Rewards of the tank:2014 off-season!

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[QUOTE]Jim Boylen, San Antonio Spurs assistant coach

Thanks to the success of Steve Clifford in Charlotte, the nomadic, 50-ish, affable, well-respected grinder has come into fashion. And if you

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[QUOTE]Ed Pinckney, Chicago Bulls assistant coach

Though they

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[QUOTE]Several themes surfaced in conversations with team execs, coaches and league insiders about how teams size up a candidate who has never previously served as an NBA head coach:

Fewer obvious names
Those asked to reel off names who excited them struggled to come up with more than a couple. The same question last spring found no such hesitation.

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Last year's:

[QUOTE]What does an NBA head coaching candidate look like in 2013?

A few new trends have emerged in the coaching ranks, namely the Rise of the Video Kids (see Spoelstra, Erik; Vogel, Frank), but most hires in the NBA follow a well-trodden path. Owners and executives love a track record of success and will pay top dollar for a big name. NBA assistants with winning pedigrees are still popular, as are former NBA players who look the part. In general, guys whose career numbers are visible on Basketball Reference are preferable to those who never suited up in the NBA, while college coaches are viewed with a jaundiced eye.

Some of these biases make sense on the surface, but general managers and owners are often driven by their aversion to risk. By and large, a head coaching hire ranks behind only free agency and the draft as a primary factor when measuring a front office

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[QUOTE]Robert Pack, Los Angeles Clippers assistant coach

Had Vinny Del Negro not been granted a reprieve by Clippers owner Donald T. Sterling in March 2012, Pack would have been a playoff head coach last season as Del Negro

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Khem Birch: After careful consideration with my family Coach Rice and inner circle I've decided to declare for the 2014 NBA draft #rebel4Life Twitter

mid 2nd

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[QUOTE]After many complicated months, Spencer Dinwiddie has decided to forgo his senior season and enter the NBA draft. Dinwiddie tore his anterior cruciate ligament while driving to the basket against Washington in mid-January and missed the rest of the season for the Buffs. The setback

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Best Utah Jazz turnaround seasons

+15 1983-84 (30-52 to 45-37): Earned their first playoff berth as rookie Thurl Bailey joined Adrian Dantley and Darrell Griffith. Frank Layden was NBA coach of the year in his second full season.

Rickey Green and Eaton too.

+15 2005-06 (26-56 to 41-41): Rookie Deron Williams joined Mehmet Okur, Carlos Boozer and Andrei Kirilenko and helped lead Jazz to brink of playoffs.

Deron was 3rd string part of the season.

+10 2006-07 (41-41 to 51-31): Jazz rookie Paul Millsap and Derek Fisher, acquired in a trade with Golden State, each played in all 82 games and helped Utah reach Western Conference finals.

+9 1996-97 (55-27 to 64-18): Bryon Russell took over as starter and set team record for 3-pointers, and rookie Shandon Anderson provided spark off the bench.

+7 1994-95 (53-29 to 60-22): Jeff Hornacek averaged 16.5 ppg in first full season with Jazz, Antoine Carr joined team and was top player off bench.

Antoine was never as good again unfortunately.

They could easily join this list possibly even at the top of it.

[QUOTE]SALT LAKE CITY

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Utah has officially entered the Dennis Lindsey era, as any future action that the Jazz make will be guided by his principles and basketball beliefs.

I'd say it entered his era draft day last year. He made a big statement with 3 deals. The tank wouldn't have happened if Jerry was there. They tried it after Stockton/Malone.

[QUOTE]So, the big question remains

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Nick Lotsos: Lefteris Bochoridis has officially declared for this year's NBA Draft. Twitter

Not listed at draftexpress so I assume undrafted.

According to the sources, one of the top European prospects Martin Peterka will declare for the 2014 NBA Draft. Czech forward had also an option to go to college, but decided to become pro. 19-year old Peterka has a great season in Czech Rep. NBL. After 43 games this season his stats are: 9.1ppg, 5.0rpg in 20.7mpg. He helped his team to win Czech Rep. Cup earlier this season. Last summer he shined at European Championships U18 in Latvia, where he averaged 13.7ppg, Reb-5 (9.1rpg), 1.7apg, 1.0spg. He also represented his country at Eurobasket.com

undrafted

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The national champion Connecticut Huskies will lose an underclassman to the NBA draft, league sources tell Yahoo Sports: junior DeAndre Daniels. Daniels will file the paperwork with the league office and declare himself eligible for the June draft, sources said. Yahoo! Sports

late first

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Adam Zagoria: NBA scout on Khem Birch: "He is a 2nd-round possibility at best. He can block a shot but is a raw offensive player who needs D-League experience to start his professional career no matter who drafts him." Twitter -

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Shams Charania: Davidson's De'Mon Brooks received thorough competition from agents, deciding today on Keith Kreiter of Edge Sports. Possible 2nd rounder. Twitter @ShamsCharania

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Mitch McGary Declares For NBA Draft After Testing Positive For Marijuana
Apr 25, 2014 10:58 AM EDT

Mitch McGary has declared for the 2014 NBA Draft after testing positive for marijuana.

McGary would face a year-long suspension during what would be his junior season at Michigan.

McGary told Yahoo! That he smoked marijuana one night in mid-March.

McGary played in only eight games in 13-14 before a back injury ended his season.

According to multiple NBA scouts, McGary is a likely second-rounder -- depending on how his medical testing goes with NBA teams.

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Misko Raznatovic: Dario Saric, officially, declared himself for draft 2014. Twitter

Top 10 if he stays in. I think he would stay in Europe at least another season even if drafted.