The Philadelphia 76ers are having one of the best regular seasons in franchise history - led by perhaps the NBA's best player, Allen Iverson, "The Answer." Some of the NBA's finest donned a 76ers uniform - Sir Charles Barkley, Wilt Chamberlain
and Julius "Dr. J" Erving are just three names from a glorious past; they happen to be three of the NBA's "50 Greatest Players," but the best 76er may have just arrived.
In Iverson's fifth NBA season, the guard is taking the league by storm, leading all scorers with a stunning 30.4 points per game. Perhaps more importantly, Iverson has led the 76ers to the best record in the NBA (40-14), placing them 7.5 games in front of the second place Miami Heat in the Atlantic Division.
In his first two seasons, Iverson was a great scoring threat but was frequently criticized for his selfish play and questionable off-the-court behavior. Critics doubted if he had the intangibles to carry his team to the next level. Today, it is clear that he has changed his game for the better. In addition to leading the league in points, Iverson is also racking up 4.8 assists and 2.4 steals per game.
And Iverson has not been the lone star in Philadelphia this year. The Sixers have also gotten a career year from All-Star center Theo Ratliff, who is putting in 12.4 points, while averaging 8.3 rebounds and a phenomenal 3.7 blocks per game. Unfortunately, Ratliff will undergo surgery for a stress fracture in his wrist, which will keep him out of action for a minimum of six weeks.
The team has experience dealing with injuries. When Eric Snow went down earlier this season with a hurt leg, the Sixers appeared to be in trouble, but thanks to stellar play from Iverson and role players such as Toni Kukoc, Tyrone Hill, George Lynch, and Aaron McKie, among others, the Sixers kept rolling.
Philadelphia seems to be running away with the best record in the East and it appears inevitable that the Sixers will clinch home court advantage throughout the Eastern Conference playoffs.
The New York Knicks are one of the few other stable teams in a conference defined by inconsistency. The Knicks have made the playoffs for 12 consecutive years and this year should be no different. While New York will surely make the playoffs, the team is doing it with a different formula. The offseason trade of 15-year veteran and certain Hall of Fame center Patrick Ewing to the Seattle Supersonics seems to be a blessing rather than a curse.
Ewing's absence has allowed Marcus Camby to develop his offensive and defensive presence and Camby is finally beginning to live up to his billing as the second overall pick in the 1996 NBA draft. Averaging 10.8 points per game as well as being among the league leaders in shots blocked (2.3) and rebounds (10.8), Camby's young legs and speed make him a threat to the less mobile centers in the league.
All-Star Alan Houston continues to play high-caliber basketball, averaging 20 points per game. Fellow All-Star Latrell Sprewell has also been a force for the Knicks, averaging 17.3 points per game. Glen Rice, who came over in the Ewing trade, has proved his as the Knicks' top guy off the bench worth averaging 12.7 points a game.
Unfortunately for New Yorkers, the Knicks don't seem to have that one go-to-player who can lead them to a championship. The Knicks remain 8.5 games out of first place in the Atlantic and will not likely have "The Answer" for Allen Iverson in the playoffs.
On the other side of the standings, a discussion of cellar-dwellers in the Eastern Conference could not take place without focusing on the Chicago Bulls. Fans of the Bulls have long forgotten the glory days of Jordan and Pippen and are beginning to adjust to losing with the like of Elton Brand, Ron Mercer, and Ron Artest.
While the Bulls are filled with former Division I superstars from Duke, Kentucky, and St. John's, the players can't seem to cobble together a winning streak. The Bulls are nonetheless getting great production out of center Elton Brand who is averaging over 20 points and 10 rebounds a game.
Mercer also is putting up 20.1 a game. Rookie Marcus Fizer, from Iowa State, is likewise on the rise, putting up 8.1 points a game in his first season in the league. Still, the Bulls have only been able to manage a paltry nine wins in their 2000-2001 campaign.
Perhaps Bulls fans simply have to wait for these young players to mature. But one can't overlook coaching when a team of future stars can't even manage ten wins in 50 games. Tim Floyd is in his third season as head coach since replacing coaching legend Phil Jackson.
Clearly its not all Floyd's fault. General manager Jerry Krauss deserves much of the blame. After putting together arguably the greatest team of all time, he has not been able to acquire that sigle star who could turn his franchise back in the right direction. The Bulls missed out on landing highly coveted free agents Grant Hill and Tracy Mcgrady, who both passed up the Windy City for Florida. For now, the Bulls are playing the waiting game and hoping that their young stars can carry some momentum into the long off-season for the former kings of the NBA.
