Cheeks Fired; DiLeo interim coach
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Cheeks Fired; DiLeo interim coach
Well here it is: A change. Is it the right change? Is it the change that will propel the 76ers forward. From the beginning, from that 2-5 start, we pointed to this time frame. We said, "Wait for the 20-to-25 game mark." Here it is, 23 games.
If you're looking for the nuts and bolts story of Mo Cheeks firing, click here: Mo Fired.
If you're looking forward, keep reading.
Tony DiLeo. He's the new head coach of the Sixers. Quick bio on Coach DiLeo: He is the Senior Vice President and Assistant General Manager. He's been in the Sixers organization for 19 season, serving as the Director of Player Personnel from 1999-2003. Basically, he has been Ed Stefanski's right-hand man. Over the years DiLeo has had his hand in the operations, coaching, scouting, and management. He spent 10 seasons coaching and playing in West Germany. He was West Germany's Coach of the Year in 1987.
Interestingly enough (from my perspective), I was sitting next to DiLeo at Thursday afternoon's practice at PCOM. We were watching Reggie Evans shoot free throws. And, as we all know, Reggie Evans can use some help shooting free throws. DiLeo, when he played, was a shooter. Through the first couple months of the season, he has (jokingly, I believe) challenged me to a shooting contest. Who would win? I think there is little doubt. Anyway, while we were sitting there, DiLeo offered a few very specific instructions to Evans. All of them worked. For no reasons other than I was curious, I asked DiLeo if he ever wanted to do anything other than work on the management side of basketball. He said he loved coaching, too. But he was clear that never, at any point, would he want to be doing anything other than working within the game of basketball.
I'm not sure why I asked him these things. But it serves our purpose right now, since DiLeo will be the head honcho for the last 60 games of the season or so.
But let's discuss, for a second, Maurice Cheeks. Was the 9-14 start his fault? Or is he the fall guy for a poorly constructed roster?
Right now, I think it's both. We can't argue with some in-game coaching moves, especially rotations. There were certain games I believe were lost because of misuse of the roster, within the game, (specifically the Atlanta game and the Orlando game). But I also believe the moves Cheeks made in the Detroit Pistons game were perfect. His moves won that game for the Sixers. If you add those numbers, you're left with Cheeks impact being -- about -- neutral. Perhaps he struggled to understand how to reconcile the team's mantra of "we're still run-and-gun," with a roster that doesn't necessarily support that identity. Instead of modifying the identity, he kept plugging away, kept trying to be the team the Sixers were last season, when they made that run to the playoffs. Can you blame him? I guess it doesn't matter what we say, the Sixers organization dropped the blame on him.
Let's look forward. What does this move mean? What can we now expect from this team?
The roster hasn't changed. They're still a team divided. By that I mean you have guys -- Andre Iguodala, Lou Williams, Thaddeus Young, Samuel Dalembert -- who excel in transition, but the supposed face of the franchise -- Elton Brand -- who doesn't. He doesn't. I don't care how hard the Sixers tried to tell us all he could run (remember that this summer?). Recently, Brand has been slowed even further by a strained right hamstring. He has admitted he isn't 100% healthy. When the Los Angeles Clippers were in town, Brand's old teammates even mentioned confusion about how he (Brand) would fit into the Sixers uptemo system. They said it didn't fit him.
That's the main issue right now: This team's identity doesn't match its roster.
In comes DiLeo. I'm a fan of DiLeo's (not that that should matter much to anyone). This guy knows basketball. He's been at every game (I believe). He almost always travels with the team. He knows everything about every player's strengths and weaknesses. You know he has been sitting on the sidelines through the first 23 games. You know his mind has been churning about what he might have done differently in certain situations. We can't argue that a change was needed. Maybe he will find the right rotations. Maybe he will impose a different energy (Mo was known to be laid back) that will make the Sixers pay attention. These are all good things.
Here is what needs to be figured out: Andre Iguodala isn't a shooting guard, but Thaddeus Young needs to start. Should the Sixers go small? Will DiLeo keep the starting lineup used for most of the season (Miller, Iguodala, Young, Brand, and Dalembert) or toss his own spin onto the situation? I vote for the latter. Because, one would think, that's why this move was made.
In talking to various scouts throughout the league, this team is a mess. It wasn't a facade at the beginning of the year, all the scouts said they legitimately expected the Sixers to be better. But most leave the game shaking their heads in confusion (much as we've been doing all season).
And there is your Saturday update ...
--Kate
Well, I knew that it was coming. I'm really surprised that he didn't get axed last season. This is the second time around that Cheeks was "surprised" at his firing. The first time, he was a player on the team. It was said back then, that Cheeks heard through the grapevine that he was fired while he was at the club 'Cahoots'. If so, if I was him, I would have never came back here and took another job from the Sixers so-called "management." Anywho, Cheeks was a very good player. But not so good as a coach. I get the feeling that AI is somewhere giggling over this latest sports news lol. Had AI still been here, I think that we'd be winning more games. Cheeks didn't even stand up for AI. What goes around, .....— PhillyGold
Comment removed.- I really like Mo - I met him and he was a really nice guy. I hate to see anyone get fired, but I was never really a big fan of him as a coach. He coaches like the team is playing in the 80s. Running and gunning playing in the 110s. We are not that kind of team, nor should we ever try to be. This team needs to become more defensive oriented. They need to do everything they can to move Sam now and I mean everything. He is a mess. Also, Stefanski has to get creative. He gave out these big contracts and extended Mo. He is on the hook as far as I am concerned. He must move Sam and get a legitimate shooter. I don't know much about DiLeo's history other than that he was a scout and some of the other notes that Kate posted. I hope he can manage a game better than Mo - it looks ok so far.— hugh
- Is this the same Tony Dileo that played basketball in Somerdale N.J in early 60's— xy1612
- You don't want to know what I think of Mo Cheeks. This is the coach who ran "The Answer" right out of town.— BigDogGoneFishN
- It was only a matter of time. The article makes it sound like Big Ed made a few wrong moves. But he didn't hire Mo, he extended Mo's contract because he coached us to the playoffs, and the guys liked playing for him. Plus he is loved in Philly. But after some tough losses, and inconsistent player management by the coach. Mo has lost the team, and getting smacked around and out hustled twice by the Lebrons was inexcusable for a professional team!! Like when Toronto's coach got fired for his team performing underwelming and getting blewout by some team. 6ers losses are just as bad. And the coach gets the ax. Big Ed has a plan, and this is his 1st full season. Snider gave him carte blanche to do whatever he sees fit to do with the 6ers. I think he will do well!! I like Jeff Van Gundy as the next coach. He's a little dictator, but he knows how to coach. The 6ers looked lost at times with Mo, like playing schoolyard ball. They weren't being managed correctly! Mo will always be loved in Philly!— VDogg
- Kate I thought you understood the game and what the Sixers are trying to do. let me help you figure this out: The team prior to Brand could run and defend but not execute in the half court. Brand was brought in to give the Sixers an interior offensive presence so they could score against a set defense. Cheeks did nothing to develop the half-court game, and kept coaching them to play like they did last year. Mo deserved to be fired for failing to teach the team how to execute a half-court offense or put the right combination of players on the floor to do that and continue to play defense and run. It's only one game, but Tony Delio had Andre Miller hand out 12 assists and 8 pts, like a real point guard, and Elton Brand had his best game with the Sixers playing a vanilla offense. Under Tony the Sixers will start winning and demonstrate just how poor Cheeks was as a coach.— ricky
John Mitchell is in his second year covering the 76ers for the Inquirer after joining the paper in November 2011. He covered the Washington Wizards for the Washington Times from 1998 to 2008. He's also worked at the Philadelphia Tribune, the Wilmington News Journal, Courier-Post, Trenton Times and Elmira Star-Gazette.Born and raised in West Philadelphia - not too far from Will Smith - he graduated from Overbrook High School the same year the 76ers won their last championship. He's a proud graduate of Howard University and the proud father of two sons, Jared and Jordan.
ABOUT MARC NARDUCCI
Marc Narducci has served in a variety of roles with the Inquirer since beginning in 1983. He has covered the 76ers as a backup and a beat writer. In addition, Narducci has covered everything from the Super Bowl to the World Series and a lot in between. Narducci also has a true passion for South Jersey scholastic sports, which he has covered for many years.
