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Schmeelk: Kurt Rambis Shouldn't Coach Knicks Next Season

By John Schmeelk
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Perhaps the worst-kept secret in the world is that if Phil Jackson had his way, Kurt Rambis would be the Knicks' head coach for the remainder of Jackson's tenure as team president.

The two are best friends and share a basketball philosophy, and Rambis' presence would allow Jackson to have a more direct hand in molding the team on the floor because the coach would adhere to whatever directions Jackson gave him.

The single worst thing that could happen to the Knicks this offseason would be for Rambis to be named the Knicks' coach for the 2016-17 season. Rambis has proven without much doubt that he is not the right person to lead a young team forward, develop players and build the foundation for the franchise's long term success. There is no shortage of reasons:

Kurt Rambis
Knicks interim coach Kurt Rambis (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)

1. Deteriorating Defense
Since Rambis took over, the Knicks' defense is two points worse per 100 possessions than it was under Derek Fisher. The team is putting less of an emphasis on guarding the 3-point shot. Granted, the team's defense had been deteriorating in Fisher's final month on the job. But Rambis hasn't shown anything that would make you think he is the man to turn around the core of the Knicks' issues: their defense. In their 12 losses under Rambis, the Knicks are allowing 110 points per 100 possessions.

2. Lack of Development
As the Knicks play out the string, it's logical for the focus to be on giving their young players more minutes, right? Well, Kristaps Porzingis is playing less under Rambis, and he has been less effective. The Knicks are just 3-12 in games Porzingis has played under Rambis, and in those three wins, he is averaging 19 minutes per game, shooting 35 percent, grabbing 4.3 rebounds and blocking just one shot. He is playing significantly better in the team's losses. Is this simply a product of Porzingis getting tired at the end of his rookie season, or Rambis' insistence of playing him in the post when his body isn't ready for it? It's probably a combination of both.

Jerian Grant is playing less under Rambis than he did under Fisher, as I wrote about here. Even Derrick Williams has been yo-yoed around in his role for Rambis. Instead, the coach is playing guys such as Sasha Vujacic and Jose Calderon together, which would constitute the worst defensive and overall backcourt in the NBA.

3. Late-Game Coaching
Rambis has also failed to make some of the simplest end-of-game coaching decisions that make a major difference in turning wins into losses. He fails to make offense-defense substitutions, often leaving Calderon on the floor in situations when the Knicks need to get a stop.

4. Lack of System Flexibility
Rambis is an adherent to the triangle, and that's what he is going to run. It doesn't matter that Grant and Porzingis running a lot more high screen-and-roll would not only help develop them but also help the team win more games. Those two players' skill sets would be perfect for more of those sets, but under Rambis, it just isn't going to happen.

5. Killing Carmelo
Look at the number of minutes Carmelo Anthony has played since Rambis took over: 39, 23, 38, 41, 37, 35, 36, 41, 34, 40, 41, 39, 31, 43, 38, 30 and 40. This is a veteran coming off a serious knee surgery that had to miss time early in the year with leg issues. Many of those games were blowouts, but Anthony still played major minutes. The Knicks need Anthony to be healthy as long as possible for as long as he is on the roster. With minutes like that, they will shorten his career and reduce his effectiveness. The season is over, and the team isn't playing for anything. This is literal malpractice by the Knicks' head coach. Winning games is always the goal, but at what price?

Sadly, there isn't really one thing you can pinpoint that the Knicks have done better since Rambis took over. Perhaps you can credit him for Robin Lopez's great play the last couple of months, but beyond that there isn't much out there.

Jackson probably sees it differently, since Rambis is dragging the team closer to his desired style of play. Whether he can convince owner James Dolan to give the job to Rambis will be a huge part of the Knicks' future. For once, fans should hope Dolan wins that battle.

For everything Knicks, Giants and the world of sports, please follow John on Twitter at @Schmeelk

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