Say this much for Phil Jackson: He is not afraid to tell the truth and admit a mistake. The truth: the New York Knicks stink. The admission: the Knicks are a world away from being a playoff team.
The biggest mistake Jackson could make as team president is to refuse to tell the truth. So when he spoke to New York media on Saturday and told them, in so many words, the Knicks are absolutely horrible, the man charged with making the team good acknowledged his failure.
In the process, Jackson also disarmed critics of coach Derek Fisher and put himself in the bull's-eye.
“I take responsibility for it, and the fans, I want them to leave Derek [Fisher] alone in this regard,” Jackson said. “It’s not his fault.”
In an age where blaming others for mistakes is step one in the playbook, Jackson did the right thing.
As his team prepares for a game Thursday in London, Jackson rightly admitted he is in the wrong.
“Obviously I didn’t do the right thing in picking the group of guys that were here,” Jackson said.
Jackson isn't stupid; he isn't blind. He can see the crummy performance of his team on the court, which has resulted in a 5-35 record. He isn't about the throw Fisher to the dogs; he isn't about to let his players twist in the wind.
The focus on the Knicks should be how absolutely awful they are.
The focus of Knicks fans should be on the future, not the present.
Jackson is willing to admit his mistakes and no blaming underperforming players or injuries or any of the usual dross.
Truth is, Jackson is more focused on a wrecking ball than a triangle offense. He will deconstruct his roster over the summer, use $30 million-plus in cap space to find players better fit to the scheme he and Fisher prefer. He will have the option of draft the best players available, or using picks to create more picks.
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With a 15-game losing streak, coming off a rotten 110-82 loss to the Charlotte Hornets, Jackson would have been a fool to say anything except the truth about his Knicks midway through the season.
If only to buy time, Jackson made himself the target of critics in a city that pillages failures. Good call, Zen master.