Lavoy Allen already becoming a valuable asset for Sixers

The season was only 12 games old after the 76ers had beaten up on the Washington Wizards in the nation's capital. As guard Lou Williams, one of the best eaters on the team, sat in front of a plate of food, he casually yelled out, "Lavoy, this chicken isn't going to cut itself."

It is one of the rookie chores Lavoy Allen has come to expect. Carrying shoes and bags, preparing dinner plates, even cutting chicken is expected from first-year players.

What wasn't expected from Allen, certainly not this early in the season, this early in his career, is his stellar play. In Wednesday's 98-82 win over the Chicago Bulls, Allen pumped in a career-high 15 points on 7-for-10 shooting. For the sixth straight game, he played more than 16 minutes and again was the first backup center off the bench, as fellow rookie Nikola Vucevic still recovers from a strained quadriceps.

In fact, in the last three games before last night's 99-79 loss to the Miami Heat, when Allen was in the game (67 minutes, 6 seconds), the Sixers outscored their opponent, 140-91. The 76:54 Allen was off the court, the Sixers were outscored, 124-117 (stat courtesy of Boop Vetrone).

He has become a stabilizing force at a position where the Sixers were decimated by the injuries of starter Spencer Hawes (Achilles' strain) and Vucevic. Hawes missed his 10th consecutive game last night.

Who would have thought Allen, taken with the 50th overall pick in June, was the answer?

"We're thrilled," coach Doug Collins said of Allen's play. "We were in a bind with our big guys. When Spencer and Nik both went out and we had this long homestand, I was scared to death that we weren't going to have enough big guys to be able to win. Lavoy was a godsend coming in and doing what he did and what he's doing right now. If you watch tape, just the size of his body in the paint and what he does for this team is amazing, just that physical presence."

When training camp began only about 2 months ago, many asked Collins about the local kid who starred at Temple and Pennsbury High. The questions weren't so much about how Allen would fit in, but whether he would even make the team.

Now he is a major reason the Sixers have been able to weather such a storm of injuries to one position.

"It came as a surprise," Collins said.

"Our guys like him on the floor. [Wednesday night, Carlos] Boozer was going to back him down one time and he hit him and [Allen] just, like, stopped him. And he did it to 'Big Baby' [Orlando's Glen Davis] twice the game before, where [Davis] tried to back him down, and boom! It's that physical presence."

Though he has now become an important cog with one of the most surprising teams in the NBA, the 6-9, 225-pounder is still very much the rookie. He got his driver's license only a couple of weeks ago, having used public transportation to get to games or finding a ride with family or friends. He says he wants to by a Smart car, though size may be an issue. He is shy, introverted and barely audible when interviewed by reporters. He's pretty much the same kid many in the area remember from years ago.

"For me, he deferred a lot on offense," Temple coach Fran Dunphy said. "He was as comfortable as being part of the plan as he was being the plan. Now, he is being where he needs to be. Doug has told him that it's OK to shoot that 20-foot jumper. His offensive game prospers by the rules in the NBA, because he is so good finding spots where someone is not allowed to be in.

"He's as smart as they get on the court in the defensive-positioning case. There was a play the other night when he let 'Big Baby' go by him. That's not his game; he seldom makes those mistakes. But he corrected himself right away and played very well after that."

He is a quick learner, and has had to be because of the increased playing time necessitated by the injuries. Also, because of the hectic, condensed schedule, there has been practically no practice time, so Allen has had to learn on the fly.

"I feel real comfortable," Allen said. "I think it's an easy adjustment. No matter where I was playing, I think I just still play the same way. It's great to be home. I have a lot of family and friends coming to watch me play. I don't think many people do know a lot about me. It's a surprise when I go out there and play well. I'm up for any challenge, pretty much."

His biggest challenge probably was gaining his teammates' trust. Not from a chicken-cutting standpoint, but being able to defend, rebound and make open shots.

Said forward Andre Iguodala: "I asked that question, 'Why did he drop in the draft?' How did we pick him up in the second round? Then they said he didn't have a high motor and you could take that he wasn't going hard or that he was rah-rah. It can have an effect on your perception of him. But he's definitely come in and said, 'I belong here.' He's earned his minutes."

And respect.

"The thing that I'm finding out is that Lavoy has a lot more personality than he lets you see," Collins said. "Our guys like our two rooks, because they're both relatively quiet. Lavoy has got more personality, but he's just a quiet guy. He finally got his driver's license and he's gonna go out and buy a Smart car. That's Lavoy, that's who he is. And he's got every per diem, I'm sure, stashed away. I love that about him. I think it helps him being at home. A lot of times guys at home struggle. I think he feels real comfort in this Philadelphia environment, I really do. Some guys, it's a tough thing. You let them play at home, they have a lot of stuff they have to deal with. He's a very family-oriented guy. I think he likes people around him he feels comfortable with. I think that's been a big part of it."

For more Sixers coverage, read the Daily News' Sixers blog, Sixerville, at www.philly.com/Sixerville. Follow him on Twitter at http://twitter.com/BobCooney76