CHICAGO - As though a coat hanger is delightfully wedged inside his mouth, former PBA commissioner Noli Eala can't stop smiling widely these days.
His beloved Philadelphia 76ers are 6-1 in the overall standings and peering down on the 29 other NBA teams.
And while the lawyer, educator, and Power and Play talk show host cautiously points out that seven games are "a small sample size," the body of work is mighty impressive nonetheless.
Ranked eighth in field goal shooting ((47.1 percent) and a distant 18th in 3-point accuracy (35.7 percent), the Sixers could use more time in the practice range as the season progresses.
But their defense is already first class, stingy and repellent.
Both East and West conference contenders must shudder at the thought of how good Philly can be once the newly-acquired players meld with the mainstays and find that dangerous cohesion.
The Sixers are No. 2 in points per game allowed at 101.7. They are No. 1 in defensive rating with 99.8 and second to none in field goal percentage allowed, a scant 41.5 percent.
Their turnover rate, 17 per, puts them 26th in the league but they are fourth in rebounds with 48.7 and ninth in assists with 25.6 dimes an outing.
LONG COLUMN SHORT, PHILLY IS VERY WELL-ROUNDED TEAM.
There's so much excitement and electricity around the Sixers these days, channeling back the happy vibes of the early 2000s when a pint-sized Allen Iverson leapt over giant expectations.
The garden variety that is Ben Simmons' game does not grow 3s.
But it is a paradise of all-around brilliance that is sprouting with a thick shrubbery of rebounds, assists, steals and blocks,
A mild offensive threat at 13.3 points an outing, Simmons is the heartbeat of the team, providing leadership in running the attack while filling the stats box with whatever is needed on any given game night.
Through seven games, he is averaging 9.9 rebounds. seven assists and 1.4 blocks. He also has a total of nine steals, guilty of ball theft through speed and anticipation.
Given how the 3-point shot has been woven deeply into the tapestry of the modern NBA, there is continued peer and fan pressure for Simmons to keep dialing long distance.
So far, the 6-foot-10, 240-pound point guard, hasn't relented and has gone just 1-for-1 from deep.
Don't expect the 24-year old All-Star to be goaded into it, either. His marching orders are crystal clear.
"I just want Ben to keep playing great defense, running our team and winning games." head coach Doc Rivers, who fled the turmoiled L.A. Clippers this past offseason, told The Philadelphia Daily Inquirer.
Even with Simmons' continued rise, Joel Embiid remains the main pillar of Philly's offensive assault.
The 7-foot center continues to impose his presence on both ends of the floor, norming 23.2 points, 12.3 rebounds and three assists a game.
Tobias Harris, oft-maligned for his current five-year $180 million contract, is playing rich with 19.3 points per game while shooting an insane 47.2 percent from 3.
Seth Curry, a blood brother and not just a splash brother of a guy named Steph, is relishing his starting role and rewarding the coaching staff's confidence with 15.4 points a game along with a reliable 54.3 percent clip from downtown.
Among the starters, Danny Green is the least productive. Slowly calcifying at age 33, the 11-year vet is making only 40 percent of his field goals and 30 percent of his 3s.
And their bench, populated by Shake Milton, Furkan Korkmaz and Tony Bradely et al, is decent but not spectacular.
But don't tell that to the Sixers faithful.
They're too busy enjoying this rapid start to even worry about Milwaukee or Miami somewhere down the road.
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