GIVE MELO A SHOT, PHIL
Star has right ideas for next coach
Let's face it: Carmelo Anthony is better equipped to handle a coaching search than Knicks president Phil Jackson. While Jackson narrowed his list of potential candidates to “my friends who run the triangle,” Anthony would have opened the search to include — how’s this for thinking outside the box? — the best man for the job. During a promotional tour on Thursday for Gillette Clinical Clear Gel, Anthony confirmed what the Daily News reported two weeks ago: his preferred choice to become the next head coach of the Knicks was Tom Thibodeau. Anthony even took it one step further, telling ESPN that if offered the job, “I’m pretty sure (Thibodeau) wanted to come.” How would he know that? Anthony’s agent is Leon Rose, who has been Thibodeau’s friend for more than two decades. You connect the dots. “(Thibodeau) waited a while to see if there was going to be an opportunity,” Carmelo added. “It didn’t happen. I’m pretty sure if he would've gotten offered the job, he would have (accepted) it with no regret. He would have jumped on it.” If you’re a Knicks fan you should feel sick today. Not just because the Knicks never offered Thibodeau the job, but because Jackson never even picked up the phone to talk to him. Why? Thibodeau didn’t fit the description: friend of mine, friend of the triangle. Instead, Thibodeau — who was a loyal, hard-working assistant coach in New York under Jeff Van Gundy when the Knicks actually played basketball in May and June — has been subject to a smear campaign courtesy of Madison Square Garden. Among the lies being spread by a certain member of the mainstream media and the blogger world is that Thibodeau wanted player personnel power in New York, which is why Jackson never considered him. It gets better. Apparently, Jackson called the Chicago Bulls front office and — surprise, surprise — they didn’t give Thibodeau a glowing recommendation. That would be the same front office that promised their fans that Thibodeau was the problem and that Fred Hoiberg is the solution. How’s that working out? Jackson needs to find a better head hunting firm. Thibodeau would have been perfect in New York. He would have been perfect for everyone from Kristaps Porzingis to Jerian Grant to Carmelo, who obviously wants to fix this mess.
Thibodeau is gone now, having joined the Minnesota Timberwolves as both their president and head coach. He has the same arrangement that Gregg Popovich, Stan Van Gundy and Doc Rivers have. It's a home run for the Wolves. The fallout for the Knicks, meanwhile, continues. This is why Carmelo looked so glum following his exit meeting with Jackson last month. He clearly didn’t like what he heard. In fact, he hasn’t heard from Jackson since. So much for Carmelo’s desire to have input.
When I interviewed Anthony Thursday on SiriusXM NBA Radio, he sounded disappointed that Jackson didn’t conduct a full blown coaching search. Not even an interview with Scott Brooks, Carmelo’s former assistant coach in Denver.
“I’ll continue to say it, there needs to be a process,” Anthony told me. “As long as there’s a process and you go through the proper channels to figure out exactly what you need to do, I don’t have no problem with that. But if you don’t go through that process and at least look to see what’s out there, then we have a problem with that.”
Maybe Phil’s silence led to Anthony skipping/boycotting Jackson’s triangle seminar last week, a two-day refresher course that received mixed reviews from the players. One theory is that Jackson ran the seminar to demonstrate to MSG Chairman James Dolan that he’s committed to helping Kurt Rambis, his top choice for the job, become a better coach. It makes sense since Rambis didn’t receive many favorable reviews during the players' exit interviews with Jackson.
Another theory is that Jackson is keeping Anthony at arm’s length because the Knicks are hoping Carmelo gets so fed up that he asks to be traded. Honestly, that isn’t the worst plan from Jackson’s standpoint; alienate your superstar until he waves the no-trade clause of surrender.
It’s also a risky strategy because it could potentially lead to a stand-off between Hall of Fame coach and future Hall of Fame player. Carmelo reiterated that he wants to play in New York. He wants to live in New York. And he wants to win in New York.
And he can prove it. It’s why he wanted Tom Thibodeau as his head coach.
That doesn’t make him a petulant diva. Not by a longshot. It makes him sound smart. And it makes Phil look awfully stubborn.