Now that the NBA regular season is over, the New York Knicks can resume their rumor-mill prominence.
What’s that, you say?
Oh, they never left the rumor mill? Like not even for a millisecond?
Okay then. Well, on that note, they won’t be leaving it anytime soon, either.
The Knicks are now left to hire their next head coach. And while team president Phil Jackson still favors interim head honcho and triangle buddy Kurt Rambis, Carmelo Anthony has his own pick, according to Frank Isola of the New York Daily News:
If Carmelo supports Rambis having the interim tag removed he’s keeping that a secret. Carmelo has had ample opportunity to endorse Rambis but instead suggested a full blown coaching search. What does that tell you?
For the second time in three days, Anthony said he’d like to have his voice heard this summer. For most players, that’s code for “hire the coach I want to play for.”
A source close to Anthony insists that his preferred choice is Tom Thibodeau, a coach Jackson seems to have no interest in speaking to. Remember that the next time someone says or reports that Phil is just doing his due diligence. Yeah right.
Maybe Carmelo would be fine with Mark Jackson, Scott Brooks, David Blatt or even Jeff Van Gundy. Either way, he wants input.
Tom Thibodeau is a great head coach. Underrated, even. The Chicago Bulls weren’t looking so hot without him this year, that’s for sure.
But he’s a guy you bring in to guide a championship team. The Knicks are not a championship team. Though Tom Thibodeau has some triangle background, he is not the guy you bring in to help develop Kristaps Porzingis and Jerian Grant and any other youngsters who will walk through the door.
Does he help you land free agents? Maybe. He’s notorious for overextending his star players, and that could be a deterrent in this day and age of informed NBA players.
All Tom Thibodeau does for sure is appease Melo. And the Knicks cannot only hope to appease Melo in this coaching search. Yes, he should be a part of it. He shouldn’t dictate it, though. Rather, he should be the voice that compels Phil to journey outside his triangle comfort zone, as he sifts through coaching candidates who would be willing to implement elements of the triangle, who can reach players young and not-so-young, and who can serve as a potential free-agency draw.
Someone like Scott Brooks could make sense for the Knicks. He isn’t lauded for his tactical work, but the Knicks will have triangle specialists on the sidelines, and he commands the respect of big names, including a certain big name from Oklahoma City that will be reaching free agency this year.
Both Thibs and Brooks, along with any other non-Jackson disciples, are long shots to be hired in New York. And that’s fine. The point here isn’t that the Knicks should listen or completely ignore Melo’s wishes; it’s that they need to actually, genuinely, legitimately stage a far-flung coaching search.
