Defense-first Speights would lift Sixers to new heights

PHILADELPHIA -- There are several questions surrounding the Philadelphia 76ers with one week to go before they tip off the season in Orlando next Wednesday.

One of them is the same question the Sixers have had for the last eight seasons: What will they get out of Samuel Dalembert?

The 6-foot-11 center has been Mr. Inconsistency for the greater part of his career, a player capable of getting 15 rebounds and six blocks or five boards and no blocks. Many league insiders believe he considers basketball to be more of a hobby than a job.

For the Sixers to be at their best, they may need second-year big man Marreese Speights to step up and earn more minutes.

A common sight at the Wachovia Center is Dalembert snaring an offensive rebound, only to follow it up with a 15-foot fadeaway that has the home crowd groaning before it leaves his hands. Most nights, the Sixers and their fans have to hope Dalembert can keep his careless mistakes to a minimum, and that none of them cost his team a game.

With Eddie Jordan as the Sixers' new coach, the question becomes: Can Dalembert play center in the Princeton offense? Jordan likes to say that the center is the "fulcrum" of the offense -- a player asked to handle the ball more often and make smart decisions with it, looking for the guards and forwards cutting to the basket. It also helps if the center has a solid mid-range jumper, as that will free up space for other players.

With those things in mind, Dalembert doesn't seem like the best fit.

The Sixers' best offensive unit may have Jason Kapono in for Dalembert and Elton Brand at center. Brand has been learning to play center in training camp, but because the center's responsibilities are much different from those of the forwards, it will take some time before he's comfortable. Plus, Brand is an undersized power forward, which means he'll definitely give up some length to whatever center he's matched up with.

Speights fits the Princeton well as he has a good mid-range jumper and decent low-post moves. He also runs the floor as well as any big man in the league, making the Sixers' transition game more dangerous.

Alas, the biggest issue with Dalembert is also a concern with Speights: Focus and consistency.

"He has the game," said the Sixers' Andre Iguodala. "That's never been a problem. The biggest thing with Marreese is staying consistent on the rebounding and defensive end. He gets lazy sometimes on defense, so we stay on him. He's a big, goofy guy. I don't think he knows how good he really is yet.

"I kind of compare him to Amar'e [Stoudemire]. Not as powerful, dunking on guys, but they both can step outside and make a shot and you can throw lobs to them. They have the exact same sort of skill set, but they both have been known to be sub-par defenders even though they have the capability to be good defenders."

Jordan watched film of the Sixers and told Speights that he had the skills to play center in the Princeton. Jordan said that with Speights on the floor, the Sixers will play through the center more than with Dalembert. He even said Speights looked "like a man playing among boys, just for a little stretch" in the Sixers' win over the Suns on Sunday.

But the numbers tell the story. While Speights gives the Sixers an offensive boost, he was a defensive liability last season and the reason Jordan can't just give Dalembert's minutes to the 22-year-old.

"Defensively, we want Samuel on the floor," Jordan says. "We are a better team defensively with him on the floor."

Though he's only an inch shorter than Dalembert, Speights doesn't have the wingspan of Dalembert. What Speights does have is the ability close the gap between he and Dalembert and lessen the defensive drop-off. With his offensive talent, the Sixers would be a better team in the long run.

"Mo can be an even better player than Sam," Iguodala says. "That's what we hope for. Each generation should be better.

"With him, it's just staying on top of him, making sure he's getting his work in and making sure he stays on top of his body."

When he learned he would be playing center, Speights bulked up to prepare for his second season. He says it's now just a matter of learning how to defend other centers in the league.

"He's come a long way," says Iguodala. "If he keeps making strides, he can be an All-Star."

The numbers used in this story were compiled with the help of the NBA.

John Schuhmann is a staff writer for NBA.com. You can e-mail him here.

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