Bob MacKinnon took the Springfield Armor from the D-League's worst record to the Eastern Conference championship before losing to the Canton Charge in the first round, but while the Armor's season is over, his is not. MacKinnon, a leading candidate for Coach of the Year, is serving as assistant coach with the Nets this week.

He and Chris Carrawell, his assistant, are on the Nets bench, partly as a reward but mostly because of the parent team's commitment to seamlessness between the big club and the D-League club. The offseason will likely see MacKinnon and Carrawell participating in other Nets events such as summer leagues and pre-draft workouts, as well as D-League national tryouts. Armor GM Milton Lee is also working his Nets job again, already looking at summer league prospects.

• Springfield Armor's third season was one for the (franchise) record book - Jeff Thomas - Springfield Armor