- After veteran NBA guard Gary Neal signed a D-League contract earlier this week, he landed with New York’s affiliate, the Westchester Knicks, as Chris Reichert of The Step Back tweets.
- Knicks center Joakim Noah played just 11 minutes in Saturday’s loss at Denver, notes Stefan Bondy of The New York Daily News. He was pulled from the game early after having trouble keeping up with the Nuggets’ pace in the high-altitude setting. After signing a four-year, $72MM deal over the summer, Noah is averaging just 21.2 minutes and 4.4 points per game. “We’re not getting off to great starts. That’s not on Jo. We’re trying to find the right combination to get us going,” coach Jeff Hornacek said.
Phil Jackson almost certainly would have opted out of his contract as president of the Knicks if a lockout had taken place, writes Al Iannazzone of Newsday, who states that the possibility of a work stoppage was the reason the opt-out clause was included in his contract. The writer adds that Jackson now faces the choice of either returning to Los Angeles and saying he left the team in better shape than when he arrived or staying in New York and trying to make the Knicks a perennial contender.
There’s more news out of New York:
- Knicks point guard Derrick Rose is sitting out games now to protect his long-term health, according to Stefan Bondy of The New York Daily News. Rose was inactive for tonight’s game in Denver, making it the third time in the past five contests that he has been sidelined with back pain. “I hate missing, but I have to be smart about it,” Rose said. “I want to play consistent games instead of playing one game, aggravating something and missing two games. I want to play consistent games.”
- The Knicks may be forced to make a decision soon about summer league star Chasson Randle, according to Marc Berman of The New York Post. Randle was sent to New York’s Westchester affiliate in the D-League after getting hurt in training camp. He had a 38-point game Friday night and has reportedly attracted interest from the Mavericks and 76ers. However, either team would have to clear a roster spot in order to sign Randle. Berman speculates that the Knicks would part with Maurice Ndour if they decide to add Randle to their roster.
- Backup center Kyle O’Quinn has expanded his role this month, often playing more minutes than starter Joakim Noah, Bondy notes in a separate story. In his first seven games of December, O’Quinn has averaged 11.6 points and 9.9 rebound per night while shooting 64% from the field. He credits weight loss and new coach Jeff Hornacek’s offense for his improved numbers. “You look at some of the bigs he had [at his last job in Phoenix], and that’s where they found a home at – dunker spots, little midrange jumpshots,” O’Quinn said. “And he encourages those so we got guys like Brandon [Jennings] and Derrick Rose and they know where to find me in those spots.”
- As he nears the end of his NBA career, Metta World Peace still regrets not being able to begin it with the Knicks, writes Michael Scotto of Basketball Insiders. The team passed on the New York City native, then known as Ron Artest, with the 15th pick in the 1999 draft to take Frederic Weis, who never played in the NBA. “Obviously I wanted to go to the Knicks, but St. John’s was the closest that I could get to bringing that fire back to New York City,” World Peace said. “As a kid, New York was in my blood, and that was it. I got a chance to play for the Knicks, so it was cool, but it was towards the end of my career. It wasn’t when I was the best defender and everything. But that was my goal, man: to bring a championship to New York City. It just didn’t work out that way.”
Despite public skepticism about his long-term commitment to the Knicks, team president Phil Jackson “fully intends” to finish the two years on his contract with the franchise, league sources tell Kevin Ding of Bleacher Report. In fact, he might even want to work out a new contract that starts in 2019, says Ding. Jackson’s current deal with the Knicks features an opt-out clause for 2017, though the Zen Master has indicated publicly that he has not intention of exercising that opt-out, and it sounds like his private stance is the same.
Here are a few more Knicks notes:
- While Jackson whiffed on his first coaching hire in New York (Derek Fisher), his decision to hire Jeff Hornacek this time around looks like a winner, writes Chris Mannix of The Vertical. As Mannix details, it looks safe to add Hornacek’s hiring to the drafting of Kristaps Porzingis as the two best calls of Jackson’s tenure with the Knicks.
- Speaking of Porzingis, rival executives and agents believe that the presence of young big man could help lure free agents to the Knicks in future years, according to Ian Begley of ESPN.com. “I think guys will definitely [want to play with him] because he can stretch the floor and he’s unselfish,” one agent said. “He’s also really, really talented.”
- With Derrick Rose banged up and forced to miss some games within the last week and a half, Mike Vaccaro of The New York Post notes that the Knicks can’t afford to have many key players sidelined at once. As Vaccaro explains, there’s a fine line between the fully healthy “fun, feel-good team” the Knicks have been lately, and a version where a couple of their standout guys are out with injuries.
Knicks coach Jeff Hornacek gets caught in the middle between Phil Jackson and Carmelo Anthony at times and he admits that it puts him in an awkward spot, as he tells Sam Amick of USA Today. “Yeah, I mean it happens,” Hornacek said of fielding questions on the Phil Jackson-Carmelo Anthony relationship. “I think that’s the understanding in New York, that things get blown up probably more than a comment here or a comment there, which is probably meaningless, turns into something big. So you roll with the punches.”
Here’s more from New York:
- Frank Isola of the New York Daily News doesn’t believe Jackson’s comments will hurt the Knicks when it comes to signing free agents. Isola believes that the presence of Kristaps Porzingis will make the Knicks an attractive free agent destination regardless of whether or not Jackson is still running the show.
- The Anthony-Derrick Rose combination remains a work-in-progress and Anthony believes the duo should see more action together, Al Iannazone of Newsday writes. “I think me and Derrick are still trying to figure out ways to take advantage of what defenses are doing out there,” Anthony said. “I don’t think we play together on the offense as much as we should.”
Outdated thinking may have caused the Lakers to pass on Kristaps Porzingis in the 2015 draft, writes Kevin Ding of Bleacher Report. The 7’3″ Latvian prospect held a private workout for L.A. shortly after an impressive showcase in Las Vegas. But instead of focusing on his multi-dimensional skills, the Lakers tested Porzingis to see if he could handle physical play as a power forward. They were disappointed with the results and opted for Ohio State point guard D’Angelo Russell instead with the No. 2 pick. Porzingis was a unanimous selection to the all-rookie team and has blossomed into a star in his second season, averaging 20.0 points and 7.7 rebounds per game.
There’s more this morning out of Los Angeles:
- The Knicks’ visit to the Staples Center on Sunday should remind the Lakers of the dangers of trading young talent to get a star, notes Bill Oram of The Orange County Register. He compares the current Lakers team to the Knicks of five years ago before they sent a package of players to Denver for Carmelo Anthony. The results have been mixed at best, with only one playoff series victory since the deal and three straight losing seasons. L.A. will face a similar choice soon with a talented young core but no obvious star to build around.
- Part of that young core, power forward Julius Randle, wants to become more of a vocal leader, relays Mark Medina of The Orange County Register. The 22-year-old impressed coach Luke Walton with the way he stood up to Sacramento’s DeMarcus Cousins Monday night. “I told him when he plays with that kind of confidence, it’s good for our team,” Walton said. “You need some toughness out there. You need somebody who is going to stand up, not back down and have your back. Julius has the physical ability to be that for us. I love when he gets into it.”
- Veteran forward Metta World Peace wants to become an actor and a coach when he retires, according to ESPN’s Tim MacMahon. The 37-year-old recently co-wrote and appeared in an episode of “The 5th Quarter,” a fictional sports series that is available on go90.com. “It’s an easy decision to want to be an actor,” he said. “Any child’s dream is to be on TV. Now that I’m older, it’s something that still interests me. … I’ll do any role. It doesn’t really matter. As long as the production is good and the writing is good, I’m in.”
- While Knicks head coach Jeff Hornacek has worked aspects of the triangle into his offense, his overall system is “different and modern,” and has been met with enthusiasm from his players, says Stefan Bondy of The New York Daily News.
Knicks president Phil Jackson has a reputation for being blunt and, at times, offensive, and his personality has once again generated headlines lately. Jackson held a one-on-one meeting with Carmelo Anthony Saturday regarding comments that Jackson made last week. Anthony called the meeting productive, but did add Jackson needs “to be careful the choice of words he uses.”
Metta World Peace, a former Knicks forward who also played under Jackson while with the Lakers, said the situation between Anthony and Jackson is productive, in an interview with Stefan Bondy of The New York Daily News. Still, with the Knicks playing better as of late, Jackson’s comments are an unwanted distraction at this point, Frank Isola of The New York Daily News argues. The Knicks are 13-10 after undergoing a makeover this summer that was led by Jackson.
What do you think? Is Phil Jackson helping or hurting the Knicks?
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Knicks president Phil Jackson held a one-on-one meeting with Carmelo Anthony today regarding comments that Jackson made this week, writes Marc Berman of The New York Post. Jackson visited the team at practice in Los Angeles and tried to clarify his remarks about Anthony holding the ball too long in the triangle offense. Anthony said the meeting was productive, but added that Jackson has “got to be careful the choice of words he uses.” “He said what he had to say,” Anthony said. “I don’t want to tell you all what he said. The conversation was good — to hear his perspective on what happened, how it all went down.”
There’s more news tonight regarding the Knicks:
- Anthony says he has talked to former Lakers star Kobe Bryant about how to relate to Jackson, relays ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne. Jackson said recently that Anthony has been given the same role in the triangle that once belonged to Bryant and Michael Jordan. Anthony’s main concern was why Jackson keeps talking about him to the press. “That was my question, was just, ‘Why?’ Regardless of what was the context of the interview or conversation, just why? …. Why, every time, do I come up?” Anthony said about his discussions with Bryant. “He explained that. It’s been behind me for two days. There’s no reason to keep harping on it.”
- It’s too soon for the Knicks to be talking about a contract extension for Derrick Rose, argues Al Iannazzone of Newsday. Rose’s injury history makes his too much of a risk, the writer contends, and the team should wait until he proves he can stay healthy for an entire season. Rose has missed 228 games over the past five seasons, but appeared in 66 last year with Chicago, the most since his MVP season in 2010/11. He has played 21 of the Knicks’ 23 games so far. Rose, who will be a free agent this summer, said he understands the Knicks’ caution and won’t be upset if they wait until the offseason to discuss an extension. “It’s cool,” he said. “It’s no bad blood if they were to wait until after the year, it wouldn’t matter to me. I’m not worried about money. Whatever they decide to do it’s in their hands.”