ESPN.com - Sixers: Still battered, Iverson looks for return trip

ESPN.com: NBA

Monday, October 8, 2001
Updated: October 12, 3:00 PM ET
Sixers: Still battered, Iverson looks for return trip

By Eric Karabell
ESPN.com

They're the defending conference champions, nobody can question the tremendous heart they displayed in getting to the Finals and winning a game and, the core of the team remains intact. So why then are fans of the Philadelphia 76ers a bit worried that a return trip to L.A. -- um, the NBA Finals, we mean -- is no lock.


	Iverson and Mutombo are beasts on offense and defense, and there are plenty of role players.

So as we continue our 2001 Summer Spotlight Series, here's the deal with the 76ers.

The good: Allen Iverson is still here and Dikembe Mutombo has re-signed, so what else really matters? Isn't that enough to get the Sixers back to the Finals?

With defending MVP Iverson in town, there's no questioning how good this bunch can be. Iverson led the league in scoring and despite a laundry list of injuries that might keep a mortal man on the bench, Iverson shows up every night and produces. Nobody is quicker, few can score in bunches like he can and in the heart department, The Answer is tops.

However, there's this little elbow injury thing, and Iverson has been dealing with it for two seasons. Despite advice from team officials, Iverson held off on surgery, finally deciding a few weeks before training camp to deal with it. Will he miss camp? Yep, but is that a big deal? Will he miss regular season games? What are the odds of that?

With little Iverson scoring the points, Mutombo is the perfect teammate. The reigning Defensive Player of the Year can grab 13 boards a night in his sleep, and as he showed in the Finals, he could probably get 15 points a night if you get him the ball on occasion. The Sixers boast the MVP on offense and defense, and everyone else just fits in and does what is needed, right? Right?

	THE FACTS
	2000-01 record: 56-26, first in Atlantic, first in East Playoffs: lost in Finals Team leaders: Iverson 31.1 ppg, Mutombo 13.5 rpg; McKie 5.0 apg Team stats (NBA rank): Points, 94.7 (15th); Rebs, 44.8 (4th); FG %, .447 (12th) Current rotation: Mutombo C; Geiger/Traylor PF; Lynch SF; Iverson SG; Snow PG; McKie 6th man Spot in Camp Power Rankings: No. 8

The bad: Say what you will about Tyrone Hill, Todd MacCulloch and Jumaine Jones, but they certainly contributed in the frontcourt. Hill started 75 times and got close to averaging double digits in scoring and rebounding. Um, who's going to replace that? Big Mac was barely a factor in the regular season, but he's a legit 7-footer and has the potential to be something. And Jones ... well, they can do better.

With Hill and his contract demands shipped to Cleveland, the new power forward is a big question mark. Robert Traylor? Any reason to think the stats we'll be discussing with him will be points and rebounds rather than pounds and waistlines? Didn't think so. Matt Geiger, who certainly appears to have a knee problem that never goes away, is no lock to suit up, yet alone succeed. And George Lynch is really a small forward.

Coach Larry Brown does have bodies to choose from, and maybe he can push Hill's production out of what's here. Fact is Mutombo is so productive, it might not matter. The ideal scenario would have Tractor winning the starting job, thus allowing Geiger to back up Mutombo.

Jones has skills, no doubt, but Matt Harpring has a better outside shot and won't be the same liability on defense. But is he healthy? Ah, Harpring should fit in perfectly.

The ugly: Two major issues here, and they are why people are looking strongly at Orlando, Toronto and Milwaukee to displace this team. First, team M*A*S*H is really no healthier as training camps begin than it was in the Finals. Iverson was all battered back then and now he's recovering from elbow surgery. And he's only the beginning.

Sixth man extraordinaire Aaron McKie, starting point guard Eric Snow and Lynch all had offseason surgeries, with Snow's repeated foot problems a big concern. Hotshot first-round pick Speedy Claxton never made it to opening day last season after blowing out a knee. Harpring even had bone spurs removed from his feet. Will any of these injuries linger into the season? It's pretty likely at least one will.

But no injury figures to hurt as much as the absence of rowdy cheerleader/minority owner Pat Croce, who left the team over disagreements with those above him on job title and ownership shares. Croce won't be bungee jumping from local bridges to support the Sixers as much; you'll be seeing him in the more conventional NBC halftime shows.

Croce was more than a breath of fresh air for this until-recently downtrodden organization, he also helped bridge the gap between coach Brown and superstar Iverson. You think that's a small feat? We'll find out.

The future: They got to the Finals on defense, heart and lots of Iverson, and a return trip is certainly attainable. Either Snow or Claxton will start at the point -- would there be any quicker backcourt than Iverson and Claxton? -- and Iverson plus McKie and playoff hero Raja Bell makes for a strong guard corps. Age isn't a problem. Up front, the depth again shines through, with Mutombo, Lynch, Geiger, Traylor and Harpring in key roles. Even the last players on the team -- former King/Grizzlie/Wiz forward Michael Smith, former Cav Cedric Henderson and Celtics first-round pick Jerome Moiso -- are capable of more.

So do you believe that last season was a fluke, because in terms of on-court personnel, things aren't much different. We're not going to drop this team from contention just over Tyrone Hill. The Sixers had a perfect 10-0 start, which could be unlikely with more than half the team missing some or all of camp. But the Lakers turned it on last season. Why can't Philly do that?

So we asked you this question about the 76ers: Will the injuries or loss of Croce mean anything, or is this still the East's top team?

Check the file to the right for selected responses.

Eric Karabell is ESPN.com's NBA editor.