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martin
Posts: 80093 Alba Posts: 108 Joined: 7/24/2001 Member: #2 USA |
5/6/2016 12:27 PM
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/05/06/sports/basketball/knicks-coaching-options-are-clear-except-to-phil-jackson.html
Thought this was a decent article: Knicks’ Coaching Options Are Clear, Except Maybe to Phil Jackson
On Thursday, Larry Bird, the Indiana Pacers’ president, announced that Frank Vogel would not return as head coach after five and a half seasons, five playoff appearances and two Eastern Conference finals runs, thwarted in both of those instances by no less formidable an opponent than LeBron James’s Miami Heat. Vogel, 42, has won more N.B.A. games than any Pacers coach before him, worked briefly for the Los Angeles Lakers as an advance scout during Jackson’s coaching reign there, has spoken glowingly of Jackson’s stylistic influence on the sport and flattered him further by hiring Brian Shaw, a Jackson protégé, as an assistant in Indiana. Vogel was also not only born (Pensacola, Fla.) and raised (Wildwood, N.J.) in the United States — as was David Blatt, who was recently interviewed for the head-coaching job by Jackson — he came up, unlike Blatt, through the coaching ranks the good old American way. In other words, there is nothing on Vogel’s résumé that occurred in any other country than the one that claims to have invented the game and most of the sideshows that go with it. Meanwhile, according to a person close to Blatt, speaking on the condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the current coaching search, Blatt at least came away from his chat with Jackson with the belief that he was a legitimate candidate for the Knicks job. He pitched himself to Jackson as a defensive-minded coach who, while playing collegiately at Princeton, was reared on the joy of a deliberate, five-man offense and therefore amenable to embracing Jackson’s beloved triangle. He reminded Jackson that he initially went to Cleveland in 2014 to coach a young, undisciplined Cavaliers team, a work in progress. That was before James suddenly returned as the homecoming King, when the Cavs were essentially the Knicks, minus the veteran shotmaking of Carmelo Anthony. As for what occurred in Cleveland during Blatt’s season and a half there, wasn’t it obvious that he couldn’t win over James without winning a championship? This, in large part, was because James, the de facto franchise strongman, didn’t choose or approve Blatt as coach in the first place. Nor did it help that James created an immediate all-or-nothing mandate in Cleveland through the Kevin Love acquisition after initially pleading for patience with an inexperienced roster. As impressive a coaching portfolio as Blatt created overseas in places like Russia and Israel, there was never a chance it would provide him with the leverage or credibility to avoid becoming the scapegoat with the Cavaliers, even after getting to two victories away from the title last June without two of the team’s best three players and despite winning 30 of 41 games this season with a still-battered roster. Yes, it has long been established that foreign-born players can thrive here, in an N.B.A. of opulence and opportunity. But what about European-trained coaches? We checked in with Maurizio Gherardini, a longtime Italian league general manager who worked in the Toronto Raptors’ front office as an assistant general manager for seven years before taking over the Turkish power Fenerbahce Ulker. “I’ve been privileged enough in my years at Benetton Treviso to work with three N.B.A.-to-become coaches — Mike D’Antoni, David Blatt and Ettore Messina,” he said. “The commitment by an N.B.A. franchise to go for a Euro coach is more complicated, even if he may eventually be a great strategist or an innovator.” Get the big sports news, highlights and analysis from Times journalists, with distinctive takes on games and some behind-the-scenes surprises, delivered to your inbox every week. He added: “D’Antoni was initially perceived not much of an option when he first started in Denver, but then in Phoenix he developed a basketball style that somehow changed the overall quality of the game — and it’s not a surprise that the Warriors and Steve Kerr somehow have developed their game on the basis of the basketball played those years in Phoenix. “Messina has taken the path of showing his value on a prestigious bench like the Spurs’ in order to increase his chances. Blatt coached the best player in the game in Cleveland, but he was perceived more European than American and, bottom line, it will always take a strong commitment by an organization to go for a foreign coach as such a decision needs to be bought into by your top players who, most of the time, are not European.” Too often, old-school perception weighs more heavily than performance. Had Blatt coached at Kentucky, he would have American court cred. James never bought into him. His teammates followed their leader. That doesn’t mean Blatt would not be a good fit with the Knicks. Jackson’s original coaching choice, Golden State’s Kerr, was about to hire Blatt as an assistant before Cleveland signed him. He no doubt has endorsed Blatt to Jackson. Would Anthony, James’s good buddy, buy in? He doesn’t have James’s clout, nor does he deserve it, and, anyway, Kristaps Porzingis represents the Knicks’ long-term future. Porzingis, a 20-year-old Latvian, would not be an issue. But if Jackson is concerned about Blatt’s impact on Anthony and possibly others easily influenced by James, including targeted free agents, he now has Vogel on the coaching free-agent market. In Indianapolis, Bird said, “It’s time for a new voice around here,” saying he preferred to play a faster brand of ball, even if Vogel’s roster wasn’t exactly Golden State speedy. Fair enough. Coaches are hired to be fired, but those with solid reputations also get rehired. Already mentioned as a possibility in Houston, Vogel probably won’t be unemployed very long. Blatt could wind up in Sacramento, where Vivek Ranadive, born in India, is the owner and Vlade Divac, a Serb, is the top basketball executive. The time for Jackson to act would seem to be soon, unless he really is intent on running out the clock to facilitate the anointing of his friend, the 58-year-old Rambis, and his 65-164 career coaching record. That would be a decision sure to infuriate the Knicks’ fan base, at least some of the players and possibly the owner, James L. Dolan. But with all the brand-name coaches he has ignored, Jackson still has viable options, solid choices. He just has to make one, and let common sense triumph over the temptation to be contrary. Official sponsor of the PURE KNICKS LOVE Program
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franco12
Posts: 34069 Alba Posts: 4 Joined: 2/19/2004 Member: #599 USA |
5/6/2016 12:44 PM
I think Phil is waiting until his only choice is the one he is most comfortable with - Rambis.
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DrAlphaeus
Posts: 23751 Alba Posts: 10 Joined: 12/19/2007 Member: #1781 |
5/6/2016 1:54 PM LAST EDITED: 5/6/2016 1:55 PM
I like the title Posting & Toasting used in the blog post regarding this article:
Hey look, some actual reporting on David Blatt's meeting with Phil Jackson I also agree with Seth that Araton going on and on about the "foreign" angle with Blatt vs. the "good old American" credentials of Vogel is weird. Baba Booey 2016 — "It's Silly Season"
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Nalod
Posts: 72117 Alba Posts: 155 Joined: 12/24/2003 Member: #508 USA |
5/6/2016 4:04 PM
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ChuckBuck
Posts: 28851 Alba Posts: 11 Joined: 1/3/2012 Member: #3806 USA |
5/6/2016 4:43 PM
Vogel would be a slam dunk hire obviously. Everyone knows this, except the one that counts, Phil Jackson.
But Phil's tenure as an executive has been sketchy at best. It's not surprising in his 3 years here. Tweet was deleted or there was problem with the URL: Tweet was deleted or there was problem with the URL: Tweet was deleted or there was problem with the URL: Tweet was deleted or there was problem with the URL: Tweet was deleted or there was problem with the URL: Tweet was deleted or there was problem with the URL: Tweet was deleted or there was problem with the URL:
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mreinman
Posts: 37827 Alba Posts: 1 Joined: 7/14/2010 Member: #3189 |
5/6/2016 4:46 PM
ChuckBuck wrote:Vogel would be a slam dunk hire obviously. Everyone knows this, except the one that counts, Phil Jackson. please stop!! I can't take anymore if this negativity. Can't I just lie and drink my way through it? so here is what phil is thinking ....
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franco12
Posts: 34069 Alba Posts: 4 Joined: 2/19/2004 Member: #599 USA |
5/6/2016 5:16 PM
is that a current picture of Phil? OMG is he old.
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nixluva
Posts: 56258 Alba Posts: 0 Joined: 10/5/2004 Member: #758 USA |
5/7/2016 11:30 AM
crzymdups wrote:nixluva wrote:crzymdups wrote:franco12 wrote:is that a current picture of Phil? OMG is he old. Mills did go to Europe to check out KP, Willy and others and all along he's been part of the decision making process. You're assumptions make no sense. Mills does a LOT of the day to day work of a GM. Mills is the most likely candidate to take over when Phil leaves and he'll be well groomed to do that. You really are making a fool of yourself on this topic. Mills also made a trip to Spain to watch Porzingis in the ACB league, and that’s when 21-year-old center Guillermo Hernangomez, whom the Knicks selected in the second round, caught his eye. The Knicks made a deal with the Sixers to take Hernangomez with the 35th pick, and the Knicks plan to have him on the team in 2016-17. Jackson never traveled to Spain to see Porzingis or Hernangomez.http://nypost.com/2015/07/14/how-the-knicks-front-office-talked-themselves-into-porzingis/ |