Jolovitz: The New Mo-Town

Maurice Cheeks settles at the podium for his introductory press conference. Jesse D. Garrabrant NBAE/Getty Images

Phil Jackson was not a favorite son of Los Angeles. Scotty Bowman was not a hero in Montreal, Pittsburgh, or Detroit before he came on board. Fred Shero was not a Philadelphian, nor were Dick Vermeil, Larry Brown, or Andy Reid. Was Vince Lombardi from Green Bay? Larry Bowa came back with disappointing results. Bill Barber was shown the indignity of a palace coup. Then again, Billy Cunningham had strong ties to Philadelphia before coaching the Sixers. In 1983, his low key point guard flushed the only memorable dunk of his career to seal the last professional sports championship our city has seen.

I am not a fan of bringing favorite sons back to coach the team of their past glory unless it is a perfect fit. Expectations are high, and whether or not someone played in a particular city has very little to do with whether they will have success coaching there. The hometown roots must be a maraschino cherry; the topper to a perfect sundae, not the main course. For Jim O'Brien, the Philly chemistry never materialized, and without chemistry, there is no main course. I think that Maurice Cheeks is that rare fit, the right coach for the right team at the right time. His Philly roots top the sundae. Billy King has gone through four chefs de basketball since Larry Brown left for Motown. I think Billy got it right this time, and making Philly Mo-Town is right on every level.

To Ed Snider and Billy King, kudos in the face of potential embarrassment. Mr. Snider's plan I am sure was not to pay three coaches next season (Randy Ayers, Jim O'Brien, and Mo Cheeks). Billy King I am sure has shuffled the coaching deck more than he would have liked. They could have played it safe, and plowed on with Jim O'Brien. If there is one thing impossible to say about Billy King, it is that he plays it safe. Yes, another coaching change opens him up for criticism. But it was the right thing to do, and Billy said damn the torpedos, here we go.

Jim O'Brien never quite fit here. Yes, the Sixers won 8 of their last 10 and yes, they battled Detroit hard in the playoffs. But one did not have to go far beneath the surface to find glaring problems. As I wrote during the season, Jim tried to fit his players to his system, WHICH NEVER WORKS WITHOUT THE PROPER TALENT. He introduced a quick man's defense to a slow team, and with the exception of the two AI's, the perimeter was left defenseless all season. Change and adjustments were slow to come, barely ever in the opinion of most. Billy King signed Brian Skinner, Jim O'Brien forgot he was there. If there is one word that can be pinpointed as to why Mo-Town has come to Philly, it is the STUBBORNNESS of Jim O'Brien. On the court, his refusal to play Willie Green and his clear distrust of Samuel Dalembert at times retarded the development of two of the Sixers young nucleus. With both free agents this summer, the team needed to feed its young nucleus, not starve it.

Yes, Coach O'Brien moved Allen Iverson to the point, and AI flourished. Yes, Andre Iguodala started all 82 games. If the coach had run more plays for AI Junior, he might have developed even further in his rookie campaign. Kyle Korver flourished at times too, but there always seemed to be a question to his true role, starter or sixth man? It did not help the coach that Chris Webber's smile after arriving in Philadelphia lasted about 18 seconds. He and the coach clashed, period. He is expensive and untradeable, Robin to AI's Batman. Yes, Billy King could have brought Jim O'Brien back. He did a decent job, and the Sixers returned to the playoffs. Billy King, after a week's vacation to step away from it all, decided that decent was not enough. Decent does not point teams towards championships. In pro sports today, managing egos is as important as managing X's and O's. Jim O'Brien did not do a good enough job in either area.

Why is Maurice Cheeks such a great fit for the Sixers? Let me count the ways. At the top of the list is his relationship with Allen Iverson, BOTH ON AND OFF THE COURT. Mo was an assistant here for seven seasons, five with AI. Not only is there a trust with the superstar, but Mo was only the finest point guard in Sixers history. He coached AI as a shooting guard, but it is as a point guard that Mo showed true genius. He can suggest improvements to AI's game, and the franchise player will be listening to sound advice, with sound trust behind it. AI calls himself a basketball player, and Mo says that labels do not fit AI or other special players as well. Some players can only play one traditional position. AI is not one of them, and Mo understands that. They are not only on the same page, they are ready to turn many pages together. AI is thrilled, and it is easy to see why.

In Portland, the only Trailblazing Mo's players did was to see who could turn his hair gray first. His four seasons there were marked by many things coaches should not have to deal with, but which had to give Mo a crash course in professional counseling. Through it all, he left with a winning record, and his sanity intact. He is battle tested on and off the court, and that is a plus. Mo learned from Larry Brown, which is another plus. The class he showed in helping 13-year-old Natalie Gilbert with the National Anthem will stay with us forever.

Jim O'Brien did not bring a fit with the players. Mo does. Jim fit his players to his system, Mo will take the opposite tack. Mo is impossible not to like, Jim was hard to like with his uptight and stubborn nature. Mo comes from a solid coaching background at all levels.

Now I will add the maraschino cherry. The main course is there, on and off the court. Maurice Cheeks is a legend here, one with a ring as well. His play was flawless, his class marvelous. Fans love him, and while the team under Jim O'Brien was fun to watch, there seemed to be a ceiling to the fans' expectations. Under Mo, the young players will be allowed to grow, and the veterans will be allowed to fit. AI and CWebb can start anew. Billy King can match offers and re-sign Kyle and Willie and Sammy, knowing that they will be pointed in the right direction by someone who believes in them. Maurice knows the team, the city, and its fans. He knows the expectations. He meshes with the franchise player, and is universally liked. This is what I call a perfect fit. I loved him as a player (the fact that Maurice Cheeks is not in the Hall Of Fame is a joke), and the shy point guard who arrived here in 1978 has become an effective leader of men.

Throughout his career, Maurice Cheeks was a winner. A winner in a tough town. He might get a longer honeymoon from the fans, but I do not think he will need it. Mo Cheeks is ready, and it is his time. Billy, nice move. Detroit might have a record company, but Philly is now Mo-Town. Detroit just got a ring, and may soon get another. Will Philadelphia follow there as well? That might take awhile, but I think that the ship is finally ready to sail. Happy landings, Maurice.

"The views and opinions expressed above are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of the Philadelphia 76ers organization."

Though he hails from Bethesda, Md., Paul Jolovitz has been a Philadelphian since he graduated from the University of Pennsylvania in 1983. He worked for PRISM Television 1985-1997. He has served as on-air host on 610 WIP since 1997. Jolovitz is also a professional stand-up comedian who has worked in Philadelphia, New York, and Las Vegas, among other places. Comedy runs in the family as his sister Jenna was a member of the famed Second City Comedy Troupe in Chicago. Jolovitz lives in Plymouth Meeting with his wife Amy.