With almost half of the season's games already in the bag and All-Star Weekend rapidly approaching, it is time for a look back at how the Sixers did in the first half of the season.

After a slow start to the season where the Sixers looked like one of the most disappointing teams in the NBA, the Sixers have righted the ship and are currently riding a seven game win streak.

They are also .500 for the first time since November 24 and are second in the Atlantic Division.

Pros

Andre Iguodala

The 'Sixers season has gone where Iguodala has gone. When he started the season on a scoring slump averaging just 13 points a game, the 'Sixers got off to a slow start as well. But now that he has scored at least 20 plus points in 10 of his last 12 games, the Sixers have won seven games in a row to improve to .500.

All aspects of his game have improved since the beginning of the season. In November, he was shooting 40 percent from the field and 29 percent from three point land. He was averaging 13.3 points per game, 5.1 assists per game, and 1.6 steals per game. His woes continued into December shooting just 17 percent from beyond the arc.

However, in January Iguodala is shooting 57 percent from the field and over 48 percent from three point land. His scoring average is up to 23.6 points per game and he is averaging 6.7 assists per game.

His steals are up to 2.1 per game. He is even limiting his turnovers now, averaging three per game in November down to 2.2 per game in January. Iguodala has been the main force behind the Sixers turn around and they will need to continue to bank on him if they want to keep winning games.

The Bench

Many teams in the NBA, including the Celtics for one, have trouble finding points off the bench. The 'Sixers have not had that problem this season. Rookie Marreese Speights and Lou Williams have played so well in reserve of the starters that they continue to get more and more minutes as the season rolls on.

Both players have really seen their playing time increase under new coach Tony DiLeo.

Lou Williams has averaged 12.3 points per game in an average of just 22.2 minutes per game this season. He still needs work on not turning the ball over as much, but has been a great scoring option for the Sixers off the bench.

Although he has been in the league for a few years, Williams is still very young at just 22 and is still developing into a great player for the 'Sixers.

Rookie Marreese Speights has been a pleasant surprise for the 'Sixers and has been one of the best rookies in the NBA this season. On the season, he is scoring 8.3 points per game in just under 16 minutes per game.

But as the season has progressed he minutes and scoring have increased. In January, he is averaging 11.3 points per game in 20.5 minutes per game. He is also up to six rebounds per game this month.

Although he is still a liability sometimes on defense, Speights' offensive ability is too great to leave on the bench which is why he continues to get quality minutes. With Elton Brand set to return very soon, Speights' minutes may take a little drop, but DiLeo will still try to get Speights in the game as much as possible.

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