Wow... I don't understand why they would do that, with the fact that Elton Brand was added to the team and it takes a while before teams gel... Who can they sign? Flip Saunders?
Good scoop. And frankly, while Cheeks is a nice guy, he doesn't really coach. His teams have been some of the worst offensive displays anyone's ever been subjected to. That said expectations were way too high for this team given how it's constituted. Elton Brand hadn't played for a season and yet everyone expected him to come out and dominate. Iguodala has (until recently) been playing out of position--and without shooters on the floor (why did they get rid of Korver?), teams have been swarming him. This reminds me of Carmelo Anthony's Nuggets a few years back, featuring the same PG who couldn't really shoot (Miller). Further Brand clogging up the middle has meant that Iguodala hasn't had open lanes to drive to the basket.
Kinda mixed feelings on this one. Cheeks seems to be a great guy but as a coach I think he's just average. He should be doing better with the team he has though.
Cheeks is a class act but hasn't performed up to par during his coaching years w/ the Blazers or the 76ers. Yes its true he was handed a bunch of thugs in Portland and a extremely thin team in Philly before this season but like JVG says in the NBA only results matter.
76ers fire Cheeks, sources say ESPN.com news services Updated: December 13, 2008, 12:45 PM ET * Comment * Email * Print The Philadelphia 76ers fired coach Maurice Cheeks on Saturday, sources told ESPN's Stephen A. Smith. Sean O'Hair Cheeks Assistant general manager Tony DiLeo will be the interim head coach for the remainder of the season, the sources said. Cheeks' deal with the 76ers, who started the season 9-14, was guaranteed through next season. After signing Elton Brand to a five-year deal worth nearly $80 million in the offseason, the Sixers have looked nothing like last season's up-tempo squad that advanced to the playoffs. The 76ers had lost eight of 10 games entering Saturday night's game against the Washington Wizards in Philadelphia. Cheeks, who as a player helped the Sixers earn three berths in the NBA Finals in 1980, '82 and '83, was in his fourth season as coach of the team after four years of coaching the Portland Trail Blazers.
He is rumored to be going to China with Bonzi Wells. Bonzi has often been overheard at clubs demanding Mo Cheeks.
I never thought Cheeks was all that great. And now he can't adjust to a half court set. Good firing IMO.
They don't have the personnel to run a half-court offense. It's amazing how bad they are with 3 pt shooting. No space to operate in the paint. So if they can't run now that they have Brand, they can't score much.
While they're in 'shakeup mode' they might as well trade Andre Miller for Kirk Hinrich. Miller is an expiring contract this year, and Hinrich can actually shoot the 3 pointer. The Bulls would save some salary, and the 76ers would bring in a guy who can run the point pretty well, and clear some interior space for Brand/ Iguodala to operate. Poor Mo Cheeks - it's not really his fault they assembled him a post-oriented team with no 3 point shooters - although it IS his fault that he waited so long to start Willie Green (who can shoot- but then again they lost both games he started so...)
They could have waited longer but the Sixers showed no signs of improvement. Except for one game where they beat the Pistons, the Sixers looked clueless every time I saw them play. Good guy who was a good player but not a good coach.
Hypothetically speaking, that would be the best team for JVG to step in on...if he wanted to coach again.
