About a month into the 2012 Philadelphia Sixers look as if they still do not have what it takes to run with the big dogs.

Known to be a run-of-the-mill team ever since their championship run in 2001, the Sixers appear to have added the players necessary to make another run deep in the playoffs. A team which was one four minute sprint away from advancing to the Eastern Conference Finals a year ago hopes to outdo those efforts.

The team of new owners led by Apollo Global Management co-founder Josh Harris thinks that they know what it takes to bring a winner to Philadelphia.

This became apparent on August 9 when the Sixers agreed to a four team trade that brought Jason Richardson and Andrew Bynum to Philadelphia, while sending long time Sixer Andre Iguodala to Denver. For a team who had been without a legitimate big man since perhaps Moses Malone, this move meant a lot.

The team also added Royal Ivey, Jason Richardson, Kwame Brown, Dorell Wright and Nick Young; a very talented and accomplished group.

Despite Bynum’s prior knee injuries in the past, it was dreamed that the 24 year-old Bynum would carry the Sixers to the promise land.

So far the outlook is not good, as it was recently announced that Bynum will be out indefinitely, with no time table on his return.

As it stands at press time, sixteen games into the season, the team stands at nine wins and six losses. There are many good and bad things the Sixers have done this year. Despite winning a few worthy games thus far, the team has also dropped some games in which victory was expected.

The emergence of possibly one of the best young players in the game, Jrue Holiday, is one of the things that this team has riding for them. The 22 year-old has averaged eighteen points and nine assists per game in this young season.

Defending and being able to score consistently are problems that have plagued this team thus far. Although they have given up the fifth least points per game, they have been unable to get stops when they need them.

Their bigger problems come on the offensive end. This team has only been able to come up with eighty-eight points per game, which makes it evident that the team is missing something. Many believe that that “something” is the player in which they traded for over the summer, Andrew Bynum.

Many fans and experts still have faith in the team mostly because of their coach Doug Collins. Each year he has been the head coach, the team has gone up in win percentage from the prior year (.329, .500, and .530 up until their .600 start this year). Collins also seems to be the guy that can make all of these players’ skill sets blend together well and he may know what it takes for this team to succeed.

It looks like the competition for the Sixers has gotten stronger since a year ago, especially in their own division. The New York Knicks are off to a hot start by winning eight of their first nine games including two against the Sixers.

A much improved Brooklyn Nets team also has the Sixers worried. They currently stand at 10-4.

The Boston Celtics have been the Sixers main rival since the teams were brought into the league. They are also in the thick of things at 8-7 after losing to the Miami Heat last year in the conference finals.

This Sixers season means much more than it has other years due to upsetting Phillies and Eagles seasons, and a non-existent flyers season. People need something positive to cheer about, and many believe that the Sixers are a team on the rise and will give Philadelphia something to cheer about.