Look Out Knicks, Here Come the Sixers

It's been a completely different experience, watching the Sixers last year compared to this year is exactly like trying to relate night and day.

Yes, the Sixers are only 22-26, but if that's your first response then you are missing the bigger picture and that is this team is getting better by the day and getting to a point where they might be able to make some noise in the Eastern Conference playoff race.

Last night, the Sixers beat the helpless New Jersey Nets 106-92 and in the process have separated themselves from the bottom-bottom tier Eastern Conference teams (this means they're clearly better than all the teams below the Charlotte Bobcats, who currently reside in the eighth spot).

The Sixers are averaging 104 points per game in their last five wins and are becoming increasingly more comfortable on the fast break. Last night for example, the Sixers were able to pick up 35 fast break points compared to the Nets' 8.

And I mention the Knicks for a good reason, the Sixers now have a home and home series against a New York Knicks team desperately grasping the sixth spot in the East.

It was far-fetched a couple of weeks ago to fathom the Sixers being able to catch the Knicks, but one prolonged slump later, the Sixers are now only three games behind the Knickerbockers and they now can make a serious charge to change the outlook of the playoffs...in February at least.

There's still a lot of time left in the season, but it feels good to have meaningful games against the Knicks again, this weekend should be fun, for more than one reason.

Castillo in at D-Coordinator in Eagles Shocker

This was not the selection Eagles fans expected when Sean McDermott was shown the door,  after a lengthy search through many different candidates on many other teams, Andy Reid decided that the best answer was within.

Juan Castillo has become a Philadelphia Eagles lifer in a way as he's been with the organization for 16 years, he was first hired as an assistant coach back in 1995. Castillo eventually became the offensive line coach and the rest is history or infamy depending on who you ask.

The talk around the city has been primarily negative which is reasonable since one must assume that Castillo probablty wasn't the first, second, third, etc. choice for the job, but what determined Reid to end the hunt for a new defensive coordinator and settle on Castillo? That's the question many people are asking today.

Another dilemma with the hiring is that Castillo deserves the job because he's been around a lot of defenses and talked and collaborated with the late and great Jim Johnson, Reid sounded as sure as he's ever been in yesterday's press conference announcing Castillo as the new defensive coordinator.

The biggest positive to pull out of this puzzling move is the fact that Howard Mudd, formally of the Indianapolis Colts, will be coming out of retirement to replace Castillo as offensive line coach. It's a great move by Reid which helps to counteract the head scratcher on the other end of the ball.

Photo Courtesy of the Courier Post and Video Courtesy PhillySports24x7