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PHILADELPHIA 76ERS 2007-2008 SEASON ANALYSIS
The Philadelphia 76ers have played the part of the underdog all year, and their finish to the season has been no different. After adjusting to life without superstar Allen Iverson, the Sixers have chosen a new alpha male, Andre Iguodala. Acting as the new A.I. in town, Iguodala flipped the switch on the 76ers’ playoff seeking missile, and just like he did in the Slam Dunk Contest, Philadelphia has lifted off toward their first triumphant season in a long time (they are the 7th seed in the Eastern Conference). There were no shortcuts; it took Iggy’s hard work and the directing prowess of veteran point, Andre Miller, to revamp this roster. It would be a fatal blunder to wager your child’s college fund on the Sixers winning it all this year; however, they are definitely worth watching if you get the chance. Philadelphia models their attack after the offense of the Denver Nuggets; they thrive in the open floor because of their ability to crash the boards and zip lead passes to Andre Iguodala while he is ahead of the pack. The backboard better brace itself whenever it sees this sequence of events take place because Iggy is going to throw it down like nobody’s business! PHILADELPHIA 76ERS -- TOP 3 PLAYERS1. Andre Iguodala — 19.9 ppg, 5.4 rpg, 4.8 apg, 2.1 spg, .6 bpg, 45.6% (FG%), 39.5 mpg
NBA veterans across the League are envious of a certain young man. His name is Andre Iguodala, and these aged players desperately wish they could combine their knowledge of the game with Iggy’s freakish athleticism and track star quickness. Iguodala, on the other hand, ought to study game tapes religiously in order to gain a more complete understanding of the game while he is still so young. His already stellar one on one defense and splendid knack for infiltrating the lane and finishing powerfully at the rack have already made him one of the most well-rounded ballers in the Association.
2. Andre Miller – 17 ppg, 4 rpg, 6.9 apg, 1.3 spg, 49.2% (FG%), 36.8 mpg
When listing the NBA’s most adept passing point guards, Andre Miller, more often than not, is completely overlooked. This should not be! Andre Miller is not your archetypal point; he plays the game in a way that is truly dissimilar to the common point guard’s approach to basketball. Miller loves to push the pace as long as there are more players in Sixer’s jerseys than that of the opposition; yet, he also gets pleasure from slowing it down. Andre Miller is an expert at posting up his man and either hitting the turnaround jumper or finding a teammate cutting to the hole.
3. Samuel Dalembert – 10.5 ppg, 10.4 rpg, .5 apg, .5 spg, 2.3 bpg, 51.3% (FG%), 33.2 mpg
Besides two time M.V.P. Steven Nash, there is only one other Canadian player in the NBA that deserves recognition. His birth certificate reads, “Samuel Dalembert aye”. Alright, I made up the “aye” part, but you know what I mean. Mr. Dalembert is one of the few centers in the National Basketball Association that actually strikes fear into the hearts of his opponents. Whenever they drive, they are constantly looking over their shoulder for Dalembert, acknowledging that he is waiting to swat their layup like a cow swats flies with its tail. Samuel Dalembert’s prosperity on the court has generated a need for an easily recognizable and memorable nickname. I now christen him “The Canadian Capper”.
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