Fresh off landing the second pick in the upcoming NBA Draft, the Sixers appear to be zeroing in on their next head coach: current TNT analyst Doug Collins. According to the Philadelphia Daily News, the Sixers have begun negotiations with Collins, although a deal isn't expected to be announced Wednesday night.
Collins has compiled a 332-287 career record in three coaching stops that's included stints in Chicago, Detroit and Washington. If he does indeed return to coaching, it would mark the second time he's left the broadcast booth, having previously left his job at TNT to coach the Wizards (who featured a certain Michael Jordan) back in 2001. And it would also be a homecoming for Collins, who was drafted first overall by the Sixers in 1973, and played eight seasons for the team before injuries derailed his career.
Assuming that the Sixers do come to terms with Collins, he'd be another uninspired, albeit not terrible, choice (not to mention the second consecutive Wizards retread). As SB Nation's Liberty Ballers put it:
It's well-documented that I'm not a Doug Collins fan. The Sixers could do worse, but they could do a lot better.
After a disastrous 55-loss season under Eddie Jordan, that's probably a step forward for the Sixers. Still, it's hard to believe that someone like Avery Johnson, one of the other reputed finalists for the job, who only four years ago guided the Mavs to the Finals, wouldn't be a better choice.
For more on all things Sixers, check out Liberty Ballers.