The New York Knicks will have a lot of questions to answer this offseason after another year in which they didn't make the playoffs. The roster certainly needs to improve, but the first thing that needs to be figured out is who the next head coach will be.
Derek Fisher was fired earlier this season, and Kurt Rambis took over as the interim head coach. Rambis stated immediately that his goal was to make the playoffs, but the Knicks have gone just 8-17 since he took over. Despite the lack of success under Rambis, he is still the guy that Phil Jackson apparently wants as his head coach moving forward because of his familiarity with him and his ability to teach the triangle.
There are many people who would be unhappy with Rambis being hired as the full-time head coach, but most importantly, among those people is Carmelo Anthony. Anthony has stated previously that he wants the Knicks to conduct a full coaching search, including outside candidates, and given Rambis' track record as a head coach, it can be assumed that Anthony does not want him in charge full-time. Anthony has said all of the right things about how Rambis should be considered, but if you read between the lines, it would seem like he wants someone else.
Not only does Anthony want the team to conduct a full search, but he also wants to have some involvement in that search.
"I think you have to have some type of input, whether it's input or dialogue, whatever word that you want to use," Anthony said. "I think you have to have that. I think at this point it needs to be some type of connection, some type of communication."
Jackson is so hell-bent on hiring someone from his school of thought that can teach that triangle that he is not viewing this situation clearly. Rambis was a disaster as the head coach in Minnesota during his two years there, and there is a reason he hasn't even been considered for another head coaching job. The majority of the people around the Knicks think that hiring Rambis would be a huge mistake, and they certainly are not wrong.
There are guys like Jeff Van Gundy, Mark Jackson and Tom Thibodeau out there, who all have had success in the NBA and have ties to the Knicks. Heck, even Patrick Ewing is more deserving of the spot because he is a Knicks legend and has served his time as an assistant coach in the league. Ewing is clearly interested in the job, and hiring him would certainly galvanize the fan base.
As for Anthony's involvement in the whole process, it would be wise for the Knicks to allow him to have some input. Anthony is the star player on the team, and they need to make sure that he is happy with their choice. The Knicks shouldn't allow Anthony to make the decision himself, but getting his blessing would likely be the best thing to do for both sides.
