The Knicks would be wise to strike quickly regarding their head coach position, Steve Popper of Newsday opines. The Nets will also be seeking a head coach and several other franchises with better reputations than the dysfunctional Knicks could be in the market as well. Interim replacement Mike Miller has done an admirable job but if they’re interested in a coach not currently under contract, such as Kenny Atkinson, Tom Thibodeau, Jeff Van Gundy and Mark Jackson, they’ll need to beat other teams to that candidate.
We have more on the Knicks:
- Dennis Smith Jr. is close to returning from a concussion, Greg Joyce of the New York Post relays. Smith suffered the head injury on February 27 and has missed five games. He practiced on Saturday but did not play against Detroit on Sunday. In 34 games, the third-year guard is averaging 5.5 PPG and 2.9 APG. Smith is signed through next season.
- Thunder point guard Chris Paul calls trade rumors regarding the Knicks “crazy,” according to an NBA Central video post. Frank Isola reported last week that New York has been “gathering intel” on Paul and might seek a trade for the veteran point guard, whose former agent is new Knicks president Leon Rose. Some members of the organization believe CP3 could provide strong leadership for the Knicks’ young roster and help to instill a winning culture, sources tell SNY.tv. Paul’s onerous contract would wreck the team’s cap sheet for the summer of 2021 when high-profile free agents are expected to be on the market but the team’s need at point guard could override that, Popper notes.
- Paul was disappointed Spike Lee wasn’t at the Thunder-Knicks last week due to Lee’s rift with owner James Dolan, Marc Berman of the New York Post writes. “I’ve known Spike for a while. I had spoken to him a couple of days ago and looked forward to him being at the game to watch me play because I hadn’t played (at Madison Square Garden) the last two years,” Paul said.
What’s more likely, Thibodeau returns to coach the Bulls or he coaches the Knicks? Surely he can find a better coaching job than that.
Thibs could end up with Magic if Clifford steps down for health reasons.
Knicks should hire Atkinson asap and just move Miller back to the bench.
Why would Atkinson even take the Knicks job?
I’m sure he can find a better opportunity elsewhere.
Well, in the Knicks defense, they have been better than the Rockets lately.
You mean like their last championship in 1973?
harden-westbrook-no rings
Most of the league has no rings..
Kenny Atkinson would make a lot of sense for the Knicks. He’s born and raised in New York, he worked as an assistant coach there for 4 years and has just left coaching the Brooklyn Nets who he managed to turnaround.
Mark Jackson is also another candidate, he’s again also born and raised in New York. He also was drafted and played for the Knicks for 6 years becoming rookie of the year and was an all star at the Knicks. He’s a solid coach who in 3 years at GSW turned them from a 30 win team to a 50 win team taking them to the playoffs twice and starting that dynasty. He should definitely be in that conversation.
Lastly Rick Pitino, could be in the conversation also as an assistant. He’s had a great coaching career in the college system. Again is born and raised in New York, he was an assistant with the Knicks for 2 years and coaches them for 2 years. He’s now coaching in the EuroLeague, maybe he would join someone like Mark Jackson and help get the Knicks back to where they should be.
Atkinson and Jackson would be my main targets for Head Coach with Jeff Van Gundy as my third and I’d want to bring in an assistant with good experience for either Kenny or Mark and Rick would be great for that role
How much is “born and raised” a prerequisite?
Maybe Metta World Peace? He was born and raised in NYC. Or possibly Lamar Odom? He was too.
Neither have any decent coaching experience
Ernie DiGregorio
I’m sure there will be a long list of candidates NY will be forced to go through until they find someone willing to take the job.
The Knicks should look to sign Ingram and Van Vleet in the offseason and call it a day.
Get Mark Jackson to coach up this young squad like he did with the Warriors.
Unless the pelicans lose their mind they are matching any offer the Knicks make
Please dont try to ruin Vanvleet. It’s bad enough Detroit is probably going to offer him a max, if hes gonna leave the Raptors tho the last place I’d want to see him is in a dumpster fire like the Knicks
He’ll stay with the Raptors for 20-25 anyway and take a discount to keep winning. Hes got the starting PG job in TO in a lil over a year after Kyles new year extension expires anyway
Yeah can’t see FVV leaving. Toronto will pay him considering Gasol and Ibakas deals also expire and they are both on over 20 mil. Pay FVV 20-25 and he will be more than happy.
Atkinson should be the Knicks choice. If they go with the other choices, they should have just stayed with Fizdale.
The best-known choices for the Knicks are not inspiring. Rose has a reputation to protect, and since he was an agent before, there will be (unrealistic) expectations for innovation of some sort.
The Nets have provided a great opportunity but I think the hire will be Jarron Collins. He comes from the pacesetting franchise at GSW, and being so large and dark and analytical may help in being able to ward off Dolan, or at least give that impression. Rose was just hired by Dolan, but even Dolan knows why people think the Knicks cannot get over the hump. Put the guy at some ease!– he’s not going away.
Jerry Stackhouse should have an NBA job also.
A young coach, did great things with the raptors g league team including winning a championship and being named coach of the year and helping JJJ last year at Memphis before taking over Vanderbilt this year.
He would make a great assistant or even a possible head coach
Stackhouse is arguably a better candidate than all of the names being bandied about, and would be a shrewd hire for a young team looking for a new coach and new direction. With that being said, ‘the Knicks’ and ‘shrewd’ don’t often go together. But great point, Stackhouse would be a fantastic hire.
No CP3 please. Get this draft right. It’s all we need. Have to get new coach before draft. Halliburton n Payton can hold down the point. Be nice to build up value of Frank n Dennis. To move them. I’m good with Mark Jackson. I think he’s ready.
Nope. The Knicks would be stupid to rush a HC’ing decision, or even prioritize it. Rose’s main focus needs to be on filling out and streamlining the FO, so it can implement his ideas for rebuilding the team. The HC needs to fit with that, and be a part of it. I’ve liked how Rose has done his job so far (which is doing nothing publicly, on or off the record), but he’ll lose me if he chases a name HC like his rebuild depends on it. Because if it does, it will fail.
The thing where he has avoided publicity, points to getting a coach that is some combination of quiet, private or unknown, because Rose doing it that way makes him vulnerable in a power-game to a HC who is willing to court publicity. This being in NY.