The New York Knicks could reportedly hire their head coach of the future during the season if things continue to spiral out of control.
The New York Knicks are operating under a very bizarre set of circumstances. After billing themselves as a competitive and gritty team before the season, the on-court results have not lived up to the hype.
As a result, the Knicks fired head coach David Fizdale 22 games into his second season at the helm. Assistant coach Mike Miller is taking over in the interim, but Ramona Shelburne of ESPN is reporting that an in-season coaching change is a possibility if the Knicks continue to scuffle.
“Now Mike Miller is interim coach, and he’ll probably keep the job as long as the players respond to him,” Shelburne wrote. “But there have already been ownership-level discussions about hiring a new coach in-season if the team continues to crater, according to sources.”
In his first game as top dog on the bench, Miller nearly guided the Knicks to a win over the playoff-bound Indiana Pacers. Unfortunately for Knicks fans, familiar foibles prevented the Knicks from snapping an ever-growing losing streak—free throws and defending the three-point line.
Miller’s squad followed that up with a very Knicks-ian performance in Portland. Carmelo Anthony and the Trail Blazers dismantled the Knicks in a game that was over by the third quarter.
It’s too early to tell if Miller can turn the tide and help the Knicks develop into the kind of team that team president Steve Mills and general manager Scott Perry sold to fans. Moreover, would another coaching change fix anything or make it demonstrably worse?
Mills and Perry are likely lame ducks if the Knicks don’t make a dramatic turnaround. By bringing in a new coach during the season, would that scare away executives who could be persuaded to come to New York and revive the flailing organization?
An in-season coaching change seems unlikely at the moment, but there are still 58 games left to play. And when the Knicks are involved, expect the unexpected.
