This is a Terrible Idea
The Newark Star-Ledger has an article today that quotes Magic coach Stan Van Gundy saying he’s going to push new Knicks GM Donnie Walsh to give Magic assistant Patrick Ewing a strong look for the open Knicks coaching spot.:
“I’ve been bewildered by the fact that here’s one of the absolute greats in New York Knicks history and they’re not talking about him at all,” Van Gundy said.
“I know Mark Jackson has some history with Donnie Walsh, plus having played with the Knicks, and I have great respect for Mark. But Mark has never coached a day, anywhere, and Pat has put his time in Washington and Houston and here … I don’t know why his name wouldn’t come up and be a guy you wouldn’t sit down and talk to. He’s good, he’s really, really good.”
It’s not a terrible idea to consider Ewing for the Knicks job because he’s not going to be a good coach. Pat could end up being a tremendous coach in the NBA and could be the answer for the Knicks down the road. Just don’t do it to him right now.
Ewing’s dying to be a head coach and would probably jump at the Knicks job if an offer came his way even if he knows it’s a no-win situation going in.
There’s really nothing that anyone can do with this team right now. Are they going to be able to trade Zach? Eddy? We can’t imaging there are many teams out there willing to take on either one of those guys and their massive contracts. The Knicks are so jammed up with bad deals, there’s very little that Walsh can do right now to alleviate the situation, short of buying out everybody (Dolan spends dough on his team, but that would be way too much, even for him).
It sounds terrible to say, but this team needs a sacrificial lamb to man the sidelines for the next few years. The Knicks need to hire a guy they don’t have pay a lot who can just weather the storm until the situation gets better. Why bring in Ewing, a Knicks icon and fan favorite who basically walks on water in NYC, and put him in a spot where he can’t win? If and when the team is terrible, the fans will turn on him and he might never get a shot at a head spot anywhere ever again, let alone with his beloved Knicks.
April 25th, 2008 at 2:45 pm
T Ton says:
Ewing head coach of the Knicks let alone a high school team to me is laughable. Yes, he was a great player but I never felt he was a great basketball mind/IQ. I’d compare him more to when Magic was the coach of the Lakers, a complete and utter disaster. But than again so are the Knicks.
Can my boy Michael Cooper get some NBA head coach love?
April 25th, 2008 at 2:49 pm
GEE...Until you do right by me... says:
R.E.F. and other New York heads could prolly speak on this better than I but, I don’t see this as a good look.
Not only would he be in a no win situation, he shouldn’t even try to start out at NY period. Even if he was going to get a great team, the pressure that NY fans apply is crazy. I would hate to see someone who already gets some drama because he could never win the big one, get more drama from making a bad coaching decision or taking a great team south.
Naw naw. I even hate it for Mark but I feel he always has commentating to fall back on. For P.E. he would just go back to being an assistant or something, and perhaps not even that if he does a bad job.
Not a good look. P.E. DON’T DO IT!
April 25th, 2008 at 2:50 pm
fiyaman says:
DIME I said the exact same thing when I read that article. I love Ewing and I think that if he comes to NY and the team doesnt get any better its just gonna tarnish his legacy( and u know people are waiting in line for anything that the can use against him cause a lot of Haters got beef with Ewing just bc he played for the KNicks)
Jackson is not as big a icon as Pat and if he fails it wont affect him (he’ll still probably get another job but for Ewing it could mean disaster and I dont want him to mess up his NY legacy. He should wait a few yrs maybe try to coach another team 1st.
April 25th, 2008 at 2:54 pm
fallinup says:
Screw it…I’ll coach the Knicks.
April 25th, 2008 at 3:10 pm
GEE...Until you do right by me... says:
fallinup what is the first move you gonna make with the team? lol
What type of style game are yall runnin?
What is that movie Whoopi Goldberg was in where she was the basketball fan turned coach?
I wish some ish like that could happen. Give me Denver! I wouldn’t be showing Kimbo slice that is for sure.
April 25th, 2008 at 3:18 pm
BxBaller says:
“If and when the team is terrible, the fans will turn on him and he might never get a shot at a head spot anywhere ever again, let alone with his beloved Knicks.”
This is exactly why I wouldn’t want Mark to caoch to the team. It might ruin future opportunities.
April 25th, 2008 at 4:01 pm
control says:
I dont know if you want to give a brand new coach the worst player in the NBA, Zach Randolph, to cut his teeth with. Ewig doesnt strike me as a real high basketball IQ type of guy. Just watching him play in SLOW motion his entire career, I dont know how he could translate that into a good coaching career. He would be better off helping out a real coach by being a good lacky.
The only advantage he would have, is the team is rock bottom, and when you are on the bottom the only way to go is up. If he joins, at least he wouldnt be the slowest guy on the Knicks, Fat Zach has that honour.
April 25th, 2008 at 4:06 pm
Remy Nguyen says:
Bring in Scottie Pippen!
April 25th, 2008 at 5:26 pm
Keith says:
CONS: It would ruin Ewing’s reputation because this team has to be rebuilt over several years before they compete consistently.
PROS: If Ewing is hanging onto your ankles, you aren’t going anywhere.
April 25th, 2008 at 9:46 pm
DaPro says:
Ewing has a high IO for the low post and can help Curry develop an J and go to move on the block, same for Randolph.
This situation is no different than when Zeke took over for Larry Brown. Everyone initially thought the franchsie was turning the corner until the contract extension and the team lost focus and Isaiah lost the team.
I thought Mark Jackson was as big an icon in NYC as Ewing since Mark is born and raised in two burroughs Queens and Brooklyn.
Anybody from NYC wanna comment..Who does the NYC streets want Jackson or Ewing?
April 25th, 2008 at 10:44 pm
nbaroundtable says:
I’m not sold on Ewing as a coach. He didn’t manage to build a reputation for himself at Washington or Houston. Let’s give him another year or two in Orlando and see where he goes from there. Too early to be talking about head coaching jobs for him in my opinion.
T Ton, I’m with you on Michael Cooper. Why the heck isn’t his name mentioned in job openings anymore? He’s been completely forgotten as a candidate for an NBA job. I’d love to see him get a run with someone.
April 25th, 2008 at 11:31 pm
gary says:
GEE the movie woth Whoopi is Eddy.(also starring rick fox, olden polynice, mugsey, avery johnson,”home town hero” vinny del negro!!, payton, john salley and of course “stacey patton” and my main man dawayne schniihcstz.
April 26th, 2008 at 10:46 am
QQ says:
When I first read the title, I thought “Why the fuck would you think that one of the greatest centers ever and the face of the Knicks for more than a decade a coach would be a terrible idea? CRAZY!”
And then I read the whole story.
Great article Dime.