New York Knicks have a long way to go to be relevant again, says Brendan Haywood
Friday 29 May 2020 11:44, UK
Appointing a new head coach won't cure the ills of the New York Knicks and the team have a long way to go to be relevant again, says NBA analyst Brendan Haywood.
Having overhauled their front office and appointed Leon Rose as president of basketball operations, the Knicks are now reportedly targetting a new head coach to replace Mike Miller, who took the reins on an interim basis following the firing of David Fizdale in December 2019.
According to Shams Charania of The Athletic, Rose's top target for the role is former Chicago Bulls and Minnesota Timberwolves coach Tom Thibodeau.
Speaking on NBA TV's Gametime, Haywood, who played for 13 seasons in the NBA between 2001 and 2015, noted how tough a job any incoming head coach will face in trying to fix the struggling Knicks.
"I'm not really sure how desirable the (Knicks head coach) job is, some of the (team's) lustre has gone away. The fact that the Knicks couldn't get any free agent meetings last summer spoke volumes. The Knicks are no longer the team people feel they have to go to get recognition," he said.
"There is a lot to be done in New York right now. A lot needs to happen for that organisation to get back to competing. I think they are at least three or four years away from being a playoff team."
Haywood also questioned Thibodeau's suitability to the huge task he would face in New York.
"I really liked coach Thibodeau early on in his career. What he did with those Bulls teams (and as an assistant coach with the Boston Celtics) defensively was incredible," he said.
"But the NBA has changed a lot. Now there are stretch fours and stretch fives. When 'Thibs' was really good coaching defense, those guys didn't exist. He was excellent at getting his teams to 'ice' the screen-and-roll. All that means is he kept the screen and roll on one side of the court. Now there are guys who can shoot the three-pointer from the four and five positions, that defense is obsolete.
"When Thibodeau coached in Minnesota, it didn't seem his defensive strategy adjusted to that. Also, I have heard he has had a problem getting along with the younger generation (of players) and trying to relate to those guys and build personal relationships and bonds.
"I like Thibodeau as a coach. I don't think the Knicks job is particularly the greatest job for him. Maybe somebody like (former Golden State Warriors coach and former Knicks player) Mark Jackson would be better."
The Knicks, who owned a 21-45 record when the NBA season was suspended on March 11, have not won a playoff series in the 2012-13 season and Haywood believes their struggles cannot be solved by simply appointing a new head coach.
"It's about the Knicks' culture not giving coaches the chance to stay there and put their imprint on the team. That has definitely hurt the organisation," he said.
"I think the Knicks need to find a coach that is in 'lock-step' with the front office then allow that coach and front office to develop a very strong culture. Right now, when you have so much turnover, it is hard to develop a good organisation and you can see that with the Knicks. It seems like they are all over the place. They don't really have a strong group of young guys to develop. So the Knicks have a long way to go to be relevant again."
Heading into 2019 free agency, the Knicks were seen as the favourites to land Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving. Those hopes were crushed when the superstar duo chose to team up with city rivals the Brooklyn Nets instead.
Haywood believes that while players are still inspired by playing at Madison Square Garden, they would rather do so on an opposition team rather than for the Knicks.
"Madison Square Garden has the history. The biggest (stars) in basketball and other sports have performed there on the biggest stage. The crowd is amazing. You might be performing in front of Spike Lee or Jay-Z and Beyonce. There is still an iconic atmosphere around Madison Square Garden that means players want to perform because the best of the best are watching," he said.
"But, as far as performing for the Knicks, you understand the team has had a lot of turmoil from the ownership all the way down. A lot of players don't want to be part of that.
"If I am a top-tier player in this league, there are two things I want to know. Can I win? How much am I going to get paid? The Knicks can offer the money but they can't offer a solution on winning in the near future. That's why a lot of upper-tier players are skipping on the Knicks."
