Sir Charles in Charge
Fansided

Phil Jackson’s Failed Experiment In The Big Apple

By Jack Pontin

Jan 15, 2017; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; New York Knicks forward Carmelo Anthony (7) dribbles the ball up court against Toronto Raptors in the first half at Air Canada Centre. Mandatory Credit: Dan Hamilton-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 15, 2017; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; New York Knicks forward Carmelo Anthony (7) dribbles the ball up court against Toronto Raptors in the first half at Air Canada Centre. Mandatory Credit: Dan Hamilton-USA TODAY Sports /
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Sep 26, 2016; White Plains, NY, USA; New York Knicks forward Carmelo Anthony (left) addresses the media as point guard Derrick Rose looks on during the New York Knicks Media Day at Ritz-Carlton. Mandatory Credit: Andy Marlin-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 26, 2016; White Plains, NY, USA; New York Knicks forward Carmelo Anthony (left) addresses the media as point guard Derrick Rose looks on during the New York Knicks Media Day at Ritz-Carlton. Mandatory Credit: Andy Marlin-USA TODAY Sports /

The Present

Each of these players have something in common: they are a part of the 2016-17 New York Knicks roster. During the offseason, when this veteran core was being formed by ex-Lakers coach Phil Jackson, New York was expected to be a contender in the Eastern Conference. Many believed that they would be a lock for a top-5 seed in the conference and had a legitimate chance to play the Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference Finals.

However, things have quickly gone wrong for the organization. The team currently sits on the “outside looking in” on the Eastern Conference playoff picture, sporting an 18-24 record which is good (or bad) for 11th place in the conference. At about the halfway point of the season, the Knicks are 3 games out of a postseason spot. But how is a roster with so many (former) stars performing so poorly?

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    • The Derrick Rose of 2017 is far from the Derrick Rose of 2011. A player that once relied on explosiveness and athletic ability to attack the rim and blow by defenders, Rose is a shell of his former self after undergoing two traumatic knee surgeries in about a two-and-a-half year period.

    Rose’s skill set has not been as affected by the injuries, as he is still scoring at a high rate (17.5 points per game), but his defensive rating per 100 possessions is as low as it has been throughout his career, a direct result of the lasting effects of his surgeries.

    Although not quite to the extremes of Rose, Joakim Noah’s career has been plagued by injuries and an inability to return to previous form. After suffering lingering bang-ups throughout the early years of his NBA days, Noah seemed to have put it all behind him when he was named to the 2014 All-NBA First Team.

    However, after a career-worst 2015 season, Noah lost his starting job in Chicago and played only 29 games in 2016.

    After coming to New York, Joakim was expected to play solid defense while his offense continued to decline. However, the worst case scenario has played out in Manhattan, as Noah’s offense has not been the only aspect of his game to show signs of rapid worsening. His defense is the worse that is has been throughout his lengthy NBA career, and variables would suggest that it will not be improving. The 31-year-old’s game has been deteriorating since 2014.

    Once a capable passer with a knack for banging for the boards, Noah’s assists numbers haven’t been as low as they are now since 2011, and his rebounds are plummeting at the lowest they’ve been since 2009.

    Carmelo Anthony has been the model of consistency on team that has been the opposite of just that. Both his offensive and defensive numbers are just about on-par with where they have been since his arrival in New York. Melo is the best scorer on the Knicks, as he has been for the past 6 years. He is still a perennial all-star and the leader of the team.

    However, it is important to keep in mind that Anthony will be 33-years-old in May, and time is running out for him to be productive as well as to win his first career championship.

    Coming into the 2017 season, Brandon Jennings was considered a frontrunner for the Sixth Man of the Year award. He was going to be Rose’s backup on the New York “super team,” as we all remember Derrick calling the new-look Knicks.

    Although Jennings has improved his shooting percentage in his new role coming off the bench, his offensive and defensive ratings per 100 possessions are lower than they have ever been before. He has fallen out of the award race and has been fairly underwhelming during his short tenure in Manhattan.

    The final piece of Phil Jackson’s puzzle was Courtney Lee, who was expected to thrive as the starting shooting guard in the triangle offense. His offensive numbers in New York have been just as solid as they have been throughout his career, and his efficiency has been improved.

    However, as is per usual with this season’s Knicks, he has been horrendous on defense, bad enough to be benched in favor of rookie Ron Baker in Monday’s game.

    And in case you missed it, Melo referred to Ron Baker as San Diego’s own Ron Burgundy after Monday’s game.

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