Schmeelk: Anthony, Jackson Pulling Knicks In Different Directions With Fans Caught In The Middle
By John Schmeelk
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When Carmelo Anthony addressed the media for the last time to close out the Knicks' regular season, he sounded like nearly every other Knicks fan that understands where the team stands right now.
Anthony reiterated that simply being an eighth seed does not mean success to him.
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He answered "I don't know" when he asked if he thought the Knicks could win on the level he wants -- which is to compete for a championship -- in his remaining window as a great player.
He stated that he understood the team isn't in great position this offseason given all the cap space out there and the dearth players available.
He said that he thinks about how he can "win more" all the time, whether in New York or somewhere else.
When asked if he is planning on staying in New York, he answered "for now" and indicated that if the losing continues, that could change. He did not put a timetable on it, but he did not sound patient, either.
It's clear it is his preference to stay and that he loves New York, but the more the team loses, he might have no choice but to depart. His instinct is to stay loyal.
He said the coaching hunt should be open to everyone, with candidates being brought in and given a fair shot to see who can work within Phil Jackson's system and, more importantly, win games. Any executive worth his salt would have that plan.
He showed some frustration when asked about Jackson's insistence on having a head coach that teaches the triangle and how it might turn players off who don't want to relearn how to play again in an arcane system. He wondered if it would be easier to just find good basketball players rather than triangle fits. Much like everything else he said, the statement was right on the money.
These are all things Knicks reporters have written about. They are all things fans have said to one another. They are all logical. They all make sense. Unfortunately for Anthony, he realized it all two years too late. His quotes today were easy to predict two years ago when he re-signed with the Knicks.
He was never going to be on the same schedule as the Knicks, who needed to rebuild the roster from scratch. By the time the Knicks were ready to win, he would be past his prime. Anthony sees it now. He has been a good soldier and an improving teammate, but he sees that the light at the end of the tunnel is too far away for him to reach.
Jackson, on the other hand, is still living in a Zen world occupied and ruled by Chief Triangle.
Jackson said he would only hire someone he knows. That means this team will run Jackson's triangle, period. It makes sense to hire a coach in sync with the GM, but Jackson continues to insist on coaching the team using marionette strings from the president's chair. There's more than one way to coach a team successfully.
He said Kurt Rambis, who served as interim head coach after Derek Fisher was fired, is the only person he has committed to interview, despite the fact that he has had two months to reach out and meet new people and put together a list of options.
He committed to the triangle explicitly, saying he was brought to New York to install a system. What happens if Jackson opts out after next season or after his full contract is up remains to be seen, given whoever replaces him will have no dedication to the triangle. It would seem the franchise would have to start over again, given someone like Rambis is not a solution past Jackson's tenure.
Jackson decided it was a good idea to lecture the media after a 32-win season, saying no one should question the success of the triangle given his 11 rings. He also said the media's negativity chases away free agents. Seems to me not winning a lot of games and firing your coach midseason has a bigger impact on free agents, but that's just me.
He should also remember he was the head coach of those Bulls and Lakers teams, not the president. If Jackson was coaching this team, the conversation would be much different. Rambis is not Phil Jackson.
Jackson attacked a media member (The Record's Steve Popper) about how he was wrong to write that Jerian Grant should have played more earlier in the year because Grant didn't help the team win. No one asked the follow-up question as to how the two guys comprising the worst defensive backcourt in the NBA (Arron Afflalo and Jose Calderon) helped the team win, and earned minutes with their play.
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Nonsensically, he also said the Knicks played some of their best games without Anthony, without noting the team went 0-10 when he didn't play. Perhaps this was his way to try to soften the blow of Anthony eventually leaving?
Jackson came off as arrogant, stubborn and condescending. He did admit improving the team this offseason would be more difficult given the league situation with the cap and free agent pool. He said the Knicks were "a team in the making." The problem remains that Anthony wants a team that's made this year, with a head coach that has more experience winning than drawing triangles.
It leaves the Knicks in an impossible spot this offseason. The team should be in Year 2 of a long-term rebuild. Their focus should be on getting a pick in this year's draft, signing young players that might improve enough to outplay their contract, maintaining flexibility and focusing on building around Kristaps Porzingis.
Instead, Anthony (understandably) wants the team to add top veterans so the team can win next year. Jackson wants to prove his system can work and hire a coach and bring in players that justify his basketball philosophy. The Knicks and their fans are caught in the middle.
There's no realistic chance for the Knicks to improve as much as Anthony needs this offseason, barring a miracle signing like Kevin Durant or LeBron James. They might not even be able to land the next tier of guys such as Mike Conley, DeMar DeRozan, Bradley Beal and Nicolas Batum. There are plenty of teams with more resources and better basketball situations than New York. The Knicks need backcourt help in the worst way, and there are at best a bit more than a half dozen really good options out there. A complete whiff is possible.
If that happens, the Knicks are best off just waiting. Save the money to find better players in a stronger 2017 class, draft a good player next season and maintain salary cap flexibility for any other moves that might become available. That goes against everything in both Jackson's and Anthony's interests.
Anthony is pulling on one end of the rope, and Jackson is pulling on the other. James Dolan is standing in the middle. In the end, he is probably going to have to choose Anthony or Jackson, between whom there seems to be some level of disconnect. If Jackson is here with Rambis as his head coach next March, odds are Anthony won't be. Even if Jackson is let go, Anthony might decide it's time for him to leave anyway, given the team's lack of success.
It's up to Dolan, which is a scenario Knicks fans have learned to fear over the years. Whatever he decides, it is clear there is no ideal or fast answer for the Knicks. The only solace Knicks fans have is that they have Porzingis, and no one can take him away from them.
For everything Knicks, Giants and the world of sports, follow John on Twitter at @Schmeelk
