Can I Get A Link, Link: Sixers Coaching and Draft Style

Can I link it in the morning, without giving you half of my dough and even worse if I was broke would you read me?  If I couldn't get you finer things like all of them diamond rings Ben16 kills for, would you still roll?

The coaching search is still moving along and I have not yet been contacted for an interview (not giving up hope yet!).  Despite my bitterness towards that blatant disrespect of my leadership and coaching skills, I'll play through it and give you all what you love (probably hate) more than Kel loves Orange Soda; links!

We got some good stuff for you guys and gals today with coaching updates and some draft analysis including the heavily debated DeMarcus Cousins Attitude Issues (DCAI - not District of Columbia Artificial Intelligence).  Hit em up while I go get me some of that grape drink (sugar, water, and of course, purple).

Links today are pretty lengthy today so hit the jump to if you're interested (I think you should...peer pressure).

Stefanski Met with Bill Laimbeer and Sam Mitchell on Sunday

An assistant with the Minnesota Timberwolves, the 52-year-old Laimbeer won three WNBA titles as coach of the Detroit Shock.

Mitchell, 46, was named the NBA coach of the year in 2006-07, when he directed the Toronto Raptors to a 47-35 record. The Raptors dismissed him early in the 2008-09 season. His record in Toronto was 156-189.

"Certainly Bill Laimbeer's credentials as a player and success as a coach . . . speak for themselves," Stefanski said. "Sam has been a successful head coach in the league." 

More on Laimbeer and Mitchell

"Sam has been a successful head coach in the league, having been named coach of the year in 2007, and we were very interested in speaking with him," Stefanski said. "It was good to sit down with him to exchange ideas about our team and this opportunity."

"We want to speak to as many qualified candidates as possible... We want to thank Bill for meeting with us."

Much like his quote regarding Avery Johnson's interview last week with the Sixers, this one stands out to me as, "We wanted to see what he could offer and it's not what we want at this time.  He will not be our coach next season."

Today, Stefanski and his group will meet with Phoenix Suns assistant Dan Majerle and Portland TrailBlazers assistant Monty Williams.  

DeMarcus Cousins and Character Issues

HT: John

"There isn’t anybody in the NBA with the same physical characteristics that he has,’’ Greig said. "If ESPN and John Calipari hadn’t had blue pompoms out for Wall all year and they had equally praised both players, who would be No. 1? The teams that had done their proper homework, they would take him No. 1.’’

"When you draft a guy that high, you are hoping that you get some level of maturity,’’ said an Eastern Conference scout, "unless the talent outweighs whatever concerns you might have, which is very rare. I am not so certain all the teams feel [Cousins’s] talent would outweigh the character and maturity issues.’’  

"The fact that we are even talking about this means that there’s something out there,’’ the Eastern Conference scout said. "The other guys in his range do not have this concern."

"The other issue is his weight. He played — I think if you ask most NBA people — he played an entire season out of shape. He played successfully. He’s going to have to convince teams that not only can he get to a certain weight but that he wants to."

"John Wall’s rolling around in a Range Rover right now; good for him. DeMarcus isn’t rolling around in anything. You ask him what he wants to do with his money — ‘Save,’ he said. Anything that’s been said about off the court is plain wrong.’’ (Quote from Cousins' Agent, Greig)

Kate Fagan Breaks Down Lottery Implications

Without a fortuitous bounce, the Sixers will remain a mismatched roster with no coach, a franchise run by a general manager without ownership's backing, a team that continues to be one of the NBA's least desirable locations for free agents.

Essentially, the Sixers are like a gambler who has hit bottom. Either the final bet with their final dollar - a flier taken on the roulette wheel while shuffling out of the casino - will miraculously resurrect them, or they'll be forced to do it the old-fashioned way: through a decent draft pick, trades, maneuvering, good coaching, some game-planning, and of course, hard work.

Shooting guard is the more pressing need, but because Ohio State's Evan Turner is a near-lock to be drafted at No. 2, and since the Sixers have a habit of drafting not by need but by best available, it's likely they'd consider Cole Aldrich, a 6-foot-11 center from Kansas.

That combination of big-man talent and Dalembert's expiring contract might leave Sixers brass with no choice but to select a big man and then forge into the NBA's off-season wilderness with the single-minded focus of getting a starting shooting guard.

5 Players Sixers Should Stay Away From

This is Bleacher Report so take it as it is but can still start discussion...

Cole Aldrich:

Aldrich is the poster child for a team picking cautiously, not aggressively. He appears like a lock to last a decade in the NBA after three years and a national title under Bill Self at Kansas, but his ceiling is often being compared to that of Joel Przybilla's (with better offense).

If the Sixers aren't in the mood to take risks in this draft and want a safe pick, Aldrich is about as safe as you can get at No. 6. If they want to give themselves a real chance at contending in the next five years, they'll cross Aldrich off their draft board very early in the process.

Ed Davis:

It's hard to imagine a reason they should spend such a high pick on another one (PF), unless he's the Kevin Durant of power forwards.

Still, the Sixers have much more pressing needs than a fourth power forward. Since Davis isn't a sure-fire All-Star, the Sixers should look elsewhere with the pick.

Al-Farouq Aminu:

Unfortunately, he also shot below 30 percent from downtown in his two years at Wake, and at only 205 pounds, he's not yet strong enough to play the four in the NBA. The Sixers are already stacked with inconsistent three-point shooting wingmen—with Andre Iguodala, Thaddeus Young, and Rodney Carney all on the roster.

The last thing they need is a Thad Young clone when Iggy's jacking up 28-foot bricks as last-second shots next season.

Greg Monroe:

Sadly, the Sixers lit $80 million on fire by signing Brand two years ago, a week after drafting Speights. The logjam that's existed at the position ever since leaves no room for spending a high pick on a power forward, even one as talented as Monroe.

Ekpe Udoh:

The biggest problem with Udoh is the fact that his offensive game is a work very much in progress. Could the Sixers afford pairing Udoh with Dalembert and get away with it offensively? When Dalembert leaves, can a pairing of Udoh and Speights in the frontcourt make up for each others' respective offensive and defensive liabilities?

Until the Sixers can win 30 games in a season again, they're in no position to be drafting for luxury with the No. 6 pick.