<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">The 76ers might be Allen Iverson?s team but they need a presence in the middle as well. And right now they?re not getting it. That Chris Webber missed six games because of lower back stiffness and Steven Hunter just returned from a five-game absence are factors, but a major part of the inside woes facing the Sixers (5-9) revolve around Samuel Dalembert. Heading into the season, Dalembert had high hopes for himself. One of his goals was to stay out of foul trouble. Another was to return to the shot-blocking form he displayed a few years ago. Neither has happened. And no one is as disappointed at the 7-foot center himself. "It?s a lot of things," he said. "Physically, I haven?t been feeling good the last couple games due to the last incident when I fell on the floor (against the Bulls). Other than that, I wish I could do more. I want to do more. "My job requires me to be out there having a feel for the game. Sometimes I have a feel, then end up losing it and coming back in the game and trying to catch it back where you left it. It?s tough. It?s very tough. Trying to stay out of foul trouble the first half, doing a real good job of that, (then) the second half coming back and trying to rush things because I wasn?t able to do as much in the first half. I?m too aggressive and end up getting stupid fouls. Sometimes they are fouls and sometimes they are not." Dalembert has averaged just 7.9 points, 7.6 rebounds and 1.79 blocks this season. That?s down from previous years. "I certainly would like him to get more rebounds, more blocks, more up and down the floor," Sixers coach Maurice Cheeks said. "But that?s from a lot of guys that we?ve got to get a lot more, especially when you?re playing against someone like Alonzo Mourning. You?ve got to get a little more active, a little more physical. That?s it. "The center position, where Alonzo Mourning comes from, is a physical state of mind. If you?re not physical, he?s going to take advantage. In Sam?s case, he?s got to be a little more physical in a lot of things -- rebounding the basketball, running the floor. We?ve got to get a lot of that out of him." Part of the problem, though, is that Dalembert spends much of each game in foul trouble. He?s averaging 4.4 fouls in just under 27 minutes of play. That takes him out of the game -- and out of the flow. But Dalembert feels some of the foul trouble isn?t necessarily his doing. "When there?s contact between a guard and big man in this league, most likely ... it?s going to be a foul on the big man," he said. "If you keep your hands up when the guy hits you, of course you?re going to be off balance and move back and they?re going to call a foul. Sometimes, that?s why I let some balls go -- I try to challenge it from behind. I need to do a better job of trying to find another way because they?re not doing a better job, the referees, at that (calling fouls). Also, it?s not my job to go out there and complain to the ref. I leave it up to the coaches to get it done. "Other than that, I don?t know how much I can do. I?m trying to stay out of foul trouble. When I do stay out of foul trouble, I end up not being out there doing things I want to do sometimes." Dalembert isn?t alone in that sentiment. The Sixers have struggled with perimeter defense since the opener, and that?s causing some of Dalembert?s problems. In Miami, where the Heat shot a season-high 58 percent against the Sixers, Dwyane Wade met little resistance driving to the hoop. The answer, veteran guard Kevin Ollie said, is doing a better job on your man. "We?re letting our man get by us and Sam is getting in foul trouble covering for us," he said. "It?s not all Sam. Sam can?t stick with Dwyane Wade. Dwyane Wade comes in to the bucket and Sam is at his mercy. They?re going to give him the foul or something bad is going to happen to us. On the perimeter, we have to stop our guys, and that?s going to help Sam play better defense. "It?s not all on Sam. We?re letting guys come in the lane and they get a head of steam and Sam is going to get the foul. We can?t put Sam in that position."</div> LIink
