Quick - somebody create an AndreIguodala4MVP account because we are officially in the Twilight Zone of media coverage of the Sixers. In Tom Ziller's weekly MVP power rankings, he has listed our very own overpaid role player who only scores points in the fast break and misses every foul shot he takes - at number 8.

Andre Iguodala is the best wing defender in the NBA right now, edging LeBron, Luol Deng and, in my opinion, Tony Allen. Philadelphia has the league's top defense largely because 'Dala allows almost no breathing room for his cover on an almost nightly basis. That's valuable.

Chew on that, why doncha. After exactly zero NBA GMs listed Andre as the best wing defender, he's finally getting some love in the form of "yeah, he's the best wing defender". It's about time. Check the list to see who he's listed behind, but he's currently in front of, well, every other player in the NBA save for 7 guys. Those of the majority include LaMarcus Aldridge, Russell Westbrook, and Blake Griffin. Cool.

Do you think Andre, with his 12.8 points per game, has any shot at a top 10 finish in the MVP voting? I don't, but that's not to say he doesn't deserve it. At the very least, he's a lock for the All-Star Game, right? RIGHT? Efficiency rules the day.

It's no surprise that the Night Shift is growing in popularity and exposure. As the Sixers currently have the 4th best record in all of basketball, their Kings of the Bench are opening national eyes to what kind of depth this team possesses. Most recently, it's an article on the growing importance of the 6th man by Mike Prada over at the SB Nation hub.

Good coaches understand the need to find players who can change the pace of the game during those moments. But there's also a larger sea change at play. Last summer, Thaddeus Young was a restricted free agent. The 76ers could have let him find his market and match any offer. They could have noted that he only averaged 12 points and five rebounds last year and made him an afterthought in their plans. Instead, they moved quickly to lock him up to a five-year, $42 million contract extension that pays him like a starter. The 76ers recognized how many games he changed coming off the bench and rewarded Young's sacrifice with a new deal.

While I still take issue with paying Thad that much money to come off the bench and be below-average at several crucial aspects of basketball, Prada is right in his assessment of how the Sixers approached things. Rod Thorn and Doug Collins know they don't have the talent or, as of now the interest, to claim an all-world superstar and beat teams by going to them again and again. So they opted for depth, youth, and a defensive system that has made everyone look good.

Between Young, Louis Williams, Evan Turner, and Nikola Vucevic (and a growing case can be made for Lavoy Allen), the Sixers have the best bench in the league. I'd argue that between the four of them and Jodie Meeks, they've got five 6th men. Grammatically that doesn't make the most sense, but so many guys on the team play with the attitude that they're only going to be in for X amount of time - they need to make the most of it. In some cases, that means fadeaway Boss three-pointers with 20 seconds left in the shot clock.

But in the case of last night, and so many other times when Thad or Evan et al have put the team on their backs, having that many sixth men is the biggest reason why the Sixers have punted themselves into legitimacy.

The Sixers finished the first half of their brutal eight-game stretch against the league's elite teams with a sterling 3-1 record. They destroyed Dwight Howard and the Magic – before letting up the last three minutes. They destroyed Derrick Rose and the Bulls. They destroyed the Hawks, in Atlanta, in the second game of a back-to-back. Yet all anyone wants to point to is their second 20+ point loss to the Miami Heat this season.

Look, the Heat are, hands down, the best team in the NBA. The Sixers were without Spencer Hawes and received a total of ZERO points from their starting center, Tony Battie and starting power forward, Elton Brand, yet they were only down four points after three quarters. They were blown out in the fourth. So what. That doesn't take anything away from the three impressive wins they had last week, along with the fact that they hung with the Heat for three quarters.

For the record, the Pacers lost to the Heat by 35, the Spurs lost by 22, the Lakers trailed by 21 after three, and the Mavs trailed by 32 after three. How come the media doesn't discredit those teams every time they have a nice win?

Anyway, make the jump to see where the Sixers rank amongst the national media.

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One and a half years later the Philadelphia 76ers have appeared to do very well in the past two NBA drafts, which is surprising, given the mass criticism both classes received at one time or another.

In 2010 the Sixers drafted Evan Turner second overall and beginning with the Summer League, he looked like a BUST. Sixers fans were worried and national media bashed the pick. Now, not so much, as Turner plays a significant role on the first place Sixers' bench.

Last June the Sixers held the 17th and 50th picks in an already weak draft. They ended up selecting Nikola Vucevic and Lavoy Allen. Following the draft the pitchforks were out and just about every Sixers fan despised the selections, especially Lavoy Allen. (Go back to last June's archives on this blog; it's not pretty). NBA Drafniks everywhere gave the Sixers mediocre grades on their class, which they appeared to deserve.

Now, with the Sixers 17-7 and Evan Turner, Nikola Vucevic and Lavoy Allen all contributing, to different degrees, people are re-thinking their criticism of the Sixers past two drafts. ESPN's David Thorpe comes out with rookie and sophomore rankings every year and keeps the rookie rankings updated throughout the season. Make the jump to see where Turner, Vooch and Lavoy rank.

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The Philadelphia 76ers haven't had an All-Star since 2006, when Allen Iverson representing the team in his last full season in Philly. Andre Iguodala may or may not have deserved an All-Star bid in year's past, but with the Sixers 17-7, sitting atop the Atlantic Division and receiving more national attention than they have in a long time, Andre Iguodala most definitely deserves to be there in 2012.

Detractors will point at his 13 points per game and say dumb stuff, but bottom line is Andre Iguodala deserves to be there. Our own Derek Bodner made a phenomenal counter to the Iguodala haters, so read it.

Luckily, it's not just the Liberty Ballers crew who think Dre deserves a spot. The national media has been lending plenty of support to Iguodala and the Sixers in general. Make the jump to see what talking heads put Iguodala on their imaginary All-Star ballot. Some surprise Sixers make a few lists as well.

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Sandwiched between last night's win over Dwight Howard and the Orlando Magic and tomorrow night's game against Derrick Rose and the Chicago Bulls comes an off day for the 15-6 Philadelphia 76ers.

Outside of Doug Collins addressing the shouting match he appeared to have with Evan Turner at the conclusion of last night's game, and a pick up game involving injured centers, Nikola Vucevic and Spencer Hawes, it's a fairly quiet day as far as Sixers news is concerned.

Luckily, there were two excellent pieces, with connections to the Sixers, published by prominent writers today. The first comes from Bomani Jones via SB Nation on Allen Iverson, and the second from Bethelehem Shoals, aka @freedarko, on why the Sixers are "the NBA's most compelling team".

Bomani on Iverson:

The city he played in, Philadelphia, loved him for his passion. His teams won. He brought home scoring titles, led his team to six playoff series victories and dragged a motley crew of role players to the NBA Finals. And, for better or worse, he brought his people with him. No matter how silly it was to support dozens of people, or how selfishly Iverson handled his role in a team sport, he'd reached places that once seemed impossible for him.

Shoals on the Sixers:

... I have no idea if Philly will be a force in the playoffs, but I know that these Sixers are intensely, irresistibly, watchable. At this moment. Whatever that means.

Shoals has an incredible way with words and makes me feel like the Sixers are something more than just a basketball team. I highly recommend giving both a read.

According to John Finger of CSN Philly, the Sixers called the New York Knicks regarding the availability of Amar'e Stoudemire:

According to a league source, the Sixers have inquired about Stoudemire, though it was categorized as "due diligence." Nothing is said to be imminent or even in the early stages other than just talk, the source said.

The Sixers would undoubtedly have to part with valuable assets, whether they be players or draft picks, to pull off a trade for Amar'e. This for a guy who, including this season, still has four years and approximately 83 million dollars left on his contract.

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Whether it comes in the form of a ridiculous no look, over the shoulder pass to former teammate Marreese Speights, a behind the back dime to Thaddeus Young in the Garden or posterizations of the entire New Jersey Nets team, Andre Iguodala has been the catalyst for quite a few highlight reels during his eight year career with the Philadelphia 76ers.

As a longtime Sixers fan and Andre Iguodala fan, it's very rare to see Dre do something on the basketball court that surprises or impresses me. He has a lot of miles on his body and is starting to get up there in age. The ferocious slams the young Andre Iguodala would bust out on a nightly basis are becoming few and far between.

However; during Saturday's win over the Detroit Pistons, Iguodala pulled off the self alley oop, off the backboard, in traffic, on a one man fast break. The play earned the number one spot on NBA.com's top 10 plays of the night. Make the jump to see the video.

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