The Knicks‘ season may be over, but the team’s PR struggles continued with Phil Jackson‘s press conference this afternoon. Following an unusual presser, in which Jackson asserted Carmelo Anthony would “be better off somewhere else,” Ian Begley of ESPN reported frustration from Kristaps Porzingis. Per Begley, Porzingis skipped exit meetings with the Knicks following this season, citing what he perceived to be “dysfunction and drama surrounding the organization.”
“Porzingis, according to team sources, is frustrated with the Knicks’ lack of direction,” Begley reports. Jackson’s remarks at Friday’s press conference involved Porzingis as well as Anthony; claiming the 21-year-old is not ready ot become the face of the franchise (Twitter link).
In the past, Porzingis hasn’t shied away from criticizing team management. At the end of March, Porzingis told Fred Kerber of the New York Post that his team didn’t do it from the beginning the right way…We didn’t have real fundamentals as a team.”
For what it’s worth, Jackson acknowledged the volatile reputation the Knicks have gathered in recent years.
“I think there’s disconnect sometimes with this team and I think there was some rebelliousness with this team that created some of the discord during the year. And I think has to stop and that will stop,” Jackson said.
Phil jackson is a clown
I concur. I hope Carmelo leaves, Porzingis asks to be traded and no free agents signs with the Knicks… I hope they don’t win another game…
As much as the Knicks are a mess a lot has to do with the fact they are located in NY and the media grabs at anything to make a buck. I’m sure plenty of other NBA players skipped their exit meetings but you’ll never know because no one cares bc they aren’t located in NY.
I think if any of player of Kristaps caliber skipped their exit meeting then we would have heard about it. Twitter is a powerful tool for giving voice to the small markets
It’s news because of Phil’s comments about him. Not a lot of presidents rip their players, so not a lot of players skip exit meetings after getting ripped by the team from the highest level. That’s why it’s news, not just because it’s NY
Porzingis is already looking to leave….Dolans an idiot….Phil is useless….Hornaceks a puppet ….Knick fans are screwed….12 wins next year …
I’l give them 20. But yeah. They suck.
Uh oh!
Your future face of the franchise has become disenfranchised. You can’t stop running your mouth about Melo. You actually suggest that Rose may be an option for the team next year when he is the worst possible Point Guard for the Triangle. Hornacek looks lost.
Dolan won’t do it, but Phil’s got to go, a better GM and coach need to step in, and Dolan has to fade into the background and just write the checks. Sad thing is if Phil leaves, $5 says IT will be back at the helm!
At this stage, I’d actually take IT over Phil. They both suck and can’t lead a franchise to save their life but at least IT wouldn’t create drama like Phil, then hide and let Melo deal with it and then attack Melo. Sad to say this but all of these Knicks players are better off elsewhere just to get away from Phil.
It’s not that IT made bad moves, bc in Bill Simmons’ ‘Book of Basketball’, he met with IT and IT said he signed Eddy Curry and Z BO bc he wanted to get bigger while everyone else was getting smaller. Obviously he chose the wrong guys but the concept wasn’t bad. His trades were obviously questionable at best, but Simmons said he was being convinced by IT that the move was right. Not saying IT was good, but at least he had a direction.
Thanks Phil. The Zen Master has calmly destroyed the Knicks.
Phil should rename his offense the Bermuda Triangle
Since 2014
What Phil Jackson has done wrong:
Traded for D rose
Signed Joakim Noah
Screamed at Melo for no reason since you’re ruining the team
Signed Melo to a 5 yr, $124MM contract
Gave Melo a NTC
Brought in the triangle
Move Melo back to the 3 from the 4
What Melo did wrong:
Not play up to the hype
Scream at Hornacek
What Jackson has done right:
NOTHING!!!!
What Melo has done right:
Take the money and NTC to play in a big city
“Stay Melo” most of the time
Still continue to average 20 PPG every year
Knicks played much better before Phil, and terribly after bringing the Zen Master in
How this can be fixed:
1: Fire Phil Jackson, Keep Melo until at least the deadline
2: Draft the best available of Fultz, Ball, Monk, and Fox
3: Move Melo to PF since he plays way better there, according to basketball reference
4: Starting lineup (assuming team remains the same)
Draft PG
C.Lee
L.Thomas
C. Anthony
K.Porzingis
6th man- W. Hernangomez
5: WIN GAMES!!!
Finally a rational Knicks fan who realizes this is on Uncle Phil
IMO Phil has done 1 thing right. Drafting porzingis.
Thx forgot that
I hope the Celtics get the first overall pick, Porzingis asks for a trade and something is worked out there.
Man you guys are confusing. I don’t know how Melo has become a sympathetic figure. He’s the one who has been inefficient, unwilling to adapt the new system, never playing defense and being a bad example to the players. Kristaps is 21 years old on his only ever NBA team. What the hell does he know about what it takes to be a successful franchise? He surely acted like the next face of the franchise by being immature. Time for the players to take the onus on not playing to their potential