Schmeelk: Jackson Is Crazy To Think He Can Coach Knicks By Proxy
By John Schmeelk
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Since Phil Jackson took control of the Knicks, the endless speculation has been that he would eventually coach the team. The easy answer to that has been that he wouldn't physically be able to do the job.
That was, is, and will always be the correct answer.
There now needs to be an addendum to that answer. Jackson can't physically coach, but he desperately wants to. It looks like that's why Derek Fisher lost his job. He didn't attach the strings to his finely tailored suit to allow the Zen Master to transform into a Puppet Master.
Jackson has said he allowed Fisher too much autonomy, but it seems more like Fisher tried to be his own man and put more faith in his handpicked assistants and it got him fired.
This also explains Jackson's poorly contained glee at the prospect of Kurt Rambis being the long-term coach of the Knicks. He believes, and rightfully so, that he can say or tell Rambis anything he wants and Rambis will listen. This is partially because they are so close ideologically there will never be much separation in their thought process. More than that, Jackson is the one that butters Rambis' bread. The only head coaching job Rambis will ever get in the NBA is one offered to him by Jackson.
When Rambis opens his mouth it will be Jackson that speaks. He wants his acolyte to spread his good word and build the Knicks into a perfectly designed isosceles triangle. He would do it himself but his body has betrayed him. There's a reason the rumors flowed Tuesday that Jackson would consider coaching at home while Rambis would on the road. He wants to coach via proxy.
Here's the problem: in the real world that doesn't work. There was a reason Carmelo Anthony laughed off the prospect of that sort of rotating coaching arrangement when he was asked about it by the media.
Jackson also needs to realize that the players will quickly determine who is really in charge even if Rambis is the full-time coach. That can undermine a coach, even if Jackson is there to support Rambis in his directions. It is difficult to motivate when the people you are trying to reach know you are no more than a puppet for someone else. You can't lead that way.
MORE: Schmeelk: Carmelo Anthony, Knicks Remain On Different Schedules
If the Knicks finish strong, and Jackson can in any way justify keeping Rambis as head coach, it looks like he will. Anthony parroted what every Knicks fan with half a brain was thinking -- that it would only make sense to interview a number of people for the job (ahem, Tom Thibodeau, ahem) before handing the reins to someone that has been an abject failure as a head coach in the NBA. Something tells me that Anthony didn't mean Brian Shaw, either.
Jackson has already made one great decision when he drafted Kristaps Porzingis. He is the long-term future of the Knicks. Jackson has made mistakes along the way, but the best way he can secure the future of the franchise is by hiring a coach that will outlast him. That coach is the person that should be the face of the team, not Jackson.
Can Jackson swallow his pride and hire someone that will run the Knicks his own way? Or will Jackson insist on trying to coach this team from his perch at 4 Penn Plaza as the team's top executive? Jackson will only be here for a few more years. The chances of him finding a coach to run the triangle and be a long-term solution to the Knicks' problems is slim. The past success just isn't there.
Is this theory foolproof? Nope. Might it be false? Yes. But it seems to be the only thing that fits logically with what Jackson is doing.
Jackson needs to let go and embrace the role of general manager. He needs to build the roster and let the coach manage the games and the players. He can't coach by proxy. It won't work. The sooner he realizes this, the better off everyone will be.
Schmeelk Snippets
-- Don't worry, Knicks fans, Rambis is putting Arron Afflalo on the bench to start Sasha Vujacic. That will solve all the team's problems. It's not like it wouldn't make more sense to start someone like Jerian Grant, given his need for experience and the Knicks being eliminated from any realistic playoff scenario. No, that would make too much sense.
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