1- Hire Thibs. Proven defensive guy, something we need as much as offensive help. Will also create an instant draw to some of those players that loved playing for him in Chicago and respect him as a coach. Adds a positive for other FA's to consider.
2- Implement more than just the Triangle. Most opposing teams know it better than we do. Good PG's don't want to play in it.
3- Waive Calderon. Although probably our best current shooting point guard option, sad to say, we have to move on. Gain his salary space for the summer. Will also give Grant and a couple other tryouts a chance to see if they have any skills. Worked with Ish in Philly.
4- Keep Melo as he has NTC and will give us limited leverage in Trade. And he is finally playing the right way. If his knees improve so will he. 5- Give Melo less minutes! Think its crazy that if you look at any other sport in which the player had serious surgery the year before the team takes sense in limiting his play. Also would give KP a chance to take the lead a bit more. So we can truly see what it would be without Melo.
6- Get some professional outside shooting. Maybe not the flashy guys but some that shoot at a high percentage. Can we use Aflalo as a trade chip for one? Get players like Schved back? This is a new NBA that needs good 3pt. shooters.
7- Give Players with a contract for next year more playing time. We need to figure out who can play with more minutes. If they cant, use them as trading chips for others that can. Dwil, KO, etc.

IMO

This is Phil Jackson's job to fix. We need players more than we need coaching. I think Rambis is doing fine in his short stint. Wish he was the coach from the start.

Another thing, would Thibbs even come with Phil here? They have a similar approach but different idealism. Plus there's the rivalry from back in the day when van gundy was the coach and thibbs the assistant.

HofstraBBall wrote:

EnySpree wrote:I love thibbs too but he's not going to coach our backcourt into playing better defense. He's also not going to all of a sudden make them experts at pushing the ball and getting to the basket. He's not going to make them hit the open shots they get. He's not going to make them more athletic.

This is Phil Jackson's job to fix. We need players more than we need coaching. I think Rambis is doing fine in his short stint. Wish he was the coach from the start.

Another thing, would Thibbs even come with Phil here? They have a similar approach but different idealism. Plus there's the rivalry from back in the day when van gundy was the coach and thibbs the assistant.

Unfortunately, I agree. my Thibs part of the solution has slim hope. As mentioned before, I believe Phil's ego will keep him from realizing the Triangle is not a system that most want to play in. Would love if realized we need a good experienced coach regardless of the system they run. But agree, It's more likely to happen once he is gone. Do feel that Thibs would be a bigger motivator. Rambis puts me to sleep during press conferences and can't see the type to energize.

And agree PG play is most important. Let's hope we get lucky and find one that wants to play in this system.

What we need is professionals. Before we had Phil we didn't hand a team of professionals. Looking back to that 54 win Knicks team....we had professionals. Too bad they all were pushing 40 and retirement.

I believe we have a team of professionals now. What we lack is talent in the backcourt. We get guys that can make things happen physically and skill wise then we will see a real team. Calderón, gallo, Affalo, Sasha and Grant our the problem. If the Knicks could upgrade Calderón, Affalo and Sasha with talented players that will make the difference

BRIGGS wrote:Hire 60 year old thibs in a league based on offense--nope.

Diversified guards and a young coach who understands floor spacing and ball movement.

Ironically you just described the triangle offense.

BRIGGS wrote:

EnySpree wrote:

BRIGGS wrote:Hire 60 year old thibs in a league based on offense--nope.

Diversified guards and a young coach who understands floor spacing and ball movement.

Ironically you just described the triangle offense.

No I described the Warriors and Spurs

Maybe the Warriors. But Pop is old and looks like Jigsaw from Saw.

the triangle is all about floor spacing and ball movement.

BRIGGS wrote:

EnySpree wrote:

BRIGGS wrote:

EnySpree wrote:

BRIGGS wrote:Hire 60 year old thibs in a league based on offense--nope.

Diversified guards and a young coach who understands floor spacing and ball movement.

Ironically you just described the triangle offense.

No I described the Warriors and Spurs

Maybe the Warriors. But Pop is old and looks like Jigsaw from Saw.

the triangle is all about floor spacing and ball movement.

Do you see ball movement watching the Knicks.

Every player we got in free agency was not a ball mover --our good play is based on players individually getting hot. By the way the Spurs are 51-9 with an outside chance to also win 70.

Always like Thibs offense. Almost always someone cutting with the ball handler within his peripheral vision. Lots of Knick coaches who couldnt manage to get their players to do that. If Rose had been healthy for most of the time he was there, I doubt people would be so critical of his offense.

foosballnick wrote:

BRIGGS wrote:

EnySpree wrote:

BRIGGS wrote:

EnySpree wrote:

BRIGGS wrote:Hire 60 year old thibs in a league based on offense--nope.

Diversified guards and a young coach who understands floor spacing and ball movement.

Ironically you just described the triangle offense.

No I described the Warriors and Spurs

Maybe the Warriors. But Pop is old and looks like Jigsaw from Saw.

the triangle is all about floor spacing and ball movement.

Do you see ball movement watching the Knicks.

Every player we got in free agency was not a ball mover --our good play is based on players individually getting hot. By the way the Spurs are 51-9 with an outside chance to also win 70.

Here's why your theories make no sense. All else being equal including offensive systems, ball movement, coaches etc. If you exchanged two of the best shooters of all time, Curry and Thompson with Calderon and Aflalo which team would be the championship contender? It's nice to want to model the systems of teams with the best players....but it really means squat.

Instead of worrying about keeping up with the Warriors or Spurs, how about the team getting grounded and built to even make a playoff run first. Thibs is 58 years old (not 60). The reason you bring a guy like this in is that a superior Defense keeps you in every game. It's the reason that Pat Riley (& JVG) were able to keep the Knicks in contention most years despite having sub-par overall offensive talent.

But go ahead, keep dreaming that a Rookie coached team with mediocre players and low efficiency offensive shooters will ball movement and floor space their way to beating the Warriors.

i was making this same argument some time back. You won't beat the Warriors mimicking the Warriors unless you have better talent (and even then they have the advantage of years of experience together)

IMO the triangle is a way you can beat them by superior bigs and play in the paint -- but (a big BUT) we're a long way off on that too. I still think it's fixable doable. Last year we made major improvement with our bigs (not done yet); next up we need a back court upgrade

Kemet wrote:I don't see Thib interested in coaching Carmelo Anthony after coaching Derek Rose
Its not happening !!!

Thibs said he was a fan of Melo, and was hoping he would join the Bulls so try again....

crzymdups wrote:Thibs is hated by Phil... but even more by Dolan. Never happening.

I think Walton is our best realistic bet. Hopefully he can talk Phil into some modifications to the Triangle and mention how the 55-5 Warriors have some guards on their team.

Phil is up for modification. That's why he hired Fisher. It comes back to our backcourt. Our group is not skilled or athletic enough to play in This league