Much like you and I, superstar Carmelo Anthony, as well, does not know what Phil Jackson’s plan is for the New York Knicks.
By Chip Murphy
The New York Knicks are still a professional basketball team, despite all evidence to the contrary.
Phil Jackson is running it like a stubborn high school coach on the last leg of a legendary career.
From the outside looking in we don’t understand his thinking, and apparently we’re not the only ones.
Carmelo Anthony made news today when he did a radio interview with famed Jackson critic, Frank Isola of the NY Daily News. Isola’s Daily News colleague Stefan Bondy reported the shocking news.
Since Phil doesn't think anyone is worthy to be his coach & doesn't have the chops to teach the dopey triangle here's an idea: you coach.
— Frank Isola (@FisolaNYDN) April 23, 2016
Phil should do what 99 percent of the NBA thinks he would never do: coach a team when he doesn't have 2 of the league's top 5 players.
— Frank Isola (@FisolaNYDN) April 23, 2016
It was music to the ears of Knicks’ fans when Anthony revealed that he was invested in the future of the team. So invested that he wanted to be involved in the search for the next head coach.
According to Anthony, however, not only has he not been consulted by Jackson but they haven’t spoken in over two weeks. Anthony told Isola that Jackson limiting his coaching search would be “a problem.”
“I’ve said this and I’ll continue to say it, there needs to be a process,” Anthony said, “As long as there’s a process and you go through the proper channels to figure out exactly what you need to do, I don’t have no problem with that. But if you don’t go through that process and at least look to see what’s out there, then we have a problem with that.”
The top two coaches on the market were Scott Brooks and Tom Thibodeau, and Jackson didn’t interview either one. Despite numerous reports of Thibodeau’s interest, and history with the franchise, Jackson couldn’t put aside his antiquated ways in favor of having a great defensive mind on the sidelines.
Apparently this rubbed Anthony the wrong way as well. He spoke to ESPN about Thibs, saying he was “pretty sure” the former Chicago Bulls coach would’ve taken the Knicks job if offered.
“I’m pretty sure he wanted to come,” Anthony said. “He waited a while to see if there was going to be an opportunity. It didn’t happen. I’m pretty sure if he would’ve gotten offered the job, he would have [accepted] it with no regret. He would have jumped on it.”
We knew that Melo and Thibs were close. Anthony has said that if he didn’t return to the Knicks during free agency he would’ve went to the Bulls. If things had happened that way, Thibs may still be coaching in Chicago.
https://youtu.be/5LVtZ7ql4B4
