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Knicks Rumors: Phil Jackson Meets With Frank Vogel

By Kenneth Teape

Apr 16, 2016; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Indiana Pacers head coach Frank Vogel reacts in game one of the first round of the 2016 NBA Playoffs against the Toronto Raptors at Air Canada Centre. Indiana defeated Toronto 100-90. Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 16, 2016; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Indiana Pacers head coach Frank Vogel reacts in game one of the first round of the 2016 NBA Playoffs against the Toronto Raptors at Air Canada Centre. Indiana defeated Toronto 100-90. Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski-USA TODAY Sports /
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Recent New York Knicks rumors revolve around their head coaching position, as President Phil Jackson interviewed former Indiana Pacers head coach Frank Vogel.

New York Knicks rumors have shifted focus recently as the NBA Combine was held last week. From that, there were some talks about players that the Knicks were looking at, and that they would like to get into the draft by acquiring a pick since they do not have one in this year’s draft.

But, the head coaching spot is still technically open, as Kurt Rambis holds it on an interim basis. While there are many people that have said it is a foregone conclusion that Rambis will have the interim tag removed and become the head coach full time, others in the NBA circles say that is inaccurate and that the job is still open.

The people saying that the job is still open had their case boosted when it was found out that Phil Jackson had another meeting with a potential candidate last week; Frank Vogel. Vogel had reportedly met with Knicks officials, sans Jackson, and things went well. But, there was still a feeling that Vogel would land elsewhere, as he was the leading candidate for the Memphis Grizzlies’ job.

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Vogel’s name has also been connected to the opening with the Orlando Magic after Scott Skiles resigned, giving the Knicks even more competition for his services. But, Vogel reportedly  met with Jackson last week face-to-face, which is encouraging. Vogel would be the second person that Jackson met with about the head coaching job, as he also met with former Cleveland Cavaliers head coach David Blatt.

Vogel was no retained by the Pacers following this season, in which the Pacers lost in the first round of the playoffs to the Toronto Raptors. It was the fifth time in six seasons that Vogel led the team to the postseason, with the only miss coming when Paul George suffered a gruesome leg injury over the summer and appeared in only six regular season games.

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Jackson laid out a specific plan for what he wanted when looking for his next head coach. He wants someone he has a prior relationship with, and that will run the triangle offense. While Vogel does not hit those requirements as much as someone such as Rambis, he does have some experience in both areas.

He worked for the Los Angeles Lakers when Jackson was there as an advanced scout during the 2005-06 season, and spoke highly of Jackson’s triangle offense despite not running it fully himself with the Pacers.

“From the standpoint of studying the NBA game, I was always a big fan of Phil Jackson and his approach,” Vogel back in 2013 to the Indianapolis publication Nuvo. “Obviously he had great players, but there were a lot of coaches with great players that didn’t win at the level he did. That was a big reason why I hired [Pacers associate head coach] Brian Shaw. He was as close to Phil as anyone could be and I thought I could rely on that experience and it’s been awesome.”

Next: New York Knicks 2015-16 Team Grades

Vogel would be an outstanding hiring for the Knicks, as he got the most out of his Pacers teams even if they were not the most talented. He would bring a defensive minded approach and have a legitimate cornerstone to build around in Kristaps Porzingis. But, Jackson cannot drag his for much longer, as there are other teams that would like to add Vogel lurking as well.

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