Michael Jordan's return obviously adds fuel to the debate about which player will be the most electrifying in the NBA this season.

Can Jordan regain his crown from the top contenders during his retirement ? namely Kobe Bryant, Vince Carter and Allen Iverson? Only the one-on-one battles will help answer that.

But before the foursome takes to the court, we can at least decide which player has the most electrifying Web site.

Unfortunately, only Jordan has an official site, meaning Bryant, Carter and Iverson must rely on their best available fan sites. But don't let the difference fool you ? a player's official site doesn't necessarily mean a better one.

With that in mind, here's how they rank:

Aaron McKie is as aware as anyone that his country is at war. The basketball court, his place of employment, is his crucible, the area where he feels the most comfortable, "where I can block everything out and play a game.''

Only he can't yet do that. McKie still is recovering from arthroscopic surgery on his right shoulder, still doing strengthening drills and non-contact basketball work. He and teammate Allen Iverson (arthroscopic surgery, right shoulder) could only sit and watch last night's season-opening, 83-74 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves.

"That's where the big child comes out, where you can go out and play a game,'' McKie said, "where you can forget everything else that's going on. It's human nature to be concerned [about world events], but you've got a job to do.''

After holding a 21-11 first-quarter lead, the Sixers were beaten by the Timberwolves, 83-74, and except for a late rally, looked like an NBA wannabe rather than the defending Eastern Conference champions.

It was not all that surprising, given the preceding tumultuous four weeks of teaching and building by coach Larry Brown, then tearing down and starting over by Brown and the organization. These Sixers have coexisted for five days now, and as Brown is quick to point out, that is not nearly enough time to produce a winner.

"Our execution is not there," Brown said. "We've got guys, I'm explaining things every time-out, and obviously we haven't handled it well right now."

What should be an exciting time for fans has been derailed by a myriad of injuries and questionable deals. For the start of the season, the very heart of the team won't be taking the floor. Allen Iverson, the mighty-mite that won over this tough city and many fans around the NBA with his lane-splitting theatrics last season, had surgery on his elbow. The team's steadying force, Aaron McKie, had his shoulder cleaned up. Floor leader Eric Snow, who played in last year's playoffs with only 2 percent of his body functioning correctly, got healthy, and then unhealthy, when he broke his thumb in preseason. He's out long term. The ultimate Larry Brown man, George Lynch, was traded away to Charlotte in exchange for what would seem to be the Larry Brown anti-Christ, Derrick Coleman.

Ashley McGeachy of the Philadelphia Inquirer reports that Allen Iverson will have a tough time repeating last season's success. His secrets have been exposed. His crossover is unstoppable, but predictable. His heart is unquestioned, but his health? And those dogged new rules.

With this new season, Iverson will face a challenge unlike any of those he already has met. It is fraught with expectation, with a Philadelphia fan base thirsting for a parade for its beloved Sixers, who won the Eastern Conference title last season before losing to the dominating Los Angeles Lakers in the NBA Finals.

Iverson's task is exacerbated by the NBA's rules changes, the most troubling of which allow zone defenses that can morph into double-teams, allowing junk defenses and tricky schemes to keep the ball out of Iverson's hands and prevent him from scoring when he does have control of the ball.

But Aaron McKie, Iverson's teammate the last three seasons, said the only way to stop Iverson is to throw three, maybe four, players at him simultaneously. He saw that last season during the playoffs.

"They've been doing it ever since I've been here, and he's just smart," McKie said. "He's smart, and he's fast. He's quick. He can get his shot from anywhere on the floor. . . . He thrives on that idea of people thinking they can foul him hard or wear him down, playing him tough. I think that only motivates him."

Phil Jasner of the Philadelphia Daily News writes that Matt Harpring's window to negotiate an extension of his contract with the 76ers closes Wednesday. The Sixers' decision: Wait until after the season.

Billy King, the Sixers' general manager, confirmed the decision. Richard Howell, Harpring's agent, declined comment. King would not elaborate, but it is clear the decision does not in any way indicate a lack of interest.

Harpring, listed on the salary cap at $1,908,401, is in the option year of his original rookie contract signed with the Orlando Magic in 1998. By the rules of the collective bargaining agreement, the Sixers have until Wednesday to offer an extension of up to six years.

Once the window closes, the two sides cannot negotiate until July 1, 2002, and cannot finalize a new deal until July 15. The Sixers, though, hold a right of first refusal on an offer from any other team in the NBA.

Frank Hughes of the Tacoma News Tribune reports: The Sixers, inundated with injuries, went back to the past, trading with the Charlotte Hornets for Derrick Coleman, who wreaked havoc in the City of Brotherly Love for four years before being let go.

And the Bucks completed a trade earlier in the week to free up enough cap space for the free-agent acquisition of Anthony Mason.

Both players have been in bars and behind bars more often than Mickey Rourke's character in "Barfly." And both have a penchant for sending their respective teams over the proverbial edge.

Phil Jasner of the Philadelphia Daily News reports that the trade that brought Derrick Coleman (among others) to the Sixers in exchange for George Lynch (among others) has been finalized and cannot be negated. Coleman will travel with his new team to Minneapolis for tomorrow's season opener against the Timberwolves. Lynch will be going to the operating room at a Charlotte hospital Thursday, and is expected to be unavailable to the Hornets for eight to 12 weeks.

"We didn't know the extent of the injury, so it was hard to tell when [Lynch] was going to be able to play," Hornets coach Paul Silas said. "Whenever he can play, he'll be a welcome addition."

As valuable as Lynch had been as a defensive presence, the consensus among the Sixers' players is that the trade helps immeasurably, particularly in the immediate absence of the injured Allen Iverson, Aaron McKie and Eric Snow. As the Sixers previously had been constructed, center Dikembe Mutombo worried that they were too young, missing too many pieces.

"Seeing Derrick there, I'm more comfortable," Mutombo said. "He's a guy I played against in college; I know his game all the way from college days [Mutombo at Georgetown, Coleman at Syracuse] to now. I know what he's bringing to us. He changes us.''

The Sixers will go to war for Brown, and that includes Coleman. There's nothing else left to do but have faith in the man and respect for what he has accomplished in the last three seasons in Philadelphia. Brown has won more than 1,000 games in his career.

Still, he is 61 years old and has just come off a season in which he was diagnosed with both acid reflux and a hiatal hernia. How can anyone be certain that he will be around? If he leaves anytime soon, what then?

Talk about keeping your team motivated. "Stay healthy or you may not be around here for very long."

Last year the Sixers traded injured center Theo Ratliff in the Dikembe Mutombo trade. Tyrone Hill and his bad back went to Cleveland a few months ago. Now comes word from the Associated Press that George Lynch, part of the Derrick Coleman trade, will have foot surgery and will miss 2 to 3 months.

"We didn't know the extent of the injury, so it was hard to tell when he was going to be able to play," coach Paul Silas said. "Whenever he can play, he'll be a welcome addition."

The trade was contingent on all eight players passing their physicals, which the Hornets said Lynch did.

Eric Snow, Aaron McKie and Allen Iverson might want to learn yoga or something.