Even before a startling news conference in the wake of a blowout loss to Cleveland, New York Knicks president Steve Mills had started to lay the internal groundwork for the eventual dismissal of coach David Fizdale, league sources told ESPN. Mills is selling owner James Dolan on a roster constructed to be highly competitive in the Eastern Conference, leaving Fizdale vulnerable to an ouster only weeks into the second season of a four-year contract that league sources say is worth $22 million. Mills delivered the first public salvo on shaping an organizational narrative that the Knicks' struggles aren't born of an overmatched roster, but the lack of a "consistent level of effort and execution." Rival coaches and executives see a mismatched Knicks roster slow of foot, without legitimate NBA guard play but Mills is selling Dolan on a poorly coached team that is underachieving at 2-8 to start the season, league sources said. Around Madison Square Garden and the league, the timing and tone of the news conference was met with considerable surprise and dismay -- and considered completely undermining of Fizdale. "Everyone is moving to their positions now," a league source close to management and the coaching staff told ESPN. "This is how they'll make (Fizdale) the fall guy." [...] Mills has lorded over the arrivals and departures of five Knicks coaches. His overall record as team president is 165-337, including 48-126 since taking job over from Phil Jackson in 2017. [...] Fizdale chose the Knicks over several other offers in 2018 -- including Atlanta, Charlotte and Phoenix -- under the assumption that he'd eventually coach Porzingis. Fizdale accepted responsibility for the team's struggles in his own post-game news conference on Sunday night. "I take the brunt of that responsibility because I am the head coach," Fizdale said. "I make these decisions -- what's happening on the court, what players play, who plays together, what plays we call the defensive system. That's on me."
The Knicks have long been a joke of a franchise. I mean, bidding against yourself to vastly overpay Allan Houston? And, "Don't go under the basket right now.....I did not order the Code Red." And they go through front office personnel / coaches like Trump goes through cabinet members. And since no one wants their money, or they won't spend on a hobbled superstar to sit out a year (see also Durant, Kevin) they spent it all on a pack of non-star level power forwards.
ESPN is a joke for using PPG as critieria for #1 defense. LAL are way out in lead of best defense, using DRtg (ie Pts/100) Knicks also have the lowest scoring team. I wonder why they are #1 in both. Thibs Knicks have the slowest Pace in the NBA, atm. The criticism of Thibs is he'll slow down the pace, to stop transition, but at expense of his offense. #1 defense is rated by DRtg. NYK's tied for 3rd with MEM and PHI.
This is what Thibs does. He slows everything down, forces his players to be held accountable on the defensive side and then on offense runs his offense through one guy, regardless of efficiency. The Knicks are .500% right now, lets see where the finish. We saw in Chicago that ultimately the success of him as a coach comes down to the quality of the top couple players he has. I was always curious to see how he would have done coaching a team with someone like Harden or Durant on it.
If Tibs weren't established, time machine to a cheap young coach who Tilly can afford. Imagine him being our defensive coordinator. With a 4-9, the 8-8 don't look that bad.
The Knicks could be a good trade partner for us this year. They have 15 mill in cap space, they have a couple of 1st, they have Detroit's 2nd which will be top 2, and Detroit's 2023 2nd, and a couple of young fillers who aren't getting much burn in Frank and Knox. Great landing spot for Dipo.
