Stefanski pulled the trigger on Mo Cheeks after two consecutive games with LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers, knowing hand-picked interim coach Tony DiLeo would have a chance to kick-start things with a pair of contests against the hapless Wizards and a game each with Milwaukee and Indiana, the latter a bad team made even worse by the flu-bug.
Sure enough, DiLeo's bottom line looks good (3-1), but in reality the Sixers have looked anything but impressive in close wins over the Bucks and Wizards, along with an embarrassing loss to the short-handed Pacers on Saturday.
The first true test for DiLeo will be the road trip that kicks off Tuesday night in Boston against the 26-2 Celtics. The Sixers must also face Denver, Utah, the LA Clippers, Dallas and San Antonio in a trek that resembles the Bataan Death March.
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I'm expecting the worst for DiLeo -- 1-5 or 0-6. After all, the 76ers' problems run far deeper than the coach.
That said, DiLeo has already been a positive influence on at least one player -- Lou Williams.
After a breakout season in 2007-08, Williams inked a five-year extension worth just over $27 million during the offseason, but struggled badly under Cheeks, netting just 10.1 points over 22 games.
In the four games since DiLeo took the helm, Williams is averaging over 20 points a game. "Sweet Lou" scored 25 points last Wednesday against Milwaukee, matching his previous career-high, and bested that in Washington two days later with 26. He then netted 17 against the Pacers and scored the go-ahead basket in the final minute before T.J. Ford sent the locals home in a bad mood with a game-winning jumper with under five seconds to go.
Asked to explain his sudden resurgence, Williams was blunt.
"Guys are playing a little bit more free under Tony," Williams said. "That's just the style of coach he is. He rolls the balls out and tells us to go out and play."
Hardly a stern taskmaster with most, Cheeks was the exact opposite with the talented Williams. Mo rode just one player under his reign, and it was his 22- year old young star.
The reasons were obvious. A prototypical undersized point guard in his day, Cheeks was intent on turning Lou into the same type of player. But Cheeks' vision was fundamentally flawed.
A natural scorer, Williams will never be the pass-first, quarterback type. In fact, the former Georgia High School standout is the best pure scorer Cheeks had.
Maybe if Mo realized that, he would still be roaming the sidelines of the Wachovia Center with public address announcer Matt Cord yelling out more of his signature Looooooooouuuuuus.
Instead, Cheeks is spending his time playing pickup ball in Philly and no doubt distributing the ball -- to a scorer.
A novel concept.
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