Ever since firing Derek Fisher part-way through the season, Phil Jackson has been non-committal on his next head coaching move. He has endorsed Kurt Rambis as the coach, but it has never come across as too convincing. In particular, Tom Thibodeau’s name has been raised but Jackson hasn’t said as much.
But is David Blatt in the mix too? According to ESPN New York, Jackson may be interested in the former Cavs head coach.
One name that the Knicks are considering, according to league sources, is former Cleveland Cavaliers head coach David Blatt.
Jackson views Blatt favorably, according to sources. It’s also worth noting that Blatt played basketball with Knicks GM Steve Mills at Princeton… It wouldn’t be a surprise if Jackson considered other candidates outside of Blatt as well, though Rambis is still believed to be one of the top candidates.
But as we’ve seen so far in New York, Jackson is only hiring guys who have played for him because he’d like his head coaches to implement the triangle offense. That’s what made Steve Kerr and Derek Fisher so attractive to him. Young coaches who he could mold. But Blatt isn’t a triangle guy, so would this really work?
