Phil Jackson talk/rumors (merged)

[Diabeticwonder]

NY Post: Jackson Mulling Kings

May 12, 2005 -- The Knicks are expected to get a run for their money from the Kings for the services of Phil Jackson.

Sources close to the Zen Master say the Kings offer a lot of intriguing possibilities and could be the pick if he does not return to the Lakers.

If Jackson does head to the Kings, that could open up a window of opportunity for Isiah Thomas to pursue current Kings coach Rick Adelman, who would be unemployed. Adelman has just one year left on his pact and is said to be angry the Kings contacted agent Todd Musburger before consulting him.

Jackson considers ownership of utmost importance, and it's known he has a strong liking for the Maloof family. Jackson spent a weekend at the Maloof-owned Palms Hotel in Las Vegas last weekend for Michael Jordan's fantasy camp. He also attended the Maloof Family Holiday Party in Los Angeles in December.

Two of Jackson's children now reside in the Bay Area, close to Sacramento. It's also known his girlfriend, Lakers VP Jeanie Buss, if Jackson cannot land back in L.A., would prefer him in Sacramento, only a commuter flight away from La-La Land.

The final factor in the Kings' favor is they are closer to a championship than any other team in the mix — including the Lakers, Knicks and Blazers.

On Tuesday, Musburger told The Post, "We are flying in a no-comment zone. We are trying to conduct private business, unfortunately, in view of the public."

Meanwhile, Thomas has spoken to more than a half-dozen coaches, even assistants such as Washington's Mike O'Koren and Indiana's Mike Brown. P.J. Carlesimo and Maurice Cheeks are high on Isiah's list, and it appears Flip Saunders is closer to being hired by Portland or Cleveland. Herb Williams still is in the mix.

Other coaches who are available are Eric Musselman and Dan Issel.

It is unclear if Thomas has asked the Kings' permission to talk to Adelman, who prefers an up-tempo offense Isiah likes. A few days ago, when the Kings' rumors surfaced following their playoff ouster, Adelman said, "The Maloofs have treated me so good and have been so loyal to me that if that indeed happened, I have been here seven years and I'd be surprised. I think I deserve a little better than that."

- Marc Berman

http://www.nypost.com/sports/knicks/46439.htm

 

[piksi]

Sounds to me like PJ is using us to get more money from LA.

 

[Bartking]

If Rick could somehow make an NBA team out of the Knicks while Isaiah Thomas is there and they have a roster full of max-contract cripples, he would have to be considered an AMAZING coach.

 

[whozit]

If this is true, and that's a big if, this could indicate that the purse strings are being opened again. I don't see the Maloofs blowing 15 million on coaches (10 for PJ and the 5 owed to Alelman) and put a poor product on the floor.

As mentioned before, PJ's name could also help with the Arena issue and possibly with free agency acquisitions.

Even with the Kings on paper losing money, the positive PR associated with them probably has reaped benefits for the owners in other areas. Bad PR can have the opposite effect. If the Kings go into next season as has-beens the PR won't be good. It is in the owners interest to have a good product with good PR. The Kings are a loss leader for them.

 

[G_M]

Has anyone read Phil Jackson's book?

I didn't want to put any money in his pocket myself but a friend let me read his copy. PJ DESTROYS Kobe in his book! I just don't see how he can coach in L.A. after ripping Kobe so badly.

PJ told the front office that he would not coach if Kobe was on the roster.

"You ask Shaq to do something, he might argue, but eventually he will do as asked; ask Kobe to do something, he says 'Yes,' then never does it (and clearly never intended to).

If anyone else has read the book I would be curious to get your take on his criticisms of Kobe. I just don't understand how he could coach a team built around Kobe.

 

[Jerryaki]

i've read the book (for free at barnes and nobles. god bless them!). i think it depends on if he felt kobe was sufficiently humbled this season, and if he's now "teachable." i don't think sacramento is really a viable place for him, and he is using all of this to drive the prices between LA and NY higher.

more importantly, i don't know what the fallout of this is going to be on adelman. with some fan sentiment against him, and now this debacle, the guy's not having an easy time. petrie has placed his trust in him, and it was kind of shady for the maloofs to hamstring them like that.

 

[love_them_kings]

This whole thing kind of reminds me of the whole speculation with Kobe last year... all the offers were "interesting" but everyone kind of knew he would end up in LA. PJ doesn't like Kobe, that is clear, but he loves living in LA. Will have to see what happens, but I would be SHOCKED if he came to the Kings.

 

[Bricklayer]

Has anyone read Phil Jackson's book?

I didn't want to put any money in his pocket myself but a friend let me read his copy. PJ DESTROYS Kobe in his book! I just don't see how he can coach in L.A. after ripping Kobe so badly.

PJ told the front office that he would not coach if Kobe was on the roster.

"You ask Shaq to do something, he might argue, but eventually he will do as asked; ask Kobe to do something, he says 'Yes,' then never does it (and clearly never intended to).

If anyone else has read the book I would be curious to get your take on his criticisms of Kobe. I just don't understand how he could coach a team built around Kobe.

Lack of options.

But more than that -- L.A. is clearly the best choice for him at the moment in almost every other way.
1)Familiarity
2)can afford his pricetag
3)has his girlfriend as part of the package
4)really REALLY satisifes his ego requirements (Kobe has been humiliated in the past year, while PJ now gets begged to return to the Lakers who have "realized the error of their ways")
5)and the Lakers team is actually pretty well structured for what PJ needs (much better than us actually) He's got the two multitalented players (Kobe, Lamar) the spot up PG, the roleplaying center, the third scorer etc. etc. Of course its a considerably less talented version than the ones he's won championships with, but it looks and feels like a PJ structured team.

 

[Fillmoe]

Phil will be staying in LA, trust me!

 

[Rowdyone]

The flip side to LA being "suited" for his is that the rap on him and his legacy is that he's never taken a mediocre team without superstars and used his skills to take them to the top. To overcome this would mean that a Sacramento decision would be in his (and our) best interests since he won't choose us just to have a job but rather he'd be on a mission and, one would assume, have the assurances of the Maloofs that they would open the purse strings to accomplish it in a reasonable amount of time.

 

[SacKingsFX]

Screw Phil Jack. He's the same guy who called Sactown "semi-civilized and full of rednecks." I don't effing want that hippie to be our coach.

 

[RageMe11]

Jackson considers ownership of utmost importance, and it's known he has a strong liking for the Maloof family. Jackson spent a weekend at the Maloof-owned Palms Hotel in Las Vegas last weekend for Michael Jordan's fantasy camp. He also attended the Maloof Family Holiday Party in Los Angeles in December.

I was listening to the Rise Guys this morning on 1140, and they called this guy who either wrote this column or someone from the post, and this had no substance at all. The guy even said that the above LAST WEEKEND that is mentioned was in fact a TYPO and that it was a weekend last AUGUST!!! So ignorant...even the rise guys were saying that the post is a GOSSIP PAPER. So i honestly don't believe any of this specualtion after listening to the idiot that they interviewed.

 

[Yoda]

Sounds to me like PJ is using us to get more money from LA.

Bingo!

 

[Ryle]

I was listening to the Rise Guys this morning on 1140, and they called this guy who either wrote this column or someone from the post, and this had no substance at all. The guy even said that the above LAST WEEKEND that is mentioned was in fact a TYPO and that it was a weekend last AUGUST!!! So ignorant...even the rise guys were saying that the post is a GOSSIP PAPER. So i honestly don't believe any of this specualtion after listening to the idiot that they interviewed.

If you look at the article on the Post's website it now says he spent a weekend there in August, not last weekend so maybe it was a "typo".

 

[VF21]

A lot of people related to the NBA spend time at the Palms. It's designed to cater to basketball players, coaches, etc.

As far as this whole tempest in a teapot goes, I guess I've reached maximum saturation. If the Maloofs get Jackson, I'll still be a Kings fan. I survived Bill Russell and Gary St. Jean - I can survive anything.

All this drama is just too much to try and keep up with. And when people are reduced to quoting "news" articles from the NY Post, then it's not worth keeping up with IMHO.

IF anything really breaks, it will be in our paper OR the LA press long before rags like the NY Post have any idea what's happening.

 

[Ryle]

The only thing that lends any credence to these reports is the fact that Maloofs have not denied any of this.

 

[PFFFT!!]

True VF, NY Post is the equivalent of the Daily Mirror or Sun Times. A bunch of hearsay. I believe it when PJ signs the dotted line. Something that at this point doesn't make sense since this team still lacks a true leader and perennial all star player. If we get that player, I can bet he signs the dotted line. As is, the Lakers are probably top gun.

 

[VF21]

Ryle - It's pretty much accepted that Joe Maloof did, in fact, make a phone call to Jackson's agent. The rest of the stuff isn't up to the Maloofs to affirm or deny and I'd be really very surprised if they say anything more at all to the press. Joe already said too much to AV when he told her to leave them alone and let them run their business. At this point, any future comments would be nothing more than damage control IMHO and could, in fact, only make matters worse.

Hopefully the front office of the Kings will keep their mouths shut until and unless they have a formal announcement to make.

 

[whozit]

At this point, any future comments would be nothing more than damage control IMHO and could, in fact, only make matters worse.

Hopefully the front office of the Kings will keep their mouths shut until and unless they have a formal announcement to make.

What's that old saying ... 'loose lips sink ships'

 

[PFFFT!!]

I think the Maloofs probably intend on signing PJ prior to signing or trading any other player to perhaps give PJ the upper hand in any future player signings/trades. If that is so the case and PJ signs, look for the line up to be shaken up with some trades and signings. With a coach like that all of a sudden Sacramento becomes a lucrative pit stop for FA's.

 

[whozit]

to perhaps give PJ the upper hand in any future player signings/trades

That simply would be bad. Change coach and lose GM is not a good trade off.

 

[Bricklayer]

That simply would be bad. Change coach and lose GM is not a good trade off.

Agreed, and that is exactly what happened with the original legendary GM in L.A. -- more or less chased out of town by PJ's ego. Which is just idiotic -- PJ didn't acquire Michael, or MJ, or Shaq, or Kobe. Without the efforts of Jerry Krause and Jerry West Phil Jackson has a grand total of zero championships and is off smoking some bud in Montana after compiling a sub-.500 record over his short coaching career.

Phil specializes in walking into perfect prebuilt situations, not in actually building anything himself. And we aren't currently built to win a title, and certainly not to win a title the Phil Jackson way. Not a single one of our core players looks like a triangle player under PJ -- there's a reason its also known as the tri-post offense. I'd rather spit in Phil's face than pay him a dime to be our coach, but at the point that not only are you going to hire a man who has spent the latter half of his career mocking you, but you are also going to tear the team entirely apart on his behalf and rebuild it in his image....the term "screw that" comes to mind.

 

[Kev.in]

The NY Post is never right about anything, from what I've seen.

So basically, this is a guarantee that Jackson isn't coming here or going to NY.

 

[Viking]

Screw Phil Jack. He's the same guy who called Sactown "semi-civilized and full of rednecks." I don't effing want that hippie to be our coach.

Quoted for truth.

 

[KP]

Screw Phil Jack. He's the same guy who called Sactown "semi-civilized and full of rednecks." I don't effing want that hippie to be our coach.

Word.

 

[Padrino]

hey! what do ya know about that?! ailene voison got people talking! where else would this story have originated? like i've been saying, even hack journalist can stir up the pot...as well as the competition.

 

[VF21]

To be fair, while Voisin broke the story, it's been confirmed that Joe Maloof did, in fact, contact PJ's people. So it's true that contact has been made. The rest, of course, is speculation but there is a kernel of truth in the whole story.

 

[Stojakovic]

Agreed, and that is exactly what happened with the original legendary GM in L.A. -- more or less chased out of town by PJ's ego. Which is just idiotic -- PJ didn't acquire Michael, or MJ, or Shaq, or Kobe. Without the efforts of Jerry Krause and Jerry West Phil Jackson has a grand total of zero championships and is off smoking some bud in Montana after compiling a sub-.500 record over his short coaching career.

Phil specializes in walking into perfect prebuilt situations, not in actually building anything himself. And we aren't currently built to win a title, and certainly not to win a title the Phil Jackson way. Not a single one of our core players looks like a triangle player under PJ -- there's a reason its also known as the tri-post offense. I'd rather spit in Phil's face than pay him a dime to be our coach, but at the point that not only are you going to hire a man who has spent the latter half of his career mocking you, but you are also going to tear the team entirely apart on his behalf and rebuild it in his image....the term "screw that" comes to mind.

BRAVO !

 

[Padrino]

To be fair, while Voisin broke the story, it's been confirmed that Joe Maloof did, in fact, contact PJ's people. So it's true that contact has been made. The rest, of course, is speculation but there is a kernel of truth in the whole story.

hehe...of course, you are right. i'm just being silly, and giving voison far too much credit.

 

[SLAB]

Phil specializes in walking into perfect prebuilt situations, not in actually building anything himself. And we aren't currently built to win a title, and certainly not to win a title the Phil Jackson way.

WORD!

Phil is a good coach, blessed with the best players imaginable. IF he could come in, and do something with any of the three teams jockying for him, then I'll consider him a great coach.