The New York Knicks pulled the trigger and removed the
interim label from assistant coach Mike Woodson’s name ending speculation that
Phil Jackson would be leading this team next year.
Although nothing has been substantiated, there had been
rumors floating about that Jackson had some interest in the Knicks head
coaching position.
And why wouldn’t he? Jackson spent 10 years in a Knicks’
jersey during his playing career and won two championships with the team.
While Jackson already has 11 championships as a coach, the
idea of bringing a championship to the team he played for has got to intrigue him.
The Knicks haven’t won a championship since 1973 when Jackson was still playing
on the team.
Knicks’ general manager Glen Grunwald admitted that he and Knicks’
owner James Dolan didn’t talk to anyone else after talking Woodson during a
postseason interview.
Grunwald said that Woodson’s interview and 18-6 record after
taking over as interim coach was impressive enough to convince them not to
pursue any other coaching candidates.
While that may be great news for Woodson, that can’t be the
news Knicks’ fans wanted to hear. Grunwald and Dolan didn’t even take the
chance to contact Jackson and see if he were interested in the job or not.
And that decision will come back to haunt them. New York has
some of the most die-hard fans in the league but they haven’t been rewarded
with a championship in 39 years.
And while Woodson whose contract is expected to run about
three years is a decent coach, he will not coach the Knicks to a championship.
At least with Jackson they would have a shot.
Woodson had the team playing well at times but he still struggled
to get Jeremy Lin, Carmelo Anthony and Amare’ Stoudemire to play together.
Jackson has a history of getting his best players to coincide and share the
ball effectively.
Jackson’s presence would also make players more likely to
want to play for New York next year. Lin could potentially sign elsewhere once arbitration
determining his Early Bird rights is decided but he would be more likely to
stay if it meant playing for an iconic figure like Jackson.
Potential free agent Lamar Odom would also be more likely to
consider New York if the coach he won two titles with was there. Steve Nash
will also be a free agent and has listed New York as a possible destination.
The Knicks won’t have much money if any to sign free agents
or Lin if his Early Bird rights are denied but a player will sometimes choose
winning a championship over securing another big payday. And players know there
isn’t a more consistent winner in the game than Jackson which is why he would
be such an attractive coach to play for.
Especially when you look at the Knicks roster. Anthony,
Stoudemire, Baron Davis, Mike Bibby, Jared Jeffries and J.R. Smith all have
eight or more years of experience playing in the league.
Anthony and Stoudemire are in their primes so they need to win
now. Wasting the next three years of their careers to let Woodson coach them is
just cruel, especially when someone like Jackson is available, has ties to your
organization and may be willing to coach for you.
Sorry Knicks fans but Grundwald and Dolan’s actions guarantee
that the drought will continue. Such a waste too after all the work they put
into building this talented roster.
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Roosevelt Hall is an NFL Blogger for The Sport Mentalist and an NBA Blogger for The Sport Mentalist 2. He is also a Sports Reporter for Pro Sports Lives. He can be contacted at sportmentalist@yahoo.com and be sure to follow him on Twitter @sportmentalist.
I think the reason that the Knicks went with Woodson had everything to do with Melo. They have bought into Melo and they needed a coach who would use him effectively. If you go back, neither the 1 or the 3 were the focal point of the offense under Jackson. Baron may have worked because of his ability to hit open jumpers, but Lin's skills fit better in a D'antoni offense than Jackson's triangle (the same would be said of Nash). I think Melo would be an odd fit in the Triangle. He plays nothing like the 2s Jackson has had before. Finally, I don't see the Knicks having a low-post presence that Jackson usually requires. Stoudemire is no Shaq or Gasol. I realize that Jackson had teams in Chicago without talented bigs, but he also had Jordan, Pippen, and Rodman (for a short time). I just don't see the pieces being there for Jackson in NY.
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure about Lin's game but Melo and Stoudemire would work in the triangle. Melo has one of the league's most devastating post games which fits the triangle offense perfectly while Stoudemire has decent enough range to operate out of the high post at times. Lin would probably become more of a three-point shooter in Jackson's offense though.
ReplyDeleteHad Jackson been hired, I think Lin would have been gone. Having Lin operate as a guy who is there to merely be open and hit shots is to take away the best parts of his game. Lin plays best with the ball in his hands, pushing it up the court. Lin getting injured was actually a blessing in disguise because it was becoming obvious that he didn't fit into Woodson's system either. Woodson emphasizes defense and Lin has none to speak of.
ReplyDelete