Philadelphia 76ers: Grading Every Player 3/4 Through the Season

The 2011-12 NBA season is three-fourths finished, and it seems like it was only yesterday we were waiting for the opening tip.

The Philadelphia 76ers' win last night over the Cleveland Cavaliers gave them first place in the Atlantic Division, and they currently stand at 28-22, half-a-game ahead of the Boston Celtics and three ahead of the New York Knicks.

It looks like it will be a dogfight the rest of the season, but NBA purists will love to see who will win the battle at the end.

Here are the player grades with three-fourths of the season finished.

Lou Williams

Lou Williams has been one of the Sixers stars this season averaging 15.5 points per game off the bench. A sure-fire candidate for Sixth Man of the Year, Lou should put himself in position to win the award easily if the Sixers take the Atlantic Division.

Grade: A

Andre Iguodala

Andre Iguodala has been hit with the injury bug as of late, missing the past two games for the Sixers, but they have been holding firm without him going 1-1 with a win over the Cleveland Cavaliers and a loss against the San Antonio Spurs. Iggy has always been a versatile player, but with the way the team jumped out to a 20-9 start, he showed that he could be a winner. However, due to the Sixers 8-14 slide afterwards, his grade is a bit lower.

Grade: B

Elton Brand

Elton Brand has been averaging among the fewest points per game in his NBA career. This is due partly to his age as well as the ball distribution on the team. He simply is not the main scoring option most nights and has been relegated to a third option. That being said, he has had a couple good scoring nights where he showed off his former All-Star self, but not nearly enough to the Sixers liking.

Grade: C+

Jrue Holiday

The Sixers' first-round pick from 2009 has had a solid year, with 13 points per game to go along with 1.6 steals. He has been healthy, playing in every game and has shown he has what it takes to compete at an NBA level. He gets a good grade for his durability.

Grade: B+

Thaddeus Young

Thaddeus Young has been nothing short of consistent this season. Scoring 12.8 points a game, Thad brings energy on both ends of the floor. He could easily have a larger role on the team, but Doug Collins likes him off the bench, and he is thriving there.

Grade : B-

Spencer Hawes

Spencer Hawes has only played in 21 games this season and was a straight up beast when the Sixers started off 12-3. He has had to deal with injuries and missed over half the season so far. However, he is back healthy and playing regularly in the rotation.

Grade: C+

Jodie Meeks

Meeks erupted last night for 31 points, easily a career high. He was hot from beyond the arc, hitting seven out of 10 from long range. For the season, he has eight points per game, shooting 39 percent from beyond the arc. More importantly though, he is 89 percent from the line. Probably the best catch and shoot player on the team, Meeks will be important to a long playoff run this season.

Grade: B

Evan Turner

The man they call "E.T." is having an OK sophomore campaign after his mostly disappointing rookie season. His scoring is only up by a point from last season, and he has shown little improvement from last year. He has a big game here and there, but more is to be expected from the number-two-overall pick in the 2010 draft.

Grade: C

Nikola Vucevic

This years first-round pick for the Sixers has been serviceable, but he is still showing a lot of signs that he is still a rookie. Only averaging 5.9 points a game, there have been some nights when "Vuc" doesn't seem like he's even in the arena. He has shown games where he has good potential, but it may not be until next season we see his true form.

Grade: D

Craig Brackins

Craig Brackins has barely played this season and was supposed to have a major impact this season after showing good signs last year. He may be a bench player for a while as the Sixers don't seem like they are interested in playing the former D-Leaguer very much.

Grade: D

Tony Battie

Doug Collins loves his veterans, and that is what Tony Battie is to this team. He is a big body who can defend and give you minutes off the bench. Battie is no longer the player he was when he was starting for the Boston Celtics, but he still has a good role on the team.

Grade: C