All over the city, advertisements feature their faces: Allen Iverson and Jerry Stackhouse. The future.
Last night, the future showed what it could do.
Yes, the 76ers were outmuscled, and yes, they lost their first game at the new CoreStates Center. But the outcome had little to do with the guard duo's play.
Iverson, June's No. 1-overall draft pick, was simply sensational, blowing by every Milwaukee defender at will, pouring in a game-high 30 points, and adding six assists.
And though Stackhouse wasn't himself (6-of-15 shooting), he still added some highlight moments in his 14-point performance.
``We were all right, I guess,'' said Iverson, disappointed over the loss in his NBA debut. ``But we can play better. This is just the first game. Believe me, there's room for improvement.''
It almost seemed as if no one was guarding the mercurial guard from Georgetown. He simply was too quick for anyone to guard.
The task initially fell to Sherman Douglas, who's potbelly and flabby body belie his skills as a solid point guard in the league. Yet against Iverson, he was every bit as slow as he looked.
Iverson repeatedly blew by him for layups, leaving Douglas gasping for air. The same could be said for Elliott Perry, the former Phoenix Suns guard who is known for his quickness. By the time Iverson got through with him, Bucks coach Chris Ford was putting Perry in the game only when Iverson's backup, Doug Overton, had the ball.
``He was great,'' Douglas said. ``What else can I say?''
Stackhouse was no slouch either.
He hit a few jumpers, and kept every Milwaukee defender alert with his aerial arsenal, getting fouled on a couple of attempted slams in the first half. But he got away with one.
With 5:06 left in the first half, Derrick Coleman, who played his best game as a Sixer (25 points, 13 boards, 7 assists), got a rebound and fed Iverson, who pushed the ball up the court and found Stackhouse on an alley-oop reverse slam.
The replay won't be hard to find.
``I'm pleased with the way they played,'' Sixers coach Johnny Davis said. ``I'm even more pleased with the fact that I have two guards who both are just learning this NBA game, and they put 44 points on the board tonight. They can get better, but I think tonight they gave every indication that getting better will be inevitable.''
For now, though, both players can see only a loss. For the Sixers, that's never pleasant.
Last season, Stackhouse opened his pro career with a 27-point performance that proved enough to upend the Washington Bullets. Iverson's effort wasn't enough to beat Milwaukee, and Chicago is next.
``The bottom line is that Allen played great offensively,'' Stackhouse said. ``He showed that he can score anytime he wants. He can put the ball in the hole. But we've got a lot of work to do. The both of us.
``And as we learn, we can only get better.''
That may very well be a scary sight. Stackhouse's aerial skills and Iverson's speed are something Philly fans have looked forward to the entire off-season. Last night, Iverson showed there's more to his game.
Not known for his willingness to distribute the ball, he could've easily had more than six assists if his passes were converted. His jumper, which has been a question mark since he entered college, was solid last night. He shot 2 of 4 from three-point range and finished the night shooting 12 of 19 overall.
``I always look at myself after the game,'' Iverson said, ``think about the things I've done wrong, then try to improve upon them. It'll be no different tonight, in spite of my performance. It's just one game, you know?''
And one game to remember for a very long time.
