![Picture](/uploads/2/6/3/3/26339450/1402544064.jpg)
Nearly 3 months after being appointed President of the New York Knicks, Phil Jackson has finally hand-picked his head coach. Laker legend Derek Fisher will make the immediate transition from unofficial player coach to bench boss of the New York Knicks. Fisher joins Jason Kidd as the second player turned head coach in two years while also becoming the first coach to be in better shape than his starting point guard.
As expected Phil hired one of his disciples, although not his first choice. Weeks ago, Steve Kerr shocked the basketball world by spurning the Zen Master, his former coach in Chicago, to take the head coach position at Golden State. Personally I can't blame him. The Knicks organization has been a mess for years and will continue to be as long as James Dolan is involved. Which leads to the question, what inclines Phil to think that a man with zero previous coaching experience will be able to turn around arguably one of the most dysfunctional rosters in the NBA?
Don’t get me wrong, I think Fisher will make an excellent head coach one day. But it is unfair to think that a man who was in uniform just several days ago is the right guy to bring the Knicks instant success - keyword: instant. Everything about this coaching position screams the need to win now: An aging roster, years of losing, a disappointed fan base, and a new president with lofty expectations. One may point out Jason Kidd’s first year success as a parallel, but this would be unfair. Kidd inherited a roster already laden with both world class talent and veteran leadership. Heck, you probably could have thrown that roster out there coachless and they still could have made the playoffs with Pierce and KG keeping everyone in line. Its no secret this Knicks roster is a total mess, and Dolan’s inability to accept that they need to rebuild has handcuffed the franchise with some terrible contracts (I’m looking at you, Bargnani) and some toxic personalities.
On the surface, this hiring symbolizes the beginning of the transition from the Dolan era into the Zen era. Starting with this move, Phil will begin to build the team from the ground up the way he wants. If the organization was still under the “win now” mandate, a veteran coach with previous success such as George Karl or Jeff Van Gundy would be the better hire. But perhaps this hiring has deeper implications Phil sees the writing on the wall. And that writing is telling him Carmelo isn’t going to resign. He knows the Knicks aren’t going to be contenders in the immediate future, so Fisher will be able to go through growing pains with the peace of mind that he isn’t expected to win now. Phil didn’t make this decision with just 2014/2015 in mind; he is preparing for a long term, full on remodelling of the roster.
As expected Phil hired one of his disciples, although not his first choice. Weeks ago, Steve Kerr shocked the basketball world by spurning the Zen Master, his former coach in Chicago, to take the head coach position at Golden State. Personally I can't blame him. The Knicks organization has been a mess for years and will continue to be as long as James Dolan is involved. Which leads to the question, what inclines Phil to think that a man with zero previous coaching experience will be able to turn around arguably one of the most dysfunctional rosters in the NBA?
Don’t get me wrong, I think Fisher will make an excellent head coach one day. But it is unfair to think that a man who was in uniform just several days ago is the right guy to bring the Knicks instant success - keyword: instant. Everything about this coaching position screams the need to win now: An aging roster, years of losing, a disappointed fan base, and a new president with lofty expectations. One may point out Jason Kidd’s first year success as a parallel, but this would be unfair. Kidd inherited a roster already laden with both world class talent and veteran leadership. Heck, you probably could have thrown that roster out there coachless and they still could have made the playoffs with Pierce and KG keeping everyone in line. Its no secret this Knicks roster is a total mess, and Dolan’s inability to accept that they need to rebuild has handcuffed the franchise with some terrible contracts (I’m looking at you, Bargnani) and some toxic personalities.
On the surface, this hiring symbolizes the beginning of the transition from the Dolan era into the Zen era. Starting with this move, Phil will begin to build the team from the ground up the way he wants. If the organization was still under the “win now” mandate, a veteran coach with previous success such as George Karl or Jeff Van Gundy would be the better hire. But perhaps this hiring has deeper implications Phil sees the writing on the wall. And that writing is telling him Carmelo isn’t going to resign. He knows the Knicks aren’t going to be contenders in the immediate future, so Fisher will be able to go through growing pains with the peace of mind that he isn’t expected to win now. Phil didn’t make this decision with just 2014/2015 in mind; he is preparing for a long term, full on remodelling of the roster.