I already told you yesterday that Mike Woodson needs to lead the Knicks into the playoffs to keep his job. No easy task, but when Phil Jackson says repeatedly that he expects this year’s team to make the postseason, the bar has been set.
And if the Knicks fail?
Well, there will be a new coach at the helm, and since Jackson is not ingratiated with the larger coaching fraternities out there, you can cross out names such as Jeff Van Gundy, Stan Van Gundy and George Karl.
Steve Kerr’s name has been thrown out there, and he is an intriguing candidate because he knows the triangle system. But two other coaches are known as system coaches, and both have stellar resumes.
They are Jerry Sloan and David Blatt.
David Who, you ask? He’s only the most successful coach in European basketball, and has been for quite some time. Plus, he went to school and played at Princeton with Knicks GM Steve Mills.
More on Blatt, Sloan and other Knicks items in this podcast with Moke Hamilton on SNY.
Phil Jackson needs to learn basic math.
If IND beats the Knicks tonight as expected, they would be 5.5 games behind ATL for a playoff spot (6 games in loss column).
If ATL goes 500 rest of season, then Knicks would have to go 13-1 in the remaining games.
It’s really out of the control of the Knicks, if they lose tonight.
Also, Kerr already said he’s not interested in coaching the Knicks. Who would be before finding out if Melo would be returning, and knowing all the pressure in NY, and Knicks will not be a good team next year. Stephen A. Smith cited multiple sources that Melo wouldn’t be back.
Besides, no top coach like Jerry Sloan is going to agree to coach the Knicks, nor to answer to Phil Jackson.
Truth is that Knicks already have the best coach they ever will see.
The future of the Knicks depends on whether LeBron will be want to come to NY in 2015, and can he get together 2 other top free agents.