NBA Rumors: Carmelo Anthony Does Not Want Phil Jackson Coaching New York Knicks

NBA rumors have been swirling around Phil Jackson this week. There are reports that state that the former Los Angeles Lakers and Chicago Bulls head coach wants to take over the New York Knicks head coaching position. When asked about the possibility of that happening, Carmelo Anthony did not back down from the media. According to ESPN, Anthony stated that he would not be on board with Jackson coaching half of the Knicks games next season.

The idea floating around right now has Phil Jackson becoming an NBA head coach again. Right now, he’s official listed as the New York Knicks president, but many feel that he would best serve the team by being the head coach. Jackson has had some lingering health issues over the years, so many do not believe that he can do the job full time. Phil would simply coach New York when they are at home, and interim head coach Kurt Rambis would take over the team when they are playing on the road.

While he’s not sure that the idea is actually on the table, Carmelo Anthony was adamant about not liking the idea of a part time head coach. It makes sense that NBA players would be against the idea. Even if they were on the same page, Kurt Rambis and Phil Jackson would have different strategies. There’s no way to have the exact same ones. That would make it difficult for the New York Knicks to develop a rhythm because they would need to adjust to having two different head coaches.

The Golden State Warriors were able to adapt to interim head coach Luke Walton earlier this season. They actually thrived and went on a record breaking run. However, the Warriors were able to do that because their roster is filled with talented players such as Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green. Though the New York Knicks have talented guys such as Carmelo Anthony and Kristaps Porzingis, the rosters are clearly not on the same level.

Interestingly enough, Luke Walton is a candidate to take over as the head coach for the New York Knicks next season. Aside from showing that he can capably take over a team as talented as the Golden State Warriors, Walton also knows the Triangle Offense extensively. Luke played for Phil Jackson when he was the head coach of the Los Angeles Lakers. Jackson remains very adamant about hiring a head coach that embraces his offensive scheme, even though Tom Thibodeau is available.

The fact that Phil Jackson wants a head coach who embraces the Triangle Offense bodes well for Kurt Rambis. He’s been coaching the offensive scheme for years now. Plus, there aren’t a lot of NBA coaching candidates that know the system. Former Los Angeles Lakers guard Brian Shaw is a candidate for the New York Knicks, but he didn’t exactly impress a lot of people when he was the Denver Nuggets head coach.

Since he is the franchise player, it would be wise for Phil Jackson to consult with Carmelo Anthony on the next New York Knicks head coach. If Anthony is not comfortable with Jackson coaching the team on a part time basis, then the move would be better left untouched. If the franchise player is unhappy, then that could trickle on down to the rest of the roster and cause the demise of an NBA franchise.

While it’s fun for fans and the media to speculate on the possibility of Phil Jackson stepping back on the sidelines, Carmelo Anthony isn’t laughing. Anthony doesn’t want a part time coach, so he is rooting for Jackson to stay in the front office.