Phil Jackson made plenty of bad decisions with the Knicks, but here are his worst 10.
Admittedly, it’s tough to judge yet because Grant is still only 24 and was later shipped off by Jackson in another trade. But following two lackluster seasons, it’s unclear if Grant will ever make it in the NBA. Hardaway Jr., on the other hand, developed in Atlanta and is coming off his best season as a pro, averaging 14.5 points on 46 percent shooting for a playoff team.
Not a big risk because Rose was on an expiring contract, but this trade represented Jackson’s second or third restart, depending on how you count the 17-65 disaster (remember, Phil was talking about playoffs before he dismantled the roster) . Jackson had a plan with Lopez – a workable big man – to build slower, and develop a team in his vision. But then he traded Lopez away for a Band-Aid – who started his Knicks career with a civil trial, went AWOL, failed to mesh with Porzingis, and suffered a meniscus tear at the end of the season.
Phil Jackson near the top of NY’s long list of worst sports execs
This trade got worse with time for Phil Jackson. Felton and Chandler were still in NBA rotations last season. Most of the players the Knicks got back in the deal are no longer in the league, and that includes the two players Jackson drafted with those two picks – Cleanthony Early and Thanasis Antetokounmpo. The disappointing stints of Larkin and Calderon created the environment to go after Rose two years later.
Forget that Jackson had already offended Anthony by suggesting he held the ball too long. Forget that he referenced a story on Twitter that bashed Anthony. Forget that Anthony assumed Jackson was attacking him through the team president’s ghostwriter, Charley Rosen. Maybe there could’ve been a reconciliation after all that. And you’d think Jackson would’ve learned to tread lightly with all the backlash he received. But then he stepped to the podium after nearly nine months of shunning the NY media, and basically tried to force him to leave the Knicks. What Jackson should’ve considered was that he needed Anthony to work out a trade, not to get him further ticked off.
Who is Masai Ujiri, Knicks’ reported top target to replace Phil?
A coach with no experience hired on a five-year deal because of his relationship with Jackson. What could go wrong? Everything. Fisher went 17-65 in his first season – the worst record in franchise history – and missed a practice in training camp after getting punched in the face by Matt Barnes. Fisher wasn’t ready to be a coach. He was also the second choice to Steve Kerr. What a drop off.
A year later, the Cavaliers gave up two first-round picks to acquire Timofey Mozgov. But they got Smith and Shumpert as throwaways from the Knicks, fleecing Phil Jackson.
Knicks coach Jeff Hornacek reacts to Phil Jackson’s firing
It made sense to can a coach with a 40-96 record who skipped a practice after getting caught up in a love-triangle feud involving Matt Barnes. But then Jackson started to explain the move, promoted Kurt Rambis, and quickly it became obvious this was all about Mr. 11 Rings and his beloved triangle. The Knicks were 23-31 when Fisher was fired. They’ve since gone 40-70.
Somewhat amazingly, Jackson survived his Knicks tenure without a real “Fire Phil” chant at the Garden. He still had his supporters, some of whom blamed Carmelo Anthony, others who blamed James Dolan. But then he feuded with the team’s Unicorn, let other team’s understand Porzingis was available, and it felt like the entire fanbase turned fiercely against Jackson. Here’s the bottom line: regardless if you’re mad at him for skipping an exit interview, you don’t trade the future of the franchise when he’s 21 years old and is the perfect mold for the new NBA at 7-foot-3 with unlimited range.
Why did Phil concede to a no-trade clause? It’s such a rarity in the NBA that we’d like to hear from Phil, who never properly explained his thought-process back then. But it ultimately doomed him to his fired fate, since Anthony wouldn’t have won the power struggle without the no-trade clause. Even beyond the no-trade, Jackson hurt himself by committing to a star who hated the triangle.
Phil Jackson’s 10 worst days on Twitter
Given that the first year was supposed to be his best, here’s the ceiling for Joakim Noah: five points per game, 22 minutes per game, knee surgery, shoulder surgery, broken foul shot, suspension for violating the league’s anti-drug policy. And oh yeah, he’ll be paid over $19 million for the 2019-20 season when he’s 34 years old. When you sift through any feasible rebuilding scenario for the Knicks, you’re always brought back to the following reality: but what about Noah?
