In 17 days as Knicks president, Phil Jackson has seen the best of times, he has seen the worst of times.
And he has seen a lot to like in Carmelo Anthony.
Jackson, during a 16-minute state-of-Knicks Nation address with the media Thursday at the team’s Greenburgh practice facility, praised the energy and effort he has witnessed from the Knicks while admitting they have been playing to the level of the opponent.
“They’ve been up and down,” said Jackson, who reiterated he has “no intention of coaching” again.
“I’ve thought they’ve played a lot better against higher-quality teams or tougher teams than they have sometimes against also-rans. But they’re playing with great energy now and they’re playing with purpose, and I appreciate that.”
He probably gave them all bonuses after the 110-81 destruction of the Nets at the Garden Wednesday.
Among other positive developments, the 13-time NBA champion – a record 11 times as a coach, twice as a player — has seen Anthony flash parts of his game that certify the All-Star forward as among the true elite. Jackson and Anthony have chatted, but the talks did not address the player’s future. The here and now – specifically a push to the playoffs in the final six games – is sort of big.
“Carmelo’s really stepped into another level of trying to help players,” said Jackson, who referred to a critical assist Anthony made during the victory at Sacramento. “That’s one of the things we see that Carmelo can do and that he’s grown as he’s gone along.”
Jackson , who indicated he would not travel with the team in the regular season but would be with them if there is a playoff appearance, said Anthony can lead the team, not just on the court but off. Like two other guys he coached.
“I’ve been fortunate to have coached two of the great ones who have been able to do that in Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant,” said Jackson, who insists Anthony has had a lot on his plate.
“We’ve had a couple occasions to talk. We haven’t really delved into the future as much as what’s going on [and] getting to know each other…see how he’s feeling about playing,” Jackson said. “He’s had to carry a big load. It’s been a tough year for him. But it’s been a tough year for everyone. It’s not just isolated with him, but I think he feels the weight of it a lot more on himself.”
Looking forward and evaluating how to lessen that load is big for Jackson as he and all the president’s men try to figure out how to improve the Knicks. With collegiate games going on, Jackson has had a chance to meet with scouts and personnel evaluators.
“We sat down and chatted about our future, possibilities … the draft,” Jackson said. “There are always ways to make moves even though the limitations and flexibility is limited. But we anticipate that we are going to try and improve the team in every position we can.”
If the Knicks make the playoffs, some players suggested the Knicks can do some damage. The chief reason, as Jackson sees it, are the contributions from the likes of J.R. Smith and Amar’e Stoudemire to ease Anthony’s load.
“Now they have more than one option out there on the floor, and I think that we’ll give teams trouble,” said Jackson, who explained the playoff format is big for evaluating the future.
“You’re playing a team in a seven-game series, you’re really seeing who’s going to be attacked, how they stand up to the pressure, who performs in the critical situations, what the grind of a multiple-game series does to a team and how they react,” Jackson said. “Those are all valuable lessons.”
While many believe coach Mike Woodson is living on borrowed time, Jackson spoke positively about how the team has responded.
“Mike has a philosophy. It’s worked for him in the past. It’s worked for him in Atlanta,” Jackson said. “One of the reasons why they’ve been successful in the last month and a half … has been their defense has improved.”
Jackson loved what he saw defensively against the Nets when the Knicks recorded 11 steals.
“I’m still a coach that believes in pressure, pressure defense, playing like we saw the Knicks play last night — anticipation, turnovers become run-outs,” Jackson said. “The triangle offense is one of the best offenses to run because of its balance and because players can play defense out of an offense like that. Your defense creates offense and your offense creates defense.”