loweyecue wrote:scoshin wrote:Have to agree with OP. If we sign Woodson before we even put feelers out to PJ, we're jumping the gun. Woodson did a commendable job at the end of the season, but imo a lot of that just came down to players finally giving 100% for their new coach.I would bet money that Dolan prefers Woodson cause he's more of a yes-man, like D'Antoni and Isaiah before him. He'll tow the company line. After the Larry Brown fiasco, I get the sense Dolan does not want to hire a HoF coach, especially one that's known to meddle with the media like Phil Jackson does.
I really hate generalizations like this. How was MDA an yes man? Is your definition of "yes man" someone who doesn't go to the media and bitch about the players? Cause Woodson's already starting to do that. MDA was completely professional and acted with integrity and respect. Larry Brown was a whiny little media whore, and I still defended him because he was up against Dol-ass and the snake.
MDA probably didn't agree with any of the Dolan moves but he sucked it up and continued doing his job. Give the man some credit.
Why so defensive over MDA? And you basically answered your own question, as bolded above.
Like MDA the coach or not, he was a company man who did not go against the grain. You're entitled to say he was a professional for doing so.
That doesn't change the fact that Phil Jackson is known to be a lot more outspoken, and has the pedigree and sway to do so. Howard Beck just posted an article pretty much stating this in whole.
Woodson is the safe, conventional choice. Jackson, though infinitely more successful, might be the riskier option, which could explain Dolan’s sudden conservative streak.Jackson is an iconoclast, a force of nature who marches to the beat of his own bongos. He would clash spectacularly with the Garden’s staid corporate culture, which is reason enough for Dolan to hesitate and for Jackson (if he were offered the job) to balk.
Jackson can be brutally candid, a trait that is frowned upon at the Garden, where “see no evil, speak no evil” is official policy. On any given day, Jackson might publicly upbraid his players, needle opponents, insult a city or tweak the commissioner’s office. He would violate the Garden’s infamous news media rules within 32 seconds of his first news conference. He would eventually write a book exposing the internal politics and hypocrisy.
And of particular note:
They will do so without making a single bid for the shiniest object on the market: Phil Jackson, with his 11 sparkly championship rings.The Knicks had not contacted Jackson as of last week, according to people close to the Hall of Fame coach. There is no guarantee that he would take the job, but “he would listen,” one said.
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/13/sports/basketball/knicks-are-likely-to-play-it-safe-and-keep-their-coach.html
My problem with this isn't that I think Phil Jackson would be a homerun of a signing. There's a risk that he could very well be as much of a disaster as Larry Brown was. But it doesn't seem like the Garden is even willing to explore all options and intend to extend Woodson right after a 1st round playoff loss just to kill all further speculation over the summer. To me, that's hasty, and as Beck says, just reeks of playing it "safe and conventional."
edit: Beck also makes a strong case why we should roll the dice on Jackson. Or at least put feelers out there.
Michael Jordan was once a swaggering, single-minded scorer like Anthony. Jackson persuaded him to embrace a team-oriented game, and the Chicago Bulls won six championships. Jackson coaxed Kobe Bryant, another headstrong star, into trusting his teammates. They won five titles together in Los Angeles.Anthony, who had more turnovers (14) than assists (11) in the playoffs, is overdue for an epiphany. And no one manages egos better than Jackson.
There is near-universal agreement around the N.B.A. that Anthony needs to become a more dedicated passer, but no one around the Knicks will say so.
Woodson made his mark by demanding accountability, and he forged the Knicks into a superior defensive team. But he never imposed the same standards on offense, as Anthony, J. R. Smith and Baron Davis were permitted to dominate the ball, burn the shot clock and fling contested jumpers — sometimes from 28 feet — without consequence.
Lacking job security, Woodson let Anthony indulge his worst habits. He withheld public criticism after Stoudemire recklessly smashed a fire-extinguisher door, slicing open his hand. He called out Smith for his sagging pants but never for his shot selection, which was abominable.
5/12/2012 9:27 AM