Cross your fingers. Cross your toes. Do whatever you can to get as much favorable karma going to convince Phil Jackson to help rescue the Knicks.
Let’s hope the strings of nostalgia tug on Jackson hard enough for him to accept an offer to be part of the Knicks’ front office. Get on your knees, throw a penny in a water fountain, or promise to give up your first born.
The Knicks might have beaten the Jazz 108-81 Friday night at the Garden for their second straight win, but it was just their third win in their last 13 games. They are 23-40 and in desperate need of fixing, and Jackson is one man with the credentials to do it.
Let’s hope reports are true and Jackson is considering joining the Knicks. Sure, it’s a long shot. Jackson is probably taking a long hard look at the Knicks organization and questioning why he would want to get involved.
There is no Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant or Shaquille O’Neal to build around. LeBron James is in Miami and Kevin Durant is in Oklahoma City. The Knicks have Carmelo Anthony, but not much else for Jackson to work with.
Certainly, he’ll question why he should risk his reputation built through winning 11 NBA titles as head coach of the Bulls and the Lakers and another two as a player with the Knicks to reunite with a franchise that hasn’t won a championship since he played there more than 40 years ago.
He’ll question why he needs to work with owner James Dolan and the Garden corporate structure that will monitor his every word and try to constrain his freedom of speech.
He’ll question why, at age 69, he needs to figure out how to connect with the mercurial J.R. Smith and convince Anthony to take the extra $33 million the Knicks can offer him to stay in New York.
It makes little sense for a man with more championship rings than fingers to accept such an undertaking. But the Knicks can only hope he somehow says yes and becomes the name at the top of the basketball letterhead.
It probably won’t happen, because Dolan won’t offer the kind of control Jackson wants. Someone has to be the loudest voice in the room, and if it’s not going to be Jackson, there’s no reason for him to come here as a consultant and play second fiddle to Steve Mills and Allan Houston.
Settling for head coach was clearly out of the question, especially after it was Mills, the team president, who reportedly showed up to make the overture. It was a soft play with little chance of attracting Jackson’s interest.
Not only has Jackson made it clear his coaching days are over, but sending Mills only underscored the corporate hierarchy Jackson would have to deal with as the Knicks coach. Of course, Jackson wasn’t interested.
But now we learn Dolan made his own personal pitch. Say what you want about the Knicks owner, he always has been willing to spend money chasing a personality or a title.
He spent millions to get Amar’e Stoudemire and then Anthony to New York. He gave Tyson Chandler and Smith big money . Not all the basketball decisions have been wise ones, which is why the Knicks need Jackson to clean things up. His arrival would instantly restore credibility to the franchise. Getting Jackson would be better than anything the Knicks could get in the draft.
The Knicks still have playoff aspirations, but their image is taking a pounding these days, and it looks as if Anthony has one foot out of the door. Before he considers staying with the Knicks, there has to be a plan and someone has to sell that plan. Jackson has the kind of clout that will get Anthony’s attention and the attention of future free agents. He has the clout to get everyone excited about the Knicks again.
Cross your fingers.