Sixers among NBA's best

By Mike Patterson

The Philadelphia 76ers started the 2012 season off with a bang.

After the NBA was delayed due to the lockout, the Sixers lost their season opener at Portland, but came back to win their next game against the Phoenix Suns. By January 16th, the Sixers were 10-3 and undefeated at home. Their first loss at home came on Jan. 18 in an overtime loss at the hands of the Denver Nuggets. Now, as of Feb. 7, the Sixers are 18-7, and lead the Atlantic Division.

The Sixers return this season with a lot of young talent, a handful of veterans, and skilled rookies.

Their starting lineup includes: the highly talented point guard in Jrue Holiday, Jodie Meeks at shooting guard, Andre “Iggy” Igoudala at small forward, Elton Brand at power forward, and Spencer Hawes holds the center position. They also have a highly productive bench filled with many young players including Thaddeus Young, Lou Williams, rookie Nikola Vucevic, number two pick last season Evan Turner, and a few more.

The Sixers are one of the best teams in the league right now.

They average close to 100 points per game (ppg); however, the team is also greatly focused on defense, ranked in the top five overall in points allowed.

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Lou Williams is at the top of his game this year, top scorer on the team and averaging around 15 points per game off the bench.

Evan Turner has also been playing great basketball, not only has he averaged close to 10 ppg but also piles up a a large amount of rebounds and assists each game.

Jrue Holiday is the team’s second leading scorer, then comes Andre Igoudala, picked ninth in the ’04 draft, has been a top performer each game.

Jodie Meeks has been a huge help to the team in many comeback wins by shooting about 45 % from 3-point range each game.

As of Feb. 7, the Sixers have 18 wins and 7 losses. They have improved greatly since last season and taken down top competitors this year.

They beat the Lakers by five points on Feb. 6, a game in which Kobe Bryant surpassed his former teammate, Shaquille O’neal on the all-time scoring list.

They have also beaten the Hawks, the reigning MVP Derrick Rose and the Bulls, and the Magic.

However, they have yet to beat the Miami Heat and superstar Lebron James, losing by nearly 20 points in both of their match-ups this season.

The 76ers are currently ranked first in the Atlantic Division and fourth in the NBA power rankings.

With a roster with this much depth, it is expected to have such a great season.

After struggling last year, Coach Doug Collins has brought the team back for a great year.

The Sixers are shooting high this year, thinking of a playoff run. However, they have to face many tough teams from the East, such as the Miami Heat, Atlanta Hawks, and New York Knicks, if they are to make it to the playoffs.

Hopefully, the 76ers will continue their recent success throughout the rest of the season.