Will the Sizzling Philadelphia 76ers Contend for an NBA Title?

Before the 2012 NBA season began, several teams were considered legitimate threats to win the NBA championship.

The Philadelphia 76ers were not among them.

Yet, after winning six straight games to improve to 7-2 on the season, you have to ask yourself now if they belong in that conversation.

The answer is yes.

The Dallas Mavericks showed us last season that you can win a title playing as a team.

While this Sixers team may lack a true superstar, they are a considerably deep team that gets contributions from everyone on their roster. Currently, six 76ers are currently averaging in double figures.

What they lack in true superstar talent, they make up for by doing everything well.

First of all, they can score the basketball. They're the third-highest scoring team in the league at 101.6 points per game.

That's great, but what they win with is defense. Led by shutdown perimeter defender Andre Iguodala, the Sixers lead the NBA in points allowed per game, surrendering only 85.6 points per night.

That's not all they do well.

Philadelphia ranks second in the NBA in rebounding and seventh in the league in assists.

Right now, there aren't too many teams playing as well as the Sixers.

The one problem they may run into down the road is having that superstar come playoff time. Come the summer months, it's nice to have a guy to lean on in the fashion that Dallas did with Dirk Nowitzki last season.

So, while the Sixers may not be your sexy pick to win a title, if they keep playing this way, they surely will at least contend for one.