NBA commissioner Stern says Cheeks is coach-of-year contender By PHIL JASNER Philadelphia Daily News [email protected] http://tinyurl.com/6rytr6 You think you're surprised by the 76ers' dramatic climb into the NBA playoffs? You're in good company. "I'm surprised they did it so fast," commissioner David Stern told reporters in a conference call yesterday. "I think that was the plan, to have that turnaround, to go with younger players and give them an opportunity to do it. "I think in the absence of this extraordinary Western Conference donnybrook that we've been enjoying, the 76ers are not getting the accolades that they deserve, and I think that Maurice Cheeks is up there amongst the contenders for coach of the year." When Stern's comment was relayed before last night's home finale against the Cleveland Cavaliers, Cheeks laughed and said: "David Stern? That's my guy. Who would ever have thought that? It'd be pretty special for anybody to be coach of the year." Stern also had this to say about the Sixers: "The fans have turned it around on a dime. I mean, big crowds, etc. I think it's a spectacular story and I think it's what was projected for the team without knowing exactly how long it was going to take. And it happened, I think, sooner than they projected." After last night's loss in their home finale, the Sixers are 40-41, climbing from an 18-30 start with a chance to crack .500 for the first time since going 43-39 in 2004-05. They averaged 14,724 through their first 40 dates in the Wachovia Center, but were averaging 19,555 in their last 10. * -- █ ▁ █ █ █ █ Ｐ ａ ｓ ｓ i ｏ ｎ█▌█ █ █ █ █ ██ █ █ █ ▇▇▇▇▇▇█ ａｎ ｄ █ ▇▇▇ █ 威 力。踢 | willyt@ptt/ptt2 ███ Ｐｒｉｄｅ ψabelamos --

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