New York Knicks following familiar pattern: Fail, identify fall guy, repeat

The 21st century New York Knicks have almost exclusively been managed with the same cycle of events: Fail at another rebuild, blame someone, repeat.

For 20 years, a familiar pattern has been in place for the New York Knicks.

The fact that pattern happens to coincide with James Dolan’s tenure as owner of the iconic franchise — one of three that remains from the founding of the Basketball Association of America in 1946 — is not just coincidental.

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Under Dolan, the Knicks have repeatedly attempted to make high-profile coaching hires or front office appointments that end up going badly. At that point, the rats aboard the sinking ship scurry about to identify which one of them will ultimately take the fall this time. That person, or in some cases people, are fired or harangued into resigning.

Then the process starts all over again.

It’s a formula that has led to the Knicks having the worst winning percentage in the NBA since the 1999-2000 season, when Dolan assumed control of the franchise. Over that span, the Knicks are 674-960, a .412 winning percentage.

That includes this season’s 2-8 start, the one that prompted team president Steve Mills to drag his hand-picked general manager, Scott Perry, in front of the media room Sunday night after yet another blowout loss at home.

Already this season, the Knicks have been pounded in front of their home crowd by jugger-nots such as the Sacramento Kings (3-6) and Cleveland Cavaliers (4-5). In the wake of Mills’ unusual media availability, reports began to surface that — surprise! — the next fall guy was being moved into position on the gallows.

On Monday, Adrian Wojnarowski and Malika Andrews of ESPN were reporting that Mills was laying the groundwork for the next scapegoat, in this case coach David Fizdale.

Fizdale is in the second year of a reported four-year, $22 million contract. During that time, the Knicks are 19-73, have traded away the franchise’s best young player for a collection of questionable assets that included three players, two of whom are no longer on the roster, and signed a collection of role-playing free agents and tried to sell them as a step forward.

Under Dolan’s tenure, the Knicks have employed a dozen coaches — a high number for being early in the 21st season, even by the NBA’s standards of revolving door coaching positions.

Jeff Van Gundy decided he’d had enough in 2002. He has been followed by Don Chaney, Herb Williams, Lenny Wilkens, Larry Brown, Isiah Thomas, Mike D’Antoni, Mike Woodson, Derek Fisher, Kurt Rambis, Jeff Hornacek and, most recently, Fizdale.

But that same door has spun wildly in the executive suites as well. Scott Layden was hired in August 1999 to run the basketball side of things. Thomas got 4½ years from December 2003 to April 2008. Donnie Walsh, noted for making the Indiana Pacers relevant, lasted three years. Glen Grunwald made it just more than two. Phil Jackson had a colorful three-year run.

Mills became interim GM for the second time when Jackson stepped down and is the primary personnel guy, even with Scott Perry holding the general manager title.

Fizdale is doing some questionable things as head coach: playing RJ Barrett perhaps too much, not playing Frank Ntilikina enough, overseeing what appears to be a clear regression by Mitchell Robinson chief among them. But then again, Fizdale took the job under the premise he’d eventually have Kristaps Porzingis, who was traded before he ever played a game for the coach.

But Mills is the guy who sold fans on a Kevin Durant–Kyrie Irving tandem and wound up with the power forward firm of (Marcus) Morris, (Bobby) Portis, (Taj) Gibson and (Julius) Randle.

Mills has also done things such as banning New York Daily News reporter Stefan Bondy from conference calls and press conferences, likely on orders from Dolan — annoyed that the Daily News had the unmitigated gall to encourage Dolan to sell the franchise to an owner that might actually prove competent for the task.

Of course, on a very Knicks-heavy NBA news cycle Monday, The Athletic’s Frank Isola reported Dolan is plotting to make another run (subscription required) at Toronto Raptors executive Masai Ujiri, who — unlike every executive in the Dolan era — has actually built a championship roster.

After the ESPN report Monday, Sports New York’s Ian Begley reported that sources inside the organization had been telling him as recently as late last week there was nothing imminent regarding a coaching change … but that nothing had been ruled out either.

The Knicks have historically had long periods during which they have struggled. From 1960-66 — at a time when almost every team in the league made the playoffs — New York managed to miss seven straight postseason parties and have finished below .500 in 38 of their 73 seasons overall.

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But there have also been periods when the Knicks were among the NBA’s elite. New York reached three straight NBA Finals in the early 1950s (losing each time), won two titles during a run of six straight division or conference finals appearances from 1969-74 and made 14 consecutive playoff trips — including two NBA Finals bids — from 1988-2001.

But since Van Gundy resigned in 2002, the Knicks have made just four playoff appearances. A quick sweep at the hands of the then-New Jersey Nets in 2004 and three straight berths from 2011-13 under D’Antoni and Woodson that resulted in one series win and two first-round exits.

Since then, the Knicks have been in the postseason conversation just once, when they finished 37-45 and missed the playoffs by one game in 2013-14. New York hasn’t finished higher than 11th in the East since.

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So while David Fizdale might be the next guy to take the fall in Manhattan, the franchise’s pattern of failed decisions goes much deeper than that.

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