nixluva wrote:I think the list is Derek Fisher, Luke Walton, Tyronn Lue and then Mark Jackson. Phil will probably get one of his guys before we have to resort to MJax. I just think it's too important to Phil to have a guy he can mold to be his mini me. I actually agree with him. Why sign some retread who hasn't won anything either? Phil has belief that his way of doing things is good and how can anyone really doubt it? He wants to build the team and culture his way and the best way to ensure that is to hire one of HIS GUYS.

I do agree with this. But coaches like Lue should only get very small contacts we can eat in one yeast if needed. This is Phil jackson's team now. It will be built to his vision or it won't be built at all. I would much rather see what that vision looks like in a few years than go the clueless route like hiring Mark Jackson. Who will basically be a slightly better version of Woodson and still with no discernible game Plan other than dump it to Melo.

RonRon wrote:

mreinman wrote:The more that I think about it the more I think that Tim Duncan would make a really great coach.

I agree, though Phil Jackson seems intent to run the Triangle

I would have preferred throwing that type of money on a Tim Duncan and Poppavich together as a Head Coach, Future President etc
With FULL CONTROL like Phil Jackson is getting
It would have been much more cost effective and attractive to lure FA's to come for less money

Thing with PJ is he is asking players to come for less money while he makes 12m a year, it just doesn't make much sense
But Duncan/Poppavich combo commands respect right now, and that extra money would be used elsewhere for the Knicks than in PJ's pocket at his age much more efficient spending
off
Poppavich's MY WAY or THE HIGHWAY is the statement that Knick's coaching needs along with management
His system if effective and proven without the most dominant players of the era
He has developed and found continued development players like Danny Green, George Hill, Splitter, along with many others, and that development staff/scouting deserves much credit with their patience

For Duncan, he is the BIG FUNDAMENTAL's as a Championship Pedigree
I would also grab Rasheed Wallace as a prototype of the old school 4/5 post play, the new school spread OFF, and along with his DEF/REB/SHOT BLOCKING ability

Those would be great pick ups for future BIGS, look at Drummond last year where Wallace went along with the growth of Copeland in half a season with us

Add in some great basketball minds and DEF specialist in talents like Shane Battier
A shooting coach in Kapono
A efficient combo/PG in Walt Fraizure or Ron Harper

And the development staff/trainers of Spurs, letting Poppavich handpick his disciples and staff, as he moves up to upper management and is given the keys buy Dolan

Add in a few TV/REality TV shows/ Coaching shows, Beggnings show, etc to attract both STARS and role players for extra salaries along with other incentives of playing in a big market but taking less, sacrificing in building a better team like the Spurs have with Buford

I don't really care how much Phil makes because of his pedigree and it does not count against the salary cap. If players have a problem with it then I am not that interested in the player.

As far as getting Pop to coach here or have a Pop/Duncan combo, I think that would have been as good as you can get but it was/is not an option and was never gonna happen.

I posted this in another thread but I think Battier would be a great coach (either a head coach or an assistant in training). He has that winning mentality and pesonality that is so rare in todays players.

I don't personally like the Fisher choice. He may be a good leader but his fundamentals as a player I thought were very lacking. He took way too many awful shots. I liked the Kerr choice because he played up to his strengths and I think that he has has a great outlook of the game based on his commentating. I like overachievers.

I think that phil definitely needs to pick someone from his inner circle if he does not want a power struggle but I am not very excited about the remaining candidates. I think that maybe Luke Walton (also and overachiever) would be my choice right now and Phil can be the proxy coach though its far from ideal.

Jackson and JVG would be terrible moves and a volcano waiting to erupt.

nixluva wrote:Walton or Fisher could very well be an excellent coach. It really means nothing what a player was capable of doing as a player in terms of how he'll actually COACH players to play the game. If you really need to be a good NBA player in order to be a good coach we'd have seen that evidence by now. Most coaches weren't great players. Besides teams have specialists who work with player development in terms of actual skills. Walton or Fisher isn't going to be doing that. They'd be here to direct and inspire the players, to make the big decisions in terms of the lineups etc. To set the overall tone for the team and the schemes to be used. Hopefully the new coach would have a natural feel for the game and can pull the right strings during the game which we haven't seen from our coach this year.

Its not about having been a good player but smart. Fisher seems like a smart guy but his shot selection was very suspect IMHO. That scares me into thinking that he will have less of an issue with inefficient shot selection. So often if Fisher's career I find myself thinking "did he really take that awful shot?"

IronWillGiroud wrote:luke walton?? he can be the best coach

Phil Jackson?? he can be the best coach

Thats exactly what all knick fans from the 70's said.

Though his father played a bigger role with less years due to his injury on the Blazers

Luke played a vital role as both a starter and on the bench with the injuries on the Lakers
However, when called upon, he delivered, averaging nearly multiple triple doubles, with Points, Rebounds, and Assists, playing point forward in the triangle with his High BB IQ/Understanding of the system/game, all round skills, along with his own versatility and the versatilty/depth/all round skills of the roster with

Farmer/Vucuvic
Ariza/Shannon Brown
Walton
Odom
Gasol

In addition to Kobe Bryant, Bynum, and Derek Fisher
With backups like Smush Parker, Ronny Turiaf, Chris Mihn
His best 2 years of his career were in 2006-2007 and 2007-2008(first year of Gasol and rookie Bynum)

However his best year was also a disapponting season in 2006-2007 though it was an exciting year with Kobe Bryants career year with multiple 50 point games including his career high of 81 points in one game vs Toronto, though leading to 1st round draft developentb of Bynum(top 5 center at his career best) and Championships again after the quick rebuilt roster after the trade/drama feud of Shaq and Kobe

The roster in 2006-2007 included players like

Kwame Brown
Chris Mihm
Aaron Mckie
Sasha Vucevic

Odom
Fisher
Bynum
Kobe

With Shammond Williams, Smush Parker, Brian Cook etc
Which Kobe won the scoring title along helping Waltons assist numbers

Back to the topic, I dont think Walton is ready to be a Head Coach yet, at least not for the purpose of winning, leading me to believe if he is signed, we are looking to tank next year and develop players and establishing a winning culture by losing and taking a step backward and preservig cap space for 2015 and possibly even 2016 when both Durant and Noah would be UFA's

With Walton, it would certainly ensure we suck along with a learning curb for the coaches/PJ/ managment/ and assistant coaches/development coaches/ trainers/ and players on the roster to lean/implement the Triangle with PJ guiding/grooming the HeadCoach and overseeing developments for players, coaches, and development

Also, Walton would have little leverage unlike Kerr, if he doesnt plan out well, Brian Shaw could be brougt in with the roles of assistant coaches with more experience and ready to contribute with the development/improvements of any players/coaching staff added in the near future with possible draft selections and FA signings/trades

If Phil Jackson trusts Walton, I would have no problem with him, however I would expect a strong lead assistant, assistant coaches, development coaches/trainers to fully execute PJs vision and establish that identity

If we can trade CA, rather than overpay to keep him, I can see how this summers draft picks could help turn the franchise around like Bynum was a key piece with Gasol/Odom/Ariza
Along with the possiblity of whatever Tyson Chandler, Iman Shumpert, JR Smith, and whoever our roster could net us

In the near future...
I would expect Fisher to prepare himself starting now to think and learn as a coach, absorbing the good and bads of his past experiences so he can be a candidate when he is ready to retire possibly earning a similar contract to Kerr's now if so...
Which would be roughly 3x more than he makes now and transition/preparing his leadership, experience, and knowledge of the game like Mark Jackson, Kidd, Doc Rivers, and etc have so he will be ready

The one thing that could also help him in addition to his experience with The Triangle and the past coaches, are both Durant and Kobe both supporting him
Even if he becomes an assistant coach, he would get a high salary with Dolan if he can help land Durant and even an old Kobe (for a low contract for that final chance to win a ring before he retires as a bench VET