Posted: Wednesday, May 27, 2009, 11:52 AM | 7 comments |
 

The Update
options
 

76ers General Manager Ed Stefanski will be traveling to the 2009 NBA Draft Combine, to be held tomorrow and Friday in Chicago. The Sixers have said that Stefanski will continue conducting the coaching search from Chicago and that there is still no timetable for when Stefanski will hire a coach.

It has been confirmed that the Sixers have removed Los Angeles Lakers assistant coach Kurt Rambis from consideration. Also confirmed is that the Sixers reached out to Avery Johnson, but that it appears the situation does not suit either party, at this time. Next on the list seems to be Jeff Van Gundy, former coach of the New York Knicks and Houston Rockets who is currently working for ESPN. Nothing more than preliminary steps have been confirmed with Van Gundy, who responded to an e-mail requesting comment late last night saying, "I don't believe it's right for me to talk about jobs."

So right now, there are four confirmed candidates still in consideration: Eddie Jordan, Dwane Casey, Tom Thibodeau, and Chris Ford. Out of the running: Jay Wright, Kurt Rambis, and Avery Johnson. Stefanski has said he will be reaching out to more candidates.

More later,

--Kate
Posted by Kate Fagan @ 11:52 AM  Permalink | 7 comments
7
Comments   
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 12:50 PM, 05/27/2009
    The more i read about this search, the more i hope its Thibodeau. Clearly we need a defensive guy - i dont care how good your offensive schemes are, our guys are going to have cold shooting nights. That means we need to be able to lock it down. When we started rebuilding after Iverson, detroit was thrown around as model franchise - not guys who will score 100+ points every night, but who could really buckle down and grind out close games. Boston has more offensive punch than detroit did, but they have the same toughness on defense. Between igoudala and brand, we already have two strong defenders. If he can get thad & spieghts to learn the finer points of rotations, etc., we're in really good shape. No reason why thad shouldn't be able to pick it up because he's a smart kid and puts out the effort already. Boston is also very good at getting position for defensive boards, something both thad and speights could also benefit from. Also, coming from Boston, this guy should command respect and by all accounts he is good at making sure everyone has a defined role in the system. Van Gundy worth a look too... though im sure nothing will come of that until after the playoffs are over.
    — K,M
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 1:20 PM, 05/27/2009
    Kate, why no discussion with Doug Collins...too high maintenance?
    — JBP
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 2:16 PM, 05/27/2009
    "Sixers reached out to Avery Johnson, but that it appears the situation does not suit either party, at this time" Details?
    — asv
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 3:44 PM, 05/27/2009
    Seems like the pickin's are mighty slim out there. Thibodeau might be the best choice, but certainly not the popular choice. Has anybody mentioned John Kuester from Cleveland, a little inexperienced but a young aggressive coach. Bring in a young guy and surround him with experienced assistants. You don't have to rehire the same guys over and over again, try someone new, be bold...
    — lalleva
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 5:30 PM, 05/27/2009
    Nice post K,M. I'm leaning towards Thibodeau myself. I'm not at all impressed with Doug Collins listening to him announce, and I do not think Avery Johnson is a good coach either. The Sixers are a young team and tehy need a coach that can grow with them and teach them, someone dynamic enough to be willing to experiment with different line-ups and develop the players individual skills. Biggest disappointment this year was the lack of growth from Lou Williams. Lou- work hard and study game film this summer. For someone with your speed you need to be a better passer and learn how to see the floor better. You will be much more effective if you can deal out assists as well as attract attention driving the basket.
    — ricky
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 12:00 AM, 05/28/2009
    Mr. Stefanski, please take your time and make the best possible choice for a 'long -term' coaching choice- a phil jackson type winner...johnnyu
    — john ullman
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 4:40 PM, 05/29/2009
    Ricky, I usually agree with you but i gotta disagree with you about Doug Collins. He is one of the best color men in the business. He knows basketball. Him and Marv are the best combo doing NBA games imo. Not sure if he would be the right fit for the Sixers because of his age but listening to the guy do games I don't know how you can't be impressed by his knowledge.
    — brannigan73


7 comments
About John Mitchell
John Mitchell is in his first year covering the 76ers for the Inquirer after joining the paper in November 2011. He covered the Washington Wizards for the Washington Times from 1998 to 2008. He's also worked at the Philadelphia Tribune, the Wilmington News Journal, Courier-Post, Trenton Times and Elmira Star-Gazette.

Born and raised in West Philadelphia - not too far from Will Smith - he graduated from Overbrook High School the same year the 76ers won their last championship. He's a proud graduate of Howard University and the proud father of two sons, Jared and Jordan.

ABOUT MARC NARDUCCI

Marc Narducci has served in a variety of roles with the Inquirer since beginning in 1983. He has covered the 76ers as a backup and a beat writer. In addition, Narducci has covered everything from the Super Bowl to the World Series and a lot in between. Narducci also has a true passion for South Jersey scholastic sports, which he has covered for many years.

Follow on Twitter

Advertise Here