Dangling Porzingis was way to show who’s boss
All that was missing was NBA Commissioner Adam Silver stepping to the podium on Thursday and telling the crowd at Barclays Center, “We don’t have a trade to announce involving the New York Knicks.” Because in the end all the talk about Phil Jackson possibly exiling Kristaps Porzingis to either Boston or Phoenix turned out to be just that, talk. Ultimately, Jackson’s asking price was ridiculously high and rightfully so. If you’re trading your best young player you need to get multiple first round picks and players in return.
The Celtics and Suns weren’t ready to budge on Thursday and when the dust settled Jackson added another European to his roster by selecting point guard Frank Ntilikina with the eighth overall pick. The Daily News reported last week that the Knicks had a scout babysitting Ntilikina for weeks. He was Phil’s guy from the get-go and Ntilikina joins a young nucleus that includes Willy Hernangomez and yes, Kristaps Porzingis.
Jackson touched on something when he was interviewed on MSG Network on Wednesday and said that when a player of Porzingis’ stature skips an exit meeting it causes other teams to speculate and pick up the telephone.
What began as a fishing expedition by opposing teams turned into the Knicks seriously debating whether cashing in Porzingis for additional assets is worth it. The trade talks and Jackson’s acknowledgement that they were fielding calls was the Knicks way of retaliating.
They were essentially putting Porzingis on blast and letting him know that they are in control.
“It’s always about control,” said a Knicks source. “Kristaps embarrassed the Knicks and they wouldn’t let it go.”
Jackson prefers European players because he feels that beside not being poisoned by the AAU culture here in the U.S., international players tend to develop in academies that stress team basketball and frown upon isolation play. Jackson is convinced those are the type of players that are willing to learn and play in the triangle offense. Well, not all of them.
Carmelo Anthony never embraced the triangle. Neither did Derrick Rose. But they’re veterans and stubborn in their ways. Jackson can understand that to a point. But it bothers Jackson that Porzingis, despite saying he likes the triangle offense, is reluctant to appease the team president by working on becoming a low post player.
To an old school coach like Jackson, a 21-year-old kid from Latvia shouldn’t be so stubborn. Nor should Porzingis skip his exit meeting.
Phil wanted to show Porzingis that he’s the boss. So he didn’t renew assistant coach Josh Longstaff’s contract and then he began entertaining trade proposals for his most promising young player. And Phil wanted to make sure Porzingis knew he was doing just that.
Or as one NBA coach said of Jackson, “the one thing about Phil that I admire is that he doesn’t give a (damn). He doesn’t care what the fans think. What the media thinks. What Porzingis and his brother think. It’s a little unconventional but he’s going to do it his way and if he got the trade he wanted you have to think he would have made the deal.”
This is far from over of course. Jackson can make a deal with the Celtics, Suns or 27 other teams on Friday and Porzingis could be an ex-Knick by sunset. The relationship between player and team is not good. ut training camp isn’t until late September and that gives Jackson and Porzingis time to iron out their differences. It’s funny that Phil believes he deserves a do-over after an 80-166 record but Porzingis doesn’t get a reprieve.
It’s an odd way of doing business but it’s Jackson’s way, for better or worse.
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