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Why Phil Jackson Needs to Leave the Knicks

April 9, 2017 architreddy Leave a comment

About three years ago on March 18, 2014, Phil Jackson signed a five-year, $60 million contract to become president of the New York Knicks. The move looked great at the time. The man had won two championships playing power forward for the Knicks in 1970 and 1973. After that Jackson solidified his career on the other side of the court, coaching the Michael Jordan-led Chicago Bulls to six championships and the Kobe Bryant-led Lakers to five. The guy obviously knows basketball. One would assume that the Knicks could be a respectable team with the Zen Master at the helm. Instead, they have been a laughingstock at best and a disaster in general. Here’s why the Knicks should fire Phil Jackson.

When Jackson was introduced as Knicks president, many speculated that he would also help coach the team, implying the intended use of his famed triangle offense that won 11 championships. All of these speculations have become a reality, but it hasn’t been for the best. Over the years that Phil Jackson has been in New York, he has tried time and time again to promote the triangle offense, with little success. Recently, Jackson came out to say that he himself will start coaching the players on how to work in the triangle. The Knicks rank 25th in defensive efficiency in the league, making it hard to believe why Jackson wonders why his team is 27-42 and nearly out of playoff contention in the Eastern conference. The offense isn’t exactly spectacular either, but the answer to this team’s woes isn’t the triangle. Statistically, the Knicks’ three best players are Sophomore big man Kristaps Porzingis, veteran All-Star Carmelo Anthony and former MVP Derrick Rose. Only Porzingis has endorsed the offense, and even the Unicorn has had major struggles with getting accustomed to it. When asked about the triangle offense, Porzingis said, “First of all, we don’t know the triangle that well. We’re really basic (with) what we do. A lot of times it’s — especially one on one — whoever it is, myself, Carmelo (Anthony), Derrick (Rose), Courtney (Lee), we try to make something happen and that’s not how it’s supposed to be. It’s very random.” Porzingis also described the midseason switch to the triangle an instigator of “a lot of confusion”. Considering that Porzingis is the Knicks’ new franchise player, Jackson should work to implement a consistent offense for Porzingis to develop in. Instead, he’s trying to force him into a system that his team can’t run properly due to the personnel on the roster, or lack thereof.

When asked about running the triangle, Derrick Rose said very unenthusiastically, “shit, do I have a choice?” When one would consider how much the Knicks gave up to acquire Rose and how much they would want him to succeed, forcing him into a system unfitting of his skill-set isn’t the smartest move. Rose’s inability to operate the triangle offense successfully prompted the Knicks to attempt to work out a point guard-swap with the Minnesota Timberwolves, which would have sent Ricky Rubio to the Knickerbockers. This deal fell through because the Knicks felt that they were not receiving enough in just Rubio and were looking for a second piece.

When Carmelo Anthony was asked about the triangle, all he said was, “at this point, I’m getting tired of hearing about the triangle. Just getting tired of hearing about it.” Speaking of an unhappy Carmelo Anthony…

Jackson’s notable public campaign for Carmelo Anthony to waive his no-trade clause has created a culture of distrust within the Knicks organization. Jackson has denied that many of his comments have been aimed towards Anthony on several occasions. In some scenarios, his criticism was much more direct, and therefore irrefutable. He told CBS Sports network that, “Anthony stalls the offense”. In response, Bleacher Report’s Kevin Ding released an article called “Phil Jackson, Knicks Doomed by Wanting Carmelo to be Something He is Not”. It’s a scathing piece about Carmelo Anthony’s issues with coaches and his lack of a will to win. Instead of backing up his own player, Jackson sent out the following tweet:

Phil Jackson could not be more clear that he is giving up on Carmelo Anthony. This isn’t the way to treat a star player who one would want to remain on the team. Michael Graham is a player that Jackson coached on the Albany Patroons in his “CBA (Continental Basketball Association) daze”. In his tweet, Jackson compared Carmelo Anthony, a 10x NBA All-Star and 3x Olympic Gold Medal Winner to Michael Graham, a player whose biggest accomplishment came in college rather than in the NBA. After initially giving Melo a no-trade clause, Phil Jackson has since both expressed a distaste for Anthony, through both clear and cryptic means. Trying to get him to waive the clause was just a method of scapegoating Anthony for a disastrous team that is mostly Jackson’s fault in the first place. Don’t get me wrong; there are plenty of issues with Carmelo Anthony as a player and a teammate. He plays a minimal defense, struggles to get along with coaches, could never elevate a team to championship contention, has had difficulty sharing the spotlight and isn’t that great of a team leader. The list goes on. Even with all of these factors in mind, it remains unknown as to whether Anthony has done more to help the Knicks than Phil Jackson has. Melo actually led the Knicks to the playoffs twice before Jackson came by. Jackson, on the other hand, hasn’t achieved any notable success with this team since his appointment as president.

Poor offseason moves provide another example of Jackson’s inability to control the front office of the Knicks. One of the most notable transactions made by the Knicks under Jackson has been trading Jerian Grant, Jose Calderon and Robin Lopez for Derrick Rose. He also signed big names in Joakim Noah and Brandon Jennings to a four-year, $72 million contract and a one-year, $5 million contract respectively. Phil Jackson used the trade deadline to try and trade Rose, to no avail. Now, talk of Jackson releasing Rose to free agency at the end of the regular season has been heard around the league. Frankly, Rose is doing all right. He isn’t playing at the spectacular level that once won him an MVP, but he’s been a more-than-reliable piece to this offense. Rose averages 17.8 points per game, 4.4 assists per game and a 46.7 field goal percentage. Rose has been known to thrive in a fast-paced offense, and unfortunately, Jackson has insisted on a slower-paced offense than today’s NBA norm. This is quite the head-scratcher considering that Jackson hired head coach Jeff Hornacek, considering his specialization in coaching faster-paced offenses. Hopefully, Jackson stays committed to the move and creates a system for Rose to thrive in instead of simply getting rid of the point guard and overspending for a replacement.

Joakim Noah was possibly one of the worst signings during that offseason. He has played 22 minutes per game with season averages of 5 PPG, 8.8 RPG, and 0.3 BPG. The former Defensive Player of the Year was supposed to rejuvenate the defensive side of the ball for the Knicks. Instead, the Knicks have surrendered 4 more points per 100 possessions with him in the game than when he sits the bench. Noah’s tenure with the Knicks is well characterized by when he air balled a free throw. The worst part for the Knicks is that there are still three more years left on his contract.

Brandon Jennings, the last notable acquisition averaged 8.6 PPG, 4.9 APG, and 2.6 RPG before his release. The Knicks were hoping to be the team to revitalize Jennings as a serious threat at the point guard position, but he has been unable to return to the same form he was in with the Bucks, the team that drafted him. The main issue with Jackson’s offseason work was that the Knicks were coming off of a not-so-spectacular 32-50 season, and Jackson took a “win-now” approach. The smarter route would have been to slowly build the roster. The roster had potential, but wasn’t playoff-primed just yet. They showed improvement in 2015-2016 with a promising rookie in Kristaps Porzingis and prolific scorer in Carmelo Anthony. They could have been a legitimate playoff threat if Jackson had spent few years acquiring young talent through free agency and the draft. Instead, he gambled on risky veterans to try to turn a 32-50 roster into a playoff team. This approach has backfired in his face with the team now sitting at 27-45. The rash decisions and the win-now mentality could partially be attributed to the fact that the Knicks are a massive franchise with immediate results being an expectation every season. However, due to the Knicks’ lack of success in their history as an NBA team, Jackson should have simply internalized the same criticism that he took when the Knicks drafted Porzingis, and worked towards crafting a winning roster over time.

One of the biggest qualms with Phil Jackson’s run in New York has been his questionable decisions regarding hiring coaches. In the middle of the 2016 season, Phil Jackson fired head coach Derek Fisher and hired Kurt Rambis as interim head coach for the rest of the season. Going into 2017, many notable candidates were available for the job but the favorite was former Bulls head coach Tom Thibodeau. Thibodeau’s Bulls never missed the playoffs and consistently ranked among the top defenses in the league. Thibodeau mutually showed interest in coaching the Knicks and working with Carmelo Anthony. Derrick Rose earned Rookie of the Year honors, three all star selections and a league MVP under Thibodeau, with Joakim Noah earning two all star selections and DPOY honors. Having Thibs coach the Knicks could have allowed the two to continue thriving at their positions. Instead, Thibodeau opted to sign with Minnesota, and Jackson hired Jeff Hornacek.

Hornacek was initially allowed to bring his fast-paced offense that he ran in Phoenix with concepts from the triangle mixed in. Now, Jackson is forcing him to run the full triangle offense, essentially defeating the purpose of hiring Hornacek in the first place. Now, Jackson wants to build the Knicks around his archaic system rather than deciding on the system based on the personnel on the team.

It’s obvious that Jackson needs to go. Despite his past credentials, the man who won two rings playing for the Knicks and 11 rings coaching the Bulls and the Lakers has done nothing to help the franchise. He continues to destroy the Knicks by signing risky veterans instead of youth talent, insisting that the team use his old-fashioned coaching methods. He continues to meddle in coaching decisions and harass his team’s talent. Owner James Dolan needs to step in and end this nonsense if he ever wants the Knicks to be a contender or even watchable. In the meantime, Knicks fans can sit back and watch the organization unravel with an arrogant failure of an executive at the helm.

football

Evaluating the Jets’ Quarterback Options for 2017

March 5, 2017 architreddy 1 Comment

New York has been home to some of the biggest quarterback names in football. The New York Jets have been home to some relatively big quarterback names, like Brett Favre, Boomer Esiason, Chad Pennington, Ken O’Brien and the notoriously mediocre Mark Sanchez. These are some of the best quarterbacks to ever play for the Jets, which really says a lot about the team. Ever since Broadway Joe Namath guaranteed that he would win Super Bowl III, the Jets haven’t had any particularly great quarterbacks. That was very apparent this year as the Jets finished the season 5-11. Their quarterback, Ryan Fitzpatrick, was one of the main factors behind this subpar performance with a 56.6% completion percentage, 2,710 yards passing, a measly 12 touchdowns, a jarring 17 interceptions and a 69.6 QBR. As the Jets look to rebuild their roster with hopes of becoming playoff contenders, their first offseason priority is to obtain a quarterback. They could turn to the draft, free agency, or possibly trade for a quarterback.

The 2017 NFL Draft doesn’t have as strong of a QB class as one might hope. The Jets have the 6th pick in the draft which should hopefully make a major impact on the team. The top prospects in 2017 at the quarterback position are North Carolina’s Mitch Trubisky and Deshaun Watson of NCAA Football Champion Clemson. Trubisky has intrigued scouts with his high football IQ, understanding of defensive schemes, decision making, and accuracy. He has the stats to back it up, boasting a 68.2% completion rate and throwing for 30 touchdowns and 3748 passing yards (averaging 8.4 yards per play), with only 6 interceptions. His minimal experience concerns scouts heading into the draft. Although his stats make a strong case for a high draft position, it is worth noting that he only started one season at UNC. The general consensus on Trubisky is that with the right coach and system, he has the potential to develop into an amazing quarterback. However, location is key. While this option isn’t completely out of reach for the Jets, it would be surprising for Trubisky to slide down to the 6th pick as most scouts expect him to be drafted by the 49ers, Browns, or Bears before the Jets even get a shot. Another choice the Jets have is Deshaun Watson. He’s one of the most polarizing draft prospects this year. It wouldn’t be a surprise if he was drafted number one overall or in the middle of the second round. Scouts like his dual threat ability and his intangibles. His work ethic has been widely lauded and his play under pressure was well displayed when his Clemson Tigers came back against the Alabama Crimson Tide to become college football champs. Even when Clemson was down two touchdowns, he didn’t skip a beat to upset the Tide. NFL teams have seen this kind of player before, and while a Cam Newton may come along and achieve success, there are plenty of Geno Smiths and EJ Manuels in the past that have told teams otherwise. If the Jets have the chance and decide to take a chance, it wouldn’t be surprising to see them draft a quarterback and develop around him.

NFL: Combine — Watson at the 2017 NFL Combine.

The Jets have also been amid trade rumors for Patriots backup Jimmy Garoppolo. During Tom Brady’s four-game deflategate suspension, Garoppolo was designated to hold down the fort for the Patriots. He turned many heads until getting injured by Dolphins linebacker Kiko Alonso in the middle of his second game. During the time he played, he had a 68.3 completion percentage, 502 passing yards, 4 touchdowns, and 0 interceptions, great numbers for someone who has only thrown for 6 yards in relief snaps in the previous season. Many teams around the league see high potential in Jimmy G and hope to trade for him. There has been recent speculation that the Patriots are looking to keep Garoppolo in preparation for the retirement of Tom Brady, but he could very well find a home elsewhere. While the Jets could trade to get him, it would be an ill-advised move on the Jets’ part. Although Garoppolo has a very high potential, the Patriots and Jets play in the same division. In the slight chance that Pats coach Bill Belichick was willing to trade such a valuable player to his division rivals, who he would see twice a season, the Jets would have to give up way too much on their end to make it happen.

A lesser-known option comes in the form of Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Mike Glennon. Glennon was the Bucs starter until they drafted FSU’s Jameis Winston first overall in 2015. In 2013, he threw for 2,608 passing yards, 19 touchdowns, and 9 interceptions in the span of 13 games. Scouts like him for his size and low risk. Most see him as a high-end bridge quarterback with upside. What has turned teams off to bringing him aboard is his low speed, failure to deliver under pressure, and the fact that he lost the Buccaneers’ quarterback battle to Josh McCown (not exactly a star himself) in 2014. Many expect him to sign close to a $15 million annual contract in the case that any teams do want him. If the Jets do sign him, he would likely be used as a bridge quarterback to Christian Hackenberg and Bryce Petty, who are slowly developing their abilities into those of a starting-caliber quarterback.

NFL: Tampa Bay Buccaneers at New Orleans Saints — Mike Glennon (right) is one of the most likely quarterbacks to wind up in New York this offseason.

There are going to be many big name quarterbacks discussed this offseason and many more question marks on where they’ll end up. One of the biggest names has been the Cowboys’ veteran star Tony Romo. He was primed to have a career year in 2016 with Dez Bryant, Ezekiel Elliott, and that amazing offensive line helmed by Tyron Smith, Travis Frederick, and Zack Martin, but his hopes were dashed by a preseason injury. After rookie Dak Prescott replaced him and led America’s Team to a divisional title, the city of Dallas hasn’t looked back, and it looks like Romo might have to go to a new team to chase that ring he wants so badly. This option isn’t the best for the Jets considering that the Cowboys still hold him under contract and the Jets would have to let go of a lot from an already weak roster to acquire a 36-year-old injury prone quarterback. Romo is the right fit for a team that’s primed for a playoff run and only needs a quarterback. The Jets have an unstable offensive line, weak pass defense, and an overall lack of solidarity in the locker room. The Jets would either have to give up a lot of cap space or assets to acquire Romo. They just don’t have a good enough roster to really make proper use of Romo. Other names that have been thrown around have been Washington’s Kirk Cousins, San Francisco 49ers’ Colin Kaepernick and Chicago Bears’ Jay Cutler. Cousins, who received a franchise tag from the Redskins in 2016, is likely to either resign with the Skins or join the 49ers, per recent reports. Cousins has put up amazing stats thanks to the help of Head Coach Jay Gruden. It wouldn’t be smart for the Jets to sign Jay Cutler this year. Throughout his career on the Bears, he has shown inconsistencies and injury risk almost every season. Under the right coaching, he has been able to utilize his cannon arm and limit his interceptions, but Cutler has long been known to be turnover prone and aloof. The Jets as a team also need strong leadership, and Cutler has never been a real leader for his teams. Colin Kaepernick has been known to thrive under proper coaching. Under Jim Harbaugh, he was the hottest player in the NFL and under offensive-minded Chip Kelly, he was able to make the 49ers offense vaguely productive. Whether the Jets sign Kap might actually be turn out to be a political situation. Kaepernick has notoriously knelt during the national anthem in protest for Black Lives Matter, which got on the bad side of President Donald Trump. Jets owner Woody Johnson, an important proponent and fundraiser for the Trump campaign, may not approve of the signing of Kaepernick due to this clash in beliefs.

If the Jets don’t want to place someone new under center in 2017, they could just start 2015 4th round pick Bryce Petty or 2016 second round pick Christian Hackenberg. This option is unlikely considering that Head Coach Todd Bowles has wanted to keep them on the bench and let them develop slowly, rather than abruptly starting them. Immediately throwing a player into the mix can often hinder their development, as shown when Geno Smith started at quarterback for the Jets. Smith is set to hit free agency this summer in case the Jets were to avoid resigning him. While resigning Smith is one of the more wild options out there, the Jets could resign him if there was no better option. Although he has been turnover prone since he first joined the league, he has shown occasional flashes of brilliance when surrounded by the right coaches and players. Even then, this is the least likely option for the Jets.

Jets fans should keep one thing in mind during the offseason: whether New York signs a quarterback, drafts one, trades for one, or starts one they already have, it probably won’t be Ryan Fitzpatrick. That’s probably the most hope a Jets fan could ever have.