Tale of the Tape: Zen Master's Next Disciple

It’s that time of the year again in the NBA. The Finals are under way and the 28 other franchises are plotting to be on ABC come this time next year. With no playoff appearance, no draft pick and a marquee free agent to resign, the Knicks have a lot of work ahead of them. While James Dolan is enjoying rare success with MSG’s other tenant (the New York Rangers playing in the Stanley Cup) his Knicks staff has been mostly quiet. Since watching Steve Kerr pick the California sun over the bright lights of New York City, Phil Jackson and company have been mum.

Houston is plotting to make a run at the Knicks top gun Carmelo Anthony, looking to clear cap space to sign him to a max deal. Jackson has said he wants Anthony back and feels that he can help recruit talent to New York. In order for Anthony to sign, Jackson has to get a head coach sooner rather than later. Let’s break down the top five candidates for the first head coach in the Knicks’ Zen Era. The tale of the tape:

The Contenders

Derek Fisher: From all media reports and NBA fines, Fisher is Jackson’s number one contender. Fisher and Jackson reportedly had a brief chat this week and Jackson was recently fined $25,000 for mentioning Fisher as a candidate while still playing in the Western Conference Finals for OKC.  He coached Fisher in Los Angeles, winning 5 championships in their time together. Fisher like Kerr share a similar philosophy to Jackson and extremely familiar with the triangle offense. Jackson has said that he prefers a coach familiar with this system since it is the system he plans to implement no matter the coach. After seeing the success the Nets eventually had with Jason Kidd as their head coach the idea of Fisher going from player right to coach is not as farfetched as it would have sounded a year ago. All signs point to this job being Fisher’s to turn down.

Mark Jackson: The Knicks have yet to contact the former Golden State Warrior head coach, but expect that to change if Fisher gets cold feet. Although Jackson recently signed a five-year broadcasting deal with ESPN his contract does not forbid him from taking a head coaching job. There are few people that understand the wacky environment that is MSG and very few that understand the people of New York. Jackson is a native, a former Knicks and a damn good coach. Oh and Anthony has said he would embrace playing for Jackson on a couple occasions. In his time at Golden State Jackson was revered by his players something former Knick coach Mike Woodson never experienced. Expect the silence between Jackson and his former team to end in the near future.

 Kurt Rambis: Rambis was included in Jackson’s initial list and a deserving candidate. Rambis is a former third round pick by the Knicks and can bring a wealth of experience to the team. As a player he won four championships with the Showtime Lakers and was on Jackson’s bench for the Kobe-Shaq three-peat. He is another candidate that fulfills the triangle offense requirement and someone Jackson would feel comfortable giving the reins to.

The Dark Horses

 Mike D’Antoni: Just kidding. He may be a solid option for the New York Liberty down the road.

Jeff Van Gundy: Van Gundy is the last coach to have legitimate success at MSG. Since      fleeing for Houston in 2003 the Knicks have had little to zero success at the head coaching position. Van Gundy, like his broadcasting partner Mark Jackson, does not fit the triangle offense requirement, but does fit the James Dolan management requirement. No other coach has handled Dolan better and can help mediate the Jackson-Dolan dynamic which has shown quiet friction. It is unlikely that Van Gundy gives up his cushy ESPN job for the foxhole at MSG, but a dark horse nonetheless.

 Patrick Ewing: One of the greatest players to ever don a Knick uniform and definitely one of the most underappreciated Knicks, Ewing has recently voiced his desire to be considered for the job. Ewing has put in the work, working as an assistant coach for 12 years. Both Jeff and Stan Van Gundy have said on multiple occasions that Ewing is deserving of head coach job. Ewing served on Jeff’s staff in Houston and on Stan’s staff in Orlando, including the year they went to the finals.  It remains to be seen if the Knicks will reach out to one of their greats, but it would not come as a shock if Ewing is at least brought in for a sit down. 

Slaughter at the Staples Center

Stick a fork in them. Wave the white flag. It’s over. Last night with the opportunity to inch closer to a playoff spot the Knicks took a massive dump losing to the lowly Lakers. The estranged Mike D’Antoni’s team made the future estranged coach Mike Woodson and friends look incompetent. You would have thought that Kobe Bryant went off for 40 or 50 points after glancing at the 127-96 final score. He wasn't even suited up. Neither was Pau Gasol or Steve Nash. A team with Xavier Henry as their best player on the floor torched the Knicks for 127 points and scored 51 points in the third quarter!

To say it was a disgrace of a performance would be as big as an understatement as saying Mike Woodson will be head coach next season. The leading rebounder for the Knicks was Carmelo Anthony with 9. Where was Tyson Chandler? Where was Amar’e Stoudemire? Why can’t Raymond Felton play a month of good basketball? Is Mike Woodson trying to get fired or has the locker room given him a giant middle finger and started planning vacations? These are questions that Phil Jackson has to answer sooner rather than later.

Last night’s performance was a microcosm of the whole season. Every time it looks like the Knicks are going to wake up they go back to sleep. During their winning streak there was ball movement, defensive pressure, enthusiasm. Last night? There were more open lanes to the basket than I-105. Woodson showed as much leadership as his team did effort. New President of Basketball Operations Phil Jackson had a similar sentiment on the situation. The game left Jackson so disgusted he decided to leave the game with nine minutes left in the fourth quarter, to walk his dog.

Jackson got to see first-hand how much work he has to do in the offseason. That’s all the organization should be focused on. This season is over. Last night was the third or fourth time the Knicks have defecated on a chance to right their wrongs. Jackson and the Knicks need to start looking to the future and if Carmelo Anthony is a part of that future. If anyone on the roster right now is part of the future for that matter. Jackson told the New York Times that the team needs a talent overhaul. Yes lots of talent and a prayer should do the trick. 

A Tough Pill to Swallow

If you’re a big believer in omens then the Knicks’ loss to the basement dwelling Milwaukee Bucks says one thing. It’s time to bottom out and start over. Last post we delved into the possible scenarios the Knicks can take to rebuild. The fork in the road is Carmelo Anthony. The team obviously wants him to be that franchise guy and have made that extremely clear. However sometimes you need to lie in the grave you dug. When the Knicks gutted their roster for Anthony they knew they were wagering their future on Anthony. While Anthony has been virtually the only Knick that has played well this year he is also the team’s most valuable asset. I would hate to see Melo go, but there’s not much wiggle room here.

via thesportsquotient.com

The front office has tried to hide this grim path by pitching yet another pipe dream of a big three of Rajon Rondo, Melo and Kevin Love. That’s not happening. Love will probably end up back home in Los Angeles donning Laker purple and gold. Rondo will most likely still be in Boston. That leaves Anthony and the Knicks in the same position they are in right now. With a Knick front office as out of touch with reality as the Grammy committee is with hip hop, holding onto that pipe dream might be what happens at the trade deadline.

The most logical choice for General Manager Steve Mills and company to do is sell. Everyone named Tim Hardaway Jr. and Iman Shumpert are for sale and you can even talk me into keeping Jeremy Tyler around. Everyone else, please exit stage left. We already know that teams have inquired about Tyson Chandler. The center will be a huge shot in the arm for a contender like Portland, Golden State or the Clippers. I doubt there would be a shortage of suitors for Anthony and maybe Mills can convince a team to take on either a J.R. Smith, Ray Felton or Andrea Bargnani in that deal. The focus for the Knicks should be draft picks and young talent.

The great teams in this league have reached that level through the draft and player development. Those two things are Chinese to James Dolan, but if he ever hopes of smelling the NBA Finals he has to learn 

Chinese. The Knicks have two very good backcourt youngsters in Hardaway Jr. and Shumpert. If developed correctly they can be a great platoon for years to come. Jeremy Tyler has shown some promise as a rotation player. It’s never easy to admit that you’re wrong and I never expect the Knicks to say they were wrong about any moves they made. What they could do is for once do the smart thing by bottoming out and rebuild the right way. They owe us that much.

YOU'RE FIRED: Knicks Edition

The Boardroom

It's Donald Trump time...we're bringing it back 'Apprentice Style' because it’s time to make some changes. Not just A change but NUMEROUS changes before it’s too late. At 5-15 the Knicks are following the steps to successfully tanking. Except there’s one problem; they have no draft pick to tank for...typical Dolan move, always keeping us on our toes.  With that said let's all pretend we are in a dream world where guaranteed contracts are no more. Let’s go through the roster and staff to see who should remain hired or who should be fired. 

James Dolan, Owner: If only you can fire owners.

Verdict: HIRED BY DEFAULT, but go touring with your band for a few months and leave the team to your wife. I'm sure even she could do a better job. 

Steve Mills, GM: Mills has done as much work as the Knicks City Dancers this season. Dolan replaced Glen Grunwald right before the season because Grunwald was too ‘classical’ in his thinking and didn’t embrace the analytical side. Seems like Mills doesn’t embrace winning in his thinking. However let's give him until mid-December to see if he can get creative.

Verdict: TENTATIVELY-HIRED

Mike Woodson, Head Coach: I would not have imagined myself questioning if Woodson could coach this team last year. He was a Coach of the Year candidate. He got the Knicks the two seed and got them out of the first round. Sadly this is a ‘what have you done for me lately’ league and Woodson has done close to nothing. Coaches are hired to be fired and fe refuses to give younger guys more play. He is hell-bent on ruining Shumpert’s development in favor of J.R. Every coach has ‘their guy’ and Woodson’s is Smith. Not a wise choice, Woody. We know you’re not the chief problem, but you didn’t do much to help.

Verdict: FIRED

Raymond Felton, Point Guard: Rip City Raymond is back and it looks like he isn’t going anywhere. Felton has been borderline unwatchable this year and is in the top five worst starting point guards in the league. Any point guard with a decent first step is good for 20 against him. To be fair he has been banged up and said he pulled a hammy last night chasing Kyrie around. Why don’t you take the rest of the year off Raymond, seriously think about it.

Verdict: FIRED

Iman Shumpert, Shooting Guard: I have never seen a team’s only young asset get treated like this. The Knicks should be thankful Shumpert doesn’t have J.R.’s “f**k this” switch and stop trying. Woodson has been benching him late in games for reasons unclear to everyone. It’s known that Melo thinks highly of Shump as does everyone in New York not named James Dolan and Mike Woodson. If the Knicks have any hope of being good in the future they need to hold onto their young assets.

Verdict: HIRED

Carmelo Anthony, Small Forward: Do I really have to go through this? He is the best player the team has by a mile. But he also needs to ignite this team from the inside. He proclaims to be the leader now let's show that you can lead this bunch of misfits out of the fire. 

Verdict: HIRED, but may fire himself at season's end.

Andrea Bargnani, Power Forward: Despite all the bad that has happened, Bargnani has been a pleasant surprise. He’s the second best scorer this year and has a nice mean streak in him. If Bargnani can play like “Bargnani Sabonis” as Shaq calls him, he can be a really nice bench piece. If he can figure out how to consistently play defense the Knicks can get some return on that trade.

Verdict: HIRED

Tyson Chandler, Center: If there is one Knick who assured himself a job in this disaster it’s Chandler. Since he got injured on November 5^th the team defense has reached Dallas Cowboys level. Opponents are getting to the paint like they have EZ-Pass and rebounds have come at a premium. The sooner Tyson is back, the better. 

Verdict: HIRED

J.R. Smith, Sixth Man: J.R. has proved his haters correct time after time this season. Since he chin checked Jason Terry in Game 3 of round 1 in last year’s playoffs he hasn’t been the same. He has gone backwards. He’s back to shooting fade-away midrange shots. He’s shooting 20-percent from the field. With the emergence of Tim Hardaway Jr. Smith has become replaceable. If the Knicks can find a team to take J.R. and his brother Chris the Knicks should not even hesitate.

Verdict: FIRED

Amar’e Stoudemire, Power Forward: Standing Tall And Talented. What used to be. His body has betrayed him. Stoudemire’s significance cannot be overlooked. He helped bring the Knicks back and that should never be forgotten. There is no Melo without Amar’e. Unfortunately like with Woodson this is a “what have you done for me lately” business and Stoudemire has looked like a grandpa. He looks like Uncle Drew in the opening minutes of his video. I wish Stoudemire the best.

Verdict: FIRED

Kenyon Martin, Power Forward: Martin has done a good job in his minutes. He’s brought toughness and overall energy. He rarely takes a play off. The problem with Martin is his health. He’s on the wrong side of 35. It’s a tough decision, but don’t expect Martin back after this year.

Verdict: FIRED

Tim Hardaway Jr., Shooting Guard: Hardaway Jr. has joined Shum in the young asset department. He’s shot the ball well and has provided a spark for the team when he’s been given minutes. I get confused when reports come out saying Hardaway Jr.’s emergence spells death for Shumpert. How? His game more resembles J.R., good scorer and not so good on defense. Moving forward if Hardaway Jr. can work on his defense he looks like he can be the sixth man of the future.

Verdict: HIRED

Pablo Prigioni, Point Guard: Let’s get this out of the way, he should be starting. Kyrie did make him look just as silly as Felton, but Prigioni has played better than Felton. He’s in the top five of three-point shooting percentage and is always good for a couple of steals. The team just resigned him in the offseason for three years, give him a shot. Platooning him and Murry might be the move the Knicks have to make.

Verdict: HIRED

Metta World Peace, Small Forward: It’s always good to have a guy like Metta. He never takes a play off. He plays tough defense and knocks down shots on occasion. He’s a world champion and someone you want on your side in the playoffs when things start getting physical. When Kobe says your one of the few players he will go to war with, that’s saying something.

Verdict: HIRED

Beno Udrih, Point Guard: He’s not bad, but he’s not good. He’s just kind of there. He did have a superb effort against the Pacers, but has done nothing since. No disrespect to Udrih, but he can be replaced with relative ease.

Verdict: FIRED

Toure Murry, Combo Guard: I’ve been saying Murry should get a shot since the regular season started. What can he do that will hurt the team any more than Felton and company already have? He can stay in front of these quick guards better than any other point guard on the team. If history says anything, then Murry can be part of the Knicks 14^th guy trend that has worked out lovely the past two years with Lin and Copeland. Give the young buck a shot damn it!

Verdict: HIRED

Cole Aldrich, Center: When Tyson Chandler went down some thought Aldrich would get a look. Wrong. Woodson has used the seven-footer in garbage time only. In fairness to Woodson, Aldrich didn’t exactly bound and astound in the preseason, but why not put him in for at least six fouls? When Jeremy Tyler begins to improve in the D-league, expect the Knicks to bring him on board and send Aldrich packing.

Verdict: FIRED

Chris Smith, Point Guard: One unnamed member of the Knicks staff said Smith might be the worst player in the league. Enough said.

Verdict: ALREADY FIRED...enjoy taking up $1 mil in cap space in the D-League. Good move again Jimmy D. Nepotism at it's finest. 

It remains to be seen which moves the Knicks will make to help turn things around, but something needs to be done. New Yorkers, not known for their patience have already voiced their displeasure. It’s time for a change to be made.

Kyrie-Bynum Offer Tough Task for Confused Knicks

via the Daily News

Just when you thought they turned the corner, following back-to-back wins, the Knicks got blown out of their building by their bitter foes the Boston Celtics. So much for them being an easy win this year. Maybe the Knicks can’t perform in those hideous orange alternates. Maybe the Knicks just haven’t figured it out. Maybe Boston is not as bad as we thought. Whatever the reason was for that disgrace of a performance doesn’t matter. Let’s move forward.

The Knicks try to add one to the win column tonight against an equally disappointing Cleveland team. The Cavs are coming off an impressive home victory against the Clippers. Kyrie Irving and Tristan Thompson both had bounce back games after scoring a combined 9 points in a blowout loss to Atlanta. Andrew Bynum has been quietly playing well for Cleveland this year and has scored 20 points in back-to-back games.

The Knicks are coming off yet another dud of a performance. Boston shellacked the Knicks 34-11 in the first period and never looked back. Raymond Felton has lost a step. J.R. and Iman are too streaky and Mike Woodson seems hell-bent on not giving Toure Murry a legitimate shot.  The lone bright spot was Amar’e Stoudemire’s 17 points on 7-10 shooting. Against Cleveland the Knicks need to come out and punch the Cavs in the face like what they did to the Nets on Thursday. This game won’t be won in the first period, but it sure as hell can be lost.

For the Knicks to win the backcourt has to play great defense and knock down some shots. Last game the backcourt combined for 5-25 (20%). Coach Woodson really needs to find out if Felton is slumping or has he regressed back to his old Rip City self. You know the overweight and overmatched point guard who Portland fans hated in his one year there? I’ve been saying this for weeks, but with Kyrie Irving on the other side Coach Woodson has to look at another option. If he doesn’t want to put Toure' Murry in for whatever reason at least shift Shumpert to the point and platoon Smith and Hardaway Jr. at the two.

Up front Melo and Bargnani should be able to hold their own as long as they’re physical. We know Bynum can quit when the going gets tough and Thompson cannot carry the frontcourt load especially while defending Melo or Bargnani. This is an extremely winnable game if the Knicks show up. Everyone needs to show up, from Coach Woodson all the way down to Cole Aldrich. If they do that the Knicks will get a much needed win and if they don’t? May Jim Dolan have mercy on their souls.

An Open Letter to Coach Woodson

Coach Woodson,

We know these are dark times. We know you are without the anchor of your defense. We know the front office didn’t do much to improve the roster this past offseason. What we don’t know is why you don’t play the young bucks more. You were on the bench when Linsanity happened. What more do you have to lose? You’re the best coach this team has had since Jeff Van Gundy fled for Houston, but you are falling off your game. Your message is not getting through to the team. The effort is just not there. On Thursday you and your team can right some of the wrongs by beating that team from Brooklyn. Here are a couple suggestions for that battle.

As you saw last night and throughout his limited minutes this season, Tim Hardaway Jr. is a baller and not afraid to take that big shot. We get that you and J.R. are tight and that you think highly of him, but facts are facts; he’s coming off an injury and playing like it. We know how shaky J.R. can be and you can lose his attention as fast as you can get it, but he has not shown that he should be getting those crunch time minutes. Hardaway Jr. on the other hand has shown that he should at least get an opportunity to take those minutes. What do you have to lose? You can’t dip any lower than where we are right now.

Another young buck that hasn’t sniffed the court has been rookie Toure' Murry. Murry was impressive in the preseason, but has not been given an opportunity in the regular season. Instead you have opted for Beno Udrih, Pablo Prigioni and Raymond Felton to defend quick guards like John Wall, Damian Lillard and so on. This is eerily similar to Lin in 2011 and Copeland in 2012. Why not see if history repeats itself again? I have little doubt Murry can do as bad as the older guys have been on defense. Murry is a long lanky guard who can actually stay in front of these quick point guards. Again I ask, what do you really have to lose?

Finally let's get back to small ball. If it ain’t broke don’t fix it. Last year’s team finished with 54 wins; the most since 1995 when Pat Riley and Patrick Ewing still occupied the building. This team is at its best when Melo is at the four, Shump at the three and either Hardaway or J.R. at the two. Without Tyson, Martin can play the five with Amar’e or Bargnani backing him up.

In the end Coach, everyone's suggestions mean nothing. You’re the head coach. On Thursday you face the rival team from Brooklyn. A win against them will help to right this quickly sinking ship. The only thing that is certain is that some type of change needs to be made and you’re the only one in position to do so. It’s time to put all the cards on the table Thursday. We’ll be watching.

Sincerely,

Knickstape