How good are the Sixers?

If someone told you before the season that the Sixers would be sitting in 6th place in the conference with a 27 -24 record at this point, what would you think? Did you expect better? Worse?


Given the fact that Elton Brand is on the shelf for the rest of the year and Mo Cheeks is watching NBA games from his living room, things definitely could have been worse. This season is shaping up a lot like last year - except the turnaround is happening in January instead of March. That is a very good sign, assuming they don't burn out by the time the playoffs come around.

The Sixers are 14 - 6 in the new year and have won 4 in a row headed into the All Star break. Once again, there will be no Sixer playing in the All Star game on Sunday. In fact, the only Sixer involved in any of the weekend's festivities will be Thaddeus Young who will participate in the Rookie-Sophomore challenge. History has shown that in the NBA you need a superstar to contend for the title. Detroit is the only recent champion that didn't have a legitimate superstar, but even they had multiple All Stars. The Sixers haven't had one in two years.

What does that mean for the Sixers? Do they have no shot in a suddenly competitive Eastern Conference? Probably not. Its not very likely that the Sixers could survive playoff series with Boston, Orlando or Cleveland. Those teams just have too much firepower. The Sixers are 3 games over .500 for the first time in years, but that isn't going to mean a whole lot in the playoffs. Unless this team can find a go-to scorer in the clutch, they're looking at an early playoff exit for the 2nd straight year.