Tuesday New York Knicks fans officially got the best news they've had all season.
"If you can make it here, you can make it anywhere, so we're gonna make it here." (Via New York Knicks)
Phil Jackson, the winningest coach in NBA history, has signed a five-year contract worth $12 million per year to be the New York Knicks president. Jackson is a 13-time champion who earned two NBA rings as a player and 11 more as a head coach. (Via Fox Sports / AOL)
But let's be honest, the New York Knicks have a lot of problems, and most of them can't be fixed with an attitude adjustment.
For one, there's the lack of depth on the roster, and more importantly the lack of draft picks to fix that very problem. Back in 2011, the Knicks gave up its three 2014 draft picks, then last year gave away three more in trades. (Via Yahoo)
As USA Today points out, "[The Knicks] focus on landing marquee talent in trades and free agency has forced them to neglect the draft and developing homegrown talent."
So with no draft picks, how does the "Zen Master" handle the problem? Well ...
"When Phil Jackson places a phone call to perspective free agents, they're going to take it and they're going to listen."
"I could see him rebuilding this team into a contender because of the cache and credibility that he instantly gives an organization." (Via ESPN)
With both NBA dynasties where Jackson was at the helm, he had a Hall of Fame floor general, specifically Michael Jordan in Chicago and Kobe Bryant in LA. But New York's only superstar may be leaving this summer.
Carmelo Anthony can opt out of his contract and become a free agent this summer, which has powered the rumor mill all season about whether Melo will stay or not.
But when asked about Phil Jackson's hiring, Carmelo said, "I'm a chess player, and that was a power move." He's also denied wanting to leave New York in the past. (Via Bleacher Report)
But the general consensus on the biggest problem facing the New York Knicks is the man signing all the checks, New York Knicks owner James L. Dolan.
"It's got to be top priority at all times: Keep James Dolan out of the office." (Via NBC)
The New York Times calls the future Jackson-Dolan relationship "more of the same: a nice honeymoon, followed by a relatively quick divorce."
But the man himself claims he's more than ready to turn over the reins.
"These two men to my left are the experts in basketball. I am by no means an expert in basketball." (Via Deadspin)
While the New York Knicks are currently on a six-game winning streak, the team is still one spot away from making the playoffs with a regular season record of 27 and 40.
