Knicks Rumors: Two Man Race For Head Coaching Spot
Recent New York Knicks rumors have the team with two targets in mind for their head coaching spot; interim coach Kurt Rambis and former Cleveland Cavalier coach David Blatt.
New York Knicks rumors will continue to run rampant until someone is given the head coaching job permanently. After that, the focus will shift towards which free agents the Knicks will be able to lure to The Big Apple, but first things first; the Knicks need a head coach.
The most recent rumors surrounding the position may make some fans squemish. According to sources that have been in touch with ESPN’s Marc Stein, the Knicks are focusing their efforts currently on only two people; interim head coach Kurt Rambis, and former Cleveland Cavaliers head coach David Blatt.
There were rumors earlier in the week that president Phil Jackson had some informal discussions with Golden State Warriors assistant coach Luke Walton about the job, but got the impression that Walton was not currently interested.
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Other rumors also had Carmelo Anthony making it clear that he would like to have Tom Thibodeau as head coach of the Knicks. But, that is no longer a possibility as Thibodeau has been named head coach of the Minnesota Timberwolves with final say over the roster as well.
His insistence on having final say over the roster is something that he would not have had with the Knicks, which could be a reason why he didn’t talk with them despite a spot as the Knicks’ head man supposedly being his dream job. Also, Jackson didn’t receive much positive feedback when talking with the Bulls front office members.
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There is a chance that the Knicks expand their head coaching search, but right now Rambis and Blatt are the only ones the search is focused on. It would also be fair to say that at this time, Rambis is the leading candidate.
Jackson has not been shy hiding his affinity for Rambis since he took over on an interim basis February 9th for Derek Fisher. Despite leading the Knicks to a 9-19 record, Rambis has been the man Jackson wants leading the team because he sees Rambis as the best fit to not only run the triangle offense, but keep Jackson’s principles in place as well.
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Jackson also spoke highly of the job Rambis did as the interim coach running the triangle offense, saying, “They had an immersion in the triangle. When Kurt started coaching the team, they started executing it with more structure. We saw some progress, but we have to make the next step.”
Knicks fans are probably getting tired of hearing the same stuff from Jackson, as he seems more interested in showing that the triangle offense can work instead of turning the Knicks into a winning team.
His insistence, stubbornness some would say at this point, is beginning to wear as the results have not been there for the Knicks yet he continues to try putting square pieces into a circle hole.
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Landing a job sometimes is more about who you know than if you are truly qualified. It is no coincidence then that the two candidates being talked about most, Rambis and Blatt, have ties to the Knicks; Rambis is obviously close with Phil Jackson, while Blatt played with general manager Steve Mills at Princeton.