Thaddeus Young and Doug Collins have enjoyed an excellent working relationship.

"They always say teachers and coaches are not supposed to have favorites," Collins said. "But I can't lie - (Young) is one of my favorites. On a daily basis, he is what it's all about. I absolutely think he is one of the most wonderful kids I've ever been around."

"It's great to hear him say that," Young said. "It's great that he looks at me like that because he's definitely my favorite coach. This season, by far, is probably the best season I've had."

Philadelphia has an 8-2 record when Young logs 20 or more points.

The combination of the individual and team success has Young feeling a lot better about himself and the Sixers than he did a year ago when the Sixers were losing and Young struggled with a less-defined role under Eddie Jordan en route to a 27-55 record.

"Obviously, I didn't do well in coach Jordan's system," Young said. "I found myself standing around a lot with coach Jordan.

"(Collins) came in and put a system in place where each and every guy on this team has benefited from it. It was definitely beneficial for me. Now, I'm always moving and using defense as a way to spark our offense. I'm taking his advice as far as laying off the jumpers and getting inside."