What is wrong with the Sixers

The Sixers are 20-29 and are 2-8 in their last ten games.

They have shown some signs of the team they were expected to be only to swing downward in a display of, to be frank, sloppiness and lack of effort. This is what is wrong:

Injuries
Throughout the season they have been without the following players for extended periods of time: Allen Iverson, Glenn Robinson, Kenny Thomas, Derrick Coleman, Marc Jackson, Aaron McKie, Todd McCulloch (all season), Willie Green and Greg Buckner.

The lack of a cohesive unit practicing and playing together is a nightmare when trying to install any system and it is evident on the court that players are not comfortable with each others habits and court positioning. Even when the core squad is back and healthy, you have to expect a period of, at least, five games for some continuity to set in. It is too late in the season and they are too deep in a hole to contend for the expected top five spots in the Eastern Conference. The goal now is to secure the seventh or eighth spot in the playoff bracket -- and that is looking bleak.

Coaching
Injuries are not new to this team. In the past, under the Larry Brown years, an injured Sixers team demonstrated a solid understanding of defensive concepts and a tough mindedness. Injured Sixer teams in the past never left observers with the view that they lacked effort. They demonstrated solid rotations, good execution and plenty of moxie. This is not the case this year.

This year, the players (and in particular the core group: Allen Iverson, Eric Snow and Aaron McKie) have had to go near the sidelines repeatedly to discuss strategy with their coach, Randy Ayers. Without fail, the conversations have been long and they have demonstrated either a lack of understanding or resistance to Ayers' instructions.

Defensive rotations are poor -- particularly when it comes to interior defense. Offensive execution looks haggard and often random, activity often begins too late in the shot clock (around 12-14 seconds left).

Granted, injuries may have something to do with it, but a sign of good coaching is a team that does not look lax and provides clear effort. Add to this some puzzling substitutions and a tendency to throw junky zone defenses to stop the opposing team and you have a rudderless team.

Players
Anyone pointing fingers at Iverson is just not paying attention. Even though it pains me to say this, Eric Snow looks lost in the current system. His passes have been sloppy and he over-dribbles the ball deep into the shot clock. He has also been taking plenty of bad shots.

I am not sure whether Snow is in a funk because his abilities have eroded this year or whether he is not comfortable with Ayers' offensive schemes. Related to this -- the addition of Glenn Robinson to the team was supposed to take some pressure off AI. This is not happening and I think Ayers and/or Snow have not figured out how to best use Robinson.

Robinson has been a good addition, but he is a defensive liability. He also tends to float in the perimeter waiting for AI or some other player to pass him the ball after some penetration causes the defense to collapse. He is a good perimeter jump shooter but he needs to be more than that: he needs to do some dirty work near the basket. I don't think Ayers is using Robinson well.

I am still hopeful for a playoff appearance at the number eight seed, but I'm not optimistic about any progress beyond the first round.

I miss Larry Brown. It's time to take a serious look at Mo Cheeks and Jim O'Brien either now or in the off-season. I do not think a trade would fix the situation to make an impact this season and, in fact, I think it may hurt more than help (though I do have some thoughts about getting Rasheed Wallace into the mix).