The horn ending the first quarter of the NBA season has sounded. And Seventeen games into the year, your Philadelphia 76ers sit atop the Atlantic division, four and half games up on their arch nemesis, Celtics.
At 12-5 Philly has played inspired basketball to begin the shortened season. A team built to reflect the qualities of its head coach, Doug Collins. A hard-nosed, dive after the loose ball squad, has turned team basketball into winning basketball.
Collins, in his second season as the 76ers head coach, took over a squad that finished 28 games under .500. Himself a former Sixer, Collins has transformed this young, talented, playoff tested group into a formidable opponent that plays tenacious defense every night.
Philly is second in the league, trailing only Chicago in team defense. The Sixers surrender just 88 points a game. They are holding their opponents to making just over 42 percent of their shots. A hand in the face of every shooter.
Their hustle at the defensive end the court has opened up the Sixers offense. An excellent transition team, Philly relies on their speed to get up the court, quickly. Shooting a solid 47 percent, the Sixers are averaging 99 points a game, third best in the NBA.
The most contributing factor to the Sixers success, besides the well-disciplined played basketball, is their ability to spread the ball around. Led by reserve guard Lou Williams’ 15.4 PPG, Philly has seven players that average double-digit points a game. Eight if you count Jodie Meeks’ 9.2 PPG.
That’s sharing the wealth. Without a true superstar on the team, Collins depends on his bench like no other coach in the NBA. The Nightshift, as referred to by Sixers color analyst Malik Rose, supply more than just energy, some nights they are called onto for more important roles.
The unselfish style of play, the will to fill any role has translated into wins for this team. Building on their playoff run of last season, Philly has come out shooting this year, especially at home.
The Sixers are 8-1 at the Wells Fargo Center this season. It took an overtime-heartbreaking defeat for Philly to suffer their first and only home loss. And with their next six games in front of their the hometown faithful the 76ers can build on their already soaring confidence as they hit the second quarter of the season in a full-court press.
Included in this home stand are crucial games against the Heat, as the Sixers look to avenge an earlier loss in Miami, and their fist match-up of the year against the Bulls.
All five of Philly’s losses came at the hands of playoff contending teams. Only the Knicks have a losing record. But in each of those games the Sixers had an opportunity to escape with or steal the victory.
We have yet to witness all this young team is capable of. As they continue to mature, their expectations will grow along side. The Sixers are must see basketball.
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