Schmeelk: Dolan, Of All People, Needs To Save Knicks From Jackson
By John Schmeelk
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The Phil Jackson hiring has come full circle.
The best argument in favor of bringing in Jackson to run the Knicks was that his hire would finally push James Dolan's influence (and perhaps Isiah Thomas') out of basketball decisions.
Now, entering his third year of stewardship, it might very well be in the best interest of the Knicks for James Dolan to step in and save Jackson from himself. This is not where things were supposed to be after Year 2 of the Jackson experience.
Based on what Jackson has said since he fired Derek Fisher, it was already abundantly clear that he wanted Rambis to be the long term head coach of the Knicks. An ESPN report on Wednesday confirmed what everyone else was already thinking. There is not one shred of evidence or history that would suggest Rambis is the most qualified and best fit for the Knicks moving forward. There is plenty that he is not.
Everyone knows the numbers by now. Rambis is 8-17 with the Knicks. He was 32-132 in two forgettable seasons with the Minnesota Timberwolves and struggled to develop young players. As an interim coach with the Lakers he went 24-13 during the strike-shortened 1999 season and was swept out of the playoffs in the second round by the Spurs. It is important to remember that Lakers team had both Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant.
No one would argue Rambis had great talent with the Timberwolves during his tenure or with the Knicks this season. But no one would argue he overachieved in any of his coaching stops, either. There's one reason, and one reason alone Jackson wants him as his head coach: he'll do whatever Jackson tells him to do.
As I wrote a couple of weeks ago, Jackson wants to coach the Knicks via proxy. He cannot physically travel from coast to coast or roam the sideline anymore, but he still wants ultimate control over the team in every respect. Jackson's Knicks will run the triangle. They will adhere to his basketball zen. Since he can't coach, himself, Jackson has found a useful puppet in Rambis to sit on the bench and be his marionette, moving as Phil pulls the strings from his seat 10 rows behind the bench.
It's not surprising that Jackson has reportedly been far more active at practice since Rambis took over. The reason for Derek Fisher's firing is also becoming clearer. He didn't want Jackson meddling. He wanted to do things his way, not Jackson's. Now Fisher is gone.
It doesn't matter whether Rambis is a good coach or not. It only matters that Jackson gets his way. The sad truth that Jackson fails to grasp, but hopefully someone within the Knicks hierarchy does, is that running an organization like that is impossible. Players will figure out quickly that Rambis has no real authority and they can simply go to Jackson if they don't like how their coach is doing things. There have been reports of late saying the team respected Fisher more than it does Rambis.
There is only one person that can stop the madness: Dolan. Once the man Jackson was supposed to save the Knicks from, Dolan now might have to step in and save the Knicks from Rambis.
THE CARMELO ANTHONY FACTOR
Perhaps Steve Mills will go to the owner and inform him how unworkable Jackson's plan is. Maybe it will be Carmelo Anthony, who has already publically stated there should be a wide coaching search. He stated openly after the game Wednesday night that he wants to be included in any decisions regarding the new coach and personnel decisions.
Anthony has been coached by Rambis for nearly two months now and knows the man in charge is not a championship-caliber coach that will improve the team, or attract any free agents to play for the Knicks. He also knows Tom Thibodeau, one of Anthony's coaches on Team USA, is sitting there itching to coach the Knicks. Would Anthony dangle the threat of demanding a trade if Jackson stuck with Rambis? He already took it on himself to go to the coach to get the younger players more playing time. This would be the next example of him trying to get the Knicks back to winning while he still has good years left.
The New York Post reported Wednesday that Jackson has no interest in Thibodeau because he revels in crisis and chaos. He also wins a lot. He is also the premier defensive coach in the NBA. He is also the best available candidate by a wide margin. He wants to coach the Knicks, if reports are correct. If there was ever a slam dunk coaching hire, Thibodeau would be it. Even someone like David Blatt would be a serious upgrade over Rambis.
But Jackson is not interested in getting the best possible coach for the team. He wants someone who will let him coach from the president's office. Jackson's job should be to hire the best coach, let him run the team he wants, and get the players needed to win the way the best coach wants to win. Jackson's coaching criteria is limited to candidates that will "run the team the way he would if he were coach." Jackson is not willing to allow a head coach to come to the Knicks and teach anything that is not part of the Jackson gospel.
THE TRIANGLE
The triangle offense is a system that can work if it has the right players running it, with the right skill set. The problem is that those players are now few and far between. The NBA is full of teams that run the spread offense, with four or five players out of the paint to create space for pick-and-roll play. College is going in that direction as well. In order to find someone that knew the triangle this past offseason, the Knicks had to pull Sasha Vujacic out of Europe. That's how bad it was.
The triangle requires guys to play out of the post (mid, high and low), something they aren't taught to do on any level. Players have to constantly cut hard and move without the ball, something that is unfortunately rare these days. Anyone the Knicks get would have to in many ways relearn how to play basketball. Even if run well, it is uncertain whether the triangle can work in the modern NBA, given the league's change in style. The Knicks played their best ball under Fisher this season when they got away from the triangle. Committing to a system with this many issues is foolish.
Putting the offense aside, the Knicks' defense has been no better under Rambis, either. He has verbally spoken about going back to protecting the basket and worrying less about defending the 3-pointer, something that will lead to giving up a ton of points in today's NBA. There's no reason to believe under Rambis' tutelage the team would make any strides on either side of the ball.
It's a mistake that could set the Knicks back years. What happens when Jackson leaves? Besides his disciples (who have had little or no success in the league), no one else runs the triangle. The Knicks will have to move on to a completely new style of play. It will be another rebuild in no less than three years. That's why it makes sense for Jackson to install someone as coach now that will last far longer than he will. He needs to find the next leader of the franchise. It isn't Rambis.
JACKSON'S LEGACY THE ISSUE?
At this point, Jackson looks like someone that is far more concerned with preserving and furthering his own legacy than he is in making the Knicks a winning basketball team. It is more important to him to prove the triangle can work without Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, Bryant, and O'Neal than it is to put the Knicks in the best position to win more basketball games. His ego has run wild.
When someone looks back at history, no one will care if the Knicks were turned around by using the triangle or some other system. Jackson would be feted and lauded if the Knicks won again under a system installed by someone like Thibodeau. He would be given credit. But that isn't enough for him. He needs to not only win, but win his way. It will be his undoing.
Dolan needs to block the Rambis hire. If Jackson threatens to quit, Dolan should point to the door. That's how dire a moment this is for the Knicks franchise. They need a real coach to turn Porzingis into the type of great player he can be.
Firing Jackson is not the preference. It is the last resort. He deserves time to build the team the way he wants. The Knicks have had far too much turnover the last 15 years to be a successful franchise. Patience is a requirement and two years isn't enough time to give any GM to build a team. But hiring Rambis over Thibodeau, or even Blatt or Scott Brooks or Jeff Van Gundy or any number of candidates is disqualifying. It shows an utter lack of judgment, and is a legitimate fireable offense.
I can't believe I'm writing this, but Dolan needs to save the Knicks from Jackson. But what happens next? Does that mean Mills takes over and Dolan starts meddling? That leaves the franchise no better off than they were before Jackson walked through the door, with Dolan trying to play GM.
But hiring Thibodeau as head coach and losing Jackson is preferable to hiring Rambis. It's a no-win situation. It is only the lesser of two evils, but it would be the best thing for the franchise.
Rambis cannot be the next Knicks coach, no matter the cost.
For everything Knicks, Giants and the world of sports, follow John on Twitter at @Schmeelk
