Hoops Habit
Fansided

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

By Gerald Bourguet

Jan 23, 2016; Charlotte, NC, USA; New York Knicks head coach Derek Fisher during the second half of the game against the Charlotte Hornets at Time Warner Cable Arena. Hornets win 97-84. Mandatory Credit: Sam Sharpe-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 23, 2016; Charlotte, NC, USA; New York Knicks head coach Derek Fisher during the second half of the game against the Charlotte Hornets at Time Warner Cable Arena. Hornets win 97-84. Mandatory Credit: Sam Sharpe-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
6 of 7
Next
New York Knicks
January 11, 2016; Oakland, CA, USA; Golden State Warriors interim head coach Luke Walton instructs during the fourth quarter against the Miami Heat at Oracle Arena. The Warriors defeated the Heat 111-103. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports /

2. Luke Walton

Out of all the head coaching candidates to stem from the Phil Jackson tree, Luke Walton makes the most sense. If he had been credited with the wins he earned in Steve Kerr‘s absence, Walton would be the winningest coach in NBA history at 39-4 (.907).

However, it’s worth mentioning that Walton will be a hot commodity on the head coaching market this summer, and even the allure of working under his former mentor might not be enough if he doesn’t view the Knicks as an attractive situation. Walton may have his pick of the field, after all.

There’s another problem the Knicks should consider as well: At this point, we don’t really know how good a head coach Luke Walton is. He was extremely successful filling in for Kerr, but these Golden State Warriors may go down as one of the greatest teams in NBA history. Walton made the adjustments he needed to make and kept the Dubs running smoothly, but this well-oiled machine may have been just deadly no matter who was in charge.

Would the things Walton has learned about the direction the NBA is headed clash with Jackson’s devotion to the Triangle? Would Walton be able to get the locker room to buy in the way that the Warriors’ locker room automatically did? These are the questions the Knicks would need to ponder before committing to Jackson’s most hotly sought-after disciple.

Next: No. 1

Home/New York Knicks