Is it time to trade for Dalembert?

Of course, it’s unlikely that the Sixers actually move Samuel Dalembert, who has a bloated one and a half years remaining on his contract in addition to a 15-percent trade kicker.  But the question is, should you make a trade offer for Dalembert in your fantasy basketball league?

This may surprise you, but the answer may be yes.

On the season, Dalembert’s numbers — 7.3 points, 9.4 rebounds and 2.2 blocks per game — don’t stand out.

And Sixers coach Eddie Jordan has been inconsistent in doling out playing time this year.

That said, Dalembert has seen an increase in his minutes in January, where he is averaging more than 29 minutes per game.  From October through December, he averaged 23, 25 and 22 minutes per game, respectively.

In the month of January, Dalembert is averaging 9.8 points, 12.6 rebounds and 2.3 blocks.  Sammy ranks fifth in the NBA in rebounds and fourth in blocked shots during the month of January.  On top of those numbers, he’s shooting over 60 percent from the field and averaging one steal per game.

“I’ve had respect for him from Day One,” [coach Eddie] Jordan said. “Coming in, one of the priorities of the job was if you can get Sammy to play consistently and come to work every day, then we can be a pretty good team.”

Dalembert’s increased minutes and production corresponds to Allen Iverson’s presence in the lineup.  In 20 games before A.I. rejoined the Sixers, Dalembert had four games with double-digit rebounds.  In Iverson’s first four games (beginning with December 7th against Denver), Dalembert had double-digit rebound games.

Although his minutes and scoring are down in the past three games, he has pulled down double-digit rebounds in ten of his past 11 games.

There aren’t many Dalembert fans — in Philly or elsewhere — out there.   Moreover, I would not be surprised to see Dalembert rank in the top five in rebounds and blocked shots from here on out as he has in the month of January.  So, if your team is weak in either or both of those categories, Dalembert may ironically be a relatively cheap solution to your problems.