It seems that so far everyone is denying everything, well, except for Phil Jackson who is open to coming to New York, open to returning to LA, and according to the Tuscaloosa Herald will be opening a home for wayward small forwards (his first guest will be Timmy Thomas).
After Larry Brown saw how bad the team was last week, I wouldn't think that he would be jumping at the opportunity to clean up this mess. Taking over these Knicks isn't exactly like heading to the Piston's; a team that had made the Eastern Conference Finals the season before he pulled the rug out from Rick Carlisle. Still, Larry Brown is the NBA's version of Kung Fu's Caine, roaming the open plains of the association looking for teams in trouble, and you can never count out his wanderlust.
However, if Larry leaves Motown I don't see him coming to New York. I think he would go coach the Lakers. I know that all the talk in the papers is about Phil Jackson returning to LA, hugging Kobe, tussling what's left of Mitch Kuptchek's hair, and taking back his job. I also know that few things can guarantee an event's occurrence better than the Larry Brown denial of aforementioned occurrence. Nevertheless, I really see Brown taking the Lakers position before Jackson does. Don't forget that Larry has lived in LA and been part of the city's basketball culture, having coached UCLA all the way to the NCAA championship game in 1979 (I think it was '79). Furthermore, the weather is a hell of lot nicer in LA than it is in midtown Manhattan, (since Brown grew up around here, we know that he knows that) and these sort of things matter to a guy in his late 60s who just had hip surgery.
More importantly, Jackson just left LA and wrote an entire book about how awful that last season was. Granted, Jackson seems like a megalomaniac and would probably write a trilogy of books containing his thoughts on the virtue of the double-knotting of shoelaces. Still, the mere fact that the Lakers want to bring him back does more for Jackson's cachet and reputation than anything else he could accomplish if he actually does go back. Having those guys come crawling back to him, begging his forgiveness for firing him, will do wonders for Jackson's ego. So obviously he isn't going to stop them from putting his name in the papers; each time an "unnamed source within the organization" floats his name to a reporter it gives Phil another I told ya so in the bank. Lastly, the best case scenario if Jackson goes back is that he turns the team around and in two seasons they win another title. Sounds good, right? Not really. Do you think Jackson really wants to legitimize Kobe as one of the all-time greats? Do you really think that he wants to let him within walking, or leaping, distance of the hallowed ground thus far only tread by Jackson's first love, MJ? I don't.
On the other hand, if Jackson comes to the Knicks he would actually have the chance to enhance his already mammoth reputation. The biggest knock against Jackson is that he has always coached guys who would make the First-Team All-Forever Squad; everyone (including the NY Knicker-Blogger) has at one point said something along the lines of
"Anyone could have won coaching Jordan."
or
"Hell, if I had Shaq and Kobe, I could coach that team blindfolded and high and still win at least one title."
For better or worse, the Knicks have no one on that level. This team gives Jackson a real chance to flex that brain of his that we all hear so much about. He would be able to give Bill Belichick a run for his money in the overrated, over-hyped coaching genius department. Also, coaching the Knicks would allow Jackson to take the job of his mentor and hero, Red Holzman. Jackson has long championed Holzman's place in the pantheon of greatest coaches.
Of course, coming to the Knicks carries with it the risk of sullying Jackson's pristine resume. This is a team that needs work, a lot of work, and someone as image conscious as Jackson would never let himself go out a loser. I don't know if the allure of having Holzman's job is enough to make him run the risk of it not working out on the biggest stage.
Now if we could figure out a way to trade Isiah and Bruno Sundov to the Lakers for the rights to Larry Brown's next erratic move, everyone would win, and Phil would have the time to get started on that shoelaces thing.
And onto the coaching news.....
NY Post: Knicks vs. Lakers for Phil; Post vs. News over Isiah; Vecsey
NY Newsday: Knicks over Lakers for Phil (I can't tell if it is good or bad to have Newsday agree with me)
Detroit News: Larry to stay, Isiah to LA
ESPN: Ric Bucher wants to watch while Phil and Kobe kiss
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