Wasn't too long ago that I wrote it was too early to tell what kind of a team the Sixers were. I saw flashes, but too much inconsistency and a severe inability to close out games.
Well, they just finished pasting the Utah Jazz at home, in a revenge match for a loss to the same team 16 days ago. This time they came out of the gate hot, and Utah could never close the gap. That they stayed in it all the way and didn't give up says alot about their character. Without Kirilenko, they lack the talent to stay with the Sixers.
Even more impressive than that, (the Sixers always have trouble in Utah) the Sixers have one game left on a 8 game road trip to the west coast. So far they're 5-2 and ordinarilly, I'd say they're not ready to beat a team like the T-wolves, but they've been playing badly the last few games and the Sixers are playing like a real team.
Their defense has really picked up, and there are few teams in the league that can handle their pressure. Dalemebert while still raw and inconsistent, is a shot blocker and decent rebounder. On offense, they've finally figured out how to play together. Iverson is playing the best ball of his career as a point, and few in the league can stay with him.
The team has more confidence taking open shots and it's starting to have a big effect on the way they play. They can beat teams on the inside with their slashers, and if a team packs it in, they have enough outside shooting to make them pay.
Still a growing, developing team, but I'm starting to feel optimistic. O'Brien has a very different style from Brown, and the team took a long time to come around, probably because O'Brien couldn't figure out his starting lineup or rotation. It no longer seems to matter, partly because he's settled out the rotation and partly because all the players are getting used to each other.
If they continue to progress, they will soon be at the top of the Atlantic. Miami is so far the best team in the East. The suspensions have really hurt Indiana and puts them below the Sixers. It's not impossible for the Sixers to go far in the playoffs. They're deep, they work hard on defense, they like to run, and they have two A.I's, Iverson and Igoudala. They are a very athletic team and they can go hard all night. They're still learing how good can be, and talent wise they're right up there.