Phil Jackson must pull New York Knicks into new era
If hiring Phil Jackson as president was the beginning of an era for the New York Knicks, waiving forward Amar'e Stoudemire earlier this week was the end of one.
Yet with forward Carmelo Anthony undergoing season-ending surgery on his left knee soon and the Knicks in last place in the Eastern Conference, New York is actually stuck between eras.
The malaise of minimal playoff success in the past 14 seasons still lingers, and the promise of better days is difficult to fathom.
The Knicks announced Wednesday that Anthony will miss the rest of the season and to have a left knee patella debridement procedure which will remove debris that causes pain and discomfort. This is actually good for Anthony and the Knicks, as there is no reason for him to continue playing this season.
Where did it go wrong for the Knicks? A book-length explanation would be required to analyze the moves that have torpedoed New York since 2001 — a period that includes four first-round playoff exits, one second-round exit and no other playoff bids. They haven't played in the conference finals since 2000.
Jackson isn't entirely at fault, but he doesn't get a free pass, either, for what has transpired this season. He thought in training camp he had a team that could compete for a playoff spot, and that never materialized. He overestimated what he had.
Jackson also traded center Tyson Chandler and guard Raymond Felton to Dallas for guard Jose Calderon and center Samuel Dalembert. Felton didn't fit into New York's plans, and while Chandler is re-energized in Dallas, he wasn't interested in playing for the Knicks anymore. In the big picture, the trade was a wash.
When Jackson took over, he didn't have much opportunity to make significant roster changes as long as he was willing to commit to a five-year, $124 million deal to Anthony, which Jackson and the organization did. Whether that was worth it will play out over the next three or four seasons.
The Knicks were not going to contend for a championship this season, and Jackson knew that. He certainly wanted the team to be better than they are, but there was always an eye on the future.
Jackson said Wednesday the Knicks are active in trade discussions but didn't indicate anything major would happen. New York will finish the season determining which players are part of the future.
New York already had salary cap money to spend in the offseason and by trading J.R. Smith and Iman Shumpert to Cleveland in January, Jackson created even more salary cap. The Knicks will have approximately $30 million to spend — enough for a very talented player and a couple of valuable surrounding players.
Maybe even free agents will discuss teaming up in New York, with a fresh roster and chance to turn the Knicks into a winner.
The Knicks will also have a lottery pick in the June draft, and right now they have the worst record in the league. They're 0-13 without Anthony this season, so it's possible they end up with the worst record and the best odds at the No. 1 overall pick. NBA-ready players will be available if the Knicks have a top-3 pick.
And projecting even further ahead, the Knicks will have salary cap space in the summer of 2016, when money from the NBA's new TV/media deal increases the salary cap.
New York is still a destination city, and the Knicks — even without much recent success — can be a destination team. But that alone is not going to draw the type of players New York needs.
It's on Jackson to find the right players for the system he wants to run and then convince them playing for Derek Fisher and with Anthony is the right decision.
We're about to see what kind of front-office executive Jackson is.
