This edition of “Fo’ with the Foes” – Philadunkia’s advanced scouting series which with the help of an accomplished journalist from around the NBA beat or blog world, previews key upcoming 76ers games – features tonight’s opponent, the Cleveland Cavaliers who won four straight games heading into All-Star weekend.

After the jump, I’ll look a Fo’ key items for tonight’s game.  Additionally, we’ll get a little more insight into the Cavaliers team the Sixers face tonight from our colleagues Scott Sargent at waitingfornextyear.com as Scott will answer Fo’ questions on the Cavs from us here at Philadunkia.

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With the first half of the 2013-14 season thankfully behind the 76ers (54 games to be precise), and the NBA all-star break officially over, let’s take a minute to consider if Brett Brown ever questions what he has gotten himself into.

From the improbable 3-0 start to the season that saw the 76ers jump from last to first in numerous online power rankings, to the historically deplorable defense that has been played, to the career offensive stats put up by Thad, Turner and Hawes, to terribly poor 3-point shooting (31% – 29th in the NBA), Brown’s first season with the Sixers has been anything but normal.

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There is no doubt in our minds that Michael Jordan is the G.O.A.T. and we genuflect out of respect for his basketball skills and accomplishments at both the NCAA and NBA levels.  Outside of former Philadelphia Warrior and City of Brotherly Love native Wilt Chamberlain, perhaps no basketball legend is more deserving of having his greatness recognized on his birthday than Michael.  Hoops web sites all over the world will be paying homage to #23 today and rightly so.

However, Philadunkia is a blog dedicated to the Philadelphia 76ers – the good and the bad; on and off the court.  So even though we realize that MJ absolutely owned our home team during his playing days – from the 56 he dropped on Barkley back in 1987 to the “Stackhouse Game” to the 40 spot he hung on Iverson in 2001 – we felt this 76er loyal site should “flip the script” as they say and on MJ’s 51st birthday run down a list of the best moments in 76ers history that occurred at the expense of Air Jordan and his teammates.

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Headed into the All-Star break the 76ers have lost eight straight and if you were one of the few in denial all season, than the gig is up.  The Sixers are in full blown tank mode.  Inside of those eight losses a long list of things have gone wrong.  One of the issues has been the fact that Sixers 2014 first round pick Michael Carter-Williams has been playing some of the worst basketball of his rookie year.

So a good deal of Philadunkia nation is probably wondering, “Is it time to be concerned with MCW?”  

In my opinion the answer is very simple….

HELL NO.

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To say the the 76ers have struggled mightily to remain competitive over the last two weeks is an understatement.  Over the last 10 games, the roster and head coach which Sam Hinkie assembled for this season have redefined the concept of tanking in professional sports.  This past week, the season of the tank hit rock bottom as the Sixers became the second team in NBA history to lose by 40-plus points in consecutive games and their losing streak reached a season worst 8 games.

In addition to horrific defense and MCW’s shooting slump, a great deal of the blame for the steep nose dive the Sixers have taken over the last two weeks has been placed in front of Evan Turner’s locker.  While there’s no doubt that Turner has played very poorly during the Sixers most recent stretch of pathetic basketball,  I am here to tell you that he’s not the only veteran on this roster who deserves blame.

(I’m looking at you Spencer Hawes.)

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Monday night in Manhattan, Kansas the Jayhawks fell to the Kansas State Wildcats in overtime, 85-82.  This loss is the second in their past four games for Bill Self’s sqaud, but in no way do these losses fall on freshmen star Andrew Wiggins.

Last week, I called for the freshmen to have a more cerebral game that didn’t involve him imposing pre-meditated shots, but rather, to take what the defense gave him.  Well in his past two games he has had 16 and 19 points respectively.  The freshman is a combined 10-26 from the field in his past two games and 0-7 from three.  You would think with shooting stats like that Wiggins would be averaging about 10 points but in fact he is averaging 17.5 in his last two contests thanks to free throws.  Wiggins was aggressive for the second straight game last night, going 8-15 from the free throw line and going 7-10 from the stripe two days prior.

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It goes without saying that the scribes here at Philadunkia have grown weary of discussing the 76ers on the court ills during this season of the tank.  Long before this week’s depressing home losses to the also-tanking Celtics and the depleted Lakers our water cooler talk had turned to discussing what trades Sam Hinkie could possibly put together in an effort to rebuild this franchise.

The usual trade suspects on the 76ers’ roster — Thad, Turner and Hawes – are mentioned in these daily deadline discussions.  We’ve all read the rumors or reports from “sources” about possible trade destinations for the three veterans on this team.  To be honest, it seems like those stories have been circulating online since the Sixers broke camp.

However, with the NBA trade deadline just 11 days away, a fresh trade idea was proposed by one of the scribes here at Philadunkia that would put Dwight Howard in a 76ers uniform.  After the jump, that potential trade will be outlined and discussed.

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With the trade deadline quickly approaching, the Sixers will eventually have to make a move with Evan Turner if they don’t want to risk having him walk for nothing this summer, or pay a pretty penny to retain his services.

There is some interest around the league, as he has shown that he can score this season (even if his numbers are inflated because of the Sixers’ blistering pace), including from some serious interest from Charlotte.

According to the Charlotte Observer’s Rick Bonnell, the Bobcats have already inquired about acquiring Turner, and if Charlotte is willing to part with a pick, then the move makes sense for both sides.

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Why do people go back to the same barber over and over again?

Consistency.

They know they will get the same top quality haircut every time they go in for a visit.  Consistency is the one thing Kansas star Andrew Wiggins has not shown in his hair styles, nor his play, and it could be the reason the Jayhawks are not seeing their full potential.

Saturday afternoon in Austin, the Jayhawks fell to the Texas Longhorns 81-69 in a game that was not as close as that score might indicate.  Shot blocking and rebounding are usually statistics that fall in the favor of Kansas (thanks to Joel Embiid), but on Saturday that was not the case and it turned out to be a deciding factor for the ‘Horns.  The Longhorn front-court of Cameron Ridley and Jonathan Holmes was a force to be reckoned with as they helped Texas to twelve blocks and the shocking victory.

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Remember when the Washington Redskins started out less than stellar in Robert Griffin’s rookie year?  This prompted Head Coach Mike Shanahan to say after one his many losses that year,  “We’re not playing for the playoffs, were playing to find out who will be on this roster for years to come”.   Well that is what is taking place during 76er games this year, especially with the reserve players.

We all know that the 76ers are tanking this year but there are still pertinent tasks that need to be completed.  One of these tasks is finding out who will be able to be a reliable option coming off the bench for the foreseeable future.  The answer might be former Georgetown Hoya / D-Leaguer, Hollis Thompson.  The 6’8, two hundred and six pound rookie has had an up and down season but might finally be hitting his stride going into the All-Star break.  If Thompson can continue to make positive contributions, he may play himself into a new contract and could be 76er for some time.

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