New York Knicks Negotiating To Add Kurt Rambis To Coaching Staff
The New York Knicks are in negotiations to add Kurt Rambis to Jeff Hornacek’s coaching staff. Hornacek is pushing for the deal to get done.
A vast majority of the basketball community expected the New York Knicks to hire Kurt Rambis as head coach. Team president Phil Jackson followed a different route, instead hiring Jeff Hornacek to fill the position.
Hornacek may be the man in charge, but Rambis isn’t being cast aside as a non-factor entering 2016-17.
Jackson has granted Hornacek full control in the search for his assistant coaches. That’s a significant measure of power, and a sign of just how much trust there is between coach and executive.
According to Ian Begley of ESPN New York, Rambis is one of Hornacek’s top choices to join the coaching staff.
"The New York Knicks are in negotiations with Kurt Rambis on a new contract for a position on Jeff Hornacek’s coaching staff, league sources told ESPN.Hornacek has signed off on adding Rambis to his staff, sources say, and while Rambis still had one year remaining on his current contract, the sides decided to negotiate a new deal."
That’s a strong move that creates reason for optimism.
Say what you will about Rambis’ tenure as a head coach, but he’s one of the more respected assistants in the NBA. He was an assistant coach for the Lakers from 1994 to 1999, 2001 to 2004, 2005 to 2009, and 2013 to 2014.
During those tenures, the Lakers won two championships and made four NBA Finals appearances.
Before he was a coach, Rambis won four NBA championships as a key role player on the Showtime Lakers. Rambis also played for the Phoenix Suns from 1989 to 1991.
One of Rambis’ teammates during that two-season stretch: Jeff Hornacek.
Thus, while some may be quick to jump the gun and suggest that Jackson’s fingerprints are all over this hiring, they may not be. Hornacek and Rambis became close as teammates, and the former clearly respects the latter.
Thus, while the pessimistic stance would be that Jackson is forcing Rambis upon Hornacek, that isn’t the case. Per Begley, Hornacek is the one who encouraging the hire.
"Sources say Hornacek ultimately made the decision to hire Rambis. “Nothing is being forced down Jeff’s neck,” one source with knowledge of the dynamic said, in reference to the idea that team president Phil Jackson would force Hornacek to hire Rambis.Sources told ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne that Hornacek had initially discussed the job with Rambis a few weeks ago, but Rambis did not immediately accept, telling Hornacek he should take time to really think through his staff and what he needed before making this decision."
In other words, Hornacek is as certain about this hiring as anyone in the organization possibly could be.
Hornacek publicly stated that he plans to utilize elements of the Triangle Offense in his system. He will push the tempo and embrace the need to shoot more 3-point field goals, but the Triangle Offense will not be scrapped in its entirety.
Rambis is as much of an authority as any on how to properly execute it, which makes him an ideal addition to Hornacek’s coaching staff.
It’s also worth noting that, generally speaking, the Knicks’ players got along with Rambis in 2015-16. Robin Lopez played much better when Rambis took over as interim head coach, and both Carmelo Anthony and Kristaps Porzingis appear to have mutual respect with Rambo.
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Perhaps most importantly, it’s Hornacek, and not Jackson, who believes that Rambis can help the coaching staff.