NBA AM: 2014 Mock Draft Time

A Full Mock Draft:  Basketball Insiders’ senior editor Yannis Koutroupis has been dropping weekly 2014 Mock Draft for most of the season. However, I haven’t dropped a “full” mock in quite a while and with the 2014 NBA Draft Class taking more shape every day, here is my latest run through all 60 picks.

»In Related: Top 100 NBA Draft Prospects

»In Related: NBA Draft Pick Debt

Trouble In Paradise?

New York Knicks president Phil Jackson made his first moves of the offseason this week, releasing the entire coaching staff of the Knicks including head coach Mike Woodson.

Despite pledges to be completely hands-off with Jackson, the New York Daily News’ Frank Isola is reporting that Jackson and owner James Dolan may have already had their first disagreement.

According to the report, in addition to replacing the coaching staff, Jackson also wants to replace several other positions within the organization. However, Dolan is reported to have pushed back on those changes.

The Daily News report labels the medical staff, front office and/or the media relations staff as likely areas of change for Jackson.

When the Knicks announced Jackson’s hiring almost a month ago, the storyline being spun was that Dolan was “willingly and gratefully” giving up oversight of the Knicks to Jackson. However, there continues to be doubts around the NBA on how much control Jackson will ultimately have in re-shaping the team and that could impact the Knicks’ coaching search.

Reports have already surfaced suggesting the former Suns GM and current TNT broadcaster Steve Kerr has concerns about tying his first coaching job to the Knicks, knowing that the patience level and career span of a Knicks head coach tend to be roughly two and half seasons.

»In Related: New York Knicks Team Salary

The Knicks are expected to name a new head coach in the next few weeks and Kerr remains the front runner, but it’s clear that Jackson is having to sell the situation a little more than you might expect, mainly because Dolan’s track record is still a roadblock for some.

Is The Pacers’ Age Their Problem?

The Indiana Pacers got the win last night, bringing their first round playoff matchup versus the Atlanta Hawks to a 1-1 tie.

The Pacers have been trapped in a funk for several weeks and their much celebrated defense has been taking games off for a awhile now, which is what cost them Game 1 of the series.

Despite the core of the Pacers having been together for a few seasons, it’s easy to overlook that the key producers for Indiana are still on the inside of 25. Paul George, who does the heavy lifting for the Pacers is still just 23 years old, while Lance Stephenson, who has become the second option for the Pacers, is also just 23. Evan Turner, who has drawn a lot of criticism as of late, is 25, while Roy Hibbert, who has all but disappeared as of late, is 27. The Pacers do have some older veterans, but they are not playing nearly the role that they were a year ago and some of the inconsistency and frictions that have surfaced around the team are directly related to their very young core.

»In Related: Indiana Pacers Team Salary

Yahoo!’s Adrian Wojnarowski is reporting that during a practice just prior to Game 1 in Indiana this past weekend, Stephenson and Turner had to be separated after what’s being labeled as a “fist-fight.” While in-practice altercations happen all the time in the NBA and with increasing frequency with Stephenson, no one is labeling the friction between Stephenson and Turner as the cause of the Pacers struggles.

However, it has been clear for almost a month now that there is a sort of cultural rift between the older players who can visualize that a championship is within their grasp and some of the younger players who are trying to define their season and ultimately their future payday.

It’s easy to look at the Pacers as a veteran ball club, but when you dig a little deeper the players the Pacers are banking on every night are still very young and that’s the source of the inconsistency.

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