Now, the Sixers find themselves in a similar spot. They entertain the world champion Mavericks tonight perched atop the Atlantic Division, a thriving young garden of talent in a decaying Eastern Conference.
"The premise is exactly what happened with us," said Eagles president Joe Banner. "We brought in a new coach. Changed the culture. Had young players to build around. It appears to have happened with the other two teams as well."
"And they're getting better as they go along," observed Manuel, a prep basketball star who played professional baseball solely for the money. "I can't wait to see them get in the playoffs this year and see how far they can go."
Doug Collins, the coach, and team president Rod Thorn took the team on a surprise, if short, playoff excursion after last season, their first with the team.
With wins this season over the Lakers, Bulls, Hawks and Magic, the Sixers are the new "It" team in town.
Their best player, Andre Iguodala, will play in his first All-Star Game next weekend. His selfless play and ferocious defense make him a darling of Team USA coach Mike Krzyzewski.
Their most dangerous offensive weapons, Lou Williams and Thaddeus Young, come off the bench.
Their most promising talents, guards Jrue Holiday and Evan Turner, might just be scratching the surface of their potential.
Assistant general manager Tony DiLeo, a lifelong Philadelphia-area guy who has worked for the Sixers for 20 years, helped build this emerging power. DiLeo can hardly contain his excitement.
"We can see the improvement from the beginning of last year, through the playoffs and we picked up right from that point this year," he said. "If we continue to improve, we'll be in a good position come playoff time."
Which, considering the context of the comparisons, is asking a lot.
