In most cases, you simply can't replace youth, especially when it comes accompanied by talent. Fresh legs with skills are at a premium in any sport, and the NBA certainly is no exception. For that reason alone there was no hesitation from this direction when it came to criticizing the 76ers for pulling the trigger in February on a deal that, essentially, sent Theo Ratliff to the Atlanta Hawks for 7-foot-2 goliath Dikembe Mutombo. I wondered aloud back then what on earth the Sixers were thinking about.

Now I'm wondering, what in heaven's name was I thinking?

The Atlanta Hawks sauntered into the First Union Center on Friday night for a game against the defending Eastern Conference champions, and it marked their 37th regular-season game since Ratliff arrived.

For the 35th time, they played without the services of Ratliff.

Twenty-eight regular-season games passed last season without Ratliff, who was out because of a stress fracture of his right wrist that he suffered as a Sixer. Now, because of a right hip-flexor injury and a slight groin pull, Ratliff has played in just two games this season, and he did not attend Friday's game because he was scheduled to be operated on yesterday.

Two games out of 37. That's no presence whatsoever. All the excuses the Hawks used last season - most notably private assertions that they had no problem with Ratliff's absence because it would improve their position in June's NBA draft - now mean absolutely nothing. Particularly when Nazr Mohammed is looking like the best part of that deal.

Simply put, the Sixers are looking quite pretty these days.