It's not what you think...

This story cracked me up. On Fan Appreciation Night in Philadelphia, neither Allen Iverson nor Chris Webber arrived at the Sixers' locker room until after the opening tip! Both players face fines. And I assume the Sixers will soon be looking for new homes for both of them.

~Adam

It was reported that no one, including Coach Cheeks, knew where they were. I somehow don't think Cheeks and Iverson are kissing today. Here is a team with a top 10 player in Iverson, probably a top 30 player in Webber, solid role players and they can't make the playoffs in the East, where the 6-8 seeds are under .500?

(I have to admit as a Blazers fan it is nice to see someone else with egg on their face. Because my team gets egged even when they don't deserve it. Although Cheeks does not deserve to be made a fool of.)

Good luck to the Sixers in finding new homes for either of them. Webber's contract, age and knees make him a drug on the market, despite gaudy offensive numbers. And Iverson has to be the hardest "great" player in the world to play with (I know the Kobe-haters will disagree, but Kobe has 3 more rings than Iverson). In a way, he reminds me of a rich man's Marbury -- great stats (except for this year, in Marbury's case), but the team rarely goes anywhere. Statistically, Iverson had a much better year than in his MVP year. And the Sixer's record is abominable.

I have been avoiding watching the 76'ers since I took my de facto nephew to a game several years ago, before the AI anti-gay rap fiasco. So I am not crying any tears for them now, though I wouldn't mind seeing AI do a beefcake performace. What the Sixers really need is what is suggested by this columnist who obviously lives safely outside the Philadelphia area. Coach Cheeks' move!

Nice article. I agree that if you can't make the playoffs with AI (and Webber), then you need to move him. Throw in the fact that attendance has dropped, ie.. AI's no longer a draw for fans and the timing is ripe for a trade.

I love AI but I also know he won't win a championship in Philly w/ Billy King as GM and Mo Cheeks as coach. It will never happen.

Cheeks is a softy coach, which doesn't work in this league. He even admits it in the article.

If there is anyone who knows Cheeks it is Portland fans. Personally everyone loves the guy. A wonderful human being. Probably a very good assistant coach; he's apparently good at teaching skills. But as a head coach he is totally out of his depths. Time after time in Portland we would see him outcoached by his opposite number. When things went wrong he sat and put his head in his hands, a gesture of despair that did not exactly inspire the team. And putting him on a team with a couple of head cases, like Philly has and like Portland had, is just not going to work.

Can we please stop labeling Iverson as a 'headcase'. He has done lots to reform his image over the last few years. He has been an upstanding citizen, a great sportsman(see last Olympics), and a good family man.

Just b/c he arrived late for the last game of the season doesn't give everyone the right to toss him back into the ring of other malcontents in the league. He's frustrated about missing the playoffs. I would be too.

OK, you probably know the situation better and if you say Iverson should not be called a head case, I defer. But not showing to fan appreciation is IMO serious. Not up there with statutory crimes, but the fans should get a little consideration.
Regardless of head or not head cases, there is no way a team with as much talent as Philly should have had such a poor record.

Yes, I couldn't agree more. That is pretty bad being a no-show for the fans that supported you all year.

True, this team with all their talent underachieved. IMO, the blame lies squarely on the coach's shoulders.

There will be lots of changes in Sixer land next season.