The struggling New York Knickerbockers have apparently made Phil Jackson an offer he couldn’t refuse.
They plan to allow him to work his magic for the team without sullying his head coaching record because the antics of J.R. Smith aren’t producing many points on the board.
Via ESPN:
All indications are that Phil Jackson will accept the New York Knicks’ offer to join the club’s front office, according to a league source.
“The Knicks have a sense of what’s going to happen,” the source said. “And as of right now, it looks like Phil’s taking the job. There’s always the possibility of something falling apart at the last minute, but the Knicks’ sense is that he’s joining them.”
The sides are still working out the details, including what Jackson’s title will be, how much time he will spend in New York and when in the next few months he will start his job.
The longtime former coach will not be a mere consultant for the Knicks, as he was recently for the Detroit Pistons. Whatever his title, the source said, Jackson will be an integral part of the club’s basketball operations, although he will definitely not coach the team.
Jackson is widely considered to be the greatest NBA coach of all-time. His league record 11 championships as a coach (13 if you combine his two wins as a player) and .704 winning percentage likely have something to do with the speculation.
Despite Carmelo Anthony having the season of his career, the Knicks have a 25-40 and don’t look to be a contender come playoff time. Any little bit could help.
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