Sixers Continue Free Fall, Face Critical Stretch

Any hopes the Sixers had for the season are quickly getting away as they continue their free fall. Last night's defeat to the Houston Rockets makes an even dozen, as they have now registered their 12th consecutive loss. It also marked their third straight loss since re-acquiring Allen Iverson.

If they cannot get a win Monday night against the struggling Golden State Warriors, things have the potential to get even uglier. The next two games are against the powerhouse Cavs and Celtics. The Sixers then host the perpetually lackluster LA Clippers before heading on their annual west coast holiday tour after a quick stop in DC. Even if they find a way to break the losing streak, they face the specter of being totally buried by the time they return home in the new year.

After advancing to the playoffs for a second consecutive year and playing pretty well against a tough Orlando team, the organization viewed the young team as an up and comer. President and GM Ed Stefanski opted to pass on signing veteran Andre Miller and hang onto his big ticket purchase from a year earlier, Elton Brand. He then decided that Eddie Jordan and his Ivy League system were the right formula to cultivate his young team. And, with no true point guard on the roster, Stefanski elected to draft a 19 year old project in the 1st round of the draft.

It would be safe to assume that if Stefanski had to do it all over again, he would have made different decisions, starting with Brand. The high priced free agent has been a large disappointment and encumbered the team financially. Jordan has done nothing to make Sixers fans forget Billy Cunningham and Larry Brown- or Doug Moe and Roy Rubin for that matter. It still remains to be seen how his latest move of signing Iverson will work out.

The Sixers got off to a bad start last season as well and then were able to recover enough to qualify for the playoffs, so it may seem premature to write off the season. In theory, the Sixers could still start to get the hang of their new system and roles. Players such as Marreese Speights and Lou Williams could return from injury and provide a boost. Brand could regain the form of his glory years as a Clipper. Once he gets his legs under him and loses the inhibitions associated with trying to prove himself a good teammate, Iverson could move from being "The Question" to "The Answer."

Right now, though, the odds do not appear to be with them. They do not have a big inside presence, they still lack perimeter shooting and do not distinguish themselves on defense. The Sixers appeared to be at their best over the past couple seasons when they used their athleticism and pushed the ball up the floor, yet are not organized to capitalize on those strengths.

Unfortunately, the team appears to have a major identity crisis. They are not sure what they want to be and are a collection of pieces that do not necessarily fit together. They have some talented players, but no rain makers.

The pressure mounts to turn losses into victories as the hole gets deeper. Although there was some risk in letting Miller walk, the return of Brand and Jason Smith as well as the experience gained by young players last year had the team thinking optimistically. As this season's attendance would suggest, fans were obviously less bullish.

The upcoming stretch of games will likely define the course of the season. Registering enough wins to see outside light from the deep hole in which they currently stand might have them trying to meld the team around the two A.I.'s. Conversely, no more than a couple wins might have the team throwing in the towel, releasing Iverson and " going young" for the balance of the season. Heck, they might even abandon the "Princeton Offense."

The Second Coming

Last night, the Philadelphia 76ers turned back the hands of time. The Wachovia Center was jam-packed. Sixers fans hit levels on the decibel meter untouched in several years. Players bounded with excitement in pre-game like it was a big game. "The Answer" was back in town and back in uniform.

The Sixers controlled the opening tip and 11 seconds later Allen Iverson launched his first shot. Unfortunately, the layup rolled off the rim to the collective groan of the sell-out crowd, followed by the "what could have been" smile of Iverson. Make no mistake, fans turned out in droves to take a trip back to better days in hope of seeing the original A.I. ignite an otherwise "not ready for prime time" team. It all felt like old times.

Even as a skeptic, it was easy to get drawn in and feel a level of optimism and excitement. Could Iverson be the catalyst to turn the second worst team in the Eastern Conference around? Could he bring back the excitement that many fans had decided was so infrequent that it was not worth the price of admission? Could he be the missing "go to" player to take the ball when someone needs to step up when the momentum is going the other way or when the pressure is on in crunch time? Could he be "The Answer?"

From the opening toss, the home team played on adrenaline fueled emotion, coming out of the gates bounding with energy. They out hustled the Denver Nuggets, fighting to grab rebounds and jumping on loose balls. Every time the Nuggets would edge close, the Sixers would respond to the encouragement of the raucous crowd to get a stop, drop a twisting jumper or drain a three. As if to protect his stature on the team, the new A.I. looked for the ball and played with an intent to make things happen as many have longed to see on a consistent basis. Iguodala even channeled Lebron James throwing in a 93 footer at the end of the first quarter (regrettably a split second after the buzzer.)

Unfortunately, the Sixers seemed to crash at the end of the 3rd quarter when the Nuggets began a 17-0 run that turned a 5 point deficit into a 77-65 lead. Suddenly, the Sixers could not make a pass, grab a rebound or make a stop. Players found themselves standing around on both ends of the court and "The Answer" was not ready for the rescue. The legs were just not there yet, presumably after the de-conditioning from a month long layoff.

This game ended the same way the previous 9 games had ended with the Sixers having the lower point total, this time 93-83. The Nuggets are clearly the better team as their opposite records (16-5 vs 5-16) validate, but for awhile it appeared that Iverson helped to close the gap. Until the adrenaline rush crashed, it was easy for the fans to raise their hopes, but the Nuggets swiftly reminded them it won't be that easy.

The talent, energy and excitement that Iverson brings to a team has never been in question as was on display last night. The problem has always been the baggage that he brings along with him. And, it is worth noting that the first warning flare fired into the air before the game even begun. Iverson arrived late to the stadium for his own "Welcome Home" party, showing up a little over an hour before game time.

Team and fan sentiment is on his side right now, but he clearly won't have the lengthy rope that he had in his previous stint. If Iverson really feels the sentiment that he expressed by kissing the team logo at center court during pre-game introductions, he would be wise to make some adjustments or his second tour of duty could be very short. When the Sixers decided to turn back the hands of time, they were not looking to dial up the circus that had precipitated Iverson's previous exit.

For the Sixers, One A.I. was Enough

It's now official. The Sixers have reached an agreement with the semi-retired Allen Iverson to return to the team. And, with poetic drama, Iverson will make his Sixers re-debut on Monday night against the Denver Nuggets- the team to which he was unloaded a few years ago. Real life will become stranger than fiction when Iverson takes the floor in a game played by two teams that recently decided that they would do better without the 10-time NBA All-Star.

The confluence of events that led to bringing back the one-time Philadelphia fan favorite who eventually wore out his welcome have unfolded over the first few weeks of the season. First, the Sixers under new coach Eddie Jordan have gotten off to a miserable start, dropping to 5-13 with their current 7-game losing streak. So far this season, the team is next to last in attendance, averaging less than 12,000 per game or 59% of capacity. Then, Iverson announced his plan to retire at about the same time that the Sixers were announcing that point guard Lou Williams had suffered a broken jaw that would sideline him for 8 weeks.

It is understandable how the Sixers brass would put this puzzle together. Iverson plays the same shooting point guard position as Williams, he is available at a fire sale price with few if any suitors, the team's back-up is 19 year old rookie Jrue Holiday and he has been a fan attraction throughout his career. That being said, the move is also a great contradiction of organizational philosophy and direction.

Overall, re-signing "The Answer" is clearly not the answer for the 2009-2010 Sixers. It is a bad move on so many fronts and smacks of desperation. This is not to begrudge Iverson's ability to play someplace in the NBA if a team would want him. He brought a lot of excitement to the Philadelphia faithful through his tenure here, but this piece that appears to Sixers management as a fit, is just the opposite.

The very fact that the team drafted such a young player over more developed and accomplished options at that position signals that the team was clearly looking to build a young team that could grow over time. The very fact that Iverson planned to retire as no other team expressed interest in him traces to the well earned perception that he could not adjust his personal approach to fit into a team concept and was not a positive influence. And, the original "A.I." might be one of the last players you would pick to help make the "Princeton Offense" successful.

Perhaps this signing is simply Ed Stefanski's or Ed Snider's way of forcing coach Eddie Jordan to scrap his Ivy League offense? The deal reportedly has a 60 day window before it becomes guaranteed, so perhaps this a temporary plug and the Sixers plan to jettison him when Williams returns? Perhaps it was a marriage of convenience whereby Iverson could fill in while Williams is absent and then he can officially retire as a "Sixer."

Otherwise, as much as the puzzle fits together when you look at the individual pieces, it is hard to imagine what the team is thinking when they step back and look at the big picture? Like all teams graced by Iverson, but especially when Williams returns, there will not be enough basketballs to go around. He surely is not going to embrace an offense that is predicated on passing and moving the ball around.

Adding the original A.I. is counter productive to the team's desire to have the new A.I. further mature into a role as its team leader or have high priced free agent signing Elton Brand emerge as a leader. He surely does not provide a positive influence on a young team and particularly with two other inexperienced guards such as the injured starter or a very impressionable rookie playing the same position. In fact, he would seem to provide the exact opposite influence than what the team would want for their two young ball handlers.

Also, when Williams returns, there will surely not be enough minutes to go around. Iverson clearly is incapable of adjusting his mindset or role as evidenced most recently by his short tenure in Memphis. After few teams expressed interest in the offseason, the Grizzlies finally took the chance with him, yet Iverson remained steadfast to the point of being out of options. Putting "The Answer" on the floor at the expense of Williams' or Holiday's development would be a large mistake for a team that clearly has no shot at contending this season in a league with a handful of stacked teams.

Lastly, sometimes it makes sense to bite the bullet and let a young team struggle even if it means racking up losses. The NBA has long been a "star system" league that almost necessitates a superstar to compete for the title. A poor record and finishing out of the playoffs could translate into a high draft pick and a potential marquee player. Iverson might help to prop up the team's record this season, but ultimately hurt the team's ability to add talent in the future.

The Ed's have spoken. The deal is done- Iverson is on the way. From this perspective, though, one A.I. was enough.

I'm just saying.....

A weekly collection of random thoughts and observations for you to consider.

• Major League Baseball should not follow the No Fun League's approach of squelching touchdown celebrations by legislating against game winning celebrations (a la Prince Fielder.) Of course, inside fastballs sometimes have a way of keeping those in check. And, would the World Series have to end with players walking to the mound and politely shaking hands?
• It would seem to me that the real reason there was little interest in future NBA Hall-of-Fame guard Allen Iverson is the perception that he can not be a complimentary player and it would require revolving their offense around him.
• Although it has become common place on the pro tennis tour, I'm not sure that being on the receiving end of the wrist and head bands tossed by victorious tennis players after a 3 or 4 hour match in 85 degree weather is such a coup.
• Was anybody else wondering while watching Radek Stepanek play Novak Djokovic in the US Open the other night if he doubles as Charlie Sheen's brother in "Two and a Half Men?"
• Why does tennis choose to label players angrily banging racquets on hard objects as a "racquet abuse infraction" as opposed to "unsportsmanlike conduct?" Are they concerned about the equipment or the behavior?
• Glad to see the Sixers finally invited Ex-Temple star Dionte Christmas to their training camp. He could turn out to be a holiday gift to themselves.
• Adding John Madden to various NFL committees seems a little like adding Al Franken to the US Senate or adding Homer Simpson to US Energy Advisory Council.
• Brent Celek will emerge as Donovan McNabb's much needed big, red zone target and score 10 TDs this season.
• You need to look no further than "You Tube" video clips of Victor "Macho" Harris' college highlights to see that he is a playmaker and will add an important dimension to the Eagles defense. Call it premature, but if he can continue to learn the complexities of the NFL and amp up his run defense, he has a chance to be a standout player.
• Can the Eagles really afford not to take out the "Jon Runyan insurance policy" if they truly believe they have a championship caliber team?