There might be hope
for Sixers (seriously!)

Off the Dribble
By Ryan Smith

With just six games remaining in the 76ers’ 2006-07 campaign, the sea- son’s fate has been all but decided.
All that’s left to be pondered is what spot the team’s Ping Pong balls will pop them into for this spring’s NBA draft lottery.
As things stand now, the Sixers are in line for a first-round pick that will fall somewhere between six and nine.
Add two more first-rounders, both acquired in the trade that sent Allen Iverson to Denver, and general manager Billy King and the Sixers might have enough ammo to slide up to the three or four spot.
But forget about Ohio State’s Greg Oden or Texas’ Kevin Durant.
The prospect of grabbing either player — and both are talented enough to build your franchise around — went out the window in early March when the Sixers reeled off wins in eight of 10 games.
The winning streak might have done wonders for the likes of some youngsters who flourished, namely Andre Iguodala and Samuel Dalembert, but it did nothing in the long run to help a team that is now — in the post-Iverson era — floating in the abyss of mediocrity.
Oden or Durant would have been an anchor.
But it’s too late for that now.
And, quite frankly, it’s unfair of us to focus on what could have been instead of what is.
Against all odds, the Sixers have gone 26-26 since the Iverson trade (not including Tuesday’s game against the Indiana Pacers, which was being played as the Times went to press).
In fact, if the season began the day when Iverson was dealt, the Sixers would be in line for the sixth playoff seed in the Eastern Conference.
So instead of continuing to lament over missing out on a top lottery pick, Off the Dribble is moving on.
In this, the season’s last column, we’ll take a look at what we’ve learned since the day when Iverson left town and try to figure out where to go from here.
For starters, we’ve learned that Iguodala is no joke.
He’s always been exciting, and we’ve always known that he had as much potential as any young player in the league, but the maturation process has sped up beyond anyone’s expectations this season.
Suddenly, Iguodala can be counted on for 20-plus points each night — not to mention that he’s capable of pulling down 10 rebounds or dishing out 10 assists on any given night.
If he can improve his jump shot, he’ll be unstoppable.
Oh yeah . . . he’s also the best defender on the team.
Maybe the Sixers aren’t in need of a franchise player to build around after all. Maybe he’s already wearing number 9.
Perhaps just as important as Iguodala’s maturation is the seasoning of center Samuel Dalembert. The 25-year-old Haitian seemed destined to forever be an enigma — until this season.
What many people forget is that Dalembert didn’t pick up a basketball for the first time until his sophomore year of high school.
The fundamentals that most NBA players learn when they are 6 to 8 years old, Dalembert was not taught until he was 17.
If King should be lauded for anything during his tenure as GM, it should be that he has had the faith to stick with Dalembert through what continues to be a gargantuan learning curve.
But this season, Dalembert’s numbers are up in every category. He’s blocking more shots, which allows his teammates to roam more freely on the defensive end.
He’s staying out of foul trouble, which has allowed his minutes-per-game average to soar to a career-high 31 this season.
He has raised his points-per-game average from 7.9 to 10.9.
But, most important, Dalembert is rebounding the ball like never before.
With a career average of 7.5 rebounds per game, the 6-foot-11 center has never been a true force on the boards. But this season, Dalembert has proved that he can fill that need for the Sixers.
With his season average at 9.1 rebounds per game, Dalembert is, by far, having his best season.
With the support of veteran point guard Andre Miller, who came over in the Iverson trade, Iguodala and Dalembert have flourished, as have Kyle Korver, Rodney Carney, Louis Williams and just about every player on the Sixers roster.
The Sixers will return next season with a core that can be expected to battle for a playoff spot in a weak Eastern Conference.
Add a first-round draft pick, or three, and perhaps things really could start to bounce the Sixers’ way. ••
Columnist Ryan Smith can be reached at 215-354-3114 or smithry@phillynews.com