Break This Thing Up!

Where do we go from here? Last year was a fiasco. Let me count the ways. First, Billy King gave long term contracts to some guys on their last leg (Eric Snow and Derrick Coleman). He also extended Iverson, instead of dealing this malcontent while he still had some value.

Next, it was apparent that no seasoned coach would touch this mess with a ten-foot pole. So what did King do? He promoted assistant coach Randy Ayers to coach. Well, I was 100% behind coach Ayers, hoping he could bring an up tempo style to the team, with more three point shooting in the offense. But my vote didn't count. The malcontents on this team (Iverson, Big Dog, and DC) did everything possible to undermine Ayers, and he got fired.

Then came Chris Ford. This guy should have gotten coach of the year honors, if for no other reason than he wasn't gonna let the inmates run the asylum. And a funny thing happened. Guys trying to make a name for themselves, like Kenny Thomas, Sam Dalembert, and even veteran Eric Snow, played hard without Iverson in the lineup. They came up just short of a playoff spot.

So what was Chris Ford's reward? He was shown the door. Enter Jim O'Brien, a Philly guy whose NBA claim to fame is that he couldn't put up with Danny Ainge's deconstruction of the Celtics. Welcome back to the City of Brotherly Love, Jim. Good luck, although I won't be watching until the powers that be break this thing up!

Just a few short years ago, there was lots of excitement in Philly. Check out all the great quotes and pictures from 2001-2002 and the big run to the finals in 2000-2001. In 2002-2003, the rebuilding effort should have gotten underway. And last year, Larry Brown finally left town, but stabbed us in the back on the way out the door.