Phil Jackson: I Knew It Was Going to Be a Challenge

When Phil Jackson took over as team president for the New York Knicks, the hype machine ran as rampant as ever before. The 13-time NBA champion won 11 titles as a coach and two as a player, which created reasonable expectations of glory.

Unfortunately, Jackson’s first season at the helm ended with the Knicks going 17-65.

Thus, despite the Knicks’ well-documented intention to rebuild from the ground up, Jackson has come under fire. Some have questioned his prowess as a front office decision-maker, while others have called his tactics dated.

That includes a consistent questioning of the Triangle Offense.

In a recent conversation with Scott Cacciola of The New York Times, Jackson made one thing clear: despite the disarray and commotion, Jackson has no regrets about taking the job as team president of the Knicks.

"Q. You came to the Knicks a little over a year ago. Knowing what you know now, would you have still taken the job?JACKSON Without a doubt. I knew it was going to be a challenge. We just didn’t have any room to work last year. We knew that we were going to have to make big changes with the limitations that we had, being in a locked-in situation as far as the salary cap goes. That’s why when I said recently that I didn’t know why I wasn’t given some votes for executive of the year, I wasn’t kidding. I was really serious. We had a yeoman’s job of having to get rid of a lot of fat on our roster to get to where we are. I saw Mitch Kupchak got a vote, so I know some people valued what the Lakers were doing obviously."

While asking for Executive of the Year votes may be a stretch, Jackson’s right: he created cap space. That’s big.

For all of the flack that he’s encountered, Jackson’s never once strayed away from his vision.

Jackson has done the unthinkable, trading the unfavorable contracts belonging to Tyson Chandler, Raymond Felton and J.R. Smith. Not every move was perfect, but all things considered, he’s put the Knicks in a better position than they were in before.

17-65 isn’t pretty, but narrowly missing the playoffs and having a late-lottery pick with limited upside is hard to call a better situation than owning a Top 5 pick.

Now in possession of significant cap space and the previously alluded to Top 5 selection in the 2015 NBA Draft, Jackson’s true test will begin. The way he uses the draft and free agency will determine the success or failure of his New York tenure.

With six-time All-NBA small forward Carmelo Anthony already locked up, the Knicks are better off than most teams that are still looking for a go-to scorer.

Whether or not the Knicks execute an instant push for championship gold, they promise to be better than 17-65 in 2015-16. At least one high-profile free agent is expected to arrive.

Perhaps more significantly, the Top 5 prospects in the 2015 NBA Draft—Emmanuel Mudiay, Jahlil Okafor, Kristaps Porzingis, D’Angelo Russell and Karl-Anthony Towns in alphabetical order—all possess significant upside.

The question is, will the few Knicks fans who have shown patience be rewarded for their faith?

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