The Surprising Sixers

The Philadelphia 76ers have been a joke around the NBA for a number of years now. Yes, they've made the playoffs a couple of times here and there, but since the departure of Allen Iverson in 2006, the team has been downright lousy and not considered much of a threat throughout the league. Heck, Allen Iverson was having issues with the team back in 2003 before he was eventually took his talents to Denver.

This season though, things have seemed to turn around at the Wells Fargo Arena. Where the team lacks a true superstar, they make up with youth and athleticism. A condensed 66 game schedule is like music to the ears of 76ers fans. For many older teams, such as Boston, San Antonio, and Dallas, this condensed schedule is going to result in a great deal of limping and groaning. The 76ers are one of the youngest teams in the NBA and their 14-6 record is showing it. Over a quarter of the way through the season, Philly is on top of the Atlantic Division (by far) and have yet to have any serious injuries to their team.

Andre Iguodala

With only two players on the team that have more than 10 years of NBA experience (Tony Battie and Elton Brand), the team has propelled itself to the 4th best offense and the 7th best defense in the league. The starting lineup consists of Jrue Holiday (21 y/o), Louis Williams (25 y/o), Andre Iguodala (27 y/o), Thaddeus Young (23 y/o), and Elton Brand (32 y/o). If the GM for the 76ers can keep this team together and not trade away valuable young assets, Sixers fans are going to have quite a bit to cheer about in the coming future. The league has become far more fast paced and this is only playing in to the hands of the Philadelphia 76ers. This team is surely more exciting than it has been in a while and it will be interesting to see if their youthfulness can carry them deep in to the playoffs or if an experienced team can out duel the youngsters in a 7-game series where mentality is just as important as speed. Personally, I'm a fan of how this team goes about their business. They are not overly cocky and are actually very mature on the court for their inexperience. They share the ball and have a even point spread between starters. Their bench, which is just as youthful, consistently gives a contribution. Head coach Doug Collins may not have felt fortunate to be coaching this team last year, but he should be pretty happy with how things are going so far this season. But as I said earlier, how far can this team really make it?