Sixers are for real

The Philadelphia 76ers had perhaps their biggest win in the last handful of years tonight. Even when they were ducking in and out of the playoffs with the likes of Mo Cheeks, Tony DiLeo, and Jim O'Brien, they were never seen as a real threat to do anything. The 76ers fans have to be more than a little bit encouraged with this squad, despite having no "superstar" on the team. The 76ers defeated the first place Chicago Bulls by the score of 98-82 tonight and moved into 2nd place in the eastern conference [1 game behind said Bulls & tied in the loss column].

Get to Know Your 2011-2012 Philadelphia 76ers

The Sixers boast the top defense in the NBA and rank top 5 in offensive efficiency. Translation: They are getting it done at both ends of the court. They run 9 deep (potentially 10 if Lavoy Allen is for real), and have a legit 6th man of the year contender in Lou Williams. Elton Brand has embraced the veteran leadership role and anchors the defense and can still hit his pick and pop shot from the corner of the key. Andre Iguodala is the heart and soul of the team, one of the top 3 wing-defenders in the entire NBA, and a highlight reel dunker. He struggles with his shooting (both FT and FG), but can get hot at any moment. The team boasts a ton of young (sub-25 year old) talent like Thad Young, the aforementioned Lou Williams, Jrue Holiday, Nikolas Vucevic, Jodie Meeks, and Spencer Hawes.

Philadelphia (say what you want about them) is a city that is passionate and loves their sports team. They are blue-collar, hard working people who appreciate a blue-collar, hard working team; and that's just what this 76ers team is proving to be. No superstars. No 'hollywood' guys. Heck, their leading scorer isn't even in their starting lineup! They play no-nonsense basketball, they defer, and they play swarming team defense. Doug Collins is the perfect head coach for this team, and has them playing at the highest level. On any given night, any one of those Sixers can go off for 20+. For those who truly enjoy watching basketball, they are a must-watch every night. This is a team that could have had numerous excuses given the lockout, the low-attendance rates in recent year, and the fact that the Heat/Bulls are clearly the class of the division so how could THEY even compete. But they made no excuses, and it's showing.

Attendance is back up in the Wells Fargo Center, and with tonights huge win that could be a trend that is here to stay. They have a huge test this Friday night as the Miami Heat roll into town fresh off a stunning loss to the Milwaukee Bucks where they coughed up an 18-point lead. If the Sixers could beat the "top-2" teams in the east as seen by nearly every analyst in a 3-day span, you really would have to start thinking about this team being a title contender.

The Sixers have a brutal February Schedule. 11 of their 15 games are against above .500 teams and they close with 7 of 9 on the road. If the Sixers are still standing this tall going into March, we will all know where they stand in the scheme of things. As contenders for the Larry O'Brien Trophy.