You gradually improve and become more attractive to better coaches. When the team was 10-18 when Isiah took over, no good coach would have come to this team. Later in the season when the team was improving but still had a bad record, you wouldn't get anyone better than Lenny.

Posted by BigSm00th:

In the ESPN article that came out about Marbury/Isiah after the trade, it said Isiah considered Mike Woodson. I wish he had gone with him.

Even so, if he was put in as a stop gap, what do you do? You can't just fire him for no reason, but if he's the wrong guy, what do you do?

I'm not sure Isiah can do anything. He put himself in a tough position. Looking at the candidates he went with the guy with the highest "credentials" in Lenny. However, he would have been far better off going with the guy that best suited the team. Unfortunately, at this point, unless things go terribly terribly wrong, there's no way he'll fire Wilkens, because he is responsible for that hiring.

Why is it premature, they've never even had any concept of team defense and he rarely changes things in the games that aren't working. I think its real fair to be honest and wonder if he's the right guy for the job with the way the team D is played.

OK, that's a fair point.

Posted by BigSm00th:

Is Lenny really the right coach for this team? The more I look around the NBA I see coaches with certain systems and philosophies, ways the team plays on offense or defense, I don't really see a system with Lenny.

The Nets w/ Lawrence Frank and Wizards w/ Eddie Jordan run the Princeton offense, lots of motion, need a good PG.

The Grizz w/ Hubie play 10-man rotation, run a lot of guys in there, nobody plays too much. Detroit w/ Brown, Philly w/ O'Brien, Atlanta w/ Woodson, and Houston w/ Van Gundy are defensive-minded teams, preaching team defense. Rudy in LA is going to just give the ball to Kobe and Odom and let them freelance.

Examples like that. What exactly are the Knicks? I know this year they'll be a fastbreak team, but not because of the way Lenny coaches, but because of the players Isiah's acquired. Does anyone else think Lenny is going to be gone sometime this season after the Knicks struggle.

I really believe the Knicks have a good squad, really talented players, and they do have flaws (no height, lack of outside shooting w/o Allan, etc), but overall they should be pretty good. Why this team isn't pressing and trapping teams with the players they have (any combination of Marbury, Brewer, Crawford, Ariza, and TT trapping or pressing teams would wreak havoc and hide the fact that they have zero height or shotblocking) is beyond me, or playing a zone, or something. It seems like there is never anything Lenny really does, no changes made during games, it just seems like he sits there and does nothing, says nothing, and the Knicks kind of flounder on their own.

If we learned anything in the Olympics it was that teams that were well-coached and had a philosophy of team D could win games. I look at Lenny and just don't see that.

I'd say the Knicks struggle early and Aguirre is the head coach by the trade deadline. Hard-nosed, close with Isiah, stressing D.

interesting thread.

Here is my 2 cents worth. I think Lenny and the staff that Isiah has put together is built to teach Marbury and the collection of others how to play basketball, how to get into the first round and a little bit beyond. The players are getting younger, longer and more athletic. The seats are also getting filled. But Lenny is a teaching coach more than a championship coach.

IF - and it's a big if - if Isiah has a long-term plan, I think it includes Lenny for at least this year if he gets past the first round (or if there is a good enough showing), and would also include next year if there is good enough progress through the season and a first round win and a good second round showing. Isiah has another track that he has to meld with this first and second round playoff series over the next 2 years, and that is building the team around Marbury, Crawford, Sweets, and now Ariza. The Knicks need big men. TT, Nazr, Penny, Moochie and Vin Baker all come off the books in 2 years. Isiah HAS to turn this group of expiring contracts (and I would throw Kurt into that mix, just because he is a tradable asset) into athletic, shot-blocking, post-defending, tough-as-nails big men.

IF the core group of young guys progress as a group and IF Isiah can turn expiring contracts into a big man that has some presence, than – and I HATE to say it – Isiah will heavily consider Phil Jackson. It just fits. But Phil will only consider the Knicks if he has a core group that is young enough, hungry enough, experienced enough and if that group has a legitimate chance. With the athletic ability of Marbury, Crawford, and Ariza, all the Knicks would need to attract Phil is a multi-headed center with the likes of Bill Cartwright, Bill Wennington, James Edwards, Luc Longley, and whatever.

Phil Jackson would be a good Knicks coach if things progressed nicely over the next 2 years. OMG. I just said it.

Dude is .500 and we think we have an underachieveing team that is under bad direction? This team has done nothing yet. Not win, not lose.

Its one thing every nite to talk trades bout some player that did good against the knicks, and that the grass is always greener with other teams players, but now we are thinking to replace lenny cuz he ain't right for the team?

This teams identity has yet to be formed, and it take time.

We have a brutal schedule ahead, I let him go a full season unless he loses control, and if so, then this team is a real collection of azz holes. I want to see these dudes get broken and play team ball!

how about denvers head coach? i dont know how to spell his name but i watched real training camp at denver last year and he seemed like a great real hard and tough working coach. This years real life training camp is NO and Byron Scott is a players worse nightmare. Hes choice of weapon is running drills, especially suicidies.

Back to Brizbilic w/e his name is. He only got another 1 year deal. Back in Denver he is coaching a farely young team as well. But what I like about him is that he was able to sell his philosophy to his young talented players. Hard tough D, filling up ur stat sheet with RB, blocks, steals no matter what position u play, and pushing the ball whenever u get the opportunity. Thats the way I think the game should be played and thats what I would like to see from my NYKnicks.

And about phil jackson, I dont think this team quite fits the triangle. Phil jackson is a great coach but he also needs dominating players in his system and the PG is probably the weakest position in it. With that said, what would we do for marbary.

The smartest quote that I have read so far. I do believe that we must stay the course with Lenny right now. He has yet to have a full season under his belt, there is no way that we should start chanting fire Lenny as yet. Altough I don't like his demeanor on the side line, but that doesn't make him a bad coach. He did a very decent job in Toronto, but unfortunately his super-star (Air Canada) wasn't man enough to help carry the team further in the playoffs. As for defensive scheme, last year we didn't have the players that Lenny needed to run his scheme. Isiah went out and pretty much address that problem by bringing in: JYD, Brewer, and a very athletic Ariza. Are we still weak at some areas? yes we are. The Center position is a problem for 75% of the league. It is unfortunate, but we will continue to have that problem until the next draft. That is why I have advertised for Isiah to trade some of our assets for first round draft picks. The more that we have is the better our chances at addressing our weakness at Center.

All and all, we should give Lenny a chance to lose the job instead of calling for his head so early in the season.

agreed. i have no problems staying EXACTLY how we are now for the entire season. even if we're .500 in march. sometimes it's better to see what you got instead of always looking for the next thing.

in my opinion, when/if this team is ready to contend, i doubt lenny is the coach anyway. but for right now, to question him, is WAY too premature.

Posted by Panos:

Posted by RonRon:


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And about phil jackson, I dont think this team quite fits the triangle. Phil jackson is a great coach but he also needs dominating players in his system and the PG is probably the weakest position in it. With that said, what would we do for marbary.

Why Phil Jackson? What makes him so great? What has he done
without 2 of the 5 best players in the league on his team?
He's even managed to lose a couple of championships with
Shaq and Kobe on the team.

A championship ring on every finger takes a good coach even if you have one or two great players