Category: Philadelphia 76ers Blog

Sixers blog – Philadelphia 76ers blog

Sixers fire coach Mo Cheeks

The AP reports: Maurice Cheeks was fired Saturday as coach of the Philadelphia 76ers, who are slumping at 9-14 a year after making the playoffs. Assistant general manager Tony DiLeo was appointed interim coach. The moves were confirmed by a person familiar with the decision who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because an announcement had not been made. The team scheduled an afternoon news conference with general manager Ed Stefanski Cheeks was one of more the popular players in 76ers history and was starting his fourth season as coach. Stefanski had given Cheeks two contract extensions in the past season, but the slow start was enough to cost him his job.

Update: Full official firing announcement here.

InsideHoops.com editor says: It’s wild how so many of the league’s coaches who just 1-3 seasons ago got pretty nice attention for overachieving and taking their squads to a better than expected record have gotten the axe. Cheeks didn’t work any miracles in Philadelphia, but last season’s Sixers did win a few games more than expected. Anyway, more on this in the next hour or so. Reload this page later in an hour or two, and also check our front page.

Read fan reaction and discuss your own opinion in this forum topic.

Dec 12: Cavs 88, Sixers 72

The AP reports: LeBron James scored 28 points and Anderson Varejao added 17 in his first start this season as the Cavaliers, despite missing two key components, matched a club record with their 11th straight win, 88-72 over the Philadelphia 76ers on Friday night… Varejao filled in for Ilgauskas, who is expected to miss several games, and the frizzy-haired Brazilian and rookie Darnell Jackson, playing a season-high 24 minutes, did a nice job holding their own inside against Philadelphia’s big men. Varejao had seven rebounds, and Jackson, a second-round pick from Kansas added eight… Willie Green led the Sixers with 19 points, Andre Iguodala had 16 and Elton Brand 11 and 11 rebounds in his second game back after sitting two with a sore hamstring.

Sixers are struggling

The Philadelphia 76ers were somewhat of a surprise last season, winning 40 of their 82 games, which although unspectacular was better than expected.

In the offseason they made a huge signing, adding free agent power forward Elton Brand, a respected star who was coming off injury but has proven to be a force at his position.

The move seemed even better when considering the fact that Philly had a wide open hole at the four-spot.

Now, a month and a half into the 2008-09 season, the Sixers are still struggling to find their way. And their fans are starting to vocalize their frustration. The Philly Burbs (Tom Moore) reports:

The natives are growing a little restless. By the time Elton Brand missed a short jumper two-thirds of the way through the third quarter to make him 2-for-9 with the 76ers behind the Cavaliers by 18 points, the Wachovia Center fans’ boos and catcalls became louder. “Brand, you stink,” called out one. “Brand, do something,” said another. “Do something, (Maurice) Cheeks,” chimed in a third. The fans certainly didn’t think the Sixers, who were projected to win 45 to 50 games after signing Brand to an $82 million contract, would be 9-13 with five straight home losses. “Of course, they deserve to be restless,” Brand said. “They pay their hard-earned money and they expected a lot of us. We just need to step it up.”

Brand has played pretty well, averaging 16.2 points, 10.0 rebounds and 1.5 blocks, though he’s shooting just 44.2%. The team’s struggles aren’t his fault, even if isn’t performing quite on the high level expected of him just yet. Samuel Dalembert, Elton’s partner in the starting big-man department, is scoring just 5.8 ppg, grabbing a somewhat respectable 7.9 rebounds, but not doing a whole lot else.

Andre Iguodala also started the season in pretty quiet fashion.

Philly also can’t make three-pointers. This has been a known problem, and it’s going to continue.

I expect them to improve, simply because on paper they should. Watch them over the next few weeks. If things still look disappointing, trades could be on the way.

–InsideHoops.com editor Jeff Lenchiner

Dec 11: Cavs 101, Sixers 93

The AP reports: LeBron James scored 29 points, Mo Williams added a season-high 27 and the Cavaliers cruised to their 10th consecutive victory, beating the Philadelphia 76ers 101-93 on Wednesday night… Anderson Varejao added 15 points, and Ben Wallace had 10 rebounds for the Central Division-leading Cavaliers, 18-1 in their last 19 games, 19-3 overall and 7-3 on the road. They are one win shy of tying the franchise record of 11 straight wins set during the 1988-89 season… Center Zydrunas Ilgauskas limped to the locker room with 9:39 left in the fourth with a sprained left ankle. He did not return… Andre Iguodala scored a season-high 27 points for the 76ers. Andre Miller added 22, and Lou Williams had 13 of his season-high 22 in the fourth for Philadelphia. The 76ers have dropped two straight and seven of nine to fall to 9-13.

Dec 3: Lakers 114, Sixers 102

The AP reports: Kobe Bryant tormented his hometown team again, scoring 32 points to help the Los Angeles Lakers rebound from a last-second loss with a 114-102 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers on Wednesday night… Pau Gasol had 22 points and 13 rebounds, and Andrew Bynum scored 18 points for the Lakers. Los Angeles never let the middling Sixers get too close in this one. Philadelphia was within six in the third quarter when Derek Fisher and Bryant nailed 3-pointers that ballooned the lead to double digits… Andre Miller scored 26 points and Iguodala had 19 for the Sixers, who played the entire fourth quarter and the last 4:50 of the third without Elton Brand.

Dec 2: Sixers 103, Bulls 95 OT

The AP reports: Andre Miller scored nine of his season-high 28 points in overtime Tuesday night and the Philadelphia 76ers ended their four-game losing streak with a 103-95 victory over the Chicago Bulls. Andre Iguodala added 25 points and Elton Brand had 22 points and 14 rebounds as the Sixers avenged a loss to the Bulls two days ago in Philadelphia. Derrick Rose led Chicago with 24 points and Ben Gordon added 18. Tyrus Thomas had 14 points and 13 boards.

Nov 30: Bulls 103, Sixers 92

The AP reports: Derrick Rose seems unfazed by the rigorous NBA schedule. In the final stop on a seven-game, 12-day road trip which began Nov. 18 in Los Angeles against the Lakers, the 20-year-old No. 1 overall pick in the draft still had plenty of energy. Ben Gordon scored 21 points, Drew Gooden had 20 points and 12 rebounds, and the Chicago Bulls rallied from an early deficit for a 103-92 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers on Sunday. Rose contributed 18 points and 10 assists and reached double figures in assists for the first time this season. Reserve Larry Hughes had 16 points for the Bulls (8-9), who won for only the third time in 10 games on the road… Elton Brand had 21 points and 12 rebounds, and Thaddeus Young added 17 points for the reeling Sixers, who have lost four straight to fall to 7-10. Andre Miller had 15 points and 10 assists, and Willie Green chipped in with 12 points.

Derrick Rose crossover owns Andre Miller

At the end of the third quarter in Philadelphia, Chicago Bulls rookie point guard Derrick Rose unleashed a crossover on 76ers point guard Andre Miller that was so nasty I was forced to replay it 15, maybe 20 times.

Despite playing way off Rose, giving himself tons of time to react, Miller was owned so badly he actually fell down. And it wasn’t a fluke fall. He got crossed, badly. Tape up those ankles.

With the 76ers up 55-50 and the quarter about to end, Rose had the ball up top in three-point range, jab-stepped a few times to test Miller’s reaction, drove right using his right hand, then at the free throw line shifted to his left and went right down the middle of the paint. Miller got crossed so badly he toppled to the floor.

Rose got right to the rim and put up a short finger-roll. A goaltending call was made on Samuel Dalembert, who swatted it a bit too late, so Rose got credit for the bucket.

See the video clip and fan discussion, and post comments of your own.

–Jeff

Nov 28: Celtics 102, Sixers 78

The AP reports: Ray Allen had a stretch of 11 straight points in the third quarter Friday. Rajon Rondo had a hand in all of them. Allen scored 23 points and Kevin Garnett added 16 to lead the Boston Celtics to their seventh straight victory, 102-78 over the Philadelphia 76ers. Allen was 10-for-15 from the field, including 3-for-5 on 3-pointers… Rondo had 12 assists, including one on the last basket of the third quarter, a perfectly executed alley-oop to Garnett for a dunk. Tony Allen and Leon Powe each scored 10 points for the Celtics. Paul Pierce was limited to six points on 1-for-6 shooting… Brand scored 18 points and Williams added 15 points. Andre Miller and Marreese Speights each had 12 points. Speights was ejected with 43 seconds remaining after committing a flagrant foul on Brian Scalabrine.