The Big Lead

Phil Jackson Might Coach Knicks Home Games Next Season

By Stephen Douglas

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Phil Jackson’s first two seasons as president of the New York Knicks have been a disaster. They’re the rare team with a healthy superstar in his prime who has been rebuilding for multiple years. Don’t worry though. Jackson has a new idea according to ESPN’s Ramona Shelbourne – hire a 70-year old guy who hasn’t coached in half-a-decade to coach during home games. Then, keep Kurt Rambis – who has the Knicks winning less frequently than inexperienced, ineffective, and ousted coach Derek Fisher did – and have him coach on the road. From ESPN:

"Those close to him say Jackson seems more energized these days. He has lost about 20 pounds of the 30 he gained during his first two years on the job. Even Kobe Bryant noticed, remarking after Sunday’s game in Los Angeles that, “He looks great. Physically he looks good. I’m happy for him.” There’s even talk Jackson could offer to coach home games next season, with Rambis coaching the road games. It’s an offer the late Lakers owner Jerry Buss once flatly rejected, but it could be an interesting compromise to hiring Rambis as the head coach next season."

Just more outside-the-box thinking from the Zen Master.

Now, I don’t want to downplay Kurt Rambis’ success as a head coach. Keep in mind that his incredibly horrid .284 winning percentage was bolstered by a 24-13 record in a strike-shortened ’98-’99 season with a Lakers’ team a year from a title with Shaq and Kobe on the team. If you take that gift that a slow-starting Del Harris handed him by getting fired, Rambis has a career record of 37-141. (.208!)

Combine that with the fact that the Knicks have no draft pick and no reasonable hope to land any quality free agents and it doesn’t matter who coaches the Knicks. If the team starts hot on the road and cold at home, does Jackson step down? What about cold on the road and hot at home? What if they’re just bad at both like this season? Could the Knicks be the only team to fire two head coaches at once? I really can’t wait to find out.