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Phil Jackson Has Already Completed His Biggest Task

By Steve Conoscenti

New York Knicks president Phil Jackson can smile knowing he's changed the culture of a much-maligned frnachise. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
New York Knicks president Phil Jackson can smile knowing he's changed the culture of a much-maligned frnachise. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports /
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Find me an NBA team that had a worse reputation than the New York Knicks by the end of 2013.

A cosmic joke for a majority of the new millennium, James Dolan’s franchise needed a complete makeover. The issues on the court were obvious, and with a summer full of cap space coming in 2015, the Knicks were in position to address them. But what player was going to come play for a franchise that couldn’t get out of its own way?

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There was nothing appealing about the Knicks’ situation. They needed to create a better product to attract talent, but they needed to attract talent in order to create a better product. It was a vicious cycle that Knicks fans were all-too-familiar with.

Enter: The Zen Master.

Phil Jackson as a coach needs no introduction. Phil Jackson as a team president doesn’t even have a resume to hand out. Skepticism prevailed.

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While most people questioned his ability to field a team rather than coach it, the issue that needed to be addressed first and foremost was the culture. From the J.R. Smith social media gaffes to Iman Shumpert‘s rap career to Amar’e Stoudemire‘s wine baths, order needed to be restored.

What Phil Jackson has done since his hiring is exactly that.

Carmelo Anthony re-signing aside, Phil’s first major move was trading the aforementioned Smith and Shumpert for what seemed like pennies on the dollar. While there’s some credence to that thought, what Jackson managed to do was begin the transformation.

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    • As Phil Jackson so candidly revealed this summer, both Smith and Shumpert were a part of the problem — not that we needed Phil to tell us. Considering the talent that the Knicks got back in return (Lou Amundson, Lance Thomas and Alex Kirk) he non-verbally told us what we’ve been dying to hear: if you don’t buy in, you’re getting shipped out.

    Bonus! Lance Thomas and Lou Amundson became key cogs, or as much of a cog as a 17-win team could have. Regardless, they were both re-signed this summer and are more-than-viable depth players.

    Phil tinkered some more. Got some picks, waived some players, small housekeeping moves. The true test remained though, and it would begin on July 1 of this past summer. Free agency began, and the Knicks had some spending money.

    The cookie crumbled the way it did: big fish LaMarcus Aldridge chose the San Antonio Spurs, DeAndre Jordan chose the Dallas Mavericks, and then the Los Angeles Clippers. Neither were realistic options for the Knicks. Plenty of talent remained, but plenty of competition reared its head.

    As soon as he could, Arron Afflalo signed on the dotted line. Afflalo later confirmed he had no interest in visiting other teams. Huh, how about that? Afflalo, a nice rotational piece, albeit coming off a down year, chose the Knicks. Not something this fanbase is used to.

    A few days later, Robin Lopez brought his talents to Manhattan. The difference: he DID make other visits. He had other suitors reportedly offering the same, if not more money. He’s no Aldridge, but he was one of the best free agent big men available and for a team that was devoid of talent in most areas of the floor, he was quite a coup.

    Lopez later took to Twitter to explain why he chose the Knicks. “Excited to be part of the Knicks legacy!” he tweeted. The word that stood out? Legacy.

    Just a few short years ago, the “Knicks legacy” was Jerome James, Eddy Curry, a sexual harassment lawsuit and a coaching carousel straight out of the latest season of American Horror Story. It’s been quite a while since the Knicks legacy was referred to as a positive rather than a blemish.

    This is not to imply that Phil Jackson has completely erased the last decade and a half of follies, but he’s set a new tone. He’s ready to not only bring back the Knicks legacy, but start a new chapter with the shiniest, cleanest white piece of paper you’ve ever seen.

    There’s still a ways to go, but what needed to be done more than anything is already done. The Knicks aren’t the laughingstock of the league anymore. They aren’t saving money for free agents they have no chance at. It’s a small step, but drawing the attention of guys like Robin Lopez and Arron Afflalo is a great start.

    You have to be in the game to win the game, and Phil has pressed start.

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