Phil thinks David Blatt is a 'brilliant mind' who got a 'raw deal' in Cleveland
By Tommy Dee | 9:33AM
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David Blatt looks on during the first half against the Miami Heat at American Airlines Arena. (Steve Mitchell)
David Blatt looks on during the first half against the Miami Heat at American Airlines Arena. (Steve Mitchell)
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As the search for the next coach of the New York Knicks continues it's important that you know this about how Phil Jackson feels about David Blatt.

"Phil thinks David Blatt is a brilliant basketball mind," a source recently told me. "And [Phil] believes [Blatt] really got a raw deal in Cleveland."

I told you first that Blatt was going to get serious consideration from the Knicks via my Twitter account in February, and yesterday ESPN put Blatt alongside Kurt Rambis as the top candidates for the position. I believe there's a strong chance that both can be here together, especially if Rambis moves into more of a player development role under Jackson in the front office, while Blatt coaches the team.

Blatt, to me, is the no-brainer hire and has been all along. Tom Thibodeau, who now runs the show in Minnesota thanks to a 5-year deal signed yesterday, was never a fit here. The ambitious nature of his role, would never have fit here. Can you imagine the fan reaction if Thibs asked owner James Dolan to sign off on Scott Layden part two?

Granted, it may be more appealing than the idea of having Rambis running the team from the sideline, judging from the emails and direct messages I get on Twitter. Several season ticket holders are ready to jump ship if Rambis gets the nod. All of them happily would sign off on Blatt, who is as well-respected a mind as there is in the world, especially by Phil himself.

It's well-documented now that Blatt and Steve Mills have a great history together and it's easy for people to read like this could be a Mills power play, but it's not, I'm told. The respect for Blatt from Phil is very genuine. The NY Post had an interesting note about Blatt from an NBA executive talking about how adaptive Blatt is and that can only benefit him with the Knicks:

"He didn't come in and say, 'We're going to run what I did in Europe. He was adaptable. He knew he had to adapt to the NBA, not the other way around, and adapt to LeBron, cater to LeBron. I don't think he got enough credit for his adaptability. He's not the bullheaded my-way-or-fire-me guy."

Blatt would be the perfect coach to assist in the development of Kristaps Porzingis, who burst onto the scene in a big way this year and whose projections are off the charts. Blatt is well-known for his development of European bigs like Andrei Kirilenko, Timofey Mozgov and Sasha Kaun, Kirilenko even went as far as to say Blatt was a better coach than Phil Jackson. Here's a glimpse of Blatt rallying his troops from inside the huddle:

"He's one of those guys who is so detailed oriented, he absolutely gets the most out of his players," a European scout told me yesterday. "It's a shame that people in the NBA think of him as the guy LeBron got fired. He's one of the world's best coaches. The media can be cruel in projecting him as a failure that way. It's total garbage, the guy can flat out coach."

Which begs the question, would hiring Blatt require the sign off of Carmelo Anthony, who has asked to be involved in major decision making going forward? Common sense would say yes, and Blatt's reputation with Lebron could be a factor. If it's me, I'm hiring Blatt if I deem him the best coach available and telling Melo he just has to deal with it if he's unhappy with the choice.

As it stands now, the Knicks continue to set up interviews in search for the next hire and ever day that passes without a replacement for Rambis has Knicks fans panicked. While Rambis is still under consideration and the search remains open, to me, the choice is clear. Hire the coach with an incredible global track record with the thick skin necessary to win here. Hire the guy who has an extensive resume who has developed exceptional European talent into excellent NBA players and allow him to groom Porzingis. Hire the guy who proved he could lead a team through a vast amount of adversity, including injuries to two of his top three players, to the doorstep of an NBA title in his first year.

Hire the brilliant mind and the guy who got the raw deal in Cleveland and surge forward.

Tags: Carmelo Anthony, Kristaps Porzingis

I like Blatt. Think he's a sharp guy. I remember watching most of Cleveland's open training camp practice on NBA-TV either last year or the year before and was impressed with Blatt as a coach and communicator. I'd prefer him over Rambis by a mile. Gotta watch Melo now though with a Blatt hire -- he's already skipped the triangle meeting (as team leader, doesn't he need to be there?). Never gonna be sold on Melo, man -- that shot of him sitting on the bench while everyone else is huddled up speaks volumes, the stuff with Woody in the huddle, first day with Fish as coach he had all the players line up on the sideline and he asked them to take a step forward in unity and Melo said "they were all looking around at each other." Now you know LeBron's gonna get in his ear about Blatt and Melo's gonna buy anything LeBron has to say about him. He may never accept Blatt right from jump. Already the biggest moody SOB to begin with...Ahh, Melo may never get it, man. But I like Blatt coaching KP. I think that's a good pairing moving forward.

What was LeBron's beef with Blatt anyway? Anyone know the particulars with that?

EnySpree wrote:Lebron had zero respect for coaching. Lebron wants to do whatever he wants. He needs everyone else to get out of his way.

Blatt is a nice guy. He's one of the most successful coaches outside of the nba. MSG had a show that followed Macabi tel aviv a few years back. There is a connection. I think the Knicks are well aware of what Blatt is all about. I think his temperament fits well with Phil, Rambis and Steve mills.

I'm not lobbying for him bit if he was the guy, I would be down for the crown

knicks1248 wrote:There's no question in my mind, that if phil decides to go with Rambis, the knicks will loose a ton of season ticket holders and fans (including myself).

You just can't seek out a player, give a boat load of him money to coach, fire him a yr later , and follow that up by hiring a coach who you originally declined to offer the position in the beginning, who has one of the worst winning % in basketball history.

Blatt is not only a NAME BRAND hire, he has the credentials and gain way more respect from the players then rambis ever will

Agreed. A lot of truth to what you're saying..

Knixkik wrote:

EnySpree wrote:Lebron had zero respect for coaching. Lebron wants to do whatever he wants. He needs everyone else to get out of his way.

Blatt is a nice guy. He's one of the most successful coaches outside of the nba. MSG had a show that followed Macabi tel aviv a few years back. There is a connection. I think the Knicks are well aware of what Blatt is all about. I think his temperament fits well with Phil, Rambis and Steve mills.

I'm not lobbying for him bit if he was the guy, I would be down for the crown

LeBron feels like he is the coach, so having another coach doesn't work. LeBron needs an assistant coach. He needs one of his boys who doesn't mind letting him run the show. Someone who understands him. That is why Lue works well. He is a former player, not far removed, and is more of a close friend relationship to LeBron than a coach, boss, or other authoritative figure. He doesn't demand or push LeBron to do certain things, he throws ideas off of him to see what sticks, and that's why it works. Whether it equates or more wins or a championship is another story.

This is why I think Blatt would be a better fit in NY. This roster is gonna have more young players in need of structure, discipline and teaching. Our players lack experience for the most part. Melo doesn't need that but the rest of the team certainly does. There will be a lot of kids in Training camp for sure with Willy and Wroten already in the mix to be added. I suspect Thanasis will finally come on board as well.