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New York Knicks doing due diligence in coaching search

By Daniel Lubofsky

ERIE, PA - MARCH 31: Erie Bayhawks Head Coach Jay Larranga draws up at a time-out during a NBA D-League game against the Fort Wayne Mad Ants on March 31, 2012 at the Tullio Arena in Erie, Pennsylvania. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images Liscense Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2012 NBAE (Photo by Robert Frank/NBAE via Getty Images)
ERIE, PA - MARCH 31: Erie Bayhawks Head Coach Jay Larranga draws up at a time-out during a NBA D-League game against the Fort Wayne Mad Ants on March 31, 2012 at the Tullio Arena in Erie, Pennsylvania. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images Liscense Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2012 NBAE (Photo by Robert Frank/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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With nine candidates linked to the job, it’s clear the New York Knicks are looking far and wide in search for their head coach of the future.

After firing Jeff Hornacek mere minutes after the dreadful 2017-18 season came to an end, the New York Knicks’ front office duo of Scott Perry and Steve Mills set themselves up for a spring filled with coaching resumes and interviews.

While other teams developed strategies for their playoff foes, the Knicks prepared for the future.

Since that mid-April night, many names have been churned through the rumor mill for the Knicks’ head coach position, including a rival team’s lead assistant, former head coaches, and a television analyst, just to describe a few.

As a franchise that’s become synonymous with the infamous headline hiring, opting for style over substance, it’s impressive to see the Knicks expand their search far and wide to find the coach to usher in this new era of basketball.

We’ve seen in years past New York lag behind in the progress department, bringing in both players and personnel that don’t fit recent NBA trends.

However, since Phil Jackson was let go last June, the front office has done everything they can to modernize their approach to bringing a championship back to the Big Apple.

Drafting Frank Ntilikina to have an elite pick-and-roll defender, and bringing in Tim Hardaway Jr. to get younger and faster and experimenting with dual point-guard line-ups are all signs that the Knicks have become forward thinkers for the first time in a long time.

With the need for a head coach that can develop the young core the team has acquired over the last few seasons, both Mills and Perry aren’t going the traditional route of hiring the best coach on the market.

They appear to be more concerned about fit, even if it means searching in some less than glamorous places.

Interviewing an NBA analyst like Kenny Smith may seem laughable to some, but for others, it shows a willingness by the Knicks to explore this coaching search from every possible angle.

After years of trying to take every short-cut imaginable, New York’s front office is finally putting in the time that it takes to build from the ground up.

Must Read: Who are the greatest coaches in New York Knicks history?

No matter what outcome that produces, that’s all New York Knicks fans have ever wanted.

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