New York Knicks: Dissing Mark Jackson Proves They Are Not Ready To Win
The New York Knicks just can’t seem to right the ship. They can no longer blame Phil Jackson or Carmelo Anthony for their troubles. With Jeff Hornacek gone, the Knicks have now rid themselves of the people who fans have blamed for their troubles over the last few seasons. Well, maybe all was corrected Thursday evening when the Knicks hired ex-Memphis Grizzlies coach David Fizdale. However, in the process of hiring Fizdale, The Knicks may have finally shut the door on Mark Jackson.
Before Hornacek was even hired, Jackson should have been at the top of the list. His work with the pre-championship Golden State Warriors was outstanding. Jackson’s time with the Warriors lasted only three seasons, but it was how it went down that has drawn so many positive and negative remarks. His first two years were bad; however, it was his third that solidified Jackson as one of the up and coming coaches in the NBA. Jackson would lead the Warriors to 51 wins, and instead of receiving praise for his efforts, he was shown the door.
Now, with the Warriors labeled as the best team in the league and the Knicks in full tank-mode, it was only right that James Dolan and Scott Perry made a change for the better. The issue with Hornacek was that his style of play did not fit with the players he had. The Knicks, even before Kristaps Porzingis went down for the season, should easily have been top five in the league in terms of defense. Jeff hailed from a defensive background while with the Utah Jazz, however, since his arrival in New York, he was not been able to channel that same mentality.
Jackson is the Brooklyn-born kid who played for his hometown New York Knicks before leading the charge as one of the best defensive and assists giving point guards in NBA history. One of the main issues the Knicks have faced in recent years, including this season has been their lack of a steady facilitator, according to the New York Post. Think Curry, and one tends to only see his offensive game. However, look closer and you will see that his assists were the highest they ever been in his career (8.9) while under Jackson.
Will Not Hiring Mark Jackson Haunt the Knicks?
Now the chips fell in the lap of Fizdale. His time with the Grizzlies was short-lived as he’s only been a head coach for 101 games. Instead of bringing in a proven vet to turn things around, the New York Knicks continue to rely on coaches who are wet behind the ears. Fizdale does have two playoffs wins under his belt but that was with Marc Gasol, Zach Randolph and Mike Conley leading the way. While many are praising the Knicks for the bold hire, they are also forgetting that Mark Jackson was still the better option.
[BXReporter]
Mark has been covering Sports and Entertainment for the past six years. His work has been featured on Bleacher Report, ESPN, Fox Sports, Teen Vogue, and many other websites.
