As I watched NBA Sunday on ABC, it became apparant that the Sixers need a new coach. Maurice Cheeks is not the right coach for Iverson and company. The Sixers are not without talent, even without A.I., they still have young talent and big men in the front court. They should be better than this! The problem comes down to defense and no matter how many times you say it, the Sixers still won’t defend. On the other side you have the Pacers who can pretty much match up against any team and still walk out with a few wins due to their defense. If Iverson is to be successful with the Sixers, then they need to hire a coach who teaches defense and who makes it a priority in every game, clearly Maurice Cheeks is just to laid back too toughen up this team.

In the Windy City, the Bulls seem to never get a break. They have a very young team, with Ben Gordon becoming their main star player. I like their energy, their heart, and their defense is usually what gets them by, but their offensive game needs work. They need another big man who can move and defend, a Ben Wallace, someone who can take a hit in the post. But even if they got the big man they need, something tells me that coach Scott Skyles is not the great coach that Chicago thinks he is. In key games, Skyles needs to rotate better, he seems to just let his players play through in critical minutes, and give up the game when perhaps doing something a little more unpredictable might give them the edge they need. If the Bulls get their big man, and they still perform at the same level next season, it’s time to start thinking of replacing the coach. Unlike the Sixers who can be a lot better, the Bulls are not too bad, they just need to execute a little better and change their matchups and they easily win a few more close games.

Props have to go to the Pacers who have the best coach in the league. Sure the Spurs might argue that point, but they have hardly had to deal with half of the drama that Indiana has gone through in the past couple of years. On the rise too are The Nets, who have the youngest coach in the entire league I think, but who is doing a great job. They beat Detroit last night at the Palace, so obviously their coach did something right.

I did not realize that Iverson not receiving an invite to Team USA was such a big story; after all most of the analysts covering NBA games really just joke around more than anything else. Now that I have read some of the media stories though, I come down on the side of Iverson on this one. How can Team USA not give an invite to the most dominating small player in the league and then hold an open invite for Shaq? That is just plain insulting! I agree that if Team USA is going to go with a Pass First guard like Billups, then yes, that’s fine don’t invite Iverson, I can see that, but to announce that they would still make an exception for Shaq is not right.

I love Iverson. He has something that many atheletes don’t have, which is heart. He is what he is and he has never claimed to be anything more. Philadelphia may want to trade him, but they will regret it if they make such a move. Without Iverson, the Sixers would be like the Bulls, a young team who has no swagger. Like it or not the NBA game needs swagger, Detroit may play like a team, but they got personality and that is the second reason why I watch them. Iverson is the heart of the Sixers and without him, there would be no reason to watch a Sixers game.

If Iverson could go somewhere, I think New York would work for him possibly. He’s played for Brown before and the Knicks need a player they can respect. Stephan is not that player, but Iverson is. If they traded him to the west, I would like him to play for the Rockets. The Rockets have the best center in the game now and T-Mac does not have the personality to push the Rockets where they need to go. Iverson is tough as nails, and he will toughen up the Rockets instantly. But I just don’t see Iverson in Texas, and lets face it Denver is not the place for a bad boy like Iverson. Just look at the great treatment that K-mart is getting in Denver.

If the Sixers do keep Iverson, they should hire Dennis Rodman to come in there and teach them how to rebound and defend the paint, because when it comes to defense the Sixers need a lot of work.

Last but not least, Iverson deserves more than what he’s gotten this year. He’s matured and he’s one of the greatest players of all time. Unlike the Jordan posers of today’s league, Iverson is exactly what he is, an original. There will never be another Iverson.

The AllStar game this year was lacking. For some reason the big name players did not bring their game. Allen Iverson, T-Mac, among others did not impress, and while Vince Carter’s missed dunks were hilarious, the game just dragged on mostly. Last years game was better and seemed more team oriented than this year’s game. It did however signal the changing of the guard from old-time players like A.I., Shaq, and T-Mac to the new stars like Lebron, Wade, and Marion. The East coming out with four Pistons, made up of Chauncey, Rasheed, Richard Hamilton, and Ben Wallace did impact the game and although Chauncey tried a couple of unneeded three-pointers, he did manage to impress and get props for being one of the best guards in today’s league.

It was strange to see Shaq and four Pistons playing together on the same team, but the best combination of front court power was when Lebron and Wallaces played together, they had length, speed, defense, and offense. It was an incredible combination. Surprisingly Lebron showed some defensive skills and his winning of the MVP award was definitely justified. He has a great game and it will only improve with time. Best offensive play goes to Lebron too, but a very close second would have to be Kobe’s fade away three point shot. Say whatever you want about Kobe, he is still one of the top five players in the game right now. I’ll even give Tony Parker some slack for his driving to paint score; he did drive through three defenders and somehow hoisted up the ball for a score. My favorite hustle play though goes to Wade for his tip in in the final minutes to put the East back up. Hey, we’re both from South Chicago, so I have to love Wade’s game, regardless.

As for the West, as usual they never integrated Yao into the game. Timmie was his usual dependable self and managed to get his shots in. Nash tried to integrate everyone, but timings were a little off for the other players, and some great passes became turnovers.

Now as to who I think are definite AllStars this year…. well my pick for number one player is Shawn Marion. I love his energy on the court and his attitude. You always see Marion having an effect on the game on both ends and he doesn’t quit at all. Definitely agree with Barkley that Marion is the most underrated player in the NBA right now. As to the best guards, my vote goes to Chauncey for his strength and Motown moves and to Nash for his incredible passing and vision of the game. For superstar talent, Lebron and Wade are developing each year more and more and they are definitely the face of the new NBA.

But not to leave out the great players that still dominate at the end of games, props would have to go to Jermaine O’Neal who is having a tough year with injuries, Rasheed Wallace who is having his best year ever and who is even better than Timmie, Carmelo Anthony who did not make the AllStar selection but who is flourishing this year, and of course Detroit’s Prince, who is an astute student of the game and the Piston’s best kept secret.

So now that the AllStar break is over, it’s time to get down to playing some real team basketball and hopefully some competitive games.

Perhaps you have missed it, or maybe you just have not seen it, but Rasheed Wallace is having a great year and in both games with the Spurs, Rasheed is practically unstoppable. He can out play Tim Duncan and other big men in the league easily, and unlike Shaq, Rasheed can actually score a three pointer! In the post, he can dominate offensively, and his defense is without a doubt terrific. So please, no more talk about Tim Duncan and his fundamentals, the truth is that Tim has problems matching up with Detroit’s Rasheed on both ends of the court.

Now I know the league is trying to make Chauncey’s head bigger by saying he is the man and all and I don’t want to talk away from that, but let’s face it Detroit is winning easy by going to Rasheed in the post. Once he draws the defense, it frees up Chauncey and Hamilton to go motown the rest of the game.