Theory: Does Phil Jackson Want Melo Out of New York
Charley Rosen, a former assistant coach, and a long-time sports columnist is probably mostly know for his relationship with New York Knicks President Phil Jackson. Rosen recently posted a column on FanRag Sports that attacked the game and attitude of Knicks star Carmelo Anthony, and thus explaining why the the multiple time All-Star and the organization should part ways. Since the column was published, people have began to question whether or not Anthony wants to remain with the organization, and speculation started on if he would waive his no-trade clause to go elsewhere.
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Here's where the theory comes in: Did Phil Jackson and Rosen fabricate this whole situation in an attempt to get Anthony to waive his no-trade clause and either get a few young rising stars or possibly a draft pick? Now, this may seem absurd, and it very well could be absolutely outrageous, but it's possible. It's no question that since Jackson's first summer as President, the Knicks have been lousy. He may feel like he put them in a deep hole that they can't come out of with Melo on the roster. You can argue that his need to have the ball in his hand is hurting the development of young star Kristaps Porzingis, which we can all see why the zen master might want to officially make this Porzingis' team. Getting Melo to waive his no-trade clause could salvage the immediate future of the organization.
Theory aside, Rosen defended his column, saying that Jackson had no influence on his opinion: "It should also be noted that through the years, Phil and I have not always agreed on personnel and specific game plans. So, although I have often been called Phil's mouthpiece by fans and some in the media, I have never consulted him about the content or general themes of any of the thousands of columns I've written for various sports web sites. NEVER! The only obvious exceptions being the interviews I conducted with him. Although some of my opinions may be congruent with Phil's, they are strictly my own. For better or for worse."
Rosen's column has began to stir up a lot of opinions saying Melo should let the Knicks trade him, whether it's to leave the drama of the organization behind him, or because he makes the Knicks a bad team, calling him a poison to the franchise.
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No matter how all of this ends, here is my take; Phil Jackson; not Carmelo Anthony is a poison to the New York Knicks. He has made two big moves since joining the Knicks' front office: resigning Melo and Drafting Porzingis, which at first wasn't a popular decision. Aside from that he has not made a single move that could considered beneficial to the franchise. Hiring Derek Fisher as head coach was bad enough, but he forced the triangle offense down their throat, and when the players couldn't run it, instead of maybe letting the actual coach run an offense, he traded two of their three best players (J.R. Smith and Iman Shumpert) for nothing. After that season, aside from drafting Porzingis, Jackson failed to put any notable talent on the roster, and any players who were productive, left. Kurt Rambis was also forced to run the triangle, and now here we are again, this time with Jeff Hornacek, who has had a little more free will than the previous two, but Jackson still keeps pushing his famous offense.
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And we could argue about this year's roster all day. Sure, they have Derrick Rose, the youngest MVP in league history, but he is now a shell of his former self, only sometimes giving us glimpses of the great player he was. Joakim Noah was a decent signing, but he paid way too much money to have him, especially coming off of two big shoulder injuries in a single season. Courtney Lee is a solid defender and has a decent shot, but Lee is never going to be the guy that puts a team over the top by any means. Jackson has wasted the last few years of Carmelo Anthony's prime, tanking and putting together rosters that can't compete with the likes of Cleveland, Golden State and San Antonio.
If anybody has to go, it's Jackson; a great coach, but a terrible executive, and he needs to move on before he wastes the potential that this team has.
