Derrick Coleman is back in town, scheduled to make his first Charlotte Coliseum appearance today since the October trade that sent him to Philadelphia. Whether he'll be playing against his old team remains, for the moment, an open question.

Coleman has been hampered by an inflamed left foot for about a week and the Sixers have listed him as questionable for the 7p.m. game against the Hornets.

If available, Coleman will start at power forward, filling a role he wanted but couldn't get at the end of his controversial stay in Charlotte.

Playing in only 34 of the Hornets' 82 games last season because of illness, injury and what the team called a lack of physical conditioning, Coleman came to training camp this season healthier and in much better shape. The 12-year NBA veteran made no secret of his desire to start.

"I ain't never been nothing but a starter," said the former All-Star and No.1 overall draft pick. "So I don't see myself playing any other role."

The Hornets had been successful in his absence the previous season, however, going 34-14 without him but only 12-22 when he played. It was a won-lost statistic that was often repeated by the media, and it became a source of controversy for fans while adding to a growing tension between Coleman and coach Paul Silas.

It also contributed to Silas' decision to keep intact the starting lineup that took the Hornets to a seventh and deciding game against Milwaukee in the Eastern Conference playoff semifinals. It kept P.J. Brown at power forward and planning to bring Coleman off the bench.

That led to the Hornets' participation in a three-team trade that sent Coleman to the Sixers for a second time and brought George Lynch, Robert "Tractor" Traylor and Jerome Moiso to Charlotte from Philadelphia. It ended Coleman's Charlotte stay early, with two years remaining on a five-year, $40 million contract. And it left a wall of tension between Coleman and Silas.

Asked a short time before the trade if he and Silas were getting along, Coleman replied, "No comment." Asked for elaboration he said, "No conversation."

Silas usually avoids being drawn into questions and answers about Coleman and did so again Wednesday.

The trade has had mixed results, in part because of injury. Coleman has started 31 of 37 games for the Sixers (17-20) and is averaging 14.7 points, 8.5 rebounds, 1.7 assists and shooting 45.7 percent. Lynch had foot surgery and an extended recovery period and did not make his first Hornets appearance until a five-minute role in Tuesday's victory at Chicago.

Traylor has become a part of the rotation as a backup power forward. Moiso has played little and is now on the injured list with left knee tendinitis.

The Hornets and Sixers have played twice this season, each time in Philadelphia. In the first, a 100-86 Sixers win, Coleman played 34 minutes with 10 points and eight rebounds. In the second, a 94-85 Hornets win, he played 41 minutes with six points and 12 rebounds.