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Sixers reviewing coaching finalists

SECAUCUS, N.J. - By this time next week we'll know if the Flyers are close to participating in their first Stanley Cup finals since 1997, and we also should know who the 21st coach in 76ers history will be. One circumstance will not affect the other, however.

The 76ers' coaching search is now in its fifth week. (David Maialetti/Staff file photo)
The 76ers' coaching search is now in its fifth week. (David Maialetti/Staff file photo)Read more

SECAUCUS, N.J. - By this time next week we'll know if the Flyers are close to participating in their first Stanley Cup finals since 1997, and we also should know who the 21st coach in 76ers history will be. One circumstance will not affect the other, however.

Before last night's draft lottery, when the Sixers learned they will be making the second selection in next month's draft, president and general manager Ed Stefanski said the process of hiring Eddie Jordan's replacement, now in its fifth week, should soon be completed.

"We've interviewed seven people and right now we've taken a step back," Stefanski said. "We're reviewing everyone and right now we've narrowed that list down. There are two options: Bring some people back for a second interview or just go towards the candidate we feel most comfortable with. So that's where we're leaning so far."

Stefanski would not say who that leading candidate is, but, according to a source, it's TNT analyst Doug Collins.

On Monday, a source termed former Dallas Mavericks coach Avery Johnson as candidate "1A."

The source said Collins, Johnson and former Toronto Raptors coach Sam Mitchell have "distanced themselves" from the four others interviewed. If there is a second round of meetings with Stefanski, assistant GM Tony DiLeo and team consultant Gene Shue, it would appear those three would be the participants.

"If there's a second round it will be quicker, it will be in a timely fashion," Stefanski said. "We feel we've moved in a timely fashion throughout the whole thing but there's no set timeline that we have to have a coach. There's no timetable, but we're working on it all the time to try to get to that final conclusion of bringing a coach in. And the Flyers situation of still being in the playoffs has zero to do with us moving towards that. [Chairman, Comcast-Spectacor] Ed Snider and [chief operating officer] Peter Luukko, I talk with daily. They can multitask."

Collins has been working for TNT since getting out of coaching in the league in 2003. In his eight seasons with the Chicago Bulls, Detroit Pistons and Washington Wizards, Collins, 58, compiled a 332-287 record. A four-time All-Star as a player, Collins was selected with the first overall pick by the Sixers in 1973 and played all eight seasons of his injury-plagued NBA career in Philadelphia.

Johnson, 45, was extremely successful during his three-plus seasons with the Dallas Mavericks, posting a 194-70 record and leading the team to the NBA Finals in 2006, when he was named coach of the year. He talked to the Atlanta Hawks on Monday about their coaching vacancy and previously had met with the New Orleans Hornets.

Mitchell, 46, spent all of his four-plus head coaching seasons with the Toronto Raptors before being released after 17 games in 2008. He also won coach of the year honors in 2007. He went 156-189 during his time in Toronto.

That would seem to leave out the quartet of assistant coaches who met with the Sixers trio - Dan Majerle, Bill Laimbeer, Elston Turner and Monty Williams - as possible candidates.

Among the biggest disappointments this past season for Stefanski, in which the Sixers went 27-55, was the team's poor defense. He noted that defense was a big point of interest during the coaching interviews.

"Since Day 1, I've preached defense and whoever we hire has heard that from me and Tony and Gene," Stefanski said. "That's a big emphasis in our interview. Whoever we hire, defense will be a priority for them. We feel that our talent was better than our record, but we'll see. That does not stop us at all from looking from now until the season starts on making moves to improve. And as I said before, there's no such thing as an untouchable on our roster."

Jrue's offseason

As the NBA's youngest player at 19, rookie Jrue Holiday last season played in 73 games, including 51 starts. Unlike the team, Holiday improved tremendously as the season wore on and emerged as one of the few bright spots in a very dark season.

Last night he was in Secaucus, an on-stage representative for the Sixers while they found out their lottery spot. If the team is a few years away from being where it wants to be, it appears Holiday is the future face of the franchise.

"It's been pretty good, just relaxing. I haven't really started anything yet [as far as working out]," Holiday said of his offseason. "It was a long season, but just because of what we went through. But playingwise, I'm ready to start playing. I was still ready to play at the end of the season so I'm still ready to play."

He will head back to his Los Angeles home and work there for a bit before returning to Philly to get ready for the season.

"I've been in LA, and I'm going back to LA for a little bit," he said. "Then sometime in June, me and Jodie [Meeks] and Marreese [Speights] are going to come back to Philly and work out together for a bit. I'm excited for next season to get here."