Samuel Dalembert, according to Sixers coach Maurice Cheeks, is playing like an All-Star.

On Monday night, he had 20 rebounds against defending NBA champ San Antonio, going head-to-head with Tim Duncan. It followed a 20-rebound performance against Chicago on Friday night.

Yet the Sixers can’t win. Against the Spurs they gave up 12 points to Manu Ginobili in just over two minutes in the last 4:10 of the game. That was the difference.

“Sam’s been playing great,” Cheeks said. “It’s unfortunate we haven’t won a game with him playing the way he’s playing and rebounding the ball the way he’s rebounding and defending the way he’s defending. What can we say? He’s playing great basketball and I told him before the game he’s playing All-Star caliber basketball as far as I’m concerned.”

Over the last five games, Dalembert has averaged 15.4 rebounds, 13.4 points and 2.4 blocked shots. In four of the five games he’s had a double-double.

With Dalembert playing arguably the best ball of his seven-year career, he’s not the problem with the Sixers.

What is? Perhaps their inability to defend the 3-point shot, or a 3-point threat of their own that would keep defenses honest? While Kyle Korver might have been a luxury for a team going nowhere, is it a coincidence that the Sixers have won just one game since trading away their only legitimate outside threat?