Far from returning the team to its funkadelic glory days, Jackson has heightened doubts about whether the Knicks can live up to their billing as a signature franchise. The team he has assembled/dissembled is now a collection of journeymen, faded veterans, and overmatched role players. In their most recent game (a loss to Phoenix), the Knicks staring lineup was:
Lou Amundson, PF
Lance Thomas, SF
Andrea Bargnani, C
Alexey Shved, SG
Langston Galloway, PG
No wonder the locals have soured on him.
Jackson has used his first year to add by subtraction. So far, his path to improvement has been dumping the expensive core of last year's low-upside team. Tyson Chandler, J.R. Smith, Amare Stoudemire, and Raymond Felton are all gone. However, the biggest missing piece from last year's team has importance beyond cap space and 2nd round picks. It's been a whole year, but few have noticed that owner James Dolan is finally marginalized.
Phil Jackson's decisions to date have been prudent and future-minded. He has shed expensive contracts, and extended the one player (Carmelo Anthony) who, despite his flaws, is almost impossible to replace. The team is bad now, but Jackson is keeping his powder dry for better days.
Were James Dolan in charge, none of this would be happening. Rather than cutting losses, he would be doubling-down on mediocrity. This is the man who spent five years enabling Isiah Thomas.
Instead of managing the team, Dolan has time for other pursuits. Angry email exchanges with fans are a P.R. disaster, but they belie an owner with nothing better to do. Dolan's public reputation may be beyond salvage, but the team is not.
The more time J.D. spends Straight Shootin'
The less time he has for an encore of the Andrea Bargnani trade.
In this way, Phil Jackson's first year has been successful. As a coach he became the Zen Master for his ability to harness unmanageable egos. As a GM, he hasn't lost that touch. In 15 years, every serious basketball mind at Madison Square Garden has been undermined by ownership. Phil Jackson has flipped that dynamic, and so laid the groundwork for future success.
