Wait a second. Timeout. You mean to tell me that Phil Jackson now isn’t even going to try to lure the NBA’s top free agents to the Garden this summer?
It’s starting to sound that way. The man in charge of rebuilding the Knicks sure doesn’t come across as very optimistic that he will be able to land Marc Gasol, LeMarcus Aldridge or Kevin Love when they turn free on July 1. But to not even make a call, what’s up with waving the white flag before the game even begins?
Maybe it’s finally dawned on Jackson that New York just isn’t a very favorable destination, especially for players like Gasol, Aldridge and Love, who all would be leaving winning situations and would have to take less money to come to the Garden.
Whatever he really thinks, Jackson now is indicating to his media pals that he’s not likely to shoot for the biggest stars come July 1, the way the Knicks did in 2010 when they tried to recruit LeBron James and struck out. It’s not as if Jackson won’t have the cap space, because he could have as much as $30 million to spend and that would buy a lot of talent.
James could be free again this summer, although nobody really believes he would dare leave Cleveland, not after he made such a big deal about returning to his home turf last July. After the King, the best free agents are on the next tier (or two) down, with Gasol, Aldridge and Love all still looking to make their first trip to an NBA Finals. Love, in fact, hasn’t even been to the post-season.
Any of the three alongside Carmelo Anthony would instantly revive the Knicks. At 10-39 and with the second-worst record in the NBA, they are in dire need of CPR. Yes, they might get lucky and get a top player in the draft, but Duke’s Jahlil Okafor isn’t turning anyone’s franchise around in year one, including Jackson’s. As Jackson told the New York Times the other day, “So far, my experiment has fallen flat on its face.”
That pretty much sums it up.
Now to hear the "Zen Master of Disaster" say he’s not going after the top prizes, well, that can’t make Knicks fans very happy. Here’s his thinking:
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“You do need great players to win the championship, but having to always chase the best talent in free agency eventually becomes a mind-set of, well, the best talent wins as opposed to who plays the best team basketball — which is what San Antonio showed last season,” Jackson said. “Their play was special, a team that really values passing, a system where they’re not just standing around, spacing out shooters. That’s also what Atlanta and a couple of other teams are showing this year.’’
As long as Phil brought up the Spurs, he should remember that they became the gold standard because Tim Duncan is one of the NBA’s all-time greats and has been the common denominator to their five championship teams since 1999. But they don’t just do it with Duncan, smoke and mirrors. They’ve boasted plenty of other premier talent during their reign, including Hall of Famer David Robinson, Tony Parker, Manu Ginobili and now Kawhi Leonard, the Finals MVP from last June who outplayed James during the five-game hammering of the Heat.
As for the Hawks, they’ve been a tremendous regular-season story. It remains to be seen how much success they have once the playoffs start, when you usually need stars to win. But with the Knicks at the bottom, what fan wouldn’t sign right now for the kind of team that Atlanta has put on the court this season? They just came off a 19-game winning streak, jetting to the top of the East with the NBA’s top record, while the Knicks have won only 10 games all season. The Hawks have been doing it without an acknowledged star, but several very good players, including three players selected to the Feb. 15 All-Star Game in New York as reserves: Paul Millsap, Jeff Teague and Al Horford.
To build an Atlanta-type team, Jackson is still going to have to prove that he can go out and sign talented free agents, even if they’re not top-tier players. But he’s sending out some pretty grim signals, even before he gets started.
“We’re not going to punch all the right buttons in the process of doing this,’’ Jackson said. “But we’re looking for multiple talents, drive, intelligence, guys that will play defense. We hope to develop a team, and there are a lot of agents out there looking to find a good spot for their players.”
That’s not New York, but Knicks fans watching Jackson fall flat on his face hardly need to be reminded of that fact.
Longtime New York columnist Mitch Lawrence continues to write about pro basketball, as he’s done for the last 22 years. His columns for NBCNewYork.com on the Knicks, Brooklyn Nets and the NBA, along with other major sports, will appear twice weekly. Follow him on Twitter @Mitch _ Lawrence
