Midseason look at the Sixers

MONDAY'S LOSS to the Washington Wizards marked the halfway point of the season for the 76ers. Fans can look at it two ways: "Thank God the season's almost over," or; "Oh my God, there's still half a season to go."

Either way, the midway point of one of the worst seasons in team history has now passed, and what have we learned? Maybe not enough, maybe too much. The eight wins in now 42 games isn't the measurement of this team. You have to look deeper to see what the future may bring.

"I think we've made tremendous strides in our defense and the defensive stats reflect that," coach Brett Brown said. "I'm proud of our defense. In regards to where we're at and what I'm pleased with, our halfcourt defense has been really good. We're moving in the direction that we want. We still have to continue offensively to just pass the ball and share the ball so much better. I think that we're getting there. Sometimes it gets deflating when we don't make shots at the end of those good passes, but I see it being mostly that as a team. I'm thrilled with the development that the guys are making."

Here are some midseason thoughts:

MVP: Michael Carter-Williams. I understand that this will make some eyes roll, but he simply is. He is one of the best rebounders on the team, it's best at distributing the ball and it's most consistent scorer. His game can be maddening at times, with the amount of turnovers (league-leading 4.3), the jump shot that would have to improve to be called inconsistent and all those turnovers. But here's how I look at it: He is really good at getting to where he wants to get on the court. The problems come when he gets into the lane and either takes one or two too many dribbles or forces up a shot against bigger defenders. Look at it this way, though: Say next year he is still very good at getting that defender on his hip and beating him to the lane. Imagine if he has a healthy Joel Embiid to throw it to, and perhaps Jahlil Okafor. And what if the team adds another strong shooter, someone even better than Robert Covington? Of course he has to improve his outside shot, and maybe develop a specialty, like a floater in the lane or a pull-up 10-footer. I'm on board right now with him being the point guard of the future. I am anxious to see what he might be able to do once he is surrounded by more talent. Having to sit out the whole summer recovering from shoulder surgery certainly wasn't ideal. Perhaps the disappointment in him by fans is because expectations were so high.

Biggest surprise: Robert Covington. Here is a kid who wasn't in the league to begin the season and he is probably the go-to guy offensively for the Sixers. He is shooting 39 percent from three-point range, which is amazing because he is the only legitimate long-range shooter on the team. That means it's not hard for defenses to find him and run him off the three-point line. He has shown to be more of a scorer than just a bomber, with strong drives to the basket and is above-average on pull-ups. His offense will only get better once the Sixers have an inside threat, like Joel Embiid and/or someone who is still playing in college.

Most eye-opening: This is based on from the beginning of the season to the halfway point. I'm going to give it to K.J. McDaniels. Though he is struggling right now and no doubt looking forward to the All-Star break, the second-rounder out of Clemson has been a real eye-opener. There are many shortcomings, which Brett Brown is quick to point out - one-on-one defense, shot selection, etc. - but he has shown big-play ability at both ends of the floor. He gets after the ball like no one else on offensive rebounds and his off-the-ball shot-blocking is among the best in the league. He appears to have the ability to improve in areas in which he is lacking and could be a real good get from the second round.

Biggest disappointment: This isn't a slam on him because he has been sick and who knows when he'll be able to return to full strength. But, the hope before the season was that Hollis Thompson would be one of the team's most consistent scorers and its best outside-shooting threat. The Sixers haven't gotten that from him. He seemed reluctant to look for his shot early in the season then got railroaded by an upper respiratory infection that cost him 11 games. If he can right his body ready for the second half of the season, he could be a huge help to a struggling offense.

Most reliable: The only slam dunk of the midseason awards, this goes to Luc Mbah a Moute. He is Brett Brown's security blanket. "I think the thing that stands out when you're talking about defense is that when Luc Mbah a Moute doesn't play there is a veteran toughness in an individual matchup that goes missing. When you can go into a game and say, 'Luc, you have Carmelo [Anthony]' or 'You have Paul Pierce' or 'You have Al Jefferson.' When you don't have that stop guy, plus you miss that physical, veteran presence, our young guys get exposed. That's stood out most to me [Monday].

On Nerlens: This has been the toughest piece of the puzzle to figure out. Noel has shown flashes, at times, of a strong defensive presence at the rim. He has improved a bit offensively, relying on his left hand and a quick, one-dribble move to the rim. But there needs to be more consistency. I've said since the beginning of the season, if he can get two baskets by running the floor, two put-backs and make four of six free throws a game, that's OK. Still, there need to be a consistency.

"I think I'm real critical on myself, so I think I have to improve on a lot of things and I want to improve on a lot of things," he said. "Like any other player I want to push myself to be better."

Brett Brown said the team still had no word on Tony Wroten's right knee injury. Wroten flew back from Los Angeles yesterday after having further tests done. Also, Nerlens Noel was sent home from practice due to an upper respiratory infection.

Raptors (27-15) at Sixers (8-34)

When: Tonight, 7 o'clock

Where: Wells Fargo Center

TV/Radio: Comcast SportsNet/The Fanatic (97.5 FM)

Game stuff: The Raptors are just 3-8 over their last 11 games. Guard DeMar DeRozan has been struggling of late. He failed to score in a win Monday in Milwaukee and shot just 2-for-11 in Wednesday's loss to Memphis.

Sixers at Grizzlies (30-12)

When: Tomorrow, 8 o'clock

Where: FedEx Forum, Memphis

TV/Radio:  Comcast SportsNet/The Fanatic (97.5 FM)

Game stuff: Zac Randolph is back in a big way. The Grizzlies' big man missed nine games with a sore knee. He has had a double-double in all seven games since returning.

Sixers at Pelicans (21-21)

When: Monday, 8 o'clock

Where: Smoothie King Center, New Orleans

TV/Radio:  Comcast SportsNet/The Fanatic (97.5 FM)

Game stuff: The Pelicans have been hit hard by injury of late as both Anthony Davis (toe) and Jrue Holiday (leg) have missed time. Davis returned Wednesday after missing three games and scored 29 points in a win against the Lakers. Holiday will be out 2-4 more weeks.

Pistons (17-26) at Sixers

When: Wednesday, 7 o'clock

Where: Wells Fargo Center

TV/Radio: Comcast SportsNet/The Fanatic (97.5 FM)

Game stuff: Hard to believe this team began the season at 5-23. They are getting contributions from everyone right now. They scored a season-high 128 points against Orlando on Wednesday, getting 24 points and 21 assists from Brandon Jennings.

19: That's how many games in a row the Sixers have not scored over 100 points.

88.4: That's how many points the Sixers are averaging over the past 19 games.

4-4: That's the Sixers' record in games decided by five points or less this season.