Philadelphia 76ers Talk: 7 Reasons They Can Beat an Eastern Conference Power

With the NBA being the reactionary game that it is, many people have started to turn on the Philadelphia 76ers recently, thanks in part to the fact that they've lost four of their last five.

The criticisms are legitimate, especially considering that they have struggled in games against teams who are above .500, going 8-15, including a loss to the red-hot Knicks last night.

They've also struggled in close games, going 0-4 in games decided by three points or less.

However, I'm here to do two things. First, I want to take a minute to calm down the panicking Sixers fans out there, because they've got a lot to be excited about. Second, I want to take a second to make people really take a look at this team and re-evaluate what they see.

This is a dangerous, dangerous team for the rest of the playoff-bound teams to play, and if they don't take them more seriously than they were taken last year, big things could happen.

Let's take a minute, you just sit right there and let me tell you how this Sixers team could be the downfall of the No. 1 seed if things hold steady and they meet in the second round.

7. Ball Movement

Quick, without looking, who is leading the Philadelphia 76ers in assists? If you guessed Andre Iguodala with 5.6 a game, you'd be right.

From that it seems like they wouldn't be a very good passing team, especially when you've got point guards who do more scoring than passing.

However, the 76ers are eighth in the league in assists with just under 22 dimes a game. That's what makes them special.

Most of the time, players on that team look for the best shot on the floor, leading to everyone getting involved in the offense and everyone ending up with a handful of dimes.

6. Doug Collins

Doug Collins is one of those in-between coaches. He isn't quite one of the coaches everybody tends to agree on being a great coach, but nobody is out there lobbing insults his way.

The thing that has always intrigued me about Collins is his ability to join a team and automatically make them better, only to be fired or have his contract run out just a few years later.

In his career he has taken Chicago from 30 wins to 40, Detroit from 28 to 46, Washington from 19 to 37 and Philadelphia from 27 to 41 in his first year as the team's head coach. Whether teams give up on him or if he just doesn't have anything else to add after three or four years is up for debate, but he usually coaches well for two or three years and then teams move on.

What I'm saying here is that Collins is still in that window of improvement with these 76ers.

5. Rebounds

Along with being a great passing team, everyone on the Sixers does their job in the rebound department.

Philly is led by Spencer Hawes who grabs eight a game, but they have five other players who contribute at least four more each game including Elton Brand pulling down seven, with Evan Turner and Andre Iguodala each grabbing six.

With the great defense they play and some games where they struggle to score, there are plenty of rebounds that need to be pulled down.

4. Evan Turner's Surge

While he has been streaky in his second NBA season, Evan Turner has made a huge improvement from last season, when he was mostly a disappointment.

Turner has fit into the defensive scheme much better than he did last year, earning him more playing time and giving the team more trust in the young fellow.

Lately, Turner has been taking bigger, more important shots and his confidence has gone through the roof. He's begun to play with a definite increase in swagger, which is always a good thing.

3. Experience

There were two things I liked about the Philadelphia 76ers coming into this season. First was the fact that they were holding over almost every player they had from last year's team. Second was that they gained valuable playoff experience last season.

For a team with this many young players even just a few games in the playoffs is enough to get them the experience necessary to be confident going forward.

Sure, they only won one game out of five against the Miami Heat, but those Heat fans would be lying if they said that Philly didn't put up a bit of a tougher fight than they could have ever imagined.

2. The 2004 Detroit Pistons

You may ask yourself, what exactly do the 2004 Detroit Pistons have to do with the 2012 Philadelphia 76ers? Well let me tell you fellows.

Back in 2004, the year when the Pistons won the NBA Championship, Detroit had their own struggles against good teams during the regular season, going just 22-18 against teams above .500. Hell, they had their problems in close games as well, finishing the season 6-12 in games decided by three or fewer points.

Sound a bit like the 76ers?

Well I'm not done there. Detroit happened to be the second-best defensive team in the regular season, allowing just over 84 points a game. Once the playoffs came along the pace slowed down and a defensive grind was the name of the game, something the Pistons excelled in.

Wait just another second, because I'm still not done. The main criticism of those Pistons was that there was no one player that was the "star" of their team, rather that the team as a whole was a star.

Philadelphia is the first team since Detroit where the team was the star and their defense was the biggest reason for their success.

1. Defense, Defense, Defense

There's something to be said when all nine players who are a part of the regular rotation are a legitimate part of the team. Usually there are a few players who are fillers until the starters get back into the game, but the Sixers play defense in a way that everyone who hits the floor is important.

The Sixers are currently the best defensive team in the NBA, allowing just under 88 points per game, a full point ahead of the next closest team.

Philadelphia's defensive prowess is going to be even more important in the playoffs when the pace drags and every possession is increasingly important.

Philadelphia may have some shortcomings on the offensive end, but when you have a defense that can hold the highest scoring team in the league to just 84 points (they lost to the Heat 84-79 last Friday) then you've got a shot in every game you play.

The old saying goes offense wins games, but defense wins championships.

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