Spotlight on…Philadelphia

Skinny: The Sixers started the year promisingly enough at 3-0, but it's truly been a season of transition and the club is now struggling to find a new identity and pecking order in the wake of the Allen Iverson trade and Chris Webber buyout. Since that auspicious beginning, Philadelphia has gone 7-28, and as we near the halfway point of the season, the team is looking down on only Memphis among its NBA peers, while no one in the Eastern Conference can bemoan a worse record. It's a good news/bad news situation it appears. Good news: Coach Mo Cheeks can provide opportunities for his young players while he works on assessing talent and developing a new core; bad news: he has to do it with the vulture-like presence of recently rehired Larry Brown watching and waiting to take over the team. Bad news: attendance is dead last in the NBA and on MLK Day on Monday there were only about 8,000 fans to watch the Sixers get humbled by the Raptors; good news: less fans equals less boos and less batteries flying from the stands. Bad news: the team could easily finish with the worst record in the NBA and a second straight season out of the playoffs is all but assured; good news: more ping pong balls. Greg Oden anyone?

Strengths: Forcing turnovers. The Sixers aren't a strong defensive club, but they do rank fifth in opponents' turnovers with 16.1 per game and also sit near the top in steals per game thanks to Andre Iguodala and his fourth-ranked 2.11 SPG.

Weaknesses: Perimeter attack and rebounding. Even with 3-point stud Kyle Korver aboard, the Sixers are second last in both attempts and 3-pointers made per game. They're tied for last in defensive rebounds, a situation that leads to plenty of second-chance points for Philly's opponents.

Lineup

PG: Andre Miller, the key piece Philly received from Denver in the A.I. deal, is now manning the point. Miller is getting more touches for the Sixers than he did for the Nuggets, so as soon as his shooting touch shows up from the Mountain Time zone, his scoring should start to rise.

SG: Willie Green reclaimed the starting gig on Friday night. Green is probably on your waiver wire now, but won't be for long. Finally given a chance to play significant minutes this year, he's responded offensively and should be considered a tremendous second-half sleeper.

SF: Andre Iguodala, having finally shed his label as "the other A.I.," is slowly developing into a front-line player. He's playing more and has jacked up his scoring, but is struggling from the field (36.5 percent over the past five). As the team's top scoring option, a better touch could transform Iggy into 20 PPG man in the second half.

PF: Newcomer Joe Smith, rescued from the scrap heap in the Iverson trade, has found new life on the Sixers. His offense has gone AWOL this week, but upon arrival in Philly, Smith proved he can still put a few points on the board, and he's always been a good rebounder, so he's worth tracking and is a fantasy consideration in four-game weeks.

C: Samuel Dalembert is playing more than ever and while his blocks have slipped, his FG percentage has been off the charts (58 percent, fourth in the NBA), leading him to a career-best 10.1 PPG. As his touches have increased, Dalembert's recent numbers have been impressive with at least 11 PPG over the past six.

Bench: Korver is the key man here, and his scoring is up as he's getting to the stripe more, but he has as many turnovers as assists; rookie Bobby Jones' PT will definitely benefit from the departure of Webber and the club should give him a decent look in the second half; Rodney Carney, another rookie, has gone through his share of freshman ups and downs, and he's currently on one of those downward spirals, having lost his starting gig earlier this week thanks to a shooting slump; Kevin Ollie is getting on in years, but offers some much needed veteran leadership for this young club; Steven Hunter hasn't been able to give Dalembert a run for his money at center like he did last year, so his numbers are down across the board, especially from the line, where he's struggled badly; Louis Williams, the former Georgia high school star, is getting a bit more PT and is likely one of the youngsters the team wants to take a closer look at in the second half; veteran Alan Henderson has had to see some time at C and also started at PF for Webber for a while, but with all due respect to Mr. Henderson, those minutes would be better served going to a youngster and I expect that to happen in the second half; and Shavlik Randolph replaced Webber earlier this season and was doing pretty well before busting his ankle, likely ending his season early (although he believes he'll be back this year).

On the Rise

Brian Skinner should continue to remain unchallenged at PF for the Bucks in the wake of news that Charlie Villanueva's shoulder will require another couple weeks of rehab, perhaps much longer. Skinner is getting plenty of PT (over 26 MPG this month) and while's he's not much of scorer, he has managed almost 9 PPG over the past three games. Combine that with shot blocking (three straight games with at least one), rebounds (seven on Monday) and the fact that he even pitched in with a couple of assists last game, and you've got a decent short-term option in deeper leagues.

Losing Traction

Even if Jared Jeffries' starting job isn't in jeopardy, his minutes are plummeting regardless. He's simply providing next to no value right now, making him useless in fantasy leagues. On Monday, he was 0-for-2 from the field with three turnovers and no assists. He hasn't gotten to the FT line in the past two games, and has managed just one steal and six rebounds over that stretch. With six points combined over the last three games, holding out hope that Jeffries will be fantasy worthy is akin to waiting for the Commodore 64 to displace the X-Box as the game console of choice for anyone under 50.

With the Wizards continuing to ride their big three of Gilbert Arenas, Antawn Jamison and Caron Butler, it's hard for some of the reserves to gain any extended looks. Donell Taylor and Jarvis Hayes are the latest casualties here, with Hayes specifically losing PT since the return of Etan Thomas. Taylor was seeing some decent rotation time, especially early last month, but he's played over five minutes in a game just once since December 26. He's a young player who needs a chance to show what he can do, but stuck behind Arenas, DeShawn Stevenson and Antonio Daniels, Taylor isn't getting an opportunity. Hayes was earning significant minutes off the bench, and is capable of scoring when his shot is dropping, managing back-to-back double-digit scoring games, but since Thomas has come back he's not playing enough to consider. Thomas, by the way, has yet to show enough that he's ready to battle Brendan Haywood for the starting center job again, but I have no fear that this will be one worth tracking again soon.

Shaun Livingston was just emerging from a recent shooting slump the past couple of games, but he had to leave early on Monday with an ankle sprain. It's a shame, because the kid seemed to be learning how to co-exist with Sam Cassell starting in the same backcourt and his numbers, other than rebounding, were looking pretty good. Now owners have to deal with the possibility Livingston will miss tonight's game, and the resulting concerns that this injury could set back his development. Expect Cassell to log heavier minutes at PG, and Quinton Ross to start at SF, shifting Cuttino Mobley back to SG. If the Clippers would prefer to go small, Corey Maggette could slide in at SF.

Speaking of Mobley, he's been dealing with elbow issues for a couple of weeks, but it's been an incredibly forgettable season for him. He's been showing no signs of snapping out of his worst campaign since he was a rookie. Mobley's PT has been cut, with just 26 minutes played in two of the last three, and he remains stuck in a horrible shooting slump, having left his shooting touch back in 2006 (23-for-77, 29.9 percent since New Year's Eve). He's averaging less than a one 3-pointer per game for the first time in his career, while his steals and blocks are also at career lows. Mobley's not rebounding much (just five in the past two games), and he hasn't managed more than two assists in a game since December 29. And over the past three games, Mobley is averaging only eight points per game. There's really not much good news here, is there? Unless, of course, you're a Maggette owner, because before long you'd expect him to take over at SG of SF for Mobley (pending Maggette's own departure via the trade market, of course). Ross also stands to benefit from Mobley's lackluster play.

Heavy Workloads

Remember when Eddy Curry started to struggle a bit last month as the Knicks, missing Q-Rich and Nate Robinson, had limited outside presence, which allowed opponents to key on the big man? Well, he's back in a big way. After scoring 24 points and adding 10 boards on Monday to set a new career high with his 11th double-double, Curry is now averaging 25 PPG over the past five. He's logging heavy minutes (41 MPG the past two) and showing no signs of wear, certainly not in his shooting, anyways (a ridiculous 69.9 percent from the field this month and a vastly improved 77.1 percent from the line over the past five). Hell, he's even dropping the occasional dime, with assists in four straight games. Yes, you'd love to see more blocks from a big man, but Curry's emergence as a bona fide fantasy center has been one of the more pleasant developments in New York this season.

With Michael Redd, Mo Williams and Charlie V all out for the Bucks, Andrew Bogut has been asked to carry a heavier load and he's definitely responding. We are finally getting to see why Milwaukee took this Aussie first overall in 2005. He's been an absolute beast of the boards for a while (averaging almost 15 RPG over the past five), but given more PT over the past three games (40 MPG), Bogut has responded offensively with over 21 PPG. In the last two games, his shooting has been phenomenal, sinking 21-of-29, and he's blocked four shots. And on Monday, he not only flashed his great big-man passing skills with six dimes, but he also showed an improved touch from the line, sinking 3-of-4, a skill that will stead him well as he develops into more of an offensive force.

Caron Butler continues to log major minutes. Having played 45 minutes or more twice in the past three games, he's now averaging over 40 MPG on the season. In some ways, the workload seems to be slowing him down – he's shot just 12-for-35 with four assists in the past two games and hasn't connected from downtown in 10 days. But Butler remains a steals machine, with an average of three over the past four games. His block Monday pulled him within six of matching his entire 2005-06 total, and he came through with a big 21-point effort in his last game, suggesting he's far from spent. Still, you'd have to think Coach Jordan will seek opportunities to rest his big guns more liberally in the second half with a playoff spot looking like a very strong possibility this season.

Moving into the Starting Five

Quentin Richardson has returned this week, coming off the bench for a couple of games before taking over the starting SG spot from Jamal Crawford on Monday for the Knicks' ninth different starting lineup of the year. Q-Rich gives the Knicks a better defensive presence, and despite a poor shooting effort on Monday, he can help out in other areas with 11 assists and seven steals in the three games since returning. Despite the demotion, Crawford continues to play starter-type minutes, and will retain value because of his explosiveness (shaking off a horrid first half to score 10 points in the final 1:07 on Monday). It wouldn't be shocking to see Crawford return to the starting two-guard spot soon while Richardson bumps Jeffries to the bench.

What a whirlwind it's been in Milwaukee this week with a different starting point guard in three straight games. After Mo Williams went down with a shoulder injury that will sideline him for another couple of weeks, back-up Steve Blake took over on Wednesday. The next day, he was promptly dealt to Denver for Earl Boykins, who immediately assumed the gig. Little Earl didn't take long to get adjusted to his new job, going off for 30 points and six rebounds on Monday, draining 9-of-16 including three 3-pointers. He's sunk 10-of-11 from the line and recorded three steals in his two games as a Buck and looks like he'll be a major contributor until at least Mo is ready to return.

Into the Rotation

Rolando Balkman lost PT earlier this week when Richardson and Robinson returned from injury/suspension, but he saw significant minutes Monday as the Knicks employed several different defenders on Ron Artest, who had torched New York for 39 points a couple of weeks earlier. Balkman managed four points, four boards, a steal and an assist, but foul trouble limited his ability to do much more than that. He could be a second-half sleeper, and definitely benefits from the Knicks losing out on Chris Webber.

Andray Blatche made a serious statement for more PT on Saturday when he scored a career-best 10 points with eight rebounds, three blocks and two steals – not bad for 14 minutes of work. Blatche is a 20-year-old who has a chance to become a decent rotation player, but he'll need minutes to develop. My fear is that Washington, battling for a division title, will keep riding its big three into the ground.

DNP Zone

With Q-Rich and Robinson back, Malik Rose has taken three straight DNPs. The former Drexel Dragon hasn't played significant minutes in over two weeks, so he's clearly out of the rotation for now.