Billy King is not amused

[Reality]

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/recap?gameId=260418020

Iverson and Webber did not play because of injuries, did not show up in the locker room until tipoff, did not join their teammates on the bench and missed the 76ers' 91-88 win over the New Jersey Nets on Tuesday night.

The organization does not condone anything like that," Cheeks said.

Cheeks said he'd probably been "lax" this season in enforcing the time players needed to show up and that would be "cleaned up" next season. He also apologized to the fans.

"I'd like them to be here, hell yeah," an agitated King said on the court about 45 minutes before tip. "They're not and I'm going to take care of it."

More in the whole article.  I'm sure dabods will hear some stuff on this also.

[westkoast]

Is that what ESPN was talking about last night?  I just saw a quick clip that said AI and Webber are in hot water.

[JoMal]

Cheeks never said Iverson or Webber was not going to play for the 20 minutes he talked to reporters before he was told they had not arrived at the Wachovia Center. He looked dejected when he returned and slumped in his seat, looking much like he did 11 days ago when he remained at the postgame press conference podium, ice bottle on his head, with the lights turned out.

When asked if he was disappointed in the duo, Cheeks said, "I'm done man."

This is the reason why what Iverson and Webber did was reprehensible. Maurice Cheeks deserves better then this from his front line players. The lack of respect they showed their teammates and coach, and to act this way especially on fan appreciation night, is going to certainly make King entertain any and all trade suggestions this off-season.

After saying he wanted to remain a Sixer just this week, wonder what Allen thinks his chances of doing that are now?
 

[rickortreat]

I'm not sure why this is being made into such a big deal.  Neither player was going to play last night.  

Their crime was not being at the stadium 90 minutes before game time.  They did show up and were on the bench when the game started.

Is it a sign of disrespect, or were Iverson and Webber commiserating over their failed season?  

I would say this is a red herring to distract us from the season.  Webber and Iverson were not the problem, except that they couldn't get the other players more involved.  Webber thrives when players are moving and cutting to the basket.  But the Sixers tend to stand around, his abilities are being wasted.

There may be some problems with personnel, but coaching seems to have been lacking here.

[Laker Fan]

I'm not sure why this is being made into such a big deal.  Neither player was going to play last night. 

Their crime was not being at the stadium 90 minutes before game time.  They did show up and were on the bench when the game started.

Is it a sign of disrespect, or were Iverson and Webber commiserating over their failed season? 

I would say this is a red herring to distract us from the season.  Webber and Iverson were not the problem, except that they couldn't get the other players more involved.  Webber thrives when players are moving and cutting to the basket.  But the Sixers tend to stand around, his abilities are being wasted.

There may be some problems with personnel, but coaching seems to have been lacking here.

MY goodness Rick, you are the ultimate excuse monkey on this board, I daresay Iverson can NEVER do anything wrong in your eyes! You have excused, justified, and explained away this punks antics to the point it makes me wonder if you are not his paid spin doctor, admit it, he and Webber BOTH were not just disrespectful, they out and out insulted Mo Cheeks, their teammates, and Philly fans, what a couple of useless pukes they are!

[msc]

Is it a sign of disrespect, or were Iverson and Webber commiserating over their failed season? 

Please, please tell me you're joking with this question you pose ...  

[westkoast]

Regardless if they are going to play or not.....

They are still being payed to goto their job.  That is like anyone of us on the board deciding not to show up on-time because we are not taking part in the big meeting in the office.

Asking AI and Chris Webber to show up at the same time everyone else is really is not asking too much.  Both of them made like 50k-100k that game for doing nothing so forgive us for thinking it's pathetic on their part to act that way.

[Guest_Randy]

I would say this is a red herring to distract us from the season. Webber and Iverson were not the problem, except that they couldn't get the other players more involved. Webber thrives when players are moving and cutting to the basket. But the Sixers tend to stand around, his abilities are being wasted.

This is funny, Rick (did I get that right Skander?) -- if it's NOT the job of your superstar to make their teammates better -- than whose job is it?  Why do you think that's Kobe's job if you don't think that AI and Webber have the same responsibility?  

A superstar is going to be judged on:  1) what he does and 2) what his team does.  It's the reason Nash is being mentioned as MVP this year -- it's also the reason why I didn't think that Dominque deserved to be in the HOF.  Sure, he put up great numbers but his team NEVER did anything!  He was a great offensive player on a really bad team -- it's a lot easier to put up great numbers when you are on a bad team -- Kobe is proof of that.  If Kobe had a better team, his numbers would go down -- and I hope they will in the future.

I think the Sixers have a number of problems:
  1)  AI and Webber don't compliment each other on the court.  Both can initiate the offense but they have completely different styles in doing so.  The Sixers would be much better off allowing Webber to initiate the offense similar to how Jerry Sloan used Karl Malone.  Move the offense without the ball and create opportunities for his teammates -- however, AI initiates the offense completely different -- by trying to break down the defense and taking it to the hole (see Tony Parker this year -- leading the league in points in the paint) -- the problem is that AI, unlike Parker, takes too many bad shots in the process.
  2)  Cheeks isn't that good of a coach.  He isn't very original and he doesn't seem to be able to create an offensive scheme that best uses the pieces he has to work with.
  3)  The Sixers have made some REALLY bad personell decisions -- strapping themselves with the salaries of AI, Webber and now Dalembert (and this isn't just a new problem for King and the Sixers -- and it's going to kill their future, IMO).

A lot of comments are being made about trading AI -- I don't see that happening.  AI is the Sixers meal ticket -- he sells tickets -- you trade him and fail to get someone as exciting to replace him and you risk fans getting upset at you and risk taking the financial hit.  Not to mention that you NEVER get equal return when you trade a superstar -- see TMac, see Shaq, etc.  If you have to trade a superstar, you hope to get young talent in return.  Now you MIGHT be able to make a deal with NY -- Channing Frye and Robinson might be interesting (along with taking Marbury and/or Frances off their hands).  

[westkoast]

IMO Webber should be the one to intiate the offense.  1) because inside-out is always the better way to start your offense and 2) he still is a very good passer.  If someone could just convince AI that he really would benefit more by getting wide open jumpers and at the same time conserve some energy then it would be a done deal.  Not that AI's way of doing it has not and could not work, just that it would be easier for him if Webber were to take over the role.  His body has taken a beating and he is getting older so maybe someone needs to point that out.

[Derek Bodner]

IMO Webber should be the one to intiate the offense. 1) because inside-out is always the better way to start your offense

Webber?  Inside?  When?

You know what's sad.  Webber takes virtually as many jumpshots (at PF) as Allen does (at PG)
32% of Webber's shots were from close range:
http://www.82games.com/0506/05PHI13A.HTM
31% of Iversons shots were from close range:
http://www.82games.com/0506/05PHI1A.HTM

Webber's the root of this team's defensive problems.  If there's one area that needs to be addressed, it's there.

[westkoast]

IMO Webber should be the one to intiate the offense. 1) because inside-out is always the better way to start your offense

Webber?  Inside?  When?

You know what's sad.  Webber takes virtually as many jumpshots (at PF) as Allen does (at PG)
32% of Webber's shots were from close range:
http://www.82games.com/0506/05PHI13A.HTM
31% of Iversons shots were from close range:
http://www.82games.com/0506/05PHI1A.HTM

Webber's the root of this team's defensive problems.  If there's one area that needs to be addressed, it's there.

When? In Sac-Town lol

I don't think he will take his offensive game strickly in the post.  He simply doesn't have the lift to be effective in the post like that anymore.  What I meant was that the ball should hit him first and then work around from there because he can make some beautiful passes.

[Reality]

because he can make some beautiful passes.

So can does and has A.I.  When you have ButterFingers at the recieving end of the pass, what is the point?

As bods posted Webber is such an obvious detriment at the D end.  Other teams know this.  They are gonna be .500 at best.

Sixers management dropped the ball.  To a lesser degree, they chose the Isaiah NYKnicks route perpetual trade mode.  Instead of two years ago just saying look, we need to rebuild period.  Do not sign Webber, do not sign Dalembert.  They would not have been much worse and really may have been .500 anyways.  Ig would have gotten a million more shots.

It would be now, they would be a crapload under the cap and would still have the option of trading AI to be so far under the cap it would not be funny.

bods and RT as to AIs Fan Disappreciation Day antics, he lives for this stuff, right?
He loves to polarize the city into a 50-50 camp of whether or not he is a good guy or not.  Sits back and pouts and does that "me be a victim chip on shoulder" crap.  Grow up!

Do you guys want  him back or is it time to seriously rebuild?
Webber.  Whos gonna touch that contract. :rofl:  :cry:  

[Guest_Randy]

Do you guys want him back or is it time to seriously rebuild?

You are failing to see a lot (like you did when you mentioned all those stupid trades).

1)  AI is a ticket seller -- a HUGE ticket seller in Philly.  You trade him and you will take a hit financially.

2)  You aren't going to get fair market exchange for him unless you can do a deal with NY.  Is Isaiah stupid enough to trade Frances or Marbury, Robinson and Channing Frye for AI, Dalembert, Korver and a draft pick?  Other than that, I don't think Philly has much chance of getting much for AI.  AI's style is tough to build around -- he is a proven scorer who is quick in the open court and in the passing lanes but he is a horrible shooter and a defensive liability.  He isn't going to be able to come onto a team that already has a legit superstar, he needs to be built around -- he isn't an add-on.  

I think Philly trading AI is a pipe dream.  And I don't think Cheeks is a very good coach either!

[rickortreat]

bods and RT as to AIs Fan Disappreciation Day antics, he lives for this stuff, right?
He loves to polarize the city into a 50-50 camp of whether or not he is a good guy or not. Sits back and pouts and does that "me be a victim chip on shoulder" crap. Grow up!

Insterestingly enough he had an interview in which he mentioned that he regretted not being there precisely because it became such a blown up issue.  he said that every year at the end of the season there's allways something that comes up that becomes an issue over the summer.

Well, this time it is his own damn fault.  He should have been there on time, even if he wasn't going to play.  I personally don't think it was a big deal, but as everyone else on the board has noted, he's getting paid a lot of money and the LEAST he could have done is shown up for the fans.  As it is, I still haven't heard him appologize for not showing up.

Still is that grounds for trading him?  He is still the best player on the team and just finished having his best year statistically.  He and Webber are the most prolific scoring duo in the league.  

I think they both can be pieces of a winning ball club, but the Sixers need to to a lot of work to make all the pieces they have work together.  AI should not have the ball in his hands all the time.  In fairness to Cheeks he didn't have Willie Green all season, and I wouldn't want Kevin Ollie running the offense.  Salmons and Igoudala are not points, and Louis Williams was too inexperienced as a rookie.  Also Louis cannot be in the same backcourt as AI, because together they are too short.

Iverson ran the point and most of the time ran the offense.  That is not the right way to get the most out of him.  He should be running of the ball to break down the offence, which would allow other players to have the opportunity for easy baskets.  Maybe with a healthy Willie we would have had the chance to see that.  

Frankly the Sixers offense was not ever run adequately.  Althought they could put in a lot of points, when the other team put pressure on them most of the time they came up short.  The Sixers never contolled a game by dominating on offense.  And they certainly could not stop anyone on the defensive end.  So the result was a below average club that never found a formula for winning.

Dalembert regressed and did not appear to be worth that contract he signed.  Next year, is a make or break year for him.  Either he comes through or the Sixers will bail on him.  Hunter looks to be more comfortable at PF and defensively he's better than Webber.  Neither of them can play small forward on the defensive end, and Webber is undersized to play Center.

To me this was a wasted year,  the additions did not mesh together and Cheeks never found a combination that could work.  Cheeks needed more imagination and vision to get this team to play the right way, and he wasn't up to the challenge.  It may be that with the pieces he had it simply wasn't possible for them to be a winning team, but he didn't do anything to impress me with his abilities as a coach.





 

[Reality]

I think Philly trading AI is a pipe dream.  And I don't think Cheeks is a very good coach either!

1. Maybe Philly would like to win another legit title as opposed to being some marketing 1st farce.  With all the money they wasted on Dalembert and Webber they could give away a thousand tickets a game.  They don't have to keep AI for the sole purpose of selling tickets.  A front running title contending team without AI in Philly would sell just as many tickets.  Ask dabods and RT who live there and shut your piehole.

2.  Isaiah is definitely stupid enough to do that.  Have you read in the boxscore or watched in the imaginary t.v. in your mind what some of his past trades have been.  Difference is now Larry Brown is in town (or is he, health?) so the rob Isaiah bandwagon may be over with.

A.I. is a horrible shooter? :rofl:   Now I've heard it all.  Maybe when he ups his fg% 3 tenths of a percentage he will be a great shooter like Kobe.  Can you also teach him to lower his assists?  

Build around A.I.?  Too late for that with the current cast in Philly.  Maybe A.I. would be more then happy to go to a team with a legit big man as the centerpiece.