Tag: golden state warriors

New York Knicks Coaching Roundup, Part 2

Chase Thomas 27 Comments

We’re closing in on a month since Steve Kerr to the Knicks watch first began, but the Knicks and Kerr have been unable to reach an agreement as of this moment.

As many expected, Kerr didn’t immediately take the Knicks job once it became available. Kerr is the hottest head coach candidate on the market, so he’s taking his time. The Golden State Warriors job is reportedly his if he wants it, and the Utah Jazz have also been rumored to be interested in him. The Warriors job is the best head coaching job available, but it doesn’t appear as though Kerr is heading to the Bay Area.

Rather than choosing a coaching job close to home, like Golden State or Utah, it appears working with Phil in New York is too compelling of an opportunity to pass up.

Marc Berman of the New York Post reported on May 9 that the Knicks are OK with Kerr completing his contractual obligations with TNT, but a deal could be finalized by May 12.

Speaking of contracts, Berman reports that money is the only obstacle remaining before Kerr signs on to become the next Knicks’ head coach.

“Kerr’s agent is Mike Tannenbaum, the former Jets general manager. It is believed Tannenbaum is seeking a five-year deal for Kerr, the same length as Jackson’s.

It is also believed Kerr is seeking a similar financial deal as Mike D’Antoni had when he inked a four-year, $24 million pact with the Knicks in 2008. Jackson and owner James Dolan might have to overpay to get Kerr to move across the country.”

So it looks like the original plan of bringing in Kerr to do Phil’s bidding is what’s ultimately going to happen.

Get excited, maybe?

New York Knicks Coaching Today Roundup

Chase Thomas 50 Comments

You’ve probably heard the phrase “time is of the essence” at some point or another in your lifetime. Well, that’s really applicable to the current situation surrounding the New York Knicks head coaching job search confusion. The Knicks currently have a head coach. That man, Mike Woodson, apparently doesn’t even want to have a face-to-face with new team president Phil Jackson until he gets “clarity” on his job status. Although, one might expect he’d get clarity by having a sit-down with the guy who is ultimately going to make the final call. Does your head hurt yet? No? Well let’s continue!

According to a new New York Post report Steve Kerr “absolutely expects” to be offered the New York Knicks head coaching job. Again the Knicks still have a head coach. It’s been in the news for weeks that the Knicks would probably pursue Kerr based on his history with Phil and his reported desire to become an NBA head coach sooner rather than later.

The problem? The Knicks still haven’t made a decision on Woodson’s future with the team. Well, that’s reportedly going to be made early next week, not over the weekend according to Chris Broussard of ESPN.

It appears Woodson will remain in limbo at least for a couple of more days at the very least. So today’s report on Kerr expecting an offer from a team that currently has a head coach makes things a bit awkward. Sure, it’s entertaining to poke fun at Woodson, but with the way this situation is unfolding for him it’s hard not to feel bad for the guy. Not because I’d like to see him stick around another season, I don’t. But it does appear the wheels are already in motion to bring in Kerr as the next head coach behind the scenes before relieving Woodson of his duties, which may not be the most ethical business practice.

Kerr is probably going to be a highly sought after guy this summer; even with zero head coaching experience in the NBA. The Golden State Warriors have also been linked to Kerr, so perhaps the Knicks brass knows they have to act fast in hiring Kerr before a potentially better job like the Warriors opens up. It’s kind of eerie how similar the two situations are with Mark Jackson and Mike Woodson. There seems to be a disconnect with management and the head coach for both teams, which typically leads to the head coach getting the short end of the stick.

It’s probably naive to believe these kinds of backdoor negotiations don’t go on all the time, but that doesn’t make the situations any less awkward. Woodson refusing to meet with Phil and wanting clarity on his job-status while Kerr is openly saying he expects the Knicks to offer him the job just has an unseemly vibe even if, again, it’s probably the norm, even for less dysfunctional teams than the ‘Bockers.

In the end, what we can infer from all of these reports is Woodson is not returning to coach the Knicks next season.

It’s the end of an era. Let’s remember Woody at his best; looking confused and/or stone-faced.