Doug Collins

HOW FITTING for Doug Collins to draw upon Shakespeare in his final, melodramatic performance as Sixers head coach. A surprise playoff contender in his first two seasons, Collins ended Act III of his tenure by exiting stage left,where he will sit, for 5 years, now the power behind the throne. Collins will advise Josh Harris for $2 million, half of what he was going to make as coach next season. And thus, the production loses its star. Since his arrival, Collins, a former No. 1 overall pick of the franchise, has been center stage, the team's marquee draw.

ON THE OCCASION of Doug Collins' final game as the coach of the Sixers, it is impossible not to acknowledge the futility of making your coach the face of your franchise, and to bring up another name: Larry Bowa. The Sixers have spent the last 3 years finding out what the Phillies found out a decade ago - that your coach/manager does not sell one ticket for your franchise, not one, not even to his family (because they get in for free). Since Dallas Green, there has never been a more popular Phillies manager than Bowa - not even Charlie Manuel, who won the whole damn thing in 2008.

INDIANAPOLIS - When Josh Harris and his ownership group took control of the 76ers two seasons ago, the hedge-fund billionaire refused to characterize the team as a "distressed property," which is usually the favorite kind to buy in his line of work. Well, what about now? The Sixers finished their miserable 2012-13 season Wednesday night with a 105-95 win over an Indiana Pacers team that rested almost all of its starters. The Pacers have the playoffs to look forward to, starting with a first-round series against Atlanta that begins this weekend.

THE PLAYER who cost the organization much of its future in a trade last summer didn't play one game and recently had surgery on two deteriorating knees. He becomes an unrestricted free agent on July 1. There is not much room under the salary cap, perhaps about $12-13 million, to try to make a splash in free agency. The draft pick will be just out of the top 10, in a draft that is filled with players who appear to be peripheral pieces, not ones to build a team around. There could be some front-office moves and now, as of Thursday morning, 76ers owner Josh Harris is heading a group to find a new head coach.

INDIANPOLIS - 76ers coach Doug Collins and the team are in "discussions" for Collins to resign as coach and become a special consultant to the club, according to Ballard Spahr, the law firm for which Collins' agent, John B. Langel, is chairman of the litigation department. On Tuesday afternoon, Ballard Spahr released a statement that read in part: "Doug Collins left the team as its head coach after three years and became a special consultant to the franchise. " Later, however, it followed with another release saying: "That information is not correct.

INDIANAPOLIS - Doug Collins will coach his final game with the Sixers Wednesday night as it is expected to be announced the next day that he has come to a financial settlement, and will forego the final year of his contract. Owner Josh Harris and the front office already were facing a busy summer revamping the roster. Now, their first order of business will be to find a replacement for Collins, who has coached the team for the past three seasons. That person will be the eighth head coach of the organization in the last 11 seasons.

AUBURN HILLS, Mich. - Like many across the world, 76ers coach Doug Collins spent much of his time Monday before a 109-101 loss to the Detroit Pistons transfixed by the two explosions at the Boston Marathon. Before the game, Collins said he and the Sixers would say a prayer for those touched by the tragedy. "I am pretty good with perspective, and I don't need any tragedy to remind me how blessed my life is," Collins said. "Watching that today was very sobering. All I could think about was those runners' loved ones standing at the finish line and waiting to greet them.

AUBURN HILLS, Mich. - The 500-pound pink elephant was in the 76ers' locker room Monday, before they took the floor for the next-to-last game of the season against Detroit. When asked to comment about the news that coach Doug Collins does not wish to return and will be coaching his last game in Indiana on Wednesday, most pleaded ignorance. They had yet to be told by Collins or anyone in the organization what has been decided. What seems to be settled, according to multiple sources, is that Collins and the team either have completed or are working on some kind of financial settlement, and that it will be announced as early as Thursday that Collins will not return for the final season of his contract.

FOR THE EIGHTH time in 11 seasons, the 76ers will have a new head coach when they tip off the 2013-14 season, as Doug Collins will coach his last game for the Sixers on Wednesday in Indianapolis. So who will be his successor? Whom will ownership hire to lend some kind of stability to a position that hasn't had any since Larry Brown spent six seasons on the bench? Here's a look at some of the names. Obviously, there are and will be others, but this should whet the appetite: Michael Curry: He is Collins' righthand man and the associate head coach, and is most likely the one who will get the endorsement of the outgoing coach.

AUBURN HILLS, Mich. - With just two games remaining in his coaching tenure with the 76ers, Doug Collins still wasn't talking about the end. Before the Sixers played the Detroit Pistons on Monday, the team's director of public relations, Michael Preston, told reporters that Collins would not answer any questions regarding his future. Several sources with knowledge of the situation said Sunday night that the team and Collins are working on a buyout and that he will not return next season.