On the heels of their Game Six elimination from the Eastern Conference semifinals last night to the Indiana Pacers, it will be interesting to hear all the pundits talk about what the New York Knicks will do going forward. The Knicks are in a unique position as they advances farther than they have in a dozen years this year, yet, didn’t go as deep as many, including perhaps themselves, thought they would.
The Knicks were seeded #2 in the East, which meant that if they held serve on their home floor they go all the way to the conference finals. But, they lost Game One of the semifinals to the Pacers at home, and they never got that game back. In Game Six, the game was tied 81-81 entering the fourth period and the Knicks later held a 92-90 lead. But the Pacers went on a 9-0 run to take over and advance to face the Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference Finals.
So some questions that will need to be answered in the near future:
Is coach Mike Woodson on the “hot seat?” Most would think that taking the Knicks farther than they’ve been in years would be good enough to get him another year. But this is New York. Expectations are always through the roof in the Big Apple.
If Woodson is on the way out, who do the Knicks go after? The Knicks job is one of basketball’s highest profile jobs. One would think that it may be a job that would intrigue Phil Jackson. Jackson played for the Knicks. It is a job that keeps a coach at the top of the headlines. Jackson has been highly successful in two large markets in Chicago and Los Angeles. Might he consider trying to conquer New York?
Another high profile coach who may think about going to New York could be John Calipari. Calipari has it made right now with the Kentucky Wildcats. But the Knicks might be a job that could lure him away, much like the Boston Celtics lured another highly successful Kentucky coach, Rick Pitino.
How about Jackson as the General Manager and Calipari as the head coach? That would be an interesting combination.
How about the roster? Do they keep Amare Stoudamire? They didn’t get a whole lot from him this season. What about Jason Kidd? He certainly is not getting any younger. In Carmelo Anthony, the Knicks already have one of the game’s biggest stars. But, as Kevin Durant or James Harden can tell him, it takes more than one to compete for the championship.
A team is probably better off not having any than having one top superstar. The Pacers don’t have one. So they all must contribute. Teams with one tend to wait for him to take over.
The Knicks could just stand pat and hope Stoudamire can come back healthy next year. If he gets back to his old form, he makes two top stars on the Knicks, and they perhaps get a bit further. That is certainly possible.
Whatever the Knicks do, they better hope it doesn’t backfire, because the New York media loves to second guess. So in the off-season, keep your eyes on the Knicks.
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