New York Knicks President Phil Jackson says his priority is on free agency, not the NBA draft. He couldn’t be more wrong
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Phil Jackson stripped down the New York Knicks roster in order to tank for a top pick in this year’s NBA draft, no matter what anyone in the organization says. Seems like the perfect plan in order to begin their rebuilding process through the draft, right?
Wrong.
According to Jackson, his priority in the Knicks’ rebuild process is free agency, not the upcoming draft. Mind you, this is a draft in which the Knicks will probably have a top-5 pick — still not good enough to warrant any of Jackson’s attention, apparently. At least not when it comes to bringing the once storied franchise back to the top.
"[via ESPN New York]“We know what the first-round pick is going to mean for us, but we also know we’re going to build our team with free agents,” Jackson said Thursday morning after the Knicks held shootaround at UCLA before their game against the Los Angeles Lakers. “A hundred and ninety players or so are going to be free agents. Not half the league, but like a third of the league is going to be free agents. So that’s where our priority stands.”"
Jackson also added that the 12-51 New York Knicks, which he took over last year, are a “project gone awry.” Yes, I suppose you can say that about a team that has Lou Amundson’s pony tail as its most notable commodity. Even though it’s a nice pony tail, I don’t think this is exactly what Jackson envisioned when he took over the Knicks.
However, at least Jackson follows the line of his predecessors in New York. The plan was always to rebuild through free agency, not through the drafts. Thus, why the Knicks have been gutted of their first-round draft picks in recent years.
Although, as stacked as this year’s draft is being talked up, you’d have to wonder where Jackson’s mentality is when you hear that he could weigh the option of shopping his projected top-5 pick for another proven star in the NBA.
If Jackson is serious about turning the Knicks franchise around, it’s going to take a lot more than signing a Wes Matthews or Reggie Jackson, or any combination of mid-tier free agents, which are most likely the pool that is going to be in play for New York.
The first thing the Knicks need to do is find a franchise player. As talented as Carmelo Anthony is, he is not that. At 30, with not much to show after four years with the Knicks, he’s proven at least that.
That’s why the draft is so important for this team. Finding a franchise player will accelerate the rebuilding process and you find one in the NBA draft, not in free agency.