Surprising 76ers are legit contenders in East
Collins continues to coach up Hawes, Young to give Philadelphia a fighting chance
Matt Slocum / APWashington Wizards' Kevin Seraphin (13) battles for a rebound against Philadelphia 76ers' Thaddeus Young (21) and Spencer Hawes (00) in the first half of an NBA basketball game, Friday, Jan. 13, 2012, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)
ASK THE NBA EXPERT
By Ira Winderman
NBCSports.com
updated 12:37 p.m. ET Jan. 16, 2012
 | Ira Winderman |
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You ask, we (try to) answer.
Q. Are you surprised by how the 76ers have started? Do you think they can sustain?
— Alan, Doylestown, Pa.
A. To a degree, yes, I'm surprised, but not because of what they have done at the start of this season, but more because of how it ended last season.
Foremost, amid the first-round playoff series against the Heat, it almost seemed as if coach Doug Collins had achieved what he most desired, to prove he could resurrect a franchise, that he still had it and had never lost it. It almost came as a surprise when he said after his team's season-ending loss that, of course, he was coming back.
Then, during that same series-closing media session, Andre Iguodala would not commit to a future with the 76ers, sounding as if he wanted to be elsewhere amid the call for more playing time for 2010 No. 2 overall selection Evan Turner.
Beyond that, there was concern that someone might actually bomb the 76ers with an offer sheet for Thaddeus Young that the 76ers might not feel prudent to match, even with Young a restricted free agent.
And, of course, amid the lockout, there was a change of ownership, with Ed Stefanski leaving the front office.
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Then, when the lockout ended, there was talk of the 76ers using the amnesty clause on power forward Elton Brand, amid concerns of diminishing returns.
Through it all Collins and Rod Thorn held it together, and perhaps that should not come as a surprise. The two are, and for years have been, among the best in the business at what they do.
An early season breakout by Spencer Hawes hasn't hurt, either. Remember, the Heat won that first-round series last season in part because of the defensive dominance of Joel Anthony in the middle.
Now it is not out of the question to consider Philadelphia a legitimate contender to win the Atlantic Division, if only because of the Celtics' lack of urgency regarding a high seed and the continued rotation confusion in New York.
Collins' commitment to Young and Lou Williams continues to give the 76ers the ability to constantly energize games at times when opponents simply are looking to buy time.
Yes, they're for real. And, yes, they could emerge as a top-four seed in the East, able to avoid the type of first-round trap they found last season.
Q. Ira, can you tell me why more NBA teams don’t play zone more often? It seems to be mostly effective, yet commentators act like it's taboo to play during a game?
— Joe, Philadelphia
A. In many ways it's viewed the same way as teams that attempt to play up-tempo on offense, that it is a gimmick that cannot endure through an entire season and the playoffs.
Yet I spoke to a head coach, who also has an aversion to his team utilizing a zone, and he admitted it can give his team fits, and almost always does when sprung.
I think the zone has its merits, just like trapping and other specialty defenses. But teams that settle into zone invariably allow opponents to settle into a rhythm, particularly teams with shooting specialists.
Among the reasons you are seeing more zone this season is teams, especially those with reshuffled rosters, did not have the required time during training camp to install all of their man-to-man concepts. And with such limited practice time, there has not been much time to play catch-up.
Just like the running game has not shown enduring success since the Lakers' Showtime era, so has a team yet to consistently win with a zone.
And remember, it's not as if a coach can simply adopt Jim Boeheim's Syracuse zone, in light of the NBA's defensive 3-second limit on a defender remaining in the lane without actively guarding another player.
If the NBA eliminated that prohibition — which it would never do, lest teams go out and essentially hire Manute Bol-like goaltenders — then zone as a primary defensive approach might have a chance in the NBA.
For now, it is nothing more than an increasingly popular flavor of the moment in the wake of the lockout.
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