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Philadelphia 76ers
4. Eastern Conference - Atlantic

Jim O'Brien
Jamie Squire/Getty Images
FAST FACTS
Record: 33-49 (T-10th in East)
Points Scored: 88.0 (28th in NBA)
Points Allowed: 90.5 (10th)
Coach: Jim O'Brien
(first season with the 76ers)
Allen Iverson and Glenn Robinson have a combined career average of 6.89 turnovers, the most for two active teammates (minimum 400 games each).
PROJECTED STARTING LINEUP
With 2003-04 statistics
SAMUEL DALEMBERT
POS. PVR PPG RPG APG BPG SPG FG% FT%
C 155 8.0 7.6 0.3 2.30 0.54 54.1 64.4
KENNY THOMAS
POS. PVR PPG RPG APG BPG SPG FG% FT%
PF 56 13.6 10.1 1.5 0.40 1.11 46.9 75.2
WILLIE GREEN
POS. PVR PPG RPG APG SPG FG% 3FG% FT%
SG 106 6.9 1.2 1.0 0.49 40.1 31.1 72.8
ALLEN IVERSON
POS. PVR PPG RPG APG SPG FG% 3FG% FT%
PG 12 26.4 3.7 6.8 2.40 38.7 28.6 74.5
GLENN ROBINSON
POS. PVR PPG RPG APG SPG FG% 3FG% FT%
SF 68 16.6 4.5 1.4 1.00 44.8 34.0 83.2
 BENCH PVR 2003-04 Stats
G-F AARON MCKIE 133 9.2 ppg 3.4 rpg 1.13 spg 45.9 FG% 43.6 3FG%
F-C BRIAN SKINNER 142 10.5 ppg 7.3 rpg 1.09 bpg 49.7 FG% 57.2 FT%
F CORLISS WILLIAMSON 172 9.5 ppg 3.2 rpg 0.38 spg 50.5 FG% 73.1 FT%
F KYLE KORVER 212 4.5 ppg 1.5 rpg 0.34 spg 35.2 FG% 39.1 3FG%
G KEVIN OLLIE 322 4.2 ppg 2.1 rpg 2.9 apg 0.62 spg 37.0 FG%

For the new coach, it's great to be home (and have a lineup full of scorers)

When Jim O'Brien was hired as a Celtics assistant in 1997, he had a hard time shaking the feeling that he was in the wrong place. He had grown up in North Philly, despising Boston, and now here he was, going to work for Rick Pitino on the Celtics' staff. "On the way to the press conference, I said to Red [Auerbach], 'I can't tell you how many times your teams made me cry growing up,'" O'Brien recalls. "He took a big puff of his cigar, blew the smoke toward me, and said, 'That's good.'"

O'Brien, who replaced Pitino in January 2001 and took Boston to the '02 conference finals, is much more at home in his new assignment: coaching the team for which he rooted as a kid. And the team needs help. Riddled by injuries in 2003-04, Philadelphia missed the playoffs for the first time in six years. O'Brien, who succeeds interim coach Chris Ford -- the replacement after Randy Ayers was fired last February -- believes the Sixers can snap back. "We have four guys who have averaged double figures for their career; two who have averaged over 20 points for their career," he says. "We have two guys [Aaron McKie and Corliss Williamson] who've won Sixth Man awards. And we have an MVP."

O'Brien showed how highly he regards his MVP when he went all the way to Turkey to meet with Allen Iverson before the Olympics. With Eric Snow traded to Cleveland, O'Brien wants Iverson to run the offense as well as ignite the pressure defense.

So far, coming home has been good for O'Brien. He's building a house in Newtown Square, where his wife, Sharon (whose father is Hall of Fame coach Jack Ramsay), grew up. Still, he hasn't forgotten his time in Boston. "I learned a lot from Red," O'Brien says. "And I'd be more than happy to bring it to Philadelphia and create that rivalry again." -- Bill Syken

Issue date: October 25, 2004

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