Miller is the one to build around

Miller has a pass-first mentality which is quite rare today in an NBA draped with bling, head bands, tattoos and issues both on and off the court. Even though the Sixers are pathetic right now, Miller and a few other players bring hope to what lies ahead.

The former Utah standout was acquired by the Sixers from Denver in the Allen Iverson trade, and Philadelphia is 5-9 since the deal. Miller has posted four double-doubles with the 76ers and has an assist to turnover ratio of 3.15 through 35 games this season (6th in the NBA).

Sixers head coach Maurice Cheeks certainly appreciates what Miller adds to the mix, especially being a former point guard in the NBA. Much like Cheeks, Miller has the ability to get everyone on the court involved with no-look passes and, most importantly, confidence in his teammates.

The last Sixers player to record 20 assists in one game was Cheeks on October 30, 1982 when he dished out 21 versus New Jersey. Wilt Chamberlain posted the first 20-assist effort in franchise history with 21 against Detroit on February 2, 1968.

Miller, who is fourth in the league with 8.8 assists per game, has two career outings with 20 or more assists. He will obviously be in some nice company if he can reach that mark again.

With Miller the Sixers have the perfect point guard for the development of their younger players, including Andre Iguodala, Samuel Dalembert, Rodney Carney and Kyle Korver.

Dalembert has stepped up his game as of late, averaging 14.2 points, 11.2 rebounds and 3.60 blocks over his previous five contests. Dalembert, often criticized for his lack of presence in the middle, has nine games with 10 or more rebounds this season.

Young guard Willie Green has been making the papers with averages of 19.3 points over his last four games, including a 30-point effort against Milwaukee on January 12.

Meanwhile, former Sixer Chris Webber is still searching for employment but has some offers on the table. Webber, a five-time All-Star, was just waived on January 11 and averaged 17.9 points, 9.3 rebounds and 3.4 assists over 114 contests with Philadelphia. But too many injuries and lack of production had Webber seeing the door earlier than expected.

The Sixers, who have lost five of their last six games overall, will play four of their next five games in front of their home crowd. That’s good for Philly because it has dropped 19 of the last 21 games away from home.