Box Score

Brew Hoop

The Sixers really had no business winning this game, but they did. It wasn't pretty. It was actually pretty ugly, but these are the types of games they were winning down the stretch last year and if that's your thing, that's your thing. Without Elton Brand there's not many more ways they can win against decent teams. With the 2008-2009 Sixers it's never easy. Hopefully that changes win EB returns.

Here are a couple things you need to know about the win streak (when you have 15 wins, two is a streak) before I Rock Band myself to sleep. If you've read this and read this week's Wednesday GM and still haven't had enough Sixers, bust out your own version of Wednesday GM. I'd love to see some creative trades. Anyway...

Andre Miller is slowly rising on the list of my favorite Sixers. He has ice in his veins. I love his toughness. I love his craftiness. I love his veteran smart's and I love his clutch shots. He hit the proverbial "dagger" tonight with less than a minute to go, from downtown! Miller only shoots threes in big time spots. I love him. If he's traded I'll definitely miss the dude, but it'd be for the best of the team.

Everyone else had off-nights except for maybe Theo and Royal Ivey (Royal played crunch-time minutes yet again). All the other studs from Lou-Will to M16 made quite a few "rookie" mistakes, but their young and we still won, so I'm fine with it.

We're treading water nicely without Brand. Once he returns it will be time for our playoff push. I want the fourth seed. Is that too much to ask?

Next up: @ home against the Bobcats, then a tough stretch. The first meeting against the Blazers will be emotional for me since one of my best friends is a hardcore Blazer fan. A loss would be devastating and win would be magical since the Blazers are a much better team.

Goodnight Sixerland. Maybe you'll hear me in the distance drumming to Livin' on a Prayer. 

Until we meet again, go buy yourself an Andre Miller jersey.

I'm predicting another win guys, 2 in a row. If the Sixers can beat a banged-up Rockets team they should definitely be able to beat the Bucks. It looks like the Sixers will catch yet another break with Andrew Bogut being questionable for the game. The only problem Philly might have is the 3-point defense. All of Mike Redd's 3's have to be contested.

8 pm eastern time. Be here. Wednesday GM will be up sometime tonight, so be ready for that too.

Here's a little experiment of mine. Each Wednesday "Wednesday GM" will appear on Liberty Ballers and it will be a weekly platform for me, and you to weigh in on some options the Sixers have in regards to tweaking the team. Every Wednesday I'll conjure up a transaction I'd the like to see the Sixers make and explain why it would work. Some trades may be more realistic than others, so bare with me. With that said, let Wednesday GM begin...

Alright this week, instead of breaking down one potential move I'm going to post two for a couple reasons. First off, it seems like rumors have been swirling lately in regards to Sammy D and/or Andre Miller being traded, so I wanted to get as many guesses in before something actually happened. That way I'll look smart if one of the predictions is even remotely close. Secondly, last week's Luke Walton and change for Reggie Evans trade seemed to cause a little hostility towards my GM skills, so this week I'll give you some options and you can tell me which one you like best. Here we go...

Philadelphia 76ers

Incoming Players
	Mike Conley Salary: $3,630,480  Years Remaining: 2 PTS: 7.8  REB: 2.9  AST: 3.1  PER: 12.25
	Marko Jaric Salary: $6,575,000  Years Remaining: 3 PTS: 1.2  REB: 0.5  AST: 1.0  PER: 6.80
	Greg Buckner Salary: $4,010,005  Years Remaining: 2 PTS: 2.2  REB: 1.2  AST: 0.5  PER: 9.04

Outgoing Players: Willie Green, Andre Miller

Why the Sixers do it: Sure, we take on two bad contracts, but the positives outweigh the negatives in this situation. First, we get rid of Willie Green. That in itself is enough for me to approve any trade. Secondly, we get something for Andre Miller instead of letting him walk this summer or signing him to an extension, which would be pretty foolish considering where the team is at contention-wise and his age. Lastly, we get our point guard of the future. Mike Conley has been far from spectacular in his one and a half years in Memphis, but I think in the right situation and with the right coaching (which isn't Tony DiLeo) he can be as special as everyone once thought he would be. Plus, he'd fit in perfectly since he has no jumpshot.

Memphis Grizzlies

Incoming Players
	Willie Green Salary: $3,388,000  Years Remaining: 3 PTS: 8.1  REB: 1.8  AST: 2.1  PER: 10.83
	Andre Miller Salary: $10,333,334  Years Remaining: 1 PTS: 15.4  REB: 4.1  AST: 6.3  PER: 17.24

Outgoing Players: Mike Conley, Marko Jaric, Greg Buckner

Why the Grizzles do it: This trade became a little less realistic once the Grizzles traded Javaris Crittenton to the Wizards, but today they made a move that boosted it back up to slightly realistic. Sure, it might be tough to part with Mike Conley, but they have Kyle Lowry and now a wild-card in Shaun Livingston. They get an expiring contract in Miller, which fits right into their plan to shed salary. They also give up two bad contracts in Marko (I'm married to one of the hottest girls ever) Jaric and Greg Buckner. It might not be the smartest trade for the Grizzles, but neither was Pau Gasol for Kwame Brown.

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Philadelphia 76ers

Incoming Players
	Larry Hughes Salary: $12,827,676  Years Remaining: 2 PTS: 12.0  REB: 3.2  AST: 2.1  PER: 14.63

Outgoing Players: Samuel Dalembert

Why the Sixers do it: We get rid of Sammy D and his horribly horrible contract, allowing Marreese Speights more minutes. And we get a slightly less horrible contract in Larry Hughes, who is a big upgrade over Willie Green at the two. Let's not forget Larry once averaged 22-6-5-3 and would instantly become the Sixers best three point shooter. Check the numbers. 

Chicago Bulls

Incoming Players
	Samuel Dalembert Salary: $11,238,564  Years Remaining: 3 PTS: 5.6  REB: 8.2  AST: 0.2  PER: 11.27

Outgoing Players: Larry Hughes

They need a big man. They hate Larry Hughes. A Blog a Bull poster actually discusses the possibility of Dalembert here, but his two proposed trades (here and here) involve Andres Nocioni. And I can't believe I'm saying this, but I'd much rather have Hughes than Nocioni. Hughes could play the two for us in the short-term and his contract is up in two years, opposed to Noc who doesn't fit in anywhere on the team and we'd have to deal with him for a whopping 5 years! No thank you.

Box Score

The Dream Shake

Finally. The Sixers look like they are starting to turn their season around, playing quality basketball for the past week or so. Beginning with the day after Christmas against the Carmelo-less Nuggets, the Sixers have been playing the style of basketball that sent them on their late season run and into the playoffs last season. And the loss, yes the loss, against San Antonio on Saturday was arguably their best game of the year.

Tonight the Sixers came back to Philadelphia after a brutal road trip and pulled out a solid victory against a pretty good Western Conference team. Given, they were without their two best defensive players in Ron Artest and Shane Battier and their franchise guy, T-Mac looked far from 100%, I'll still chalk it up as a quality win. It wasn't as easy as it could've of been, but these are the 2008-2009 Philadelphia 76ers folks.

I love the way the team's playing without Brand. It will be interesting to see if Iguodala and Miller continue to play well when he returns. I'll be posting on that subject a couple of times in the near future. It's been on my mind lately. One more thing before we get into stats. With Theo basically replicating what Dalembert does on the court and Speights playing the way he is, Dalembert is insanely expendable. Stefanski needs to find a way to move him.

Key Stats:

-19-35 from the line. I'm sorry, but there's no excuse for that.

-56% from the floor 

-17 offensive rebounds allowed

-M16 scored 15 points, grabbed 8 boards and blocked 4 shots. 

-Rockets were 5-19 from downtown. Much better.

-28 points from Iggy. We still haven't had a player score 30 all season.

Great performances:

-Iguodala

-Speights

Good performances:

-Lou-Will

-Royal Ivey

Bad/Not up to par performances:

-Andre Miller

Next up: @ Milwaukee tomorrow night, a very winnable game and one the Sixers have to have with another tough stretch on the horizon.

I'm struggling for time right now, but I should be home just in time for tip-off. I'm predicting a Sixers win! With the way they played against the Spurs, I think they have an excellent chance at home tonight against the banged-up Rockets. 7 eastern time. Be here.

Marc Stein! 26th?! How could you?! We haven't been very good, but are the Grizzles and Bobcats really better than us?

NBA.com-22

Since Elton Brand went down with a dislocated shoulder, Andre Iguodala is averaging 22.3 points on 51 percent shooting. That's probably not a coincidence, and neither is the Sixers' 1-6 record in that time.

John Hollinger-19

Marc Stein, ESPN-26

It's still too soon to tell you where the Sixers are with their new coach after an undeniably favorable start schedule-wise to DiLeo's interim tenure, followed by the 1-5 misery of an unforgiving six-game road trip.