First of all, I for one am sorry to see Hornacek go. I think he did treat players fairly for the most part. Maybe there some entitlement in there in the rift with Noah. X's and O's he did a decent job I think, especially this season. Players did have a hard time "listening" to him, and I think that was his downfall ultimately...that he's not relatable.
Now, moving on to the coaching search...personally, I don't think ANY of the coaching candidates mentioned in the papers are going to be picked.
#1 reason for this: Patience was the biggest keyword in the conversation with media from both Perry and Mills. Any head coach that has established himself in the NBA is not going to be given that kind of rope.
#2 reason for this: Doc Rivers hasn't won anything in the league since Boston's last championship, Mark Jackson's homophobia has no place in today's NBA and he's also not known as an X's and O's guy. Fizdale...I don't think he's ready for NYC. For the other candidates mentioned in the papers, I don't think they're ready for NYC either. They're either college coaches who must make their mark since they are already head coaches or...they are candidates that are just not intriguing.
The only name already mentioned in the papers that is intriguing to me is Jerry Stackhouse. I do think that the next coach of the Knicks will be African American. It would make the Knicks the only NBA Team completely managed by a front office led by Black men. The good optics of that as well as how that plays into enticing players to come play for the Knicks in a league where star players constantly talk about the need for being understood by society, this would be a big plus for the Knicks.
I honestly don't see another White coach coming to the Knicks this go around. Perry and Mills started a good repair of the Knicks' image after Phil was completely unrelatable. They need to jumpstart the franchise's head office relatability by hiring a Black coach.
Also, since patience is key, I honestly do not see a Head Coach of another franchise being brought in...but probably one of the assistant coaches instead.
Case for Jerry Stackhouse
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1. Assistant coach for 3 years, therefore raw and easier to mold by the front office
2. Grateful for the opportunity if it knocks
3. Only 3 years of coaching experience, therefore patience already awarded
4. Has helped coach the dynamic Lowry Derozan duo, therefore could help Burke, Frank, Dotson, Hardaway
5. Young enough to be relatable by the players on the team.
Case for Lloyd Pierce
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1. 76ers assistant coach so he obviously knows what a rebuild looks like and has the temperament for it
2. Knows a thing or two about patience himself and can be in it for the long haul
3. Very very relatable and knows star players around the league
4. Seems cerebral and thoughtful on the sidelines as opposed to winging it (hopefully that translates to some good X's and O's)
Case for Juwan Howard
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1. After what the Heat went through in terms of roster churn, the fact that this coaching staff still managed to pull together a playoff spot is a testament to their excellence
2. Miami Heat roster is full of young players, if there's anything the coaching staff on this team is...it's relatable
3. Even as a player, he was very even keeled and you could see head coaching in his future
4. The Michigan connection means that Burke and Hardaway at least would bond quickly with the coach, as long as he's still holding players equally accountable
5. Good communicator with players and front office, also a professional attitude, he gives the impression of having the ability of maximizing a player's talent
6. Young in his assistant coaching career of 5 years and therefore still moldable
Case for Ime Udoka
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1. Spurs assistant coach, what else is there to say?
2. With Kawhi on the outs, hiring him could mean a potential signing of Kawhi with the Knicks
3. If you are a coach for the Spurs, you are organized for sure, but he has the reputation of being a good communicator too
4. Considering his name has already surfaced in past years, he definitely would be interviewed.
5. How relatable, I don't know...but his youth combined with Spurs experience would mean that he brings pedigree AND would still be given enough rope.
Case for Sam Cassell
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1. Very smart player, knows X's and O's, was always a voice on the court
2. Even as an assistant coach, he's talking to players constantly during timeouts
3. Hard worker, grinder and would instill that "dog" mentality into his team
4. Knows when to joke it up and when to be serious, young players can relate to that balance.
Case for Nick Van Exel
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1. Very similar to Sam Cassell in terms of basketball smarts
2. Grateful for the opportunity if it knocks, he'd never be the type to be considered a head coach
3. Unassuming, serious, and here's an interesting link to his mindset
https://www.commercialappeal.com/story/s...
4. He'd definitely get enough rope from front office and patience to develop his "brand" of basketball.
5. Knows how to relate to players and front office both
Long shot case for Jarrett Jack
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1. Everyone already thinks Head Coaching is in his career, why not let him start now?
2. Patience = losing the next few years. He'd probably sign for a cheap contract too.
3. Relatibility to the max...he's already a player on the team.
4. On the surface, this reeks of front office not having a plan, but he's got the voice to be influential with each player on the team
5. X's and O's will come in time.
6. Cinderella story on career resurrection?
