Philadelphia 76ers Team

He was their man from the time Larry Brown left town more than two years ago, but to get him, the 76ers first had to go through three other coaches — Randy Ayers, Chris Ford, and Jim O'Brien in two disappointing years. In late May, a couple of months after losing his job as coach of the Portland Trail Blazers, Maurice Cheeks returned to the franchise he helped win the 1983 NBA title. That title was this long-suffering sports town's final championship, and the fans haven't forgotten. As soon as he arrived, Cheeks was greeted with love and adulation from the fans, his new players, and almost everyone associated with the storied franchise. This being Philly, though, the love has given way to expectations. "Obviously, I'm thrilled Mo is going to be our coach," Sixers owner Ed Snider says. "He is such a great part of our history. But that's not the reason we brought him back. We've gone through a bunch of coaches. It's not something I'm real happy about. It's embarrassing. I know all the reasons.... I think that finding an outstanding coach in the NBA is one of the most difficult things I've ever seen in sports. These (players) make so much money, and they're so independent, it's very difficult to bring the group together and make it work."
Snider and general manager Billy King believe that Cheeks is just the person to help a well-balanced collection of veterans and young talent make a run at the Eastern Conference title. I-During his tenure in Portland, Cheeks worked with a classically dysfunctional group, and coaxed out of his players a modest amount of success. He's known as a player's coach, in large part because he was a player, and a leader at that.
Perhaps most important, Cheeks has a lengthy history with the Sixers' mercurial star, Alien Iverson. Cheeks spent seven seasons as a Sixers assistant and developed a strong relationship with Iverson. Cheeks was a confidante, a sounding board when things got tense between the star and the head coach. He has Iverson's respect, which is hard to gain. The big question now is how much Iverson is ready to sacrifice to make Cheeks and the Sixers successful. "I've seen a tremendous growth in Alien, and I'm looking forward to the relationship between Alien and Mo," Snider says. "It might bear From the time he landed in Philadelphia, Cheeks immediately started studying film of the Sixers after they acquired Chris Webber in a blockbuster trade last February. Cheeks wanted to see just why Webber and Iverson failed to jell, and how they might be more successful. Webber slogged through last season with knee problems. He played in 21 of a possible 28 games after the trade, averaging 15.6 points and 7.9 rebounds. In the Sixers' first-round playoff loss to Detroit, Webber found his shooting touch, but by then, it was too late.
While the Sixers need Webber to be a consistently reliable second scoring option, he is surrounded by good young talent. The long and lean Samuel Dalembert is developing into an intimidating shot-blocking force inside and will be relied upon to bolster the team's interior defense. Dalembert reminds local fans of Theo Ratliff. In his rookie season last year, Andre Iguodala started all 82 games and emerged as an athletic, smart player who can kick-start a fast-break with a quick-handed defensive play. The former Arizona forward averaged 9.0 points, a scoring average that should go up.
Off the bench, the Sixers have the sure-shooting Kyle Korver, one of three restricted free agents the team worked diligently to re-sign in the off season.
"We have a mixture of young and old, which is pretty good," Cheeks says. "We will be defensive-minded, and I think Ihris Webber we'll have a good defensive team with Dalembert anchoring in the middle."

As soon as he was introduced as the Sixers' 21st head coach. Cheeks was spotted around town. In the Burger King drive-through near the team's practice facility. Looking at real estate on the Main Line. Playing pickup at the posh downtown Sporting Club. "The people have been great," Cheeks says. "This is a passionate city. They like to identify with their sports people. I'm a guy, even when I played, I was always downtown, and around. You could always find me places."
Now, Philly sports fans can find Cheeks back on the Sixers' sideline. How long the love affair lasts will be linked to the team's success. The Sixers finally got their man. Now, he has to prove that he is worth the trouble.