Knicks Set for Home and Home Series with Sixers

After a difficult patch in the season, the Knicks are winners of four of their last six games and are playing with great energy, hustle and confidence. The good feelings that winning brings can be fleeting, however, and New York must continue its strong play in a home and home series against last place Philadelphia if the team is to maintain its streak of good play.

At 5-13, the young and rebuilding 76ers, losers of seven of their last nine, are struggling right now. In fact, the team just replaced Billy King, Philadelphia’s former GM, with Ed Stepnanski, formerly of the Nets. While the Sixers are working to create an identity for themselves, there is still plenty of young, athletic and energetic talent on that team.

Philadelphia enjoys a balanced attack on offense, while also getting strong efforts from its bench. The Sixers have five players scoring in double digits and a sixth, Kyle Korver, who is right on the cusp, as he scores over nine per game.

Philadelphia is led by budding superstar Andre Igoudala, who is averaging 18 points, almost seven boards, five assists and nearly two steals and a block per game. Igoudala uses his impressive athleticism to beat his man to the hoop and he takes advantage of his strong defensive skills to create fast break opportunities for his team.

Though Igoudala is clearly the star on this team, Andre Miller provides calm leadership and excellent court vision from the point guard position. Miller puts in 16 points, hauls in four rebounds and dishes out five assists per game. Moreover, he is getting better as the season goes on. In his last three games, Miller is netting 19 points and over eight assists per contest, as he tries to push his team to victory.

Samuel Dalembert mans the middle for the Sixers, and he provides the team with a solid post presence while providing excellent help defense, averaging over two blocks per game to go with his 11 points and nine rebounds. Dalembert’s swatted shots, like Igoudala’s steals, often result in fast break opportunities for his team. In addition, his presence forces players driving to the basket to alter their own shots in order to avoid his long reach, resulting in missed shots around the basket.

Willie Green and Louis Williams are two young members of Philadelphia’s backcourt who provide energy and points for this young team. Green, the starting shooting guard, puts in 12 points a game and has proven himself as a scorer in this league, as he has recorded at least eight points in all but one game this season. Williams has also impressed, leading to speculation that Miller could be dealt in a youth movement, leaving the starting point guard position to Williams. His 11 points, three assists and one steal per game, in only 20 minutes per contest, shows the young guard can play in this league.

The Knicks present a balanced attack themselves, as four players average 15 points per game or more for the team. Two of those players, however, Stephon Marbury and Eddy Curry, missed Wednesday’s game against the Nets and their presence for Friday’s game in Philadelphia is uncertain.

Marbury lost his father on Sunday and the whole team attended the funeral on Thursday to support their teammate. Given the personal tragedy he has suffered, however, Marbury’s presence on the court in Philadelphia on Friday is uncertain at best.

“My heart goes out to him and his family… You can’t even put it into words,” commented Jamal Crawford on losing a parent.

“We definitely sympathize and are very sensitive to what he and his family are going through right now,” added Knicks President and Coach, Isiah Thomas. “Our thoughts and our prayers are with him. It’s a very difficult time…. a very emotional time and everybody handles it a bit differently.”