The Sixers had grown tired of his act, and Dalembert had grown tired of coaches shuffling him in and out of the lineup.
Now, Dalembert is quickly becoming someone the Sixers can't do without.
The difference is perspective -- and Allen Iverson. And that was true even before Dalembert was visibly shaken last week by the earthquake that devastated Haiti, his homeland.
Instead of pouting about his lack of playing time, as he had in the past, Dalembert has learned to deal with it. Instead of demanding a trade, Dalembert has learned to appreciate the only team he has played for in his eight NBA seasons.
And instead of getting himself into constant foul trouble, or goaltending, Dalembert is . . . well, he's still doing those things, but not as often.
"I stopped making excuses," Dalembert said. "If I'm going to get 15, 20 minutes, I'm going out there to be the best I can be for 15, 20 minutes. I stopped pointing fingers at everybody else."
For some people, it simply takes longer to develop this perspective.
There was always the kind, caring Sammy, who every now and then would show the promise expected of him on the court. He gave freely of his time in the community, traveling the globe for Basketball Without Borders and donating money and resources to help in Haiti.
That was evident when he pledged $100,000 and agreed to match the funds donated for Haitian relief at the Sixers game Friday, which came out to be more than $30,000.
There was also the aloof, self-serving Sammy, who got himself kicked off the Canadian Olympic team in 2008. His needless fouls and goaltends made him seem clueless on the court.
We haven't seen much of the latter Sammy lately, and Iverson has had a lot to do with that.
"All you have to do is tell him to come play, and that's what he does," Iverson said. "It's easy for me to get him going. A lot of times before a game, I like to get him riled up, and he can transfer that into the basketball game."It's working.
Through his first seven games in January, Dalembert is averaging 13.4 points and 13 rebounds in 32 minutes per game.
Dalembert has already had two 20-rebound games this month, one of them being a 20-20 game. Three of his seven double-doubles this season have come in January.
There aren't many centers in the NBA who can put up better numbers than that, and certainly none on the Sixers' roster.
So if he is traded this season, the Sixers will need to fill a big hole at center.
It seemed outrageous when former GM Billy King signed Dalembert to that six-year, $64 million contract based on a five-game first-round playoff loss to the Detroit Pistons in 2005.
And it was.
But Dalembert will enter the final year of that contract next season, which will be worth $12 million. At that point, he'll be in demand by teams around the league trying to create salary cap room.
If he keeps playing like this, the Sixers might not listen.
Miller time again
Many Sixers fans blame the team's poor start to the loss of point guard Andre Miller, whom the Sixers allowed to leave last summer as a free agent. Miller had always kept the team under control, and the players loved his no-look passes for layups.
Miller and the Blazers will make their only visit to the Wachovia Center on Wednesday. Miller signed a three-year contract with Portland worth $21 million (the first two seasons are guaranteed) when the Sixers offered a one-year deal for the midlevel exception.
But things haven't gone smoothly for Miller in Portland. A few weeks ago, he and Blazers coach Nate McMillan got into a heated shouting match during a practice.
Since then, things have changed. Miller says he has a new attitude.
"I think ever since I have gotten here, it's been edgy -- an edge worrying about the next play, or what's going to happen if I make a mistake, which I shouldn't be worrying about," Miller said.
Posts
