Mike Budenholzer is the obvious choice for the New York Knicks. Here are five reasons for New York to end the coaching search and hire him while it can.
The New York Knicks have now interviewed 10 known candidates for the vacancy at head coach. It’s a wonderfully thorough process that’s enabling the front office to search for diamonds in the rough and explore every possibility.
With all due respect to the other candidates, however, it’s time to end the search and hire Mike Budenholzer as the next head coach of the Knicks.
There’s nothing wrong with a front office doing its due diligence. In fact, it’s progress for a Knicks franchise that’s been known to see the first shiny toy on the market and invest all of its money in securing it before anyone else.
Having done their jobs as executives, however, it’s time that general manager Scott Perry and president Steve Mills make the obvious choice.
Some have questioned why Budenholzer is being held in such high regard. He’s one of the top 10 coaches in the NBA, however, and is now a realistic option for a Knicks franchise that desperately needs stability on the sidelines.
The question is: Why should the New York Knicks end the coaching search and hire Mike Budenholzer to fill the vacancy at head coach?
5. No Trade Necessary
The previous holdup when discussing a potential decision to hire Mike Budenholzer was the need to provide compensation. Paying Budenholzer was inevitable, but he was still under contract with the Atlanta Hawks, meaning the New York Knicks would’ve had to execute a trade.
Budenholzer has since parted ways with the Hawks, which means the Knicks will no longer have to offer anything but money for his services.
When Budenholzer was still under contract with the Hawks, the organization would have had the right to overrule an attempted hiring. Atlanta granted New York permission to meet with Budenholzer, which indicated that it was willing to turn over a new leaf.
In order to do so, however, many speculated that the Hawks would request a package centered around draft picks—assets that the Knicks couldn’t afford to part with.
Due to the fact that Budenholzer is no longer employed by the Hawks, the Knicks can move forward without offering additional compensation. Considering he’s made it clear that he wants to coach New York, the path is as clear as ever.
The only question at this point is if the organization believes it can work with Budenholzer to return the Knicks to prominence.
4. Kristaps Porzingis Needs Help
The Atlanta Hawks were inconsistent on the offensive end of the floor under head coach Mike Budenholzer. The Hawks were also team that lacked a single reliable scoring option as far as creating in isolation against a set defense was concerned.
For a New York Knicks franchise that desperately needs to help Kristaps Porzingis, however, adding a coach of Budenholzer’s offensive prowess would be the wisest decision.
Solidifying the defense is the primary goal, but the Knicks need to ensure that Porzingis doesn’t have to work so hard for every shot. I understand he’s 7’3″ and can shoot over just about anyone, but asking him to consistently create in isolation isn’t conducive to team success.
With Budenholzer, the Knicks would have a coach who would emphasize ball and player movement, and rely on isolation only when he has to.
Budenholzer’s Hawks ranked No. 2 in the NBA in passes made in 2017-18, and ranked in the top 10 in each of his five seasons. It’s not just a matter of making the pass that leads to the assist, but passing until someone is open.
The Knicks haven’t struggle to move the ball, but they have failed to move without it. Budenholzer would change that and make Porzingis’ job significantly easier.
3. Knicks Need A Winner
It would be delightful to say that the New York Knicks can hire an unproven head coach who can grow with this young team. It would also be delightful to say that the Knicks don’t have a fractured culture that existed well before Phil Jackson took office.
What the Knicks need more than anything at head coach, however, is a leader who can develop the future, hold players accountable, and win—and Budenholzer checks all three boxes.
There are other coaches who could fit the bill, but Budenholzer has proven that he’s unequivocally capable of defining roles and winning at a high level. Despite leading a Hawks team that never had a player who could consistently create in isolation, Budenholzer has a compelling résumé.
In addition to winning four championships as an assistant coach with the San Antonio Spurs, Budenholzer led Atlanta to overachieving success.
The Hawks made the playoffs in each of Budenholzer’s first four seasons as head coach. That includes 2014-15, when Atlanta set a franchise record for wins, won its first division title since 1993-94, and reached the Conference Finals for the first time since 1969-70.
Throw in the fact that Atlanta was still praised for playing hard and as a team during the tank job that was 2017-18, and Budenholzer is a winner.
2. The Risk Involved
The New York Knicks are doing the right thing by exploring every possibility at head coach. The assumption that a coach is willing to wait for the job to become theirs while other openings are surfacing as options, however, is a dangerous one to make.
Simply put: The longer the Knicks wait to hire their next head coach, the more likely it is that Mike Budenholzer will be hired by another franchise.
Budenholzer already passed on the Phoenix Suns job, which cuts the list down by a considerable measure. Phoenix is only one franchise, but it’s also an organization that has a rising star in Devin Booker and the best lottery odds of any team in the 2018 NBA Draft.
The fact that Budenholzer passed on the Phoenix job and covets the opportunity in New York speaks volumes about the interest he has in this project.
True as that may be, there are other openings around the NBA and growing possibilities that Budenholzer will be hired elsewhere. No team appears to be more of a threat than the Milwaukee Bucks, which have a riveting roster that features Giannis Antetokounmpo and Khris Middleton.
Rushing the process for the sake of one candidate wouldn’t be wise, I agree, but Budenholzer is the right coach for the job. Waiting could cost New York this opportunity.
1. Changing The (Dolan) Culture
As previously alluded to, the New York Knicks have a fractured culture. Since James Dolan took over as owner, the Knicks have abandoned the defensive mentality that led to resounding success in favor of a flashier approach that often leads to investing in offensive-minded stars.
If the Knicks are going to win at a home venue that always seems to bring the best out of star-caliber opponents, then defense must be the focus.
Mike Budenholzer has proven that his defensive philosophies translate well to the modern NBA. Atlanta ranked No. 14 in the NBA in defensive efficiency during Budenholzer’s first season at the helm—an impressive feat considering Al Horford missed 53 games.
From there, Atlanta ranked No. 7 in defensive efficiency in 2014-15, No. 2 in 2015-16, and No. 4 in 2016-17—the pre-tank seasons.
Having proven that he can design an elite team defense, the Knicks should be champing at the bit to see what Budenholzer can do with Kristaps Porzingis in the paint. He’s never had a rim protector like Porzingis, nor an on-ball or pick and roll defender like Frank Ntilikina.
Thus, when one evaluates the Knicks’ desperate need to improve on defense, it’s hard to look at Budenholzer as anything but an overqualified candidate.
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The question is: Will the New York Knicks actually end the coaching search and hire the obvious choice?