SAS: Sixers want O'Brien gone

[Programmed2Kill]

http://www.philly.com/mld/inquirer/sports/11154798.htm


Stephen A. pretty much breaks it on down....

He was supposed to be the man worth $4 million per season, the perfect successor to Larry Brown, the individual capable of repairing the damage King did to his own reputation as an executive when he was maligned for pulling the trigger too quickly on former coach Randy Ayers.

But ever since O'Brien signed his hefty $12 million, three-year deal, even colleagues have said they don't know who the man is anymore.

Players say O'Brien's arrogance is incomparable.

The Sixers' marketing department, or any other department for that matter, is not particularly fond of him, either.

Numerous season-ticket holders will do anything to have another meeting, similar to the one held with Pat Croce the season Johnny Davis and Brad Greenberg were running the show for the Sixers

[EWRMETS]

Re: SAS: Sixers want O'Brien gone

I still think O'Brien is a great coach. When will Philly get their act together?

[EWRMETS]

Re: SAS: Sixers want O'Brien gone

I still think O'Brien is a great coach. When will Philly get their act together?

[Programmed2Kill]

Re: SAS: Sixers want O'Brien gone

Here's the whole column...




Posted on Thu, Mar. 17, 2005


Stephen A. Smith | O'Brien may have to go

By Stephen A. Smith
Inquirer Columnist

On a night of predictable euphoria against a Lakers squad barely worth watching anymore, there were still ominous signs dangling around the Wachovia Center. All aimed in the direction of coach Jim O'Brien.

Upon game's end, the 76ers still were two games below .500. Still four games behind the Boston Celtics in a race for the Atlantic Division crown. Still a half-game removed from the eighth and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.

Still utterly uninterested in playing for their coach.

Despite shellacking Kobe Bryant and the Lakers, 108-91, Tuesday night, nobody needed news about a chipped bone in Allen Iverson's thumb to sully their mood or ruin their spirit. All anyone needed to do was witness Chris Webber exit the game, snarling at O'Brien along the way, his body language screaming "Get me out of here," before the rest of his teammates subsequently provided high-fives.

That disgust, accentuated by the support of his teammates, spoke volumes about O'Brien and his tenure thus far in the City of Brotherly Love.

O'Brien's not getting any love from his players. They cannot stand the man. And regardless of president/general manager Billy King's refusal to candidly address the matter, he has to be perplexed about what he'll do next.

In all probability, there will be coaching changes in New York, Los Angeles, Minnesota and Portland once this season expires. Maurice Cheeks is already available. And that fact, along with a virtual consensus among the players to see O'Brien gone, is something King must consider whether he wants to or not.

"No comment," was King's stance Tuesday night, when asked about the players' discontent with their coach. "I'm not about to discuss that subject at this moment in time."

Who can blame King? I wouldn't want to, either. Especially considering his own personal circumstances.

O'Brien was supposed to be the golden boy of free-agent coaches, the steward fresh off of taking the Celtics to the Eastern Conference finals in his last full season in Boston.

He was supposed to be the man worth $4 million per season, the perfect successor to Larry Brown, the individual capable of repairing the damage King did to his own reputation as an executive when he was maligned for pulling the trigger too quickly on former coach Randy Ayers.

But ever since O'Brien signed his hefty $12 million, three-year deal, even colleagues have said they don't know who the man is anymore.

Players say O'Brien's arrogance is incomparable.

The Sixers' marketing department, or any other department for that matter, is not particularly fond of him, either.

Numerous season-ticket holders will do anything to have another meeting, similar to the one held with Pat Croce the season Johnny Davis and Brad Greenberg were running the show for the Sixers.

I'll confess that I don't know the man personally. For all I know, he could be the sweetest man in the world, because he certainly has never done anything to me. But when you can go from the front office to the marketing department, to the locker room and laundry room and right down to courtside, and you're incapable of finding one individual willing to speak fondly about a coach, something is dreadfully wrong.

Especially if you're Billy King.

It's bad enough that he fired Ayers prematurely and is still paying the former coach $1.4 million this season and $1.6 million next season. Former assistant coach Chris Ford, who snatched the interim tag after Ayers was dismissed and is now the team's pro personnel scout, was pocketing approximately $400,000 annually before he got a bump. And now with O'Brien's future in question, the mere thought of the Sixers having to swallow an additional $8 million over the next two years can't be easy for King to stomach. Or chairman Ed Snider, for that matter.

Yet, something needs to be done. Maybe a psychologist for O'Brien. Get him some people skills and a willingness to listen to his players, most of whom believe he's displayed such flagrant arrogance and apathy toward them, it's impossible to imagine.

It's not about whether O'Brien can coach, or whether he can teach players to play the right way anymore. Right now, it's about the players' willingness to play for him at all. Which, evidently, they have little desire to do.

If O'Brien can't get the job done, there are plenty of candidates available after this season.

It's sad that matters have deteriorated to this point so early.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------



How's He Doing?

Jim O'Brien may be on the hot seat, but he's not doing so poorly when compared with Sixers head coaches since the 1992-93 season began. Remember those years? Except for Larry Brown's six seasons, they weren't much to remember.

Coach Year Seasons Record

Doug Moe* 1992-93 1 19-37

Fred Carter** 1993-94 2 32-76

John Lucas 1994-96 2 42-122

Johnny Davis 1996-97 1 22-60

Larry Brown 1997-2003 6 255-205

Randy Ayers* 2003-04 1 21-31

Chris Ford** 2004 1 12-18

Jim O'Brien 2004-05 1 31-33

*Did not complete his first season.

**Finished the season of the previous coach.

Same time last year

On March 17, 2004, the 76ers were 28-41.

After 64 games last season, the 76ers were 26-38.

[Programmed2Kill]

Re: SAS: Sixers want O'Brien gone

Here's the whole column...




Posted on Thu, Mar. 17, 2005


Stephen A. Smith | O'Brien may have to go

By Stephen A. Smith
Inquirer Columnist

On a night of predictable euphoria against a Lakers squad barely worth watching anymore, there were still ominous signs dangling around the Wachovia Center. All aimed in the direction of coach Jim O'Brien.

Upon game's end, the 76ers still were two games below .500. Still four games behind the Boston Celtics in a race for the Atlantic Division crown. Still a half-game removed from the eighth and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.

Still utterly uninterested in playing for their coach.

Despite shellacking Kobe Bryant and the Lakers, 108-91, Tuesday night, nobody needed news about a chipped bone in Allen Iverson's thumb to sully their mood or ruin their spirit. All anyone needed to do was witness Chris Webber exit the game, snarling at O'Brien along the way, his body language screaming "Get me out of here," before the rest of his teammates subsequently provided high-fives.

That disgust, accentuated by the support of his teammates, spoke volumes about O'Brien and his tenure thus far in the City of Brotherly Love.

O'Brien's not getting any love from his players. They cannot stand the man. And regardless of president/general manager Billy King's refusal to candidly address the matter, he has to be perplexed about what he'll do next.

In all probability, there will be coaching changes in New York, Los Angeles, Minnesota and Portland once this season expires. Maurice Cheeks is already available. And that fact, along with a virtual consensus among the players to see O'Brien gone, is something King must consider whether he wants to or not.

"No comment," was King's stance Tuesday night, when asked about the players' discontent with their coach. "I'm not about to discuss that subject at this moment in time."

Who can blame King? I wouldn't want to, either. Especially considering his own personal circumstances.

O'Brien was supposed to be the golden boy of free-agent coaches, the steward fresh off of taking the Celtics to the Eastern Conference finals in his last full season in Boston.

He was supposed to be the man worth $4 million per season, the perfect successor to Larry Brown, the individual capable of repairing the damage King did to his own reputation as an executive when he was maligned for pulling the trigger too quickly on former coach Randy Ayers.

But ever since O'Brien signed his hefty $12 million, three-year deal, even colleagues have said they don't know who the man is anymore.

Players say O'Brien's arrogance is incomparable.

The Sixers' marketing department, or any other department for that matter, is not particularly fond of him, either.

Numerous season-ticket holders will do anything to have another meeting, similar to the one held with Pat Croce the season Johnny Davis and Brad Greenberg were running the show for the Sixers.

I'll confess that I don't know the man personally. For all I know, he could be the sweetest man in the world, because he certainly has never done anything to me. But when you can go from the front office to the marketing department, to the locker room and laundry room and right down to courtside, and you're incapable of finding one individual willing to speak fondly about a coach, something is dreadfully wrong.

Especially if you're Billy King.

It's bad enough that he fired Ayers prematurely and is still paying the former coach $1.4 million this season and $1.6 million next season. Former assistant coach Chris Ford, who snatched the interim tag after Ayers was dismissed and is now the team's pro personnel scout, was pocketing approximately $400,000 annually before he got a bump. And now with O'Brien's future in question, the mere thought of the Sixers having to swallow an additional $8 million over the next two years can't be easy for King to stomach. Or chairman Ed Snider, for that matter.

Yet, something needs to be done. Maybe a psychologist for O'Brien. Get him some people skills and a willingness to listen to his players, most of whom believe he's displayed such flagrant arrogance and apathy toward them, it's impossible to imagine.

It's not about whether O'Brien can coach, or whether he can teach players to play the right way anymore. Right now, it's about the players' willingness to play for him at all. Which, evidently, they have little desire to do.

If O'Brien can't get the job done, there are plenty of candidates available after this season.

It's sad that matters have deteriorated to this point so early.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------



How's He Doing?

Jim O'Brien may be on the hot seat, but he's not doing so poorly when compared with Sixers head coaches since the 1992-93 season began. Remember those years? Except for Larry Brown's six seasons, they weren't much to remember.

Coach Year Seasons Record

Doug Moe* 1992-93 1 19-37

Fred Carter** 1993-94 2 32-76

John Lucas 1994-96 2 42-122

Johnny Davis 1996-97 1 22-60

Larry Brown 1997-2003 6 255-205

Randy Ayers* 2003-04 1 21-31

Chris Ford** 2004 1 12-18

Jim O'Brien 2004-05 1 31-33

*Did not complete his first season.

**Finished the season of the previous coach.

Same time last year

On March 17, 2004, the 76ers were 28-41.

After 64 games last season, the 76ers were 26-38.

[Programmed2Kill]

Re: SAS: Sixers want O'Brien gone

I still think O'Brien is a great coach.

LOL I wanna hear this........based on what?

[Programmed2Kill]

Re: SAS: Sixers want O'Brien gone

I still think O'Brien is a great coach.

LOL I wanna hear this........based on what?

[jakobslad]

Re: SAS: Sixers want O'Brien gone

Needed to go awhile ago, can't understand why he is still coaching the Sixers.

[jakobslad]

Re: SAS: Sixers want O'Brien gone

Needed to go awhile ago, can't understand why he is still coaching the Sixers.

[EWRMETS]

Re: SAS: Sixers want O'Brien gone

LOL I wanna hear this........based on what?

Based on the job he did with the Celtics. The guy obviously wears down his teams fast, and probably needs a few years off. When he gets a little older, he'll mellow out, and become a solid NBA coach.

[EWRMETS]

Re: SAS: Sixers want O'Brien gone

LOL I wanna hear this........based on what?

Based on the job he did with the Celtics. The guy obviously wears down his teams fast, and probably needs a few years off. When he gets a little older, he'll mellow out, and become a solid NBA coach.

[fobbybobby23]

Re: SAS: Sixers want O'Brien gone

the celtics aren't the 76ers though

for all he's shown with this 76er team he's a nutty coach

you can't just take what worked for the celtics and try to infuse it with a different team in the 76ers

example: why the heck did it take o'brien so long to start dalembert?? his comments about dalembert "not fitting" the defensive system were quite ********, he's their best defensive rebounder and shot blocker, how could he NOT be a fit??

[fobbybobby23]

Re: SAS: Sixers want O'Brien gone

the celtics aren't the 76ers though

for all he's shown with this 76er team he's a nutty coach

you can't just take what worked for the celtics and try to infuse it with a different team in the 76ers

example: why the heck did it take o'brien so long to start dalembert?? his comments about dalembert "not fitting" the defensive system were quite ********, he's their best defensive rebounder and shot blocker, how could he NOT be a fit??

[DueceDiggla]

Re: SAS: Sixers want O'Brien gone

I always thought he was a good coach too because of the fight his Celt's would put up against the Nets. But, after thinking about it, maybe he isn't as good as I thought. I too wondered why the hell Dalembert wasn't on the court as much as possible, and he never got Walker to tone down his three point shooting attempts while he was there.


With that said, who cares??? You guys are in the playoffs, and there aren't coaches out there who I think are that much better (please don't give me the Phil Jackson crap).

[DueceDiggla]

Re: SAS: Sixers want O'Brien gone

I always thought he was a good coach too because of the fight his Celt's would put up against the Nets. But, after thinking about it, maybe he isn't as good as I thought. I too wondered why the hell Dalembert wasn't on the court as much as possible, and he never got Walker to tone down his three point shooting attempts while he was there.


With that said, who cares??? You guys are in the playoffs, and there aren't coaches out there who I think are that much better (please don't give me the Phil Jackson crap).