Sunday, February 20, 2011
Posted: 10:02 p.m.Updated: Feb. 21, 9:15 a.m.
By Dei Lynam
CSNPhilly.com
LOS ANGELESThe Sixers get back to work Monday night, preparing for their first post All-Star contest, which is Wednesday against the Wizards.
They are currently the seventh seed in the conference standings, two games back of New York and two games in front of Indiana. Should they continue to play the way they have over the past 40 games (24-16), their playoff opponent will likely be Boston, Miami or Chicago -- all of which would be challenging series, all of which would have the Sixers a heavy underdog.
It would start up the rivalry again. The Boston-76ers thing has been dormant for awhile. It will come back because Doug is going to bring it back, Celtics coach Doc Rivers said. He is Coach of the Year. I dont think anyone has done a better job then Doug Collins. They didnt make a lot of moves. This is virtually the same team, but they play different, they play together.
I love watching Iguodala play. I think when you watch Andre Iguodala now he is the star of the team and their best role player at the same time. I dont think he would have done that last year or years past, but he does it. He has bought into Doug completely and it shows in his play. Doug Collins has changed their culture.
Rivers is not the only one who sees the Sixers on the rise.
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You have to give Doug Collins a lot of credit, Bostons Rajon Rondo stressed. Jrue Holiday is coming along, Andre Iguodala is a great leader and they have Elton Brand. Theyre playing very hard and they have gotten into the play-off picture.
Dwyane Wade says he and his Heat teammates would take no such series for granted either.
Anyone of those teams can beat anyone of those other teams, Wade said of the lower seeds in the East. It can be a very tough series and most of those series will go seven games. We are very strong at the top of the conference. Whoever comes out of the east is going to be beat up and banged up and ready to take on whoever comes out of the west.
Wade went on to say that as a conference the East is catching up to the West especially when number 15 comes over.
Wade was alluding to Carmelo Anthony, whose departure from Denver seems a sure thing before Thursdays trade deadline. Where his new home will be is the only detail left to be ironed out.
Nary a Sixer
The pinnacle of All-Star weekend is the game that features 24 of the greatest basketball players in the world.
San Antonio head coach Gregg Popovich coached the West by virtue of his team having the best overall record at 46-10, while Rivers led East because the Celtics have the best winning percentage in the Eastern Conference.
Rivers is coaching four of his own players (Rondo, Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen), none of whom were voted on by the fans and therefore were all selected by the coaches. Miamis big three (LeBron James, Wade and Chris Bosh) are also on the roster. The five remaining East players come from the top six seeds in the East, which brings us to the topic of the Sixers.
For a fifth consecutive year the Sixers were without a representative in this game, lending credence to the fact that most all-stars come from winning teams and their talent isnt just good, it has to be great.
If you dont come from a winning team you have to put up numbers like Kevin Love with two 20 double-doubles in a row, Wade said. Or do things like Blake Griffin, Mr. Excitement. It is not easy to get in if you are not from a winning program.
The fans want to see winners, they want to see exciting players, great players. There are a lot of guys in the league that are All-Star caliber talent, but its tough because there are only 24 spots.
Wade is making his seventh consecutive all-star appearance, with just eight years in the league, and he is the games reigning MVP.
It is hard getting into this game, the Bulls' Derrick Rose added. I feel blessed that I am here. You get a lot of veterans, guys who have been around, who never get this opportunity to be in this game so I dont take it for granted.
Rose is playing in his second straight midseason classic. He is having an amazing year, which is a big reason the Bulls lead the Central Division with their 38-16 record.
Winning gets you everything in this league, Rose continued. The Bostons and the Miamis, they are winning and their guys are playing great and you have to give a couple of their players spots.
Bostons Kevin Garnett is making his 14th consecutive All-Star appearance and Ray Allen is a 10-time All-Star. Rivers said the only way you get to be a perennial all-star like those two is because of ones work ethic.
You have practice at one and you get there at 10 and they are there already there, Rivers explained. They are running on the treadmill everyday. I mean, Ray takes hundreds of shots so its no wonder why they are still doing it.
This is the first time in twelve years that former Sixer Allen Iverson was not been named to the all-star team. He was the last player to represent the franchise at this event winning the MVP in 2001 an 2005.
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E-mail Dei Lynam at dlynam@comcastsportsnet.com