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.

If you are in Iowa City, my friend John Fowler recently renamed his barbershop to The Hairport Barbershop. John and his fellow barber Bob are great barbers. His biggest customers also happen to be my two sons. We have tried taking our youngest to hair salons and they all ruined his hair. Our five year-old has incredibly straight and thin hair, that he really needs an experienced professional to cut his hair. He’s had so many bad hair cuts that his mom stopped taking him to the salon and took him to John instead. Since then his mom stopped complaining to me about his hair. Our eight year-old won’t shutup about his cool haircut. He’s even asking me to gel his hair up in the morning and to style it like John did for him. He’s only eight!