What Santa should have brought to the Sixers

THE 76ERS woke up yesterday scattered around the country as most of the players traveled to be with their families after a brief practice on Sunday. They will get back together tonight in Phoenix for an evening practice in preparation for Saturday's game against the Suns.

Though it's not known what Santa brought those in the organization on Christmas, here's a look at what might have been a welcomed present for some.

* Coach Brett Brown: A short memory. He is building for the future with few rewards for it now. He must be able to forget many of the performances he sees during games and just focus on the big picture.

* Michael Carter-Williams: Health. The rookie has missed 11 games because of two different injuries. He has shown he can be very special in the NBA when he's playing. He needs to get through the rest of the season injury free.

* Evan Turner: Belief in himself. Turner sells himself as extremely confident in his game, but there are many times he seems to get very down on himself. His numbers show he can be a very good player in this league.

* Thaddeus Young: A trade. Young is the consummate professional who during his seven seasons has rarely been blessed with a chance to win. He would be a terrific addition to a very good team, and good things should happen to good people.

* Spencer Hawes: Another big man. Hawes is best suited to be a stretch power forward, allowing him to step out and drain his outside jump shot. He is having a very good season. Imagine if he were paired with a true center once in a while.

* Tony Wroten: Discipline. He is so much fun to watch and has improved his NBA game tremendously. The only problem is when he gets a little too out of control. If he can harness that a bit, without taking away from his aggressiveness, he has a long future in the league.

* James Anderson: A quick trigger. Anderson, much like former Sixer Lou Williams, has the habit of pump-faking almost every time he goes to take a jumper. It's either a lack of confidence in the shot or a bad habit. He must let it fly quicker.

* Nerlens Noel: Patience. Imagine being 19 and told you can't play the sport you love for more than a year, even though you believe your body can do it. That's where he is in his recovery from his torn ACL. It will be a lot of fun watching his athleticism on the court, but probably not until next season.

* Lavoy Allen: Adrenaline. The Temple product has so many skills that could keep him in this league for 10-plus years. The problem is he doesn't seem to want to use them to the best of his ability many nights. That dreaded "motor" issue he had when he came out of college is still sticking with him.

* Sam Hinkie: Flawless evaluation ability. This team will basically be turned upside-down before the start of next season, via draft, trades and free agency. For this franchise to start going in the direction it wants to, it needs to get almost everything right, not some things. And that falls on the general manager.

Blog: ph.ly/Sixerville