One Mo Time
The news that Mo Cheeks is returning to the fold has buzzed on the local sports blogs since yesterday afternoon, allowing Philly fans to savor a tall cocktail of nostalgia, hope and doubt. "Is he a great coach?" writes Jibbo, on his Livejournal page The Beating Drum, of the former Sixers guard and assistant -- announced as the replacement for the fired Jim O'Brien. "Probably not. But he's a good coach, with a reputation for listening to his players and getting along with them... I think he'll do a good job getting C-Webb involved in the offense, and a better job getting the younger players more consistent minutes."
Jibbo, who is a 23-year-old Philadelpian named Brian, says this trade takes some heat off GM Billy King, who had been working on a string of air balls: "Randy Ayers, Chris Ford, Glenn Robinson, it was one disaster after another," he writes.
John Carroll, in his promohthree blog, thought the King would have stuck with O'Brien, since the musical coaching chairs is starting to raise questions about the front office. "I'm glad to see this happen," he writes. "O'Brien had a poor year, quite often fielding a line-up that was never the team's strongest. I thought O'Brien would be around for another season since the Sixers have gone through a few coaches already post-Larry Brown. I assumed Billy King would be a little gun-shy, since it only takes so many coaches before people starting setting their sights on the GM."
King got early kudos from the 700 Level blog, too. "Wow, bold move..." writes Enrico. "My initial thoughts after hearing this minutes ago are positive. Mo Cheeks was my hero growing up. I used to model my game after him. Jim O'Brien is not a good coach, Mo Cheeks is a good coach. My only concern is how he will mesh with the man that is Allen Iverson."
On the Wingheads forum, Hobbes writes of O'Brien: "It took him three-quarters of the season just to figure out his rotations (which still never made sense). I never understood his philosophies (offensive and defensive) either. The problem as I understand it is that Billy King was facing a mutiny. None of the players (except AI) liked O'Brien. So, the NBA being a player's league, the coach was the one to go. I love Mo coming back. I just hope he's not the next Bowa." That would be one-time Phillies great Larry Bowa, hired to coach the hometown nine, and now doing a show on XM radio.
Winghead J Cuz grouses: "Turning a losing team into a winner (60%) and this is how Billy King says 'thanks?' Suspect move. I thought O'Brien had them going in the right direction."
Finally, a Livejournal blogger named sixersfan toasts: "Here's to you, Coach Mo. The 76ers shall run again!"
"Finally we have the right guy leading the team," sixersfan writes. "I must admit I am a little disheartened by the way things went for Mo in Portland. Honestly, though, there is no coach who could have done anything different with that group of selfish, unmotivated, egomaniacal players. It was an odd mix that could not win. In essence, this is Cheeks' first legitimate chance to coach an NBA basketball team. He has something to build from with guys like Iverson, Iguadola, Green and Korver. Hopefully this new version of Chris Webber can give us a little something on a consistent basis. No, the 76ers will not contend for a championship season next season, but 2007 and 2008 do not seem out of the question."