Schmeelk: Phil Jackson Understands What The Knicks Need In Today's NBA
By John Schmeelk
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Since the Knicks' season has gone off the rails and their fans have been forced to watch the team lose game after game, the idea that Phil Jackson doesn't know how to win games in the "modern NBA" has been gaining strength on the Internet.
The basic idea is that the antiquated triangle offense and Jackson's insistence on building a team like it's the 1990s will prevent the Knicks from competing in the pick- and-roll, spread, three-point shooting NBA of today. This, of course, ignores the fact that Jackson won titles in 2009 and 2010 against the same types of offenses people profess he doesn't understand today.
Those facts aside, what Jackson said on Thursday night to a group of season-ticket holders (an event I would have attended if I wasn't out of town) should calm some of those fears.
Specifically, when he was asked whether it was more important for a big man to be good offensively or defensively, he answered this way: "Defender. That's a good starting point, a guy like Tyson Chandler and the defensive passion they have to have. So many screen and rolls, so many three-point shooters, a player of size has to cover and protect the basket but also step out defensively and do defensive work on the extreme part of the floor. It's very important for that player to have defensive capabilities."
That does not sound like someone who doesn't understand and accept the path the NBA continues to go down, and how his team needs to adjust to it. It's also evidence that he understands that his team must make significant improvements on the defensive end. Jackson gets it, and it looks like James Dolan will allow him to move ahead with his plan however he sees fit. Whether or not he can execute it is a different question altogether.
Jackson also said that if he had the first overall pick in the draft, he knows who he would pick, and that the Final Four would be important to watch. Jackson and general manager Steve Mills also seemed to indicate that while they will entertain calls to trade their first-round pick, they know that getting the right player with the first pick in the draft can turn around a franchise. It seems unlikely that they'll move that pick.
Put that information with the quote about defense, and all things point towards the Knicks selecting Karl-Anthony Towns if they have the opportunity, since he is known as being the far more accomplished and mobile defender. Of course, it's also possible that Jackson thinks far more of Jahlil Okafor's defense than others do, and he could be the pick. Either way, he understands what his center will have to be able to do in order to be effective.
Of course, all of that means nothing if the Knicks don't get a top-two pick in the draft. Though it is possible that either Okafor or Towns could be there at three -- especially considering the Sixers have drafted frontcourt players in their last two drafts -- it is difficult to believe a team will pass up a franchise big man when they so rarely become available. As good as D'Angelo Russell and Emmanuel Mudiay (and perhaps even Justise Winslow) might be, they would still be a tier down, in my opinion.
There are also events that can still change some minds, as well. If Okafor and Towns meet in the NCAA finals, that one-on-one matchup might tweak some opinions. Measurements and workout performances at the NBA combine, pro days and individual workouts could sway teams one way or another, as well. If Okafor, for example, scores identical or even better scores than Towns in agility or athleticism drills, it would help him significantly. Meanwhile, if Towns shows he has much more of an offensive game -- he showed a mid-range jumper in high school -- in workouts it might make teams far more likely to take him.
Russell can also help himself significantly by proving his athleticism in workouts, while Mudiay could help his stock by displaying a consistent jump shot.
Even though the college season is almost over, there is still a large part of the draft process that has yet to take place. The Knicks also still need to hold on to the worst record in the NBA, which at this point is likely but by no means a sure thing.
If they finish with the worst record, they will be guaranteed a top-four pick, which would guarantee them one of the five players I mentioned above. Whomever they end up with, even if it is not one of the big men, will help this team for a long, long time.
Knicks fans should still believe in Jackson, despite the team's failures this season. He has the chance to build this team from scratch, and everyone needs to give him a chance to do it.
You can follow me on Twitter @Schmeelk for everything Knicks, Giants, Yankees and the world of sports.
