Knicks Rumors: Kurt Rambis Is Not Popular Among Players On Team
New York Knicks Rumors: Assistant coach Kurt Rambis is reportedly not popular among the players on the team.
Recent New York Knicks rumors have not been positive. People knew that the organization was a bit of a circus; that has seemed to be the case for a majority of the time that James Dolan has been around. With Phil Jackson added to the mix, the Knicks circus has reached a new level of dysfunction and discord.
There have been a number of problems holding the Knicks back since Jackson took over. The talent on the roster hasn’t been great and the team has no continuity; Carmelo Anthony is the only player remaining on the team since Jackson took over three years ago.
Another looming problem is the triangle offense. Jackson and his people seem to be the only ones that want to stick with the triangle and continue implementing it. The organization is going as far as holding sessions in the summer, something that the players are reportedly fuming over.
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One of the people that Jackson has deployed to help install the triangle is Kurt Rambis. Rambis was on the staff with Derek Fisher as an assistant. When Fisher was fired, Rambis was promoted to interim head coach. Jackson had plans to install him as the full-time head coach, but decided against it and went with Jeff Hornacek.
But, Rambis still retained a job. Jackson kept Rambis around as an assistant on Hornacek’s staff, sandbagging Hornacek’s power and influence over the team right from the start. It makes for an awkward dynamic, as the players are unsure of Rambis’ allegiances. He is a Jackson guy, not someone Hornacek hired.
That makes things difficult enough. Making things worse is how Ramis is viewed by the players on the team. Rambis is reportedly unpopular among players according to Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical.
Part of the reasoning according to Wojnarowski’s sources is his coaching style. None of the players are well versed in the triangle offense, so they ask questions. When asking questions hoping to be coached and taught things, they are met with yelling.
The triangle offense has garnered a ton of attention, but the biggest problem for the Knicks was on the defensive end. That was also Rambis’ responsibility. Rambis was installed as the defensive coach early on the season, further diminishing Hornacek’s say on the court and making him look like a puppet for the organization.
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With how poorly the Knicks played defense, and how unpopular Rambis is, it is not shocking that he is an unpopular coach among the players on the team.