Sam Mitchell Fired

[jemagee]

Mo Cheeks still employed

[anklebreaker]

Didn't Sam Mitchell recently get extended too? 

[jemagee]

Didn't Sam Mitchell recently get extended too? 

By a GM that didn't hire him?

[jemagee]

Well - i don't really think he's that insightful personally but chad ford calls the sixers the biggest disappointment so far this season

[Skates]

From a record standpoint they are a little disappointing to me, I expected about a 0.500 record for the first 20-22 games.  From a quality of play standpoint Chad's analysis is pretty much right on, especially because this is about the point I thought we would see them clicking on all cylinders.  It's getting kind of late for it to be early.

[tk76-]

Well - i don't really think he's that insightful personally but chad ford calls the sixers the biggest disappointment so far this season

Link? 

Also, Brand officially out for Fri Nt: http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=3745524

Speights with the top PER of Thorpe's top 20 rookies (can't see past #20.)

Obligatory MNTBF (guess)

[jemagee]

It was in one of his chats - i don't know if they are linkable or not if you don't have insider.

[anklebreaker]

Another coach bites the dust...... Wittman fired in Minnesota.  McHale takes over head coaching duties.

http://basketball.realgm.com/src_wiretap_archives/55864/20081208/timberwolves_fire_wittman_mchale_steps_in_as_coach/

Weren't they supposed to still be pretty bad? 

[jemagee]

So were the thunder and PJ got fired...I think this is Taylor making the first step in FINALLY firing McHale - make him coach the roster he created - fail - and then fire him - he's existed on KG long enough don't you think?

[Skates]

So were the thunder and PJ got fired...I think this is Taylor making the first step in FINALLY firing McHale - make him coach the roster he created - fail - and then fire him - he's existed on KG long enough don't you think?

Agreed, it is the "Isiah" treatment Minnesota style.

[Skates]

After Wittman's firing, Sheridan puts Cheeks in third position on th coaching death march behind theus and Iavaroni:

Maurice Cheeks, 76ers
If we were looking for the leading contender to be the seventh coach fired this season, Cheeks would be at the top of the list.

None of the Eastern Conference teams expected to be contenders (with the possible exception of Toronto) has been a bigger disappointment than the Sixers, whose 9-12 record to begin the week has them sitting in 10th place in the East, a half-game behind New York.

Cheeks' footing is solidified by a couple of things: He just signed an extension, and he is engineering a fundamental shift in offensive emphasis to account for the addition of Elton Brand (currently day-to-day with a strained hamstring). But there has been measurable regression in the production of Andre Iguodala, Samuel Dalembert and Lou Williams, and it wasn't a good sign when team president Ed Stefanski said, "You'll never hear 'patience' coming out of my mouth."

Watch to see how the Sixers look in their back-to-back set against the Cavaliers later this week. Two blowout losses, and the line on Cheeks moves shorter. Odds: 19-1

I think you will see a larger than usual number of firings this year as coaches take the blame not just for the teams sucking, but also for the piss-poor attendance that follows.  A lot of owners probably took a solid financial hit since the market tanked and are in no mood to subsidize their NBA hobby.

[jemagee]

engineering a fundamental shift in offensive emphasis to account for the addition of Elton Brand

What does sheridan know that we don't?

[Derek Bodner]

It's pretty obvious they tried to run the ball through the post to start the year.  It failed, and shouldn't have been tried, but they definitely tried something they've never done before (because they didn't have anyone even remotely capable).

[tk76-]

This team will improve, but you have to think there ceiling is lower than most expected.  They probably are a marginal playoff team with a first round exit assuming they don't make a major move.  Ultimately, they will need Thad to become a star if they are to be a force in the East.

OT- RealGM has officially gone to crap...

[jemagee]

Hey thankfully that was my ceiling fo them anyway - so marginal playoff team with first round exit is exactly what i was expecting...now i'd rather trade miller for value and concede that they are at least a year or two away