Its game 1, of the Eastern Conference semifinals, and the Sixers are up 14 points to Boston midway through the game. Suddenly they give up a big run to the Celtics, and wind up losing the game by 1 point. Many fingers could have been pointed. But that is not what playoff teams do. They rebound, they fight, and in game 2 they make a statement.

Its game 2, of the Eastern Conference semifinals, and the Sixers are looking to sneak out of Boston with a tied series. putting the ghosts of game 1 behind them they pound on the Celtics, literally, and make a statement. The statement was that the Sixers may not be an elite team, but we will fight. They complete their mission, and now head back to Philadelphia with an even series.

It was obvious from the start that Doug Collins’ new game plan was to make Kevin Garnett work for each point he got, having rookie Lavoy Allen bang bodies with him all night. Now in the NBA, roughing up your opponent is nothing new. But this was significant because of the players involved. Lavoy Allen was a second round draft pick from Temple, a team that played in the weak Atlantic 10 conference. Then you have Kevin Garnett. KG is a future Hall Of Famer, former NBA champion, and has multiple All Star appearances on his resume. Kevin Garnett is also one of the better big men in the league, and the only argument against him being one of the best is his age and durability. Lavoy Allen physically beat up on Garnett, and took him out of his game.

Now don’t get me wrong, the Sixers didn’t beat the Celtics handily, they only won by a score of 82-81. But it was a statement. It was the skinny kid at the playground punching the big bully in the mouth. It was Rocky taking Apollo Creed the distance in Rocky 1. The only question is does the skinny kid force the bully to go home? Does Rocky 1 transition to Rocky 2? If the first two games were any sort of indication on how this series could turn out, then the Sixers have a punchers chance.

Now what do the Sixers have to do to have continued success against the Celtics? I have narrowed it down to 3 things.

1. They obviously have to get their shooters going. Lou Williams has been very cold this series, and has yet to find any sort of rhythm. Jodie Meeks was our ice-man at the end of game 2, and role usually reserved for Lou Williams.

2. The Sixers also have to evolve. The Celtics will change their game, if not in game 3 then most definitely in game 4. If Lavoy continues to handle Garnett then Boston may not try to attack the rim as much. You may see them settle for jumpers. The key will then be to take Paul Pierce and Ray Allen out of the game. If the Sixers can adjust better than Boston, then the Sixers will win the series.

3. Evan Turner. Turner started the game off somewhat shaky. Collins said that Turner was very frustrated, and would not calm down. If Turner can find his game he can help the Sixers when it comes to rebounding and attacking the rim. Doug has to find a way to get him started early in games. Try to give him some easy shots and some early rebounds. This kid is poised for a double-double this series.

Now I want to address the Rose injury and how it has hurt the Bulls in this series. Its clear that they miss Rose, as they have been unable to produce a consistent offense since his injury in game 1. When you lose your best offensive star, you play into the 6ers game. You no longer have a closer, and the Sixers will take advantage of that with their strong defense and fastbreak offense.

But when its all said and done injuries are part of the game. Fans need to realize that while superstars are important, so are backups. Games sometimes come down to injuries. The Bulls, a team that has dealt with a hurt Rose much of the season, should be better prepared for injuries in the post season. This team should not be losing to a slightly above average Sixers team.

But that leads me to question, are the Bulls bad or are the Sixers hot? Evan Turner has had a masterful series, along with the likes of Jrue Holiday and Lou Williams. The Sixers have finally had players rising to the occasion, which is something our fans have waited for all season long.

But looking ahead (yes, I know, that is a sin in sports) the skies have opened up a bit for the Sixers. If they finish off the Bulls, they face either the Boston Celtics or the Atlanta Hawks, both teams they have had favorable success against this season.

Now its far too early, and idiotic, to predict the Sixers will even make the NBA finals. But for a team who looked like they wouldn’t even make the playoffs, its a nice idea. To see the Sixers advance to the second round since 2003 will be a treat for many fans. Lets enjoy this Sixers playoff run.

So it comes down to a choice, would you rather face the Heat or the Bulls? Both teams are formidable, and both have won the season series against the 76ers. The difference is that the 76ers have beat the Chicago Bulls this year, dominating the Derrick Rose-less Bulls earlier in the season, but have failed to beat the Miami Heat. So do you face the number 1 seed who you have had some luck against, or face the 2nd seed of whom you have yet to beat this season?

Some believe, including myself, that the Bulls are inferior to the Heat. Derrick Rose has struggled lately and hasn’t been healthy all season long. I think you take your chances against him before facing Lebron James and Dwyane Wade.

Though if I had to be honest, choosing either team is like choosing between the lesser of two evils. Its like choosing if you wanna fight Bruce Lee or Chuck Norris, both could possibly beat you in 4 games. The 6ers will have to play complete basketball in order to even make either series interesting. But one can hope, right?

The 6ers hope Iguodala can help them make it out of the first round.

The once lovable coach was known for his positive relationship with the media, often times stating statistics to explain the teams struggles or success. He has since become a little less kind to the media, being short and often sarcastic with the media. He went from coach of the year to now in the lukewarm seat.

As Philadelphia Sports fans, we all know the story of Dick Vermeil. He was a coach who inherited the Eagles as his first head coaching stint in the NFL. His team got progressively better until they went to the Superbowl and lost. Dick Vermeil, who like Doug Collins is very emotional, eventually wound up leaving the team due to frustrations and lack of success after the Superbowl. He claimed he was fatigued. Now its usually unfair to compare coaches from two different sports, but its easy to see the similarities. Doug Collins has showed fatigue and disappointment in his post game press conferences. At one point he even was very blunt saying he didn’t have any answers for the teams current struggles. In a press conference a few weeks later he claimed that at times he struggles with his stern approach to the game, saying that this generation’s players have to be handled with “kid gloves.”

Is this the sign of a coach who is becoming fatigued and frustrated with the current state of the team? Many fans seem to think that if Doug Collins experiences another first round exit that he will be put on the hot seat entering next year. What would a first round win mean for the team? Some see it as a sign of hope, some see it as a meaningless victory, believing that getting knocked out against the 2nd seed will be imminent.

The bottom line is that irregardless of what happens this year, ownership needs to put Doug Collins in a better situation to win games (where have we heard that before?). This team needs to sign some scorers, and most importantly a scorer that can take over games late. This team has lost too many games in the 4th quarter. This team’s purpose in winning could be to attract superstar type players to come to this city and help it get over the hump.

Either way the status of Doug Collins is a hot topic these days. I firmly believe that Doug’s first year was a growing year, where he took a team with the ghost of Eddie Jordan and found success. This year has seen its share of disappointments. However I feel that Doug is safe after this year no matter what. I believe that next year will  be important in evaluating Doug’s future with the team.

Andre Iguodala- Andre is the lightning rod of this team. He either draws hate or remorse from our fans. Recently it has been more hate than remorse due to his comments on fellow 76er Lou Williams in an interview with Sports Illustrated. Known for his incredible defense that he brings. He is extremely important to the fast break offense. But oddly enough I feel that his time as a 76er will be over after this year. He doesn’t produce enough offense to compensate for his superstar type contract.

Grade: Expendable

Spencer Hawes- Spencer Hawes had a great start to the year before getting injured early on and missing a substantial amount of playing time. Before his injury he led the league in rebounds for a center, but has since been benched for Nikolai Vucevic. Spencer Hawes is a free agent next year, and his benching might be further proof that his future with the team is mucky at best. I would be extremely surprised to see him back next year.

Grade: Expendable

Lavoy Allen: Lavoy Allen is a rookie from Temple who saw a lot of time early in the season due to injuries, but has since taken somewhat of a backseat role on this team. I think its unfair to judge a rookie mostly because of the lack of time they tend to see on a Doug Collins’ run team. I also feel that its unfair to say any rookie is expendable due to the fact that they are still learning and growing.

Grade: Not Expendable

Lou Williams: The hopes were high for Lou Williams early in the season. He absolutely dominated the Los Angeles Lakers earlier this year, but has since become a player who has failed to come through in the 4th quarter. Lou Williams is a small player who has a shooter mentality. He has anchored the night shift this year, but at times has not been reliable. Can he become a more consistent shooter? Can he become better in the paint. I think so. Lou Williams is a player who I like, and think can eventually become a great role player

Grade: Not Expendable

Evan Turner: Evan Turner is in his second year in the NBA, and has had a streaky season at best. After Jodie Meeks struggled early in the season, Doug Collins moved Evan to the starting role. It was rumored that there were some off the court reasons that Evan was never given a chance to start earlier in the season. Evan started off hot. He is an off the ball guard who has terrific rebounding abilities. Unfortunately after a couple of weeks being hot, he began to struggle and was eventually benched. Evan Turner’s sophomore season has been an overall disappointment, but I still believe its too early to give up on him.

Grade: Not Expendable

Jodie Meeks: Jodie Meeks has been a significant disappointment to many this year. His seesaw of a season has seen him benched early in the season, only to relinquish his starting spot when Evan Turner struggled. Jodie Meeks is a shooter, who can’t shoot. Does that make sense to anyone? Not me

Grade: Expendable

Jrue Holiday: Jrue Holiday is the starting PG for the Philadelphia 76ers, and it is believed that he is a budding star. He has a lot of talent that I believe has yet to surface. He is a fast and smart PG who I believe will eventually become a star in this league.

Grade: Not Expendable

Thaddeus Young: Thaddeus Young to me is another great role player. He is a great player off the bench who can provide a great lift. I like his future with the team. He plays forward and provides a great spark as a bench player. I believe he will be part of the future with this team.

Grade: Not Expendable

Elton Brand: Elton Brand is a starting forward for the Philadelphia 76ers. He is a good player, but unfortunately hes not a great player. His age and lack of versatility bring lots of criticism toward his contract, which he has fialed to live up to. There have been talks about using the amnesty on Brand. Brand provides some presence in the paint, but not enough.

Grade: Expendable

Keep in mind that just because a player gets a grade of expendable, does not mean he will be gone next year. It also does not mean he should be gone next year. It means that he is a player who I see having a limited ceiling of talent, who has yet to produce.

I think its time to be honest here, this was a team who was very hot early and has cooled down since. They went from a team who was beating very good teams, to a team who is now losing to the likes of the Toronto Raptors and the New Jersey Nets. Its a sad time for 76ers fans when we face the possibility of either not making the playoffs, or getting knocked out by the Chicago Bulls in the first round.

In my opinion this team will make the playoffs, but it will be a last push effort which will resort in a game 6 exit by the Chicago Bulls. This is a team that has become extremely hard to watch. Evan Turner has been moved back to a reserve role, raising questions about the future of this team. Spencer Hawes was also benched earlier this week for Nikolai Vucevic. This almost certainly means that Spencer Hawes will not be resigned. The future of this team is questionable at best, and the blow up could be made imminent if this team fails to make the playoffs. Bottom line is the game Monday against the Magic is important, just like every game from here on out.

The simple thing to do would be to look at the player with the biggest contract and blame them. That’s a habit us fans need to break. The fact is that there are so many fingers to point that we don’t have enough fingers. Lets start with the only 76er to make the NBA All Star game, Andre Iguodala. Its a fair assessment that Andre has not been a great scoring threat, and surely he deserves criticism for that, but if you think the problems are all because of Andre you are mistaken.

What pure scorers do we have on this team? Evan Turner has been entirely too inconsistent since taking the starting role from Jodie Meeks. Now maybe Doug Collins deserves some criticism for not using Turner properly, as Turner is more of an on the ball guard than an off the ball guard, but Turner has got to start finding a way to make the most of his playing time if he wants to be any sort of player in the NBA.

How about Lou Williams, who is part of the nicknamed “night shift” bench for the 76ers. He has been another player who has struggled late in games. Lou has been depended on a few times to make last minute shots and has been unable to do so. Lou Williams is a nice player but he has struggled defensively as of late.

The bottom line is that no player has played up to their potential. You look at a guy like Elton Brand, who has been very up and down over the past few months, and you wonder if he is really worth the contract. I like the veteran leadership that Brand brings, along with his gritty play at times, but hes been far to inconsistent.

To sum it up, the scorers aren’t scoring. The players who are supposed to be your shooters, your assassins from outside the paint, arent making enough of an impact on the game. Far to often you see the 6ers shooting in the low 30s, something you cannot do in the NBA and expect to have success.

So what can be done to cure the woes of this team? The problem is, I’m not sure there is a cure. I think there are band-aids, but is there a cure all right now? No. The cure would be to finally address the fact that there is no pure scorer on this team in the off season. The 6ers need a player who is less streaky and more consistent. A player who can stop the bleeding of a 6-0, 8-0, or 12-2 run. But that isn’t a problem that can be addressed right now. That won’t help the team this year.

The solution this year is to find an identity besides a team who is going to battle defensively. I would like to see this team go to the rim more and draw some fouls. If this team could find its stroke from the free throw line, it could do wonders for their lack of scoring. Not only that, but when you foul the other team, you force them to play a different style of defense. You may even get some of their star players in foul trouble early.

But do we tend to overlook the skill set that he brings to the 6ers? I think we do. Andre was described last year as the Darrelle Revis. Andre has continued to be a shutdown player, creating lots of steals and breakout opportunities for other 6ers players. He is often praised for his passing, and deservedly so, as he has often opened up the floor to players to score.

Seeing this dilemma of Andre the defender vs Andre the shooter leads me to look at the ghost of 76ers past, present, and future.

As a member of the Eddie Jordan 76ers many saw Andre as a sign of hope in dark times. He was seen as a building block to sculpt the blueprint of the team around. He gave 6ers fans hope of a future without Allen Iverson. He was the bright light in a grim future of the Philadelphia 76ers.

Last year Doug Collins entered his first year as 76ers head coach. Doug brought along a substantial knowledge of defense and fast break offense. Doug praised Andre, muting any rumors of him being traded. Last year brought a surprise season, where the team struggled at the beginning then had a terrific second half and solidified themselves a playoff spot. But that ride came with much scrutiny as the team seemed unable to win close games and come away with big shots. Doug Collins kept going to Andre, despite his lack of scoring ability late in the 4th quarter. Doug appreciated his big play ability and said he would continue to go to Andre late in the game. Andre was a spectacular play maker last year, but his clutch shot never developed.

Enter 2012, a year in which the hopes and expectations of this team are raised. Doug Collins continually gave praise and dismissed any idea of Andre Iguodala being traded. At the start of the season Andre Iguodala and the 76ers flourished and showed much promise, as they solidified their spot among the top of the division, and were a top 4 seed. Midway through the season, though, it became apparent that the team still struggles late in the 4th quarter. But instead of just going to Andre Iguodala, Doug Collins has relied more on Lou Williams, who has been unable to get it done late in the 4th quarter. The problem has become though, the expectations for Andre Iguodala. But before we get into that, lets explore what the team might look like now without Iguodala, and what the future may hold without him.

I feel that Andre Iguodala brings a certain defensive presence that is unmatched by most in the league. He might not bring the prolific scoring that you expect from a superstar, but he will always be good for lots of steals. When you stick Andre Iguodala on the other team’s top scorer, the team’s other superstar’s effect decreases. Without him I think we would struggle defensively, and I don’t think we would have the exciting brand of 6ers breakaway basketball without Andre Iguodala.

Now as for the future, you have to really look at his contract. a 6 year 80 million dollar deal takes up a considerable amount of cap space. It would be safe to say it was a bad contract. But you can’t fault the player for that. Have you ever turned down a raise for it being too much? I doubt it. So surely getting rid of that contract would free up space for more big name players. But wouldn’t it be nice if you could keep Andre Iguodala on a reduced deal? Many believe he is one of the better role players in the league.

So in summary, I’m not asking that we stop criticizing Andre Iguodala. I am asking that we do it fairly. We take into consideration what he has done for the team with his defensive presence and veteran leadership. We also need to hold other players accountable when the team fails, not just the guy with the superstar contract. Lets make an effort to love Andre Iguodala for what he is, instead of what he isn’t.

Doug Collins is usually quiet when it comes to problems with players. There have been rumored issues with guard Evan Turner. Turner received the starting job over Jodie Meeks earlier in the season, but has seen a steady decrease in playing time. Could these rookies be falling out of favor with Collins due to poor play? Or have they simply hit a rookie wall.

Lets not forget that it simply could be an issue of match ups. Doug Collins could feel that Tony Battie has presented better match up issues against recent teams. But does sitting these young players hinder their development? Or does it give them time to sit on the bench and study the game? This writer feels that benching your rookies can slow down their development. Evan Turner may be a better off the ball guard if he had received more playing time last year. But the past is the past.

I think the playoffs will be crucial for these young players. For Lavoy and Nikola it will be their first taste of the NBA playoffs. Will these players see increased playing time before then? Only time will tell.

According to Comcast SportsNet in Philadelphia, Will Smith and his wife Jada became minority owners of the 76ers on Tuesday. A Philadelphia native, Smith has always stayed true to his hometown teams and basketball was always considered one of his favorite sports–so this move seems like the perfect match for both parties.

With the news, it looks like Jay-Z is no longer the only member of the hip-hop world involved with an NBA team. Jay-Z became a part time owner of the New Jersey Nets back in 2004 and has played a key role with the team’s plans to move to Brooklyn beginning next season.

Even if there is no basketball this season, it should be interesting to see what Smith can do as a part owner. The Sixers are a young and upcoming team after reaching the playoffs as a No. 7 seed and if anybody knows how to bring excitement to an atmosphere–it’s Big Will.