Empire Writes Back
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New York Knicks must bring Mark Jackson in as head coach

By Michael Pallas

CLEVELAND, OH - DECEMBER 29: Head coach Mark Jackson of the Golden State Warriors gestures from the bench in the fourth quarter against the Cleveland Cavaliers at Quicken Loans Arena on December 29, 2013 in Cleveland, Ohio. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Mike Lawrie/Getty Images)
CLEVELAND, OH - DECEMBER 29: Head coach Mark Jackson of the Golden State Warriors gestures from the bench in the fourth quarter against the Cleveland Cavaliers at Quicken Loans Arena on December 29, 2013 in Cleveland, Ohio. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Mike Lawrie/Getty Images) /
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There are a lot of candidates for the New York Knicks to hire to replace Jeff Hornacek, but there’s only one that makes sense…Mark Jackson.

When Mark Jackson was fired by the Golden State Warriors on the precipice of something great, it raised a lot of eyebrows. That said, you can’t really argue with the results. We will never know if the Warriors would’ve won with Jackson anyway, but Steve Kerr did the job. Now, the New York Knicks must bring Jackson in to stabilize this organization.

Jackson will bring a defensive mentality to this team they sorely need. He can hire an offensive specialist as an assistant, but the Knicks need his tenacity and defensive knowledge.

In his first season as head coach of the Warriors the team ranked 27th in defensive efficiency, and by the end of his tenure, they were fourth in the league. This year the Knicks were 21st in defensive efficiency, and that’s not good.

When it comes to scoring in the two most important quarters, the Knicks weren’t much better either. They ranked 15th and 17th in first and fourth quarter opponent scoring, respectively. The only good thing about the defense was opponent fast break efficiency, which ranked fourth in the NBA.

By his third year with the Warriors, Jackson had them winning 50 games. Being a former Knick, Jackson knows what this town wants. We want a tough, hard-nosed, and gritty team. Offense is nice, but defense wins championships, and New Yorkers know that.

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The Knicks need an identity, and Jackson can bring a toughness and swagger back to Madison Square Garden that hasn’t been there since the 90s. That’s what the team needs.

Due to the new rules, they can’t play the way the Knicks of the 90s did. However, that doesn’t mean they can’t be emblematic of the town they represent. Fans want to bleed orange and blue again. So give them a reason. Bring in Jackson.

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