The Philadelphia 76ers are finally ending their seven-game stretch against winning teams on Feb. 10. Of course, Sixers fans like myself and most NBA fans didn't picture the Los Angeles Clippers as a winning or first place team when the schedule was formed. But as it turns out, this is the first Sixers-Clippers game in recent history - if not ever - that matches up two winning, would-be elite franchises.
Philadelphia and Los Angeles have been the most surprising first-place teams in the NBA this season. Of course, they have done so in vastly different ways, as the Sixers are superstar free and the Clippers are riding two superstars in Blake Griffin and Chris Paul. But the Sixers are technically ahead of the Clippers in their development since they were already a playoff team last year - and they have a better record so far in 2012 despite not having a Griffin or Paul.
Even when facing elite opponents in the last two weeks, Philadelphia has stayed better than respectable by going 4-2 against the Orlando Magic, Chicago Bulls, Miami Heat, Atlanta Hawks, Los Angeles Lakers and San Antonio Spurs. The Sixers did lose to two of the best teams in this group in the Heat and Spurs, yet they wrap up against a Clippers club that is in the same boat and trying to break into their conference's elite faster than expected.
There could be long term trouble for both squads, as Philadelphia is still a long shot to hang with superstar-laden teams in the playoffs and Los Angeles no longer has Chauncey Billups for veteran leadership. Billups being out for the season does benefit the Sixers for this game, after he put daggers into them for years with the Detroit Pistons. It is also the last break for Philadelphia during this tough stretch, as it also benefited from catching Orlando and Los Angeles's other basketball team when they were down.
For all the progress that the Sixers and Clippers have made this season already, they still have a long way to go before their critics are answered. The Heat have already proved that the Sixers aren't at a Miami or Chicago level, as the No. 3 spot in the East could be as high as they go. As for the Clippers, they have decades of futility that can still rear their ugly head, with the Billups injury as the first ominous sign.
The Sixers are ending a revealing stretch of games while the Clippers have to start a new shorthanded era at the same time. After this battle, both Philadelphia and Los Angeles will go their separate ways and go back to being the biggest question marks in each other's conferences. They can each shake up the East and West's power structure in the months ahead - but they can still also easily be exposed as frauds as well.
Robert Dougherty is a life-long Philadelphia resident and 76ers fan.
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