The New York Knicks have interviewed 10 candidates for the vacancy at head coach. Of the rumored options, who should New York be considering?
The New York Knicks appear to be in good hands with general manager Scott Perry and team president Steve Mills. Rather than committing to the first appealing possibility that comes their way, the Knicks have instead explored every avenue to success.
As the list of interviewed candidates increases to double digits, however, it’s important to maintain a sense of perspective.
The Knicks have interviewed 10 candidates since parting ways with previous head coach Jeff Hornacek. That list consists of David Blatt, James Borrego, Mike Budenholzer, David Fizdale, Juwan Howard, Mark Jackson, Jay Larrañaga, Kenny Smith, Jerry Stackhouse, and Mike Woodson.
That’s an admittedly overwhelming list of coaches and candidates, all of whom have redeeming qualities that should appeal to the Knicks.
With the arrival of the month of May, however, has come an increased measure of pressure. The organization desperately needs to bring a new voice into the locker room and is risking the possibility of missing out on its most coveted options by delaying a potential hire.
The question is: Who are the top five coaching candidates for the New York Knicks and what would they bring to the table as head coach?
Honorable Mentions
James Borrego
- At 40 years of age, James Borrego already has eight years of NBA experience as a coach. He’s been an assistant under Gregg Popovich and Monty Williams, as well as Jacque Vaughn. Borrego is a raw candidate, but he has significant two-way potential.
Juwan Howard
- A 19-year veteran as a player and a five-year assistant coach with the Miami Heat, Juwan Howard has been building towards this opportunity. He’s 45 years of age and has long been regarded as a student of the game. Howard’s primary strength: Connecting with players.
Jay Larrañaga
- Jay Larrañaga is the son of successful collegiate head coach Jim Larrañaga. More importantly, he’s an experienced coach who has held positions in both Europe and the NBA. He’s spent the past six seasons with the Boston Celtics as a creative offensive mind and a tough competitor on defense.
Kenny Smith
- Kenny Smith has no previous coaching experience, but he’s a two-time NBA champion who played for respected coaches and with superstar players. He also has nearly two decades in the Inside the NBA booth, which he believes can help him transition to the Association.
Mike Woodson
- If anyone can return the New York Knicks to relevance, it might be the coach who last had them in said position. Mike Woodson took the Mike D’Antoni Knicks that lacked an identity and helped them achieve resurgent success. Could he do it again?
5. Mark Jackson
There’s a legion of New York Knicks fans who firmly believe that Mark Jackson can turn the organization around. There’s an equally as massive subset of Knicks supporters who are of the belief that Jackson shouldn’t even be considered.
I lean further towards the latter than the former, but I’d be lying if I were to say that Jackson doesn’t offer some reasons to believe he could be the right fit.
Jackson played point guard for the Knicks in the late 80s, early 90s, and early 2000s. He also proved his coaching chops with the Golden State Warriors, ending a five-year postseason drought—an equal number to New York’s current stretch of inferiority.
Jackson achieved that success by establishing the Warriors as one of the most dominant defensive teams in the NBA.
With Kristaps Porzingis in the paint, Jackson would have a chance to build a similarly proficient defense in 2018-19 and beyond. With Frank Ntilikina at guard, the Knicks would be able to provide him with an even greater opportunity to solidify the unit.
There questions pertaining to his willingness to lead a culture of inclusiveness and open-mindedness, but it’s objectively true that the Knicks have reasons for intrigue.
4. David Fizdale
David Fizdale thrived as head coach of the Memphis Grizzlies and as an assistant coach for three different franchises. That includes the Miami Heat, with which he won two championships and developed a reputation as a player’s coach.
Fizdale’s tenure with the Grizzlies came to an unceremonious end, but he remains one of the most coveted coaching candidates in the NBA.
Fizdale led the Grizzlies to the playoffs in 2016-17, compiling a 43-39 record in a brutal Western Conference. It was an especially impressive feat when one considers that Mike Conley missed 13 games due to injury, Tony Allen was out for 11, and Chandler Parsons severely underachieved.
Fizdale’s fractured relationship with Marc Gasol proved to be his undoing, but it didn’t take long for those around the NBA to come to his defense.
As for what Fizdale would bring to New York, it’s a combination of value on the court and appeal off of it. He’s invested on defense and creative on offense, and has a good relationship with a number of high-profile—and influential—players.
Fizdale may not be one of the top three candidates for the job, but if the Knicks decide to hire him, it would be an easily acceptable decision.
3. David Blatt
New York Knicks fans have already turned on David Blatt and he hasn’t even been hired—yet? Due to the fact that he has a personal friendship with both Steve Mills and Craig Robinson, some are of the belief that he’s only in the running for the head coach position because of nepotism.
What shouldn’t be overlooked about Blatt, however, is the fact that he’s a more than qualified candidate—no matter who he does or doesn’t know.
Blatt runs a system that’s as much about communication and trust as it is skill and athleticism. He’s modernized the Princeton Offense and specializes in creating efficient scoring and playmaking opportunities for his big men.
For Kristaps Porzingis and whichever big is placed alongside him, playing for Blatt should lead to intriguing results as far as both volume and efficiency are concerned.
Defensively, Blatt will stay on his players and isn’t afraid to bench those who refuse to commit. The evidence of his effectiveness is that the Cleveland Cavaliers allowed 99.7 points per 100 possessions in 41 games with Blatt and 104.8 in 41 games without him in 2015-16.
Throw in the fact that Blatt has been stacking championships in Europe and he’s an ideal fit for a Knicks team with Porzingis and Frank Ntilikina.
2. Jerry Stackhouse
The New York Knicks need a coach who can connect with the players, emphasize intensity on defense, and encourage ball movement on offense. One could argue that every player on this list fits the bill, but it’s Jerry Stackhouse who may have the highest ceiling of all.
Stackhouse is still just 43 years of age, but he’s already established himself as one of the most coveted coaches in the NBA.
All things considered, Stackhouse is still a prospect of a head coach—an elite one who deserves consideration. He was an assistant coach with the Toronto Raptors in 2015-16 and took over as head coach of Raptors 905 of the NBA G League in 2016.
The two-time All-Star achieved resounding success as a head coach in the NBA G League, even winning the 2017 Coach of the Year award.
Stackhouse led Raptors 905 to the 2017 G League championship and returned the team to the Finals in 2018. He led Raptors 905 to No. 1 rankings in defensive efficiency and top 10 marks in assist ratio in each of his two seasons at the helm.
If the Knicks are looking for a young coach who can connect with players, establish an elite defense, and emphasize ball movement on offense, Stackhouse would fit the bill.
1. Mike Budenholzer
The New York Knicks need a head coach who can develop the young talent on the roster and establish a defensive-minded culture. The Knicks also require the presence of a sideline general who can simplify the game for Kristaps Porzingis on offense and win in the postseason.
It’s optimistic to make the case that there’s anyone who can check every one of those boxes, but Mike Budenholzer seems to unequivocally do so.
Budenholzer is just five years older than Stackhouse, but he has more than 20 years in the NBA coaching world. He spent 17 seasons as Gregg Popovich’s most trusted assistant coach with the San Antonio Spurs, winning four championships.
Budenholzer also held the position of head coach of the Atlanta Hawks for five seasons, making four postseason appearances and producing the best regular season in franchise history.
Atlanta’s 60 wins in 2014-15 were its most ever, and its 2015 Eastern Conference Finals appearance was its first since 1970. Beyond the wins and losses, he developed talent at all five positions and created one of the most respected systems in the Association.
The Hawks ranked in the top 10 defensive efficiency in four of his five seasons, ran a beautiful motion offense, and overachieved as far as roster talent was concerned.
Must Read: Five reasons to end the search and hire Mike Budenholzer
If the New York Knicks are going to make the most of this opportunity to hire a new head coach, then Mike Budenholzer would be the most ideal candidate to bring in.