The Sixers came into the 2008-2009 seson with lofty expectations. After their surprising success of last season, winning two games against the Detroit Pistons in the first round of the playoffs, and signing forward Elton Brand, one of just a few career 20/10 players in the league, many believed that the Sixers would be one of the top teams in the Eastern Conference.

Unfortunately, as these things go, the Sixers have not quite lived up to those expectations. They struggled through much of the early part of the season, as the team tried to adjust to a new style of play that had changed to incorporate Brand. The Sixers’ late season success from 2007-2008 was largely due to their fast paced, run-and-gun style of play. With the addition of Brand, then coach Mo Cheeks adjusted the team’s style of play to fit his low-post, half-court style.

Brand started the season at the small forward position, shifting Andre Iguodala to shooting guard, a position in which he struggled mightily. Iguodala, who signed a six-year, $80 million contract during the offseason, did not score 20 points in a game until December. It became clear early on that if Iguodala was going to live up to that contract, it was going to be at the forward position.

Brand has struggled through much of the season, or at least through the 29 games in which he has played. A career 20/10 player, he has averaged just 13.7 points and 8.8 rebounds per game this season. He has struggled trying to adjust to the Sixers’ new system, which has reshifted back to the full-court style of last year, as well as continuing to recover from the ankle injury that sidelined him for most of last season and also coping with a new injury, the shoulder that has sidelined him for the rest of the year.

To make matters worse, the Sixers have had success without Brand this season. In the 24 games he has been sidelined, the Sixers are 14-10, and are 11-1 in their previous 12 games without him. Since January 6, the Sixers have the best record in the NBA, winning 14 of their last 18 games. They are the sixth best team in the Eastern Conference with a record of 27-24, three games above .500. They are just one game behind the Miami Heat and four games behind the fourth place Atlanta Hawks.

The top three Eastern Conference teams, Boston Celtics (44-11), Cleveland Cavaliers (40-11), and Orlando Magic (38-13), are so far ahead of the rest of the league that the best the Sixers can hopefor is fourth place, a very achievable goal. But if the Sixers do make the playoffs, even with homecourt advantage in the first round, how far will they get? Are they good enough to compete deep into the playoffs? Or will they make another first-round exit?

That is the question that GM Ed Stefanski is grappling with now. If he truly believes this team can compete for a Championship, then will he add another piece or two before the February 19 trade deadline? Or if not, will he move pointguard Andre Miller, who is widely believed to have minimal interest in staying in Philly after he becomes a free agent during the coming offseason? What about Samuel Dalembert, who some think has the highest trade value on the team, as the Eastern Conference does not have a lot of depth at the Center position.

The Sixers have not quite had the season that many expected that they would, but they are in a very good position to move up in the second half of the season. This week will have a pivotal affect on the direction of the rest of the season, as we will find out whether this team is built to compete now, or if they are looking to the future.

Time will tell.