Monday, June 1, 2009

The Jordan era, Eddie not Michael

If there was ever a team in need of some sizzle, it would be the Sixers.

They aren’t going to get it today.

And that’s too bad. Because today is the day they will unveil their new head coach. Eddie Jordan, long considered the front-runner because of his relationship with the GM Ed Stefanski, will be named the new boss on the Sixers’ bench.

Don’t expect a stampede on the ticket windows.

Eddie Jordan may turn out to be exactly the right guy for the job. But today he is putting Sixers fans to sleep, something this team has done all too often the last couple of years.

Stefanski has a coach, the guy he likely wanted all along. Now he needs to get him some players.

Jordan envisions a motion offense similar to the one made famous by legendary Princeton coach Pete Carrill.

It needs two things to work: A great point guard to run the show, and an outside shooter to draw the defense out and allow cutters and backdoor passing as guys slash to the basket. Right now the Sixers have neither.

Andre Miller is a question mark. Maybe he’ll be back, more likely he will not. The team has not had a legitimate outside shooting threat since jettisoning Kyle Korver.

Stefanski will roll out Jordan today. Then he needs to get to work giving him some players.

Otherwise, the team will continue to spin its wheels, an afterthought year after year as the playoffs reach their pinnacle with the NBA Finals, something the Sixers have not been a part of since that magical year of 2001.

Remember Allen Iverson stepping over a fallen Laker as they won Game 1 at an electric Wachovia Center?

It was only eight years ago. Seems like a lot longer.

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