Surprising Sixers

Evan Turner (Photo Courtesy of USAToday.com)

Show of hands...how many of you had the Philadelphia 76ers leading the Atlantic Division and the Eastern Conference's third best team at this stage of the season?

Personally, I didn't. I thought they'd be a decent young team, but I didn't think they'd be ahead of the likes of Chicago, New York and Brooklyn. The Sixers, led by new head coach Brett Brown, are starting to open some eyes. Granted, I know it's early...but look at the body of work they've put together so far.

They opened the season with three straight wins, two of which were against Miami and Chicago who have been picked to win the East by some analysts.  Plus they've defeated a Houston Rockets team that some expect to make a big splash in the Western Conference with the addition of Dwight Howard.

Yeah, they're 5-4 now and they did hit a few bumps in the road, but how many people really expected them to be at this stage right now. In recent history, the Sixers haven't been all that impressive. But they're starting to build something and revitalize their organization as a culture to be reckoned with.

Michael Carter-Williams (Photo Courtesy of Philly.com)

Led by Evan Turner and rookie  Michael Carter-Williams, this Philadelphia may be the surprise of the league if they keep playing well. It's still early and there is a lot of basketball to be played, but don't expect the Sixers to fall off. As long as they stay healthy and continue to compete, Philadelphia will have a shot at shaking things up in the East.

Here's where the problem lies. The Sixers average 105 points per game and give up an average of 108 per contest. Right now, opponents are shooting 44 percent from the field against them and Philly is giving the ball away almost 18 times a game. If the Sixers can shore things up on defense and do a better job of taking care of the basketball, they could be a tall order to deal with later this season.