblings of Fadool; the pierce-your-ears-break-a-glass sound of Gudel’s voice. But more and more often I see graphics that misspell words or get facts wrong. I recently noted  a mistaken posting of the Giants- Cowboys score on Sunday last. I also spotted the misspelling of the word Browns (“Bronws”).

But earlier today I saw two new beauties.  During Andy Reid’s press conference, Comcast ran a crawl reporting that Sixers GM, Ed Stefanski had just met with Allen Iverson in Dallas. Now that’s a radical scoop (Comcast Alert! Comcast Alert!!) given it happened a mere 14 days ago.  Nice work, lads.  In the meantime, the mercurial DeSean Jackson is apparently in Diddy mode, changing the spelling of his name to “DeSenae.” It’s just crazy that the suits either don’t notice or don’t care that they’re presenting an inferior product, one that dwells in the sewer of laziness.

Still, my friend Mick, former number one ranked tennis star at Cheltenham High School, suggested I bag my rants and give praise where it’s due.  And so I thank Comcast for what it does well.  It’s noted and appreciated.  But, at the same time, there’s more work to do to give sports fans a better product.

Last Friday night, my Uncle Joe died unexpectedly. He was probably the most affable and good-natured guy you’d have the good fortune to come across. Of my five brothers and sisters, I was probably the least close to Joe, and I’m pretty sure I was the only one who’d never gone to visit him at his home in Maryland. And I’m equally sure I’ll regret that for the rest of my life. Just kind of figured he’d be around to hang out with. Life is ruthlessly unpredictable, folks. Get out there and grab what you can from it. 

This post is dedicated to Uncle Joe. 

WORD

nonpareil [non-puh-rel] adj. 1. having no equal; peerless ∞ n. 2. a person or thing having no equal 3. a small pellet of colored sugar for decorating candy, cake, and cookies 4. a flat, round, bite-sized piece of chocolate covered with this sugar

BIRTHDAY

Nostradamus (1503), Spike Jones (1911), Lee Remick (1935), Patty Duke (1946), Michael Ovitz (1946), Beth Orton (1970)

STANDPOINT

Last week I commented on Allen Iverson’s return to the Philadelphia 76ers.

For the record, I like Allen Iverson. I always have. Even when, in 2002, he threw his naked wife out of their house in Gladwyne, where I grew up. Lots and lots of things happened as a result of A.I.’s actions, including causing me to be over two hours late for some family function due to the fact every TV news van in the country was trying to get into probably the least traffic-friendly town you can imagine.  

In any case, the return of Allen Iverson has left me with mixed emotions. I’m glad he’s back, but as I stated last week, I’m curious as to why everyone else is.

Philadelphia has a history of taking young, talented athletes and making them regret they ever played their respective sport. The Philadelphia Phillies‘ Mike Schmidt was deemed the best third baseman in history. Eric Lindros had a career for the Philadelphia Flyers that placed him, for much of it, in the same company as Gordie Howe, Mario Lemieux and Wayne Gretzky. On any other team in the NFL, Philadelphia Eagles‘ quarterback Donovan McNabb would be credited for being one of the best at his position in the past decade. Allen Iverson, in his first stint with the 76ers, was a diminutive individual, usually scoring more than double the points of the giants he played against.

And where did it get them? Schmidt retired as a Phillie but left here so damaged it took him almost a decade to return to the fans who booed much harder when he didn’t get the job done as they cheered when he did. Lindros’ story is much more complicated but, even with all the drama and concussions, he’s still a fringe candidate for the debate of who’s the best player in NHL history, even Bobby Clarke thinks so. McNabb still manages to come to work every Sunday and play for a bunch of worthless fans who’ve forgotten the likes of Bobby Hoying, Bubby Brister and Rodney Peete. And Iverson was one of the best in the NBA, while playing for a team that seemed content to let him try to win a championship all by himself.

Which begs the question, why would anyone come play in Philadelphia, a city where even those days when probably capable of better, and those days when you don’t live up to expectations there’s a million people leading the charge for your head? Don’t believe me? This past Phillies-Yankees World Series, I forget which game it was. I was at a bar and Phillies’ slugger Ryan Howard was striking out. A lot. And one of the morons sitting around me said, “Man, would you look at this fuckin’ bum on the goddamn television?” Yeah, genius, I was looking at the TV. At Ryan Howard. A guy who’s managed to hit 220 homers and knock in 635 runs in just five seasons. But Howard, and the rest of the Phillies, didn’t win this past World Series like they did the year before. And so, for that, Howard’s a bum. Just like every other professional athlete in Philadelphia sports’ history who didn’t give their fans the misplaced, instant gratification for which they feel erroneously entitled.

QUOTATION

 This and nothing else is the desperately sought and tragically fragile writer’s process: in his imagination, he sees made-up people doing things–sees clearly–and in the act of wondering what they will do next, he sees what they will do next, and all this he writes down in the best, most accurate words he can find, understanding even as he writes that he may have to find better words later, and that a change in the words may mean a sharpening or deepening of the vision, the fictive dream or vision becoming more and more lucid, until reality, by comparison, seems cold, tedious, and dead. → John Gardner

TUNE

I normally have something poignant to say about the song I’m sharing with you. But today I don’t. Listen to “HEERS” by Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin. It’s good. And that’s that.

GALLIMAUFRY

→ Listen up, country! The people of Houston get it. So why can’t the rest of you clowns fall in line? Annise Parker will become the city’s first openly gay mayor, making Houston the biggest city ever to do so. Is it safe to say it’s pretty fucked up when Texans are breaking new ground?

→ Tiger Woods, most likely after reading my post last Friday, has announced, “After much soul searching, I have decided to take an indefinite break from professional golf.” In what many are considering the understatement of a lifetime, Woods furthered with, “I need to focus my attention on being a better husband, father, and person.” You think?

→ OK. Let me get this straight. Donte Stallworth drunkenly drives over, and kills, a guy a few months back and gets 30 fucking days in jail. Meanwhile, New Jersey resident John Wilson is facing up to 20 years for growing 17 marijuana plants for his own personal use to treat his multiple sclerosis. I don’t drink and drive because I’m hesitant to put my life and the lives of others in jeopardy. I do, however, occassionally smoke pot in the privacy of my own home which, until now, seemed relatively innocuous. I guess I had it all backwards and turned upside-down. How naive of me.

A quarter gone by in the NBA and slowly things are walking to where we expected before the season began. The powerhouses are in control, except for Oden we did not have season ending injuries for the teams that matter, and the sleepers are those that we waited for although we did have some disappointments so far.

The Celtics have the best record of the league and are dominating opponents defensively. Kevin Garnett is back and Rasheed Wallace, although fat, has been fairly consistent shooting behind the 3 point line, at least on big games. The Lakers are a ½ game behind and after the return of Pau Gasol they have been the most dominant offense of the NBA (watch out for Kobe’s injury, he won’t undergo surgery no matter what but it can’t affect the way he plays for now on). Orlando is already without Jameer Nelson which allowed them to use the depth acquired on the offseason and maintained them on the top. The only problems on Disneyland have been outside the court. Both Dwight Howard and Rashard Lewis had altercations with Coach Stan Van Gundy which is clearly the beginning of something bigger.

One of the biggest surprises so far is the way the Atlanta Hawks have behaved on big games. It’s clear that they have a good starting five in Georgia and that the additions of Jamal Crawford and Joe Smith would boost their second unit but the birds have played elite basketball so far and show that can at least compete with the powerhouses this year. Maybe another surprise for a few people is the run and gun Suns who are back. Steve Nash may be on his way for a 3^rd MVP and the up tempo offense is back to where they used to be two years ago but it’s clear that the results on the playoffs will be the same from two years ago as they can’t guard teams with an inside presence.

The upcoming team of the season is clearly the Oklahoma City Thunder. We all knew they were coming but now that they are actually translating talent into wins, we start to see them as a threat to possible playoff upsets.

The most disappoint teams: the Spurs, the Wizards and the Clippers. We all expected the injuries to be a huge factor for San Antonio but not this early on the season. Parker, Ginobili and Duncan all missed a significant amount of time already and Jefferson hasn’t adjusted to the offense yet. Washington is another team that also has been dealing with injuries however they spent enough money to assure a better record than 7-14. The case is the same with the Clippers. Griffin hasn’t played yet and Eric Gordon has been banged up lately but when everybody was available they didn’t play good basketball anyway. The Clippers were supposed to be the comeback team of the year but the 9-12 record doesn’t fulfill the expectations around them.

On the bottom teams that are treating the season as a throwaway targeting the 2010 free agent summer, like the Knicks and the Nets, and teams that are on rebuilding processes, like the Timberwolves and the Grizzlies.

A team who deserves a whole paragraph about is the Sacramento Kings. They are, hands down, the surprise of the season so far. Expected to have the worst record of the league, maybe 10 wins total, the Kings are now 10-12, doing it without Kevin Martin. Although the schedule Sacramento has had is the easiest of the league on the first quarter of the season, behind Tyreke Evans, who is on the hunt for Rookie of the Year, Sacramento has been able to stand up against the bad teams, something they couldn’t do last season.

Despite the economy the early NBA attendance is down only 2% and that says a lot about the league so far. A down market like Milwaukee found in Jennings, somebody to carry the franchise over and sell tickets. The Sixers went back to basics and signed old franchise buddy Allen Iverson to boost attendance. A quarter gone by in the NBA and slowly things are walking to where we expected before the season began.

Practice? Practice?!!

Sixers guard Allen Iverson missed practice on Sunday due to a an issue with his left knee. The Inquirer’s Kate Fagan tweets,” AI did not practice, 55 ccs of fluid drained from lf knee. Day-to-day.”

This comes on the heels of reports surfacing about stress fracture in his leg.

Iverson is no spring chicken and has not played much this season. Situations like this are bound to occur and we don’t for a second question Iverson’s practice ethic at this point.

Having said that, we are surprised that his shoulder isn’t hurting after launching 18 shots — most on the team — in Friday night’s loss to the Rockets. The Sixers have lost their last dozen games.

Former Sixers point guard Andre Miller, the man who single-handedly made Philly a playoff team the last two years, may be on the trading block according to ESPN.com’s Marc Stein. Stein has Miller as the most likely player to be traded.

Former Sixer Andre Miller may be on the move again. He signed with Portland last summer.

Stein says Miller probably would have been on the block no matter what happened this season, but injuries and the need for a big man are at the root of these rumors. As we all know, Greg Oden went down within the last week with a major knee injury that ended his season.

The Sixers never should have let Miller go. He was the steady point guard presence the team lacks right now. He was gelling with the young guys on the Sixers and making them all better. Without Miller, this team has taken a major step backward.

We know Ed Stefanski would never do it, but we wish he’d get on the phone and get Miller back.

They need a big man to stay in the playoff race in the West? Hell, let’s ship Portland two. Give them Elton Brand and Samuel Dalembert for Miller.

Again, we know it’s not going to happen. But, when your team is 5-18, you have no choice but to dream of these things to make you care and maintain your interest.

Otherwise, it’s going to be a long, hard winter in Philly.

The Rockets went into Philadelphia to face the 76ers who were on an 11-game losing streak. Houston looked like they were expecting to play a bad team and they came out with no energy, no effort and no scoring. But the bench would come in and get things rolling for the Southwest Division’s 2nd place team.

With the score 21 – 6, Carl Landry came into the game. He was replacing Chuck Hayes but maybe he should’ve been replacing Luis Scola who missed 3 easy layups int he 1st quarter. Or possibly he could’ve replaced Trevor Ariza who had just missed a pair of free throws and was yet to score. But it didn’t matter to the 6th Man of the Year candidate as he scored 6 points in the last 4:00 and helped Houston stay within striking distance.

29 – 19 Philly after 1.

Landry wasn’t the only bench guy who came to play; Chase Studinger didn’t get in until the 2nd quarter but he poured in an immediate 10 points. Kyle Lowry added an additional 11 points in the period but, more importantly, he pushed the tempo and got the club playing with some intensity and heart. Which really carried over to the defensive end.

The Rockets closed the gap to 35 – 30 with Aaron Brooks on the court with 4 backups. The rest of the starters didn’t get back into the game until there was 3:45 left in the half and the score was 43 – 35. Lowry stayed in though and continued to make his impact.

He had a strong “and 1″ and followed that with an assist to Shane Battier to make it a 3-point game. So everyone else was starting to play well but Ariza needed a fluke play to get himself started. He missed another pair of free throws and still had not scored a point until J’rue Holiday lost the ball and it rolled right to Ariza for a jumper as the 2nd quarter buzzer sounded.

The bench for Houston threw in 30 points in the half while the starters only scored 13. Good thing they did because they kept the game from getting away so that the big guns could get it together in the 3rd period.

51 – 48 at the half.

Luis Scola looked like a new man in the next frame. He scored the 1st 4 points of the 3rd to get the Rockets their first lead of the game. But it continued to be an inconsistent performance as Brooks was fouled on a 3 but on made 1 of the 3 free throws. The team was 13/22 from the stripe at this point as they struggled for the 2nd straight game. But then Brooks and Ariza finally showed up.

They hit back-to-back threes to stretch the lead to 66 – 54. Philly only managed 3 points in the opening 6 minutes of the quarter againstthe stingy Houston defense. Things were really rolling for the Rockets when Brooks knocked down a 30-footer off the dribble as the shot clock expired. He had 14 in the period which was big since Scola and Hayes had to sit with 4 fouls. It was a 28 – 13 quarter for Houston but the Sixers would claw back into it in the 4th.

76 – 64 Houston after 3.  

Studinger scored the 1st 5 of the frame, including a great left-handed finish over Samuel Dalembert. But then the 76ers made a run to get the game back within reach. Houston responded with an Ariza 3 and a great spin move in traffic by Scola for a lefty finish. And the defense stayed strong thanks to Allen Iverson.

Iverson took shot after shot and dominated the ball on a night when Andre Iguodala had started hot. The Sixers forgot about him and continued to go to Iverson as their chances to get a win plummeted. And that was fine with me.

Iguodala finally got a touch with a fast break dunk to get the game to 89 – 84 and the physicality picked up drastically with the gap shrinking. Houston has one of the guys who flourishes in a tough, physical game though and he, Carl Landry, asserted himself.

Landry got to the line 14 times and converted 12 of them, including 2 to make it 94 – 91 Houston with 1:00 to play. And this is where Lady Luck came into the equation.

1st, the Rockets left Elton Brand all alone for a 15-footer but it rolled off the rim. Then Brooks threw the ball into Dalembert’s hands but it got away from the defender and Brooks was able to retrieve it just before it went outof bounds. Not only did he grab the ball but he gathered his balance and hit a ridiculous fade away over Iverson as the shot clock sounded. There were only :10 left and that shot took the Sixers’ will.

96 – 91 final score.

Positives:

1. Obviously, the bench was huge tonight. Landry, Lowry and Studinger combined for over 40 points but what was even bigger was the pace and energy they brought. It was hard for the starters to get into the game in a stadium that had less people than an orgy hosted by Gilbert Godfried.

2. 13 – 9 is a playoff pace and Houston has only played 9 home games. That bodes well for the next 3/4 of the year.

Negatives:

1. This game shouldn’t have even been close. Philly is really bad and the Rockets still had to count on terrible coaching (not going to Iguodala more) and a little luck in the last 1:00 to get the win. They should have come out and crushed the Sixers.

2. If you take out Landry’s 12/14 from the line, the rest of the guys were 10/19. That’s really poor for the 2nd game in a row. They better get the free throw shooting back soon.

Insights:

To paraphrase John Barry from Friday night’s NBA Shootaround on ESPN, “The Rockets are the surprise of the season so far.”

While I did credit luck for this win, it is a sign of a good team that they find a way to win where the other team finds a way to lose. It’s hard to argue with 4 games over .500 with both of your stars sitting. As long as the wins keep coming, McGrady can take his time and come back when he’s truly ready. That will also allow him to fresh for the playoffs if he can stay healthy through the season. I’m trying to guard against becoming too optomistic but it’s getting harder with every victory. I know this team is not a threat to win it all but a deep run in the playoffs would be fine with me since Yao is out.   

Even” The Answer” can’t solve the equation.

Injuries + weak bench = losses to pitiful NBA teams.

For the second straight game, the Philadelphia 76ers lost to an opponent more injury-riddled than themselves. On Friday, the Sixers lost to a Houston Rockets team without Tracy McGrady or Yao Ming, 96-91.

And, for the second time in the second Allen Iverson era, the Sixers couldn’t maintain an early lead with poor second half play.

Philly came out guns blazing to take a 27-10 lead, ending the first quarter with 29-19 advantage.

Then, the team went south and entered the fourth quarter trailing 76-64.

The Sixers bench was pathetic, and was outscored by the Rockets, 46-6.

Andre Iguodala led all scorers with 24 points on 8-of-13 shooting. Allen Iverson added 20 points for he Sixers, followed by Elton Brand’s 19 and Thaddeus Young’s 15.

The Sixers (5-18) get a chance to end their longest losing streak since 2006 when they host the Golden State Warriors (7-15) on Monday.

He may have sat out all but five games this NBA season, but that doesn’t mean he is ignored by All-Star voters.

Iverson is sixth in the Eastern Conference among guards with more than 135,000 votes. His name obviously still resonates with voters and he will likely get a surge in votes now that he is back on an NBA roster.

That doesn’t mean he deserves to play in the midseason game, or that he’ll get enough votes to be invited. We’re just saying if he’s sixth without playing, imagine how much higher he’ll go now that he is sprinting around the hardwood again.

Other Sixers worth mentioning are Andre Iguodala, 7th among forwards, and Samuel Dalembert, 12th among centers.