New York Knicks fans shouldn’t expect a whole heck of a lot to change in the next couple of years. President Phil Jackson will remain at the helm.
“Sources familiar with the situation told ESPN that the Knicks and Jackson quietly picked up their option on the remaining two years of his contract this spring,” per Ian Begley and Ramona Shelburne of ESPN.
This is just terrible news for the die-hard Knicks fans who have suffered through the better part of two decades mired in mediocrity or worse.
Jackson is undeniably one of the most successful coaches in the history of the NBA. With 11 titles to his credit as a coach, nobody can argue against that.
However, it’s the opinion of many (this scribe included) that Jackson has no business running a front office. This also includes the likes of one of his former player, Scottie Pippen (more on that here).
Since Jackson took over as the president of the Knicks, his teams have posted a combined record of 80-166 and haven’t sniffed the playoffs once. He’s determined to make the Knicks use his famed Triangle offense, but hasn’t worked well at all in New York. It’s an outdated system that worked in large part for Jackson with the Chicago Bulls and Los Angeles Lakers because he had the likes of Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant — two of the best players of all time.
The trio of coaches he’s hired — no disrespect intended to these men — is laughable. Derek Fisher, Kurt Rambis and Jeff Hornacek have all been mere puppets, being manipulated by Jackson’s desires and influence.
Then there’s the failed free agency moves. Derek Rose predictably fell apart at the seams. Joakim Noah represents one of the biggest free agency busts we’ve seen in a while. The super team that was supposed to challenge the best in the east never materialized.
Shocking, we know.
Along the way, the team’s promising young forward — Kristaps Porzingis — hasn’t been utilized properly and isn’t being given enough chances to make an impact.
The Knicks are quite simply a steaming pile of garbage right now. And we haven’t even touched on the debacle that is owner James Dolan.
It’s a sad, sad state of affairs for what is still one of the most historic franchises in the Association. We sincerely hope Jackson can help the Knicks turn things around in the coming two years. But we’re not holding our breath.