Expansion Draft Q&A: Brad Jones, Utah Flash
Getting to Know The Head Coach

The D-League Expansion Draft is just a few days away, and the league's four newest teams are preparing to take the first step in putting together their rosters for the 2007-08 season. Utah Flash head coach Brad Jones is no different, as he is doing his homework on all 62 players who are available in next Wednesday's draft. Jones took some time out of his busy schedule to speak to D-League.com's Matthew Brennan, where he lent some insight on how the Flash are getting ready to take the next step towards their first season.

Brad Jones was named the first head coach of the Utah Flash in May. Melissa Majchrzak/NBAE/Getty Images

How excited are you to take this step in putting together your roster for Utah's first season?

Jones: "There's no doubt. We have a lot of cool things happen even before they hired me with all of the things going on with Utah. I took the job back in April, but now I'm super excited to finally start to put the pieces together for what will hopefully be a successful first year.

When I got the date of September 5, and on Monday we got the actual list of available players to look at, and it's been a fun couple of days. We've been going back and first talking about basketball, and now we aren't just talking about concepts."

How exactly have you been doing your research and preparing for the Expansion Draft?

Jones: "Utah Flash Genral Manager Dave Fredman and I have been going back and forth, and splitting up the guys to check out on the NBA TV video, and we have been looking at D-League stuff. I've been doing my own research on some of the guys that he gave me, and he's been talking to a lot of the agents that he knows from his NBA experience.

He is trying to get a feel for where some of these guys are at, as some are still hoping to make NBA teams and some might be heading overseas. When we are picking players we want to have an ideas where those guys might be heading, so he has been spending a lot of time on the phone with agents."

Do you think that you are going to find a good group of players who can contribute to the Flash this season in Wednesday's draft?

Jones: "I hope so; the guys in this draft already know what the D-League is about. If we do our research we will find guys who either had a good experience or a bad experience. It's a big draft for us because with our team not having any experience in the D-League, being able to get some guys who know what it takes to be successful in the D-League, that is what we are really focusing on."

Is your background as a scout for the Jazz a big help in a situation like this?

Jones: "I think it definitely is. I think I understand what it takes for players to make the NBA, and it's not just about the skill level. There are a lot of guys who have the skill level, but don't necessarily know how to play the professional style yet. Hopefully in looking at what we have seen we always take that into factor, and hopefully we can find some guys who have the skill but need a little polishing, who can not only help you win but you can also help them reach the NBA."

Are there any players available that you have worked with in the past or are really familiar with?

Jones: "The crazy thing about this draft is we don't really know what other people are thinking, so we don't really want to give out anything on who we are considering. In the NBA you would at least have some idea about what other teams are looking at, but in this draft we have no idea."

Has working in the D-League, which is unique as far as the roster system goes, been a big adjustment for you?

Jones: "It's definitely a learning curve, but I think that there are a whole lot of plusses about it and I understand why we do it. It's just something different for me to figure out, because you are trying to figure out if guys are going to want to play in the league or go overseas. When you get to see the second draft that Chris and those guys have put together from the player pool, that is something different than what I'm used to. It's neat, I understand the model of it and why it has to work that way. It's just something that we have to get comfortable with as being new to it.

How has your relationship with your NBA affiliate the Utah Jazz been so far, since they are very close by and you previously worked with their organization?

Jones: "That's one of the big bonuses we have, being so close to the Jazz. I have the natural ties having worked with their coaching staff for the past five years, and being able to work over the summer here has been huge. You get to work with the best of the best when you talk about Jerry Sloan and Phil Johnson and those guys, but then its different scouting from up in the stands as opposed to being on the court.

It's a huge step for myself as well as the Flash as far as getting a heads up on these guys on how they prepare, and just learning the whole system from the way the players play to how the Jazz approach things. It's been unbelievable, the support that I have gotten has been fantastic from Kevin O'Connor and the entire organization, they have done a lot to help us out and set us up to be succesful."

Do you feel that everything is in place for the Flash to have a great first season?

Jones: "The farther I get into it the more excited I get. First you have to have solid ownership, and I think that there is no doubt about that. When you are taking a job you do as much research as you can, but you really dont know until you get into the job the situation and the parameters that you have. I'm even more pleased with the ownership and the support that we have since I have taken the job. They have laid out a lot of lofty goals for us, but have also given us the ability to do some things that give us a chance to be succesful right away as an expansion team."

After Wednesday's draft, what is next in your plans for getting ready for the start of the season?

Jones: "The first thing to do after we draft these guys is find out where they are. We are doing the pre-homework now, but once they know where they are going Dave Fredman will go work it out with those guys. Then we shift our focus to the open tryouts, which will come up about three weeks in the end of September. We are expecting a huge amount of players from not only the Salt Lake Valley but all over the country because we have gotten a huge response from people who want to be involved on the September 29."