New York Knicks: 5 Long-Term Replacements For Derek Fisher

Honorable Mentions

Mark Jackson — Sooner or later, former Knicks point guard Mark Jackson will get a second chance somewhere. For all the discomfort with his preacher man coaching style and his embattled personality, Jackson helped re-establish a winning culture and a top-10 defense with Golden State. Unfortunately, for an organization as dysfunctional as the Knicks, bringing in a coach notorious for clashing with the front office might not be the best path to take.

Vinny Del Negro — No. Just…no.

Brian Shaw — Would the Knicks rather have another Phil Jackson crony to run the Triangle and simply follow orders, or do they want a legitimately good coach? That’s the question they’d need to ask if they really are entertaining the thought of Brian Shaw, who posted a 56-85 record (.397) as a head coach, failed to relate to his players and rapidly wore out his welcome in Denver.

Jeff Hornacek — According to Howard Beck of Bleacher Report, former Phoenix Suns head coach Jeff Hornacek could be another option for the Knicks given his rapport with Jackson. This one would be surprising given the way he flamed out in Phoenix, even if he was only a small part of the team’s many problems.

David Blatt — David Blatt is a better coach than he’s given credit for, and his sudden firing from the Cleveland Cavaliers could prove to be a stroke of good fortune for some other team down the line. But at this point, I’d be highly surprised if Jackson entertained the thought of hiring someone whose coaching experience mostly comes from overseas.

Jeff Van Gundy — Jeff Van Gundy would be an excellent replacement for Fisher, especially since he’s been successful as the Knicks’ head coach in the past, posting a 248-172 record (.590) from 1995-02. But JVG wants general manager powers much like his brother Stan Van Gundy has in Detroit, which makes this pairing highly unlikely unless Jackson wants out.

Next: No. 5