<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post"> It's early, in fact it's very early in the NBA season. However, Philadelphia is off to its best start since the 2000-01 campaign when it won its first 10 games of the regular season and made it all the way to the championship round. Rumors swirled all summer regarding possible trades involving All-Star guard Allen Iverson. The Georgetown product said he wanted to remain with the Sixers, who finished 38-44 in 2005-06 and did not qualify for the playoffs for the second time in three years, and win a championship in the City of Brotherly Love. Team president Billy King did not get what he was looking for in a deal for his franchise player. So, Iverson remained with the franchise that drafted him out of Georgetown with the first overall pick in the 1996 NBA Draft. Even though the NBA season has just started, the best move by the Sixers may be the one they didn't make. The 31-year-old Iverson is off to an impressive start in 2006-07 and is once again playing like a man on a mission. Iverson scored 31 points and dished out 13 assists, both game-highs, to lead Philadelphia to a 107-98 victory over the defending world champion Miami Heat at the Wachovia Center. Philadelphia was down by seven, 57-50, at the half. But it bounced back in the third quarter, outscoring the Heat 28-16 and took a five-point advantage into the final quarter. The 76ers held on and left the court with a solid nine- point victory. "When we came out in the second half we came out like we weren't trying to win a basketball game," said Iverson. "I think that motivated us and we got back on the floor." Sharp-shooting Kyle Korver continued to stay hot out of the gate, as he scored 22 points on 7-of-12 shooting from the floor, including 5-for-6 from beyond the arc. "I've been getting open," said Korver. "A lot of that is the guys are setting great screens and Allen (Iverson) is looking for me. I've been able to get a good rhythm, hit my first couple shots the last couple games and that [has built] my confidence." Andre Iguodala also played well in the win over Miami. The athletic forward scored 20, grabbed seven boards and dished out five assists in 35 minutes of action. The Sixers shot 45.6 percent (36-for-79) from the field, including an impressive 9-for-18 (50 percent from beyond the arc. Philadelphia outrebounded Miami, which played without All-Star center Shaquille O'Neal, 43-40. Philadelphia did allow the Heat to shoot 50 percent (36-for-72) from the field. "We didn't play defense as well as we would have liked in the first half," said Philadelphia head coach Maurice Cheeks. "The second half was a lot better. Fifty-seven points in the first half and 41 points in the second half - that was obviously the difference in the game. In the first half we took a lot of quick shots and we didn't drive the basketball the way that we had been talking about. "In the second half, we drove the ball and got into the penalty a lot earlier. I think the first half, they shot 21 foul shots and we limited them to five foul shots I believe over the second half. Our ability to pass the ball, drive the ball in the second half was key, and playing defense in the second half was good for us." Against Miami, it was Iguodala, Iverson and Korver leading the team to a victory. Center Samuel Dalembert and forward Chris Webber did not have good games versus the Heat, but they are key players for the Sixers and on any given day it could be one of them who helps lead the club to a win. The Sixers and their fans are excited about the quick start. But the fact remains that there is a long way to go. Injuries and losing streaks can creep up very quickly. Iverson is playing in his 11th season and is still performing at a very high level. If the Sixers continue to win consistently throughout the season and they make the playoffs, King's best move was holding onto Iverson and he will look very good. King chose to keep the same nucleus in place, as he did not make any significant moves during the offseason. Instead, he and Cheeks said they would win more games with the same players. A new attitude and better defense is going to be the difference. However, Philadelphia is not in the class of Cleveland, Detroit, Miami or even New Jersey. Yes, the 76ers look good but they are not going to win a championship with the current makeup of the roster. Everyone in Philly is happy now, but what will it be like in April? </div> Link
