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Five things to ponder about the Sixers this season

1. Will they be much improved from last season? Improved, yes. Much improved? Probably not. Getting better from 27 wins will happen just because Doug Collins is the new head coach.

How will new Sixers coach Doug Collins (right) use No. 2 pick Evan Turner (left) this season? (Michael S. Wirtz / Staff Photographer)
How will new Sixers coach Doug Collins (right) use No. 2 pick Evan Turner (left) this season? (Michael S. Wirtz / Staff Photographer)Read more

1. Will they be much improved from last season? Improved, yes. Much improved? Probably not. Getting better from 27 wins will happen just because Doug Collins is the new head coach. He is very good at looking at what he has and making it work best out on the court, something last season's coach, Eddie Jordan, simply couldn't do. The problem is that Collins doesn't have a lot of really good pieces to try to fit together. The Sixers are a team filled with peripheral pieces, with no real solid foundation. There is no one player you can give the ball to when a basket is needed and know the probability is good that he'll score or get to the foul line. There is no one who will continually put up 20 points, or grab 10 rebounds, or deal 10 assists. That is why there won't be a huge jump from last season's win total.

2. Where will Evan Turner, the No. 2 pick in this year's draft, fit in? It has become quite evident since practices began on Sept. 28 that Turner plays better when he has the ball in his hands. Big problem there, because guard Jrue Holiday has rightfully been penciled in by Collins as his 35-minute-a-game guy at the point. Turner has struggled learning to play without the ball. He has shown a very good ability to rebound, to use his size over smaller guards, and is getting better at creating for himself, but again, that's with the ball in his hands. Turner isn't very good at hiding his emotions on the court, and so far the word to best describe his emotions is frustrated.

3. Who will be in the starting lineup? Because of injuries and experiments by Collins this preseason, this unit has changed almost daily. If the team is fully healthy by tomorrow night, look for it to be Holiday at the point, Andre Iguodala at shooting guard, Jason Kapono at small forward, Elton Brand at strong forward and Spencer Hawes at center. Lou Williams probably will be the first guard off the bench and Marreese Speights the first big man. Thad Young, Andres Nocioni and Turner also will get minutes. Look for the rotation to be shuffled a lot in the early part of the season as Collins continues to try to figure out whom he wants on the court and when.

4. Are they going to look to make some trades? Without a doubt. Team president Rod Thorn wasn't brought in to sit by and just evaluate the current group of players. He and general manager Ed Stefanski certainly are talking to teams that would be willing to deal a player or players who would help this team now, or teams that are willing to deal expiring contracts. Iguodala is one of the most enticing names in the league for teams that are looking for that one extra piece to put them over the top. That puts the Sixers in a good position, especially if they could do something that would allow them to unload some contracts at the end of the year.

5. Why has this franchise fallen so far from a playoff team two seasons ago? One reason is probably the coaching carousel that has included Maurice Cheeks, Tony DiLeo, Jordan and now Collins in less than two seasons. Losing a capable vet like Andre Miller hurt more than people think. This team just seems to lack true leadership, someone who will grab the team's attention when things aren't going well and right the ship. Miller could do that. Again, it's a squad filled with peripheral pieces.