That looks like the success formula for Larry Brown and the 76ers this season. While Kobe Bryant and Tracy McGrady have grabbed all the week's headlines, Philly quietly has rattled off six straight wins -- including an impressive victory in New Jersey -- to tie Boston for the No. 4 seed in the Eastern Conference.
It's easy to be patient now, when the team is winning, but it was much harder for Brown and Co. in December and January. After a stellar 15-4 start, the 76ers dove like Clifford Etienne, losing 14 of their next 18 games. A particulary bleak 1-9 stretch included four straight losses at home, and it looked like they were on their way to the lottery.
But Brown, who already had blown up the team in the offseason by letting Matt Harpring walk and trading Dikembe Mutombo to the Nets for Keith Van Horn and Todd MacCulloch, resisted the urge to tinker further. While the 76ers dealt for Kenny Thomas in December -- costing them a first-round draft choice -- they never made a lineup-shredding deal of the kind they completed the two previous seasons. In particular, they passed on a possible Keith Van Horn-for-Latrell Sprewell deal, and wouldn't trade Derrick Coleman just for the sake of trading.
The players have responded to what, coming from the restless Brown, is a resounding vote of confidence by going unbeaten since the All-Star break (though only four of the wins came against accredited NBA franchises; the other two were vs. Cleveland).
The key has been improved play from the trade bait. Van Horn's 48.5 field-goal percentage will shatter his career high of 44.5 if he keeps it up, and his 16.6 scoring average is nearly two a game better than last year. The 6-foot-10 forward has cleared 20 points in six of his past 14 games and has hit more than 50 percent of his shots in six of his past seven, providing a much-needed second scorer to bail out Allen Iverson.
Coleman, who had been a curse on his teams for the past three years, has tightened up his game as well, despite having to play out of position at center with MacCulloch sidelined by a rare nerve disorder. During the streak, he's averaged 13.5 points and 11 boards.
Philadelphia could have just as easily dumped Van Horn and/or Coleman before the deadline and said they needed to shake up a struggling team -- but instead, they've allowed the current lineup to jell. This less sexy trade deadline alternative could be just the elixir they needed.
Having overcome their winter malaise, the 76ers can resume taking aim at 50 wins and a solid playoff run. Thanks to their patience at the trading deadline, they stand a good chance of reaching those goals.
Payton traded for Allen
The trade deadline passed Feb. 20 with one major blockbuster: the Sonics saying goodbye to Seattle institution Gary Payton and hello to sharpshooter Ray Allen. Desmond Mason, Kevin Ollie and Ronald Murray also changed uniforms as Milwaukee looks to make a playoff run behind Payton. As an added highlight, both Payton and Allen took the trade as an opportunity to rip their former teams.
Jordan goes 40-40
Michael Jordan became the first 40-year old to clear the 30-point barrier Friday. While he was at it, he also became the first to clear 40. Jordan scored 43 points in the Wizards' win over the Nets, beating the previous record by 16 and keeping Washington's flickering playoff hopes alive.
Miller gets moved
The Bucks and Sonics weren't the only teams active at the deadline. Orlando sent Mike Miller and Ryan Humphrey to Memphis for Drew Gooden and Gordan Giricek, giving the Magic a badly needed frontcourt player. In other deals, Elden Campbell went from New Orleans to Seattle for Kenny Anderson, while Shammond Williams was shipped from Boston to Denver for Mark Bryant and Mark Blount.
SWISH: Kobe Bryant
In what is becoming a mundane exercise here at the Glance, we must report that Bryant extended his 35-point scoring streak to 13 games and his 40-point streak to nine. In NBA history, only Wilt Chamberlain has a longer streak of either kind.
BRICK: Clifford Robinson
Doesn't he usually wait until the playoffs before he starts slumping? Robinson averaged 10 points on 33 percent shooting for the week, including Saturday night's stinker against New Orleans where he scored two points in 36 minutes.
SWISH: Tracy McGrady
Just when it looked like Kobe would pass him for the league lead in scoring, McGrady led the Magic to a perfect 3-0 week by averaging 40 a game, including a career-high 52 against Chicago on Friday and a 46-point triple-double vs. the Nets on Sunday.
BRICK: Milwaukee Bucks
Milwaukee set a franchise record when they scored just 58 points Friday against the Sonics -- a team whose defense never has been mistaken for that of the Bill Russell Celtics. The Bucks shot 33 percent and placed just two players in double figures.
SWISH: Jamal Mashburn
The Hornets forward won consecutive games in the last second over the weekend, scoring his 50th point with a second left to beat the Grizzlies in OT Friday and then delivering the game-winner with 0.2 ticks left in Detroit on Saturday.
BRICK: Steve Francis
Francis shot 14-for-45 in three games before finally pulling the plug and sitting out Saturday with a back injury. Thanks in part to his ailment, Houston has fallen behind the Lakers in the race for the No. 8 spot in the West.
Detroit Pistons at Sacramento Kings, Tuesday, 10 p.m. EST
The Pistons enter the week sporting the top record in the Eastern Conference, but they might not have it for long. Sacramento is the second stop on Detroit's five-game West Coast swing that also includes visits to the Lakers on Thursday and the Trail Blazers on Sunday -- and they're doing the whole trip in just seven days.
Sacramento Kings at Dallas Mavericks, Thursday, 9:30 p.m. EST
Detroit has a brutal week, but Sacramento's is no walk through the park, either. After hosting Detroit on Tuesday, they visit the Mavericks in a possible Western Conference finals preview Thursday, and then travel to red-hot San Antonio Saturday. Besides the Kings, those opponents hold the NBA's three best records as of Sunday.
Utah Jazz at Philadelphia 76ers, Friday, 7 p.m. EST
It's payback time for Matt Harpring -- or the 76ers. Harpring is enjoying a breakout year in Utah after putting up modest numbers with the 76ers a year ago, and as the year goes on he has been progressively less subtle in his critiques of the Sixers' Iverson-centric system. He'll get a chance to say hello to his former teammates Friday.
This department brings you thoughts and comments from around the country. Here's what people are saying this week:
Pointless strategy
Isiah Thomas was one of the game's greatest point guards, but ironically enough, he's using a point-free lineup for long stretches with the Pacers this season. More.
Mile-high club
Entertaining feature about NBA players' most harrowing flight experiences. I especially like the part about Travis Best bonding with Nelly. Shouldn't he symbolize this by sporting a prominent Band-Aid or something? More
Pippen to L.A. Scottie Pippen used to play for Phil Jackson. Scottie Pippen is a free agent after the season. Let the rumors begin, with three different papers chiming in on it Sunday. More - More - More
Dog days
This scathing indictment of the Hawks' Glenn Robinson somehow glosses over the biggest error in the trade: the first-round draft choice that almost certainly will end up in Milwaukee. More
Jawing with Javie
Notably short-fused official Steve Javie gets a well-deserved calling out for issuing questionable ejections to Rick Adelman and Hubie Brown in consecutive games this week. More.
Reliving the shot Christian Laettner looks back on his college career at Duke, back in the halcyon days before everyone considered him an underachieving whiner. More.
Mostly this space has been used to highlight rookies who have been making a big impact, but occasionally the Glance likes to take a look at those who have been less fortunate. Take Ryan Humphrey, for example. He was struggling with the Magic, but was at least getting minutes thanks to their decrepit front line. But upon being traded to Memphis this week, he was immediately banished to the injured list. Nothing like knowing you were a valued part of the deal, huh?
Prep phenom LeBron James' game Sunday was snowed out, so his jersey retirement was moved to Monday. Ummm... does anyone else have a problem with that last sentence? Jersey retirement? Don't you at least want to make sure the kid graduates first?
Meanwhile, back in the NBA's lower reaches, Cavs fans have been pleased to see that their team is just as uninspired under Keith Smart as it was under John Lucas. They hold a two-game "lead" over the Nuggets to have the most ping-pong balls in Secaucus; nobody else is close anymore, so it's down to those two for the best odds at LeBron.
This is the part where we ask you, the reader, to stop waving that towel on the sidelines, pull off the warmups, get on the floor and take some shots. Each week we'll ask a question and post the best responses a week later.
Last week WAAG asked which player will be the third pick in the draft, assuming LeBron James and Darko Milicic are the top two picks. Based on the responses, it looks like Carmelo Anthony won't be around for his sophomore year:
I take Carmelo Anthony, if he comes out. He is so athletic for 6-foot-8. He can shoot, drive and rebound. I see him stepping right in and making an impact. Nick Staie, Woodville, N.Y.
No question: With the third pick overall, I'd be taking calls from Elgin Baylor and Donald Sterling. John Redding, Dallas
It all depends on need. But if a team needs an active big body down low, Mike Sweetney of Georgetown would be a solid pick. Irvin Goodwin, Chester, S.C.
I am not sure that I wouldn't take Carmelo Anthony with the first or second pick. This kid is proven and he is a winner. Torrance Thomaston, Carrollton, Ga.
If he should come out early, no question Darius Rice of Miami. Lots of upside on a 6-foot-10 athlete who can play four positions. Steve Leslie, Lansdale, Penn.
No question, the pick is Carmelo Anthony. Simon Cott, Toronto
Carmelo Anthony. He has potential and reminds me of Scottie Pippen, and could grown into a superstar. Ryan Zehner, Glenside, Penn.
Third? Who cares? After No. 2 they're all the same. I'd trade the pick for future picks or current veterans. Brian Warren, Philadelphia
I would take high school center Kendrick Perkins. No one else, especially in college has more potential. Barry Heffner, San Diego
Jeffrey Jordan (a.k.a Mike's kid), because potential talent and not age is what drives today's NBA Draft. Brian Harpst, Los Angeles
Mike Sweetney, from Georgetown. He has the NBA size and game to contribute right away in the league. Quincy Simmons, Charlotte, N.C.
This week's topic: What trade deadline deal should have been made that wasn't?
John Hollinger covers the NBA for CNNSI.com. "Week at a Glance" appears each Monday during the season.
Mostly this space has been used to highlight rookies who have been making a big impact, but occasionally the Glance likes to take a look at those who have been less fortunate. Take Ryan Humphrey, for example. He was struggling with the Magic, but was at least getting minutes thanks to their decrepit front line. But upon being traded to Memphis this week, he was immediately banished to the injured list. Nothing like knowing you were a valued part of the deal, huh?
