While 76ers president Billy King, chairman Ed Snider and a host of their players were busy inside the First Union Center for Randy Ayers' introduction as the team's 18th head coach in franchise history, Allen Iverson had yet to arrive.

Stuck in traffic? Flat tire? Watching General Hospital? Who knows?

Since it's the off-season, none of us should care. For now, that is. But once the sun rises on another basketball season just off Broad and Pattison, "The Answer" had better leave any questions about this team, its direction and his commitment at the door.

Iverson's future depends on it. And with it, so do those of Ayers and King - two individuals assigned to facilitate what could very well be a difficult transition to the post-Larry Brown era.

Go ahead and get the laundry list of rhetoric and air it out.