Although Mike Miller‘s hold on the Knicks‘ head coaching job beyond this season looks tenuous, multiple people within the organization support the idea of keeping Miller around in some capacity even if the team hires a new head coach, says Ian Begley of SNY.tv.
Begley and Marc Berman of The New York Post both point out that Miller is on good terms with Jeff Van Gundy, who is expected to receive consideration for the head coaching job from new president of basketball operations Leon Rose. Berman, who suggests Miller could stay on as an assistant coach if Van Gundy were to be hired, notes that JVG expressed support for the current interim coach during an appearance on NBA SiriusXM Radio.
“Mike Miller, to me, deserves every opportunity to finish this season out and win the job,” Van Gundy said. “And I think anybody plotting as a coach to try to undermine that opportunity is doing it wrong.”
Talk of Miller’s job security was reignited this week when brand consultant Steve Stoute suggested during an ESPN appearance that the Knicks will be looking to replace Miller this spring. The team and Stoute himself released statements hours later disavowing those comments. Interim head of basketball operations Scott Perry was among those “particularly bent out of shape” by Stoute’s comments on ESPN, a source tells Berman.
Here’s more on the Knicks:
- Sources tell Stefan Bondy of The New York Daily News that Marcus Morris lobbied earlier this season for Dennis Smith Jr. – with whom he shares an agent – to receive more playing time. Smith, who lost an advocate when the Knicks traded Morris last week, has appeared in the team’s last eight contests, but logged fewer than eight minutes in each of the last two games.
- Steve Popper of Newsday suggests (via Twitter) that Nuggets general manager Arturas Karnisovas may be a name to watch as the Knicks seek an experienced basketball executive to work with Leon Rose in their new-look front office. However, Popper cautions (via Twitter) that Karnisovas signed an extension with Denver last year.
- Before the Knicks decided on Rose for their president of basketball operations opening, there was speculation that Kevin Durant‘s manager Rich Kleiman could be a candidate for the job. That wasn’t the case, according to Kleiman, who tells Ian Begley of SNY.tv that he never heard from the club.
- Tom Thibodeau has been cited as a potential head coaching candidate for the Knicks, and while Taj Gibson isn’t openly campaigning for his former coach, he believes Thibodeau can have success in today’s NBA. “He’s been misunderstood,” Gibson said, per Marc Berman of The New York Post. “A lot of players have different mindsets. His mindset is winning. To win games you got to go through a lot of hard work. Sometimes young players don’t understand it.”
Taj Gibson, the future of the Knicks!!
No JVG no Thibbs please. NY is not a place for a Rookie coach. You see they have already messed up the rebuild. Knox, DSJ, Frank are all worse off. Than when they were drafted. And the were supposed to be. At the heart of rebuild. This is life under Dolan. Keep Payton draft Haliburton. This is a solid combo. Halliburton will take over soon enough. Build Frank n DSJ value back up. And move them for rotation guys. This draft n picks we have coming. We will be OK. I would like to see Mark Jackson here. Never got enough credit for Warriors rebuild.
Van Gundy would be perfect, make it happen!!
You realize just because a coach hasn’t coached the knicks doesn’t make them a rookie coach right? Also Van Gundy coached the Knicks the last time they were relevant in the 90s. JVG would be a solid hire and I would love the idea of Thibs as an AC. Thibs isn’t a bad coach he is just a god awful executive who shouldn’t be in a 10 mile radius of roster decisions.
Knicks should just give up
How is a Brand Consultant not fired for trashing the head coach publicly. He must be from the Phil Jackson School of Brand Consultants. Dolan’s kind of employee.
Why that
1) Upfront. Berman: “Stoute’s insinuation was the assistants aren’t developing the young guys.”
2) Dumb. Stoute was saying what all talkers are supposed to say, but prematurely, in error. “The rebrand needs a rebrand”
3) Conspiracy Theory. Stoute was laying the groundwork for the tough call to be made by Dolan or GM.
AK-55 is the guy I would have liked to have seen the Knicks hire for Rose’s job, but if Rose can figure out a way to get him here, all the same. No better talent evaluator in the game. He has ties here, but a young family in Denver. Still, worth looking into for sure.
Why is Mark Jackson never considered for the Knicks. Maybe he wants to stay far far away from that opportunity
I would hire Thibedou as head coach because of his defensive style of coaching, keep Mike Miller as an assistant coach and hire JVG as another assistant coach.
You realize TV analysts make more than assistant coaches right
That’s why former coaches go behind the desk instead of riding the bench.
Knicks should hire Lloyd Pierce as HC. He knows all about what it takes to bring a team from the pits to the Pinnacle of a Championship team. Can most definitely develop young talent.
Yes he would be a first time HC in the spotlight of NYC.
Just see it as a home run hire. Probably why it won’t happen.