Sixers bracing for stiffer competition

THERE IS NOTHING about the 76ers' 14-6 record that coach Doug Collins wouldn't have accepted if he was told before the season that they would be playing at a .700 winning clip after 20 games.

Like any other coach, though, Collins isn't satisfied and, quite frankly, still isn't totally sure of what type of team he is overseeing.

He does know that their brand of team-first basketball has produced eight players averaging more than 9.4 points a game, none higher than 15.7; a league-best 1.92-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio (445 assists, 232 turnovers); a league-low average of 87.0 points against and a second-best .418 percent field-goal percentage allowed.

What he's not really sure about is how his Atlantic Division-leading team stacks up against the powerhouses of the league. It's not the fault of Collins or his team that 11 of their wins have come against teams with losing records. Many of them have been of the blowout variety, prompting fans to wonder if they can win close games. On their way to a 3-13 start last season, they found ways to lose close games to bad teams in unthinkable fashion. This year, they're not losing close games to bad teams - the Sixers are simply blowing them out, rarely leaving the outcome in question.

After Friday's not-as-close-as-the-score-indicated 89-72 romp over the Charlotte Bobcats, Collins spoke of his team needing to change things up a little bit, to get out on a road trip. After Saturday's blowout over the Detroit Pistons, the Sixers had played 12 of 15 games at the Wells Fargo Center.

They will be home for six of their next seven games, too, but the complacency that Collins fears will be as thoroughly wiped out as most of the Sixers' home opponents.

Tonight, Wednesday and Friday the Sixers will host, in order, the Orlando Magic, the Chicago Bulls and the Miami Heat. After a Saturday game at Atlanta, they will then do the Monday-Wednesday-Friday thing at home, this time against the Lakers, San Antonio Spurs and Clippers. All teams with winning records. All teams capable of making long runs in the playoffs. All teams the Sixers need to know if they are on a par with.

This season is a strange one. Because of the condensed schedule, inconsistent play and injuries have led to uncertainties about teams' identities. The Sixers are no different.

There's no denying that they have beaten up on many of the league's lesser teams, but they have done it for a good stretch without starting center Spencer Hawes, who has missed the past six games with an Achilles' strain. Hawes' backup, Nikola Vucevic, has missed four straight with a quad contusion.

So how do you gauge most teams in the league this year?

"It is a very tough thing to gauge," Collins said. "You don't know night to night who's going to play. You prepare and all of a sudden somebody [who is banged up] is a game-time decision and you don't know if they're going to play or not. We're not going to rush somebody back. It is a lot different [than normal seasons]."

Said forward Andre Iguodala, who posted the eighth triple-double of his career on Saturday with 10 each of points, assists and rebounds in the 95-74 win over the Detroit Pistons: "I think it's like any other year in that teams play up and down and you don't know what you're going to get. Teams go on five-game winning streaks and they're playing great or they can drop five and then they're not playing so well, whether it be injuries or something that doesn't show up on the stat sheet. Any given time a team can go on a run. Definitely in a condensed season that may happen."

At the same time, Iguodala emphatically professed, "We know we're a good team."

Their record says they are, but some will insist that's a byproduct of the favorable early schedule. Others will say their style of play is the way of the NBA now, that in a shortened season, superstars can not be relied on to carry teams as much and having a plethora of threats is the way to go. Those debates can be bantered about endlessly and with no reachable certainty.

One thing is certain for Collins and his Sixers as they embark on one of the toughest, most exciting parts of their schedule; the complacency will quickly become a thing of the past over the next couple of weeks, starting tonight. The next fortnight will certainly have a playoff atmosphere.

And like the playoffs always do, these games should tell fans a lot about their Sixers.

Doug Collins cautiously said he was hopeful that Spencer Hawes would be able to return to play for tonight's game. With a complete day off yesterday, Hawes' status will probably depend greatly on his workout during shootaround this morning . . . Orlando starting point guard Jameer Nelson, the St. Joe's great, will miss tonight's game against the Sixers because he is suffering from concussion-like symptoms, coach Stan Van Gundy said. Nelson absorbed two shots to the head during Friday night's loss to New Orleans. Van Gundy said Nelson is suffering from nausea. He didn't play last night in Orlando. Chris Duhon will start at point guard in Nelson's place and will be backed up by Larry Hughes . . . Barring any serious improvement, rookie center Nikola Vucevic still could be out for at least two more games . . . Thaddeus Young said his back was still "hurting pretty good" following Friday's win, but that he continues to feel improvement with treatment. On Saturday, he played a season-low 18 minutes, scoring eight points.