To many, the New York Knicks are a storied franchise. They won two titles in the 70’s, were perennial title contenders in the 90’s and are always relevant because they have the good fortune of playing in the bright lights of New York. I, on the other hand, view the Knicks as a franchise of stories. These stories are much like the fairy tales that parents read to their kids to soothe the fears of the unknowns that await them when they go to sleep. The Knicks’ favorite fairy tale revolves around the “Knight in Shining Armor” who will save them from ever-lurking disaster. Over the course of Knicks’ history, this Knight has taken countless forms; players, coaches, executives, and more. There has been Pat Riley, Larry Brown, Isaiah Thomas, Donnie Walsh, Amar’e, Melo, and too many others to list. But the Knicks haven’t won a title since 1973! How can a team that has assembled so much star-power have so little to show for it? The problem does not lie in these Heroes. No, these are valiant men with all-star appearances, championship rings, and immeasurable prestige. Instead it lies with the Man signing their checks, the Owner of the Mystical Garden of Madison Square, James Dolan. To Him there can be no rebuild. To Him there is no autonomy for anyone else. To Him only stars are the solution.
The biggest problem for the Knicks is Dolan’s ideology. Based off his track record, it is evident that Dolan only swings for the fences. He has no patience for accumulating singles and doubles; it is Grand Slam or bust. When the Knicks struck out (sorry for the baseball analogy that won’t die) on LeBron James, Dolan couldn’t keep his cap room for next year or accumulate assets and build for the future. He had to throw money at Amar’e Stoudemire’s decrepit knees like his cap space was going out of style. When Carmelo became available, Dolan couldn’t take the advice of Donnie Walsh, whom he had granted full control over all basketball decisions, and hold assets out of the Melo deal or wait until he hit free agency; instead Dolan sent the Nuggets a Godfather offer to insure that he got his shiny, new toy. It’d be nice if the Knicks had a first round draft pick in one of the best draft classes in the last decade, huh?
Instead of waiting for Andrea Bargnani to get amnestied by the Raptors, Dolan sent three draft picks including a first rounder in 2016 for a player WHOSE TEAM WAS WILLING TO PAY HIM JUST TO GET THE HECK OUT OF THERE! James Dolan is the kid in the sandbox who keeps stealing everybody else’s shovels just because he HAS TO HAVE THEM. Only in Dolan’s case, he gives each of the kids the rights to a brand new Lamborghini in 10 years in exchange for the plastic shovel. But don’t worry Knicks fans, the shovel comes straight from Italy and is really big, so… you know… you’re in good hands.
In NY, when things get bleak, Dolan looks to the nearest star he can find and latches on. Now, in the midst of a 26-40 season, chasing the eight seed in the least competitive conference the NBA has seen in quite a while, it was only a matter of time before Dolan made a move. On Friday sources confirmed that Phil Jackson will take over the Knicks as President of Basketball Operations during a press conference at 11 am on Tuesday. This move reeks of the Knicks and Dolan. I can practically smell it through my computer screen. Hiring a 68 year old man who has no experience as a basketball executive (unless you count urging the Pistons to hire Maurice Cheeks, which failed miserably), doesn’t live in New York, has many physical ailments, does not want to perform the day-to-day rigors of being the President of Basketball Operations, has publicly criticized the star player you are trying desperately to keep, and called the roster he is taking over “clumsy”, does not seem like a savvy move. There is no guarantee that great coaches make great executives just like there is no guarantee that great players will make great coaches. For every Larry Bird there is an Isaiah Thomas. For every Jerry West, a Michael Jordan.
But what is really telling about the Knicks decision to hire Phil Jackson and pay him 12(!) million dollars a year is the opportunity cost. This Knicks season, as much as it resembled some sort of sick Sisyphean torture, was a gift. This season should have been the light bulb that went off in Dolan’s head, alerting him that it was time to blow it up and rebuild. Get assets for Melo, get assets for Tyson, get assets for Shumpert, and rebuild around your 2015 draft pick, Tim Hardaway Jr., and your Scrooge McDuck-esque pile of cap space. Along this line, this was the perfect time for the Knicks to take a chance and follow the model of the Phoenix Suns or Philadelphia 76ers. Hire an unproven head coach who you think can one day be great. Hire a bright young General Manager who is ahead of the curve instead of lagging two steps behind like the fat kid in gym class. After all, Phil Jackson wasn’t born a star. Before he had 11 rings, somebody had to give him his first head coaching job. On that same note, Tom Thibodeau, now one of the best coaches in the league, was a Knicks assistant under Jeff Van Gundy. Wouldn’t it have been nice if he was groomed for the Knicks head coaching job? But alas, it would have never happened because he didn’t have any sex appeal. He wouldn’t sell any tickets or ignite a breaking news ticker on ESPN. Now? Dolan would probably cut off his right pinky toe to get Thibs on the Knicks bench. Instead, Dolan took that light bulb, threw it against a wall as hard as he could and had an intern clean up his mess.
Because of Dolan’s impatience the Knicks could never be like the Suns or the Thunder or any other well-run organization. He and as a result, the Knicks, aren’t satisfied with letting young players, coaches, and executives develop. He won’t allow them to sharpen their skills and lead the team towards a bright future. Instead, promising pieces need to be shopped off for immediate upgrades that make back page headlines. There will never be a Jeff Hornacek or Goran Dragic in New York as long as Dolan gets to meddle. And since he is the boss, he will always get to meddle.
Rather than hire someone who has cut his teeth scouting players, studying the new CBA, understanding the cap, creating relationships with agents, and so on, Dolan has chosen to chase a star. Hiring Phil Jackson is Dolan chasing the narrative that he has formulated in his mind.
Phil Jackson comes back to New York, the place he once called home as a player for the last Knicks Championship team. He works hard, lures some free agents, makes some magic happen and BOOM the Knicks are leading a ticker-tape parade down the Canyon of Heroes. And it was all possible because the Great James Dolan lured the “Zen Master”.
But chasing fairy tales isn’t practical. Pairing a guy who doesn’t like to be told what to do, lives in Montana and doesn’t want to leave, loves to talk to the media, and writes tell all books with a man who likes his employees obedient and their muzzles tight, doesn’t seem like a great fit. Sure, it’s possible, that Jackson will delegate responsibilities to the right people, make some great moves, and end up translating his wealth of basketball knowledge beautifully to the front office. Yes, Jackson does seem to be the perfect figure to break the Darth Vader style death grip that CAA has over the Knicks. And yes, it is possible that Jackson could lure some great players to New York much like Pat Riley did in Miami. I guess it’s even possible that he could lead the Knicks to their first title in over 40 years. But this marriage seems more likely doomed for failure then destined for greatness.
Until the Knicks start choosing “smart” over “sexy”, prioritizing the future as much if not more than the present, and taking some risks, the title drought will never end. The Knicks shouldn’t be hiring Phil Jackson, they should try to hire the next Phil Jackson. Until the Knicks stop chasing stars and start developing them, they will never live happily ever after.
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