THE PHIL JACKSON SWEEPSTAKES
Phil Jackson in LakerLand with John Travolta, Danny Devito and Anna Nicole Smith
I was on 
WHY HE SHOULD COME BACK. Here is a nice reason....he’s arrogant. The NBA needs his arrogance. Currently, there are only two coaches who’ve won NBA titles as a head coach. Larry Brown and Greg Popovich. Both are rather humble in what they do. That's nice and all....but the NBA needs arrogance. And a winner. Other than those two...only Jeff Van Gundy, George Karl, Mike Dunleavy, Byron Scott, Rick Adelman and Jerry Sloan have even gotten to the NBA Finals. And those coaches are a combined 13-36 in NBA Finals games. Of course, Karl, Dunleavy, Scott, Adelman and Sloan lost to Phil Jackson's teams in 24 of those games.
Phil pushes buttons. Whether it is pushing his own player's buttons, calling Sacramento "Cow-town" or writing books...he gets people's juices flowing. And, he may be the lone coach that overshadows his players in the NBA. Like him or not...he is interesting.
WHY HE SHOULDN’T COME BACK. Other than that 10th title...what does he have to prove? Yeah, there are people that would like to see him take an also-ran and develop them into a power....but realize that Shaq, Jordan, Kobe and Pippen are a combined 0-4 in NBA Finals games without Phil.
He also could sit back and maybe wait for a better job to open up. Think about it. This season, the Knicks, Cavaliers, Magic, Nuggets, Timberwolves, Blazers, Mavericks and Grizzlies all changed coaches mid-stream [though some positions have been filled]. There also could be jobs opening in Detroit, Utah and Seattle in the near future.
Not to mention the one stinging comment you can pin on Phil is that he inherited teams that had the talent to win...just not the discipline. What if he goes to a sub-par team and the bottom falls out?
SHOULD HE GO TO THE KNICKS. I’m sure that New York will offer more cheese. That is a nice reason to come back to coaching. Also, there is the issue of his legacy...not that it is in doubt. The Knicks aren’t really a highly successful NBA championship franchise. It has been over 30 years since their last title....and anyone who takes them to a championship will be Joe Torre-ized. Or Bill Parcells-ed. Let’s just say that winning one ring in New York may eclipse the three in Chicago and three in LA.
Getting to the Finals would be much easier in the East. Right now, only Miami and Detroit look to be of any kindof elite status...and both could change in the near future. Heck, the Atlantic Division isn't that great, either. Out west, there are a ton of very good franchises...and a few of them [Denver, Houston] are up-and-comers. So, life would be easier in the East...with the lone exceptions of having to deal with Shaq.
Of course, the Knicks are in financial straits. They have the NBA’s highest payroll and won’t shed a bunch of it until the summer of 2007. I don’t think Phil wants to waste two years hoping for a free agent frenzy then. There is also the issue of the meddling Isaiah Thomas. No matter what you think of Zeke...he is no Jerry West...and Phil couldn’t even get along with West. How would he take it with Thomas looking over his shoulder?
OR HOW ABOUT THE LAKERS. Kobe Bryant. Love him or hate him....he’s a nice piece to build your team around. The Knicks have no one like that...and it would be hard for them to get someone like that. It is funny, that when Phil left...the Lakers actually look more like one of his rosters. A shooting point guard [Chucky Atkins] that Phil likes to stretch the defense. A passing forward [Odom] that Phil craves. Okay...they do have Brian Grant and Chris Mihm as big men...but Phil won titles with Luc Longley, Bill Cartwright, AC Green and Samaki Walker starting. And Kobe was kind of successful in the triangle.
He also brings baggage. In New York...he’ll get a pretty clean slate on most accounts. In LA, he’ll be inheriting some of the crap he left for in the first place. I'll make no bones about the fact that I hated Phil in his final season in LA. He basically just sat back as the team was crumbling...only to try to round everyone back up in the playoffs. I mean, the dude was writing a freaking book about it! The part that got me the most was that he rarely played rookie Luc Walton during the postseason....and not at all in Game 1. In Game 2, he inserts him for a spark...and Walton gives it. All of the sudden, Walton has been granted Sixth Man status and is getting a big chunk of minutes. Huh? Did you ever watch him play during the season??
There is the whole thing between him and Kobe...even if they resolve it or not. Not to mention the un-kind way Phil left last summer. Just like dating an ex-girlfriend. You miss all those good times....but when you hook back up, you remember why you broke up in the first place. Oh, yeah...and he'salso "night putting" with the owner's daughter.
WHAT WILL HE DO?? I think Phil will play the field for as long as he can. With the uncertainty about the CBA, teams may hesitate to make a hiring of this calibar in case of a lockout or strike. That way, they'd be off the hook for his immense salary if, for some reason, the season was cancelled or shortened. I think the Lakers may wait out and see what Larry Brown does as well. After everything is cool...I think he heads to LA. Again....his system is in place with Kobe, Slava, Walton and Devean George still there [not to mention Hamblin was a Phil leftover that coached last season]. I think the parts are there for Phil....and there is some ability to get some new ones. I think around Draft time...you will see Phil Jackson introduced as the LA Lakers new coach.
