The Knicks coaching search before the 2008 season came down to three men: Mike D’Antoni, Mark Jackson and Avery Johnson.
Some are already convinced that D’Antoni was the wrong choice after two bad seasons and getting swept out of the first round by the Celtics with Amar’e Stoudemire and Carmelo Anthony on his side. But whether Jackson or Johnson would have been the right choice is relatively unknown. We may start to get an answer next season.
After being passed over on six separate occasions, Jackson landed his first head-coaching job with the Warriors on Tuesday. Jackson defiantly and patiently waited for this opportunity, sticking with broadcasting and refusing to become an assistant coach. He’s said on several occasions that his 17 seasons as a point guard under some of the top coaches in the sport (Rick Pitino, Larry Brown, Pat Riley, Jerry Sloan and Lenny Wilkens) was more than enough preparation to lead an NBA team. The Warriors were just the first ones to agree with him.
Jackson was probably closest with the Knicks; thought to be the frontrunner while D’Antoni was being wooed away from the Suns by both the Bulls and Knicks. Johnson would later tell The Post that he was the second choice after D’Antoni. That was before he became the Nets’ first choice last season. Johnson did preside over a 12-game improvement from the year before, although improving a team that won 12 games is not exactly the most trying of tasks. This year more will be expected with a full season from Deron Williams, who could stick around if the Nets find another superstar to provide a potent 1-2-3 alongside him and Brook Lopez.
Any success by Jackson, who has predicted the Warriors will make the playoffs in the ultra-competitive Western Conference after finishing 12th this season, and Johnson would give the D’Antoni detractors more ammunition: Johnson because of the Nets’ proximity to the Knicks, and Jackson because of his history as a Knicks player and New Yorker made him the fans’ preferred choice three years ago.
D’Antoni is entering the last year of his contract, so he may need to lead the Knicks further than the first round to get another one. Success by the coaches he was picked instead of wouldn’t help, either.
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During Tuesday night’s Yankees-Red Sox broadcast, the YES crew was discussing Yankees draft picks.
Play-by-play man Michael Kay did an excellent job of breaking down to viewers the relationship between Joe Girardi and the team’s first pick, Dante Bichette Jr., whose dad was a teammate of Girardi’s with the Rockies. They were so close that Girardi named his son Dante. That was the good, informative Kay.
Bu this led to analyst Al Leiter describing the day he was drafted and Paul O’Neill ribbing Kay about where he was drafted out of Fordham.
Then Leiter pointed out that the Yankees’ fourth-round pick, Matt Duran, had signed a letter of intent to play at Fordham. Kay, thinking he was still the butt of the joke, laughed out a “No.” Leiter had to correct hime, and the subject was changed, ending a good segment on a bad note.
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Wednesday morning, WFAN’s Craig Carton was trying to pay a compliment to that YES crew.
After watching Tuesday night’s game, Carton said those three were the best three YES had to offer. Unfortunately, he had mistaken O’Neill for John Flaherty. So, while trying to pay them a compliment, he exposed one of the biggest complaints about YES’ coverage: That there are too many announcing teams to keep track of.
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In an interview on ESPN Radio, Stephen A. Smith suggested that LeBron James’ Game 4 struggles were related to a personal matter.
One that Smith had not confirmed, nor would publicize if he did, because of the nature of the story. So, the only thing bringing it up does is provide a convenient excuse for the James apologists and send more attention toward self-serving Smith.