Tag: fired

Knicks Fire Team President Steve Mills

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In a move that surprises no one, the Knicks have fired Steve Mills as team president.

Rumblings of Mills’s departure began last Sunday after reports surfaced of him leaving Madison Square Garden upset, presumably following a meeting with team owner Jim Dolan.

Mills previously had several stints with the Knicks, first working with the organization from 2003 through 2009, and working with then-president Phil Jackson in 2014. Mills was elevated to president of basketball operations following Jackson’s firing in 2017.

“Steve and I have come to the decision that it would be best for him to leave his role as president of the New York Knicks,” said Dolan. “We thank Steve for his many years of service to our organization and look forward to continuing our relationship with him as part of our board.”

Current general manager Scott Perry, who worked closely with Mills, will lead basketball operations in an interim role.

Per ESPN, Dolan has already spoken with an unnamed candidate. The Knicks are also rumored to be targeting current Raptors president Masai Ujiri.

“I will always be grateful to Jim for giving me the chance to represent this franchise and I’m disappointed we were unable to achieve success for New York. I would like to thank the staff and players for their hard work during my tenure. I will always be a Knicks fan.”

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While I prefer this was a package deal with Perry (they both put this clunky roster of ill-fitting parts together), I have a feeling more hammers will drop.

Still, I’m not exactly optimistic with Thursday’s trade deadline looming. Was Mills ousted for pushing a bad deal (like trading for Andre Drummond or giving up Mitchell Robinson and picks to the Warriors for D’Angelo Russell?) or was he fired for not going along with one?

We have about 48 hours to find out. Meanwhile, we might as well call this season the Knicks 2019-2020 Fire Sale.

The Inevitable Comes: Knicks Fire David Fizdale

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On the heels of two embarrassing back to back blowouts, the Knicks have fired head coach David Fizdale.

The move comes with the Knicks in the midst of an eight-game losing streak. The team lost last night’s game to the Nuggets 129-92 at home. Previously, they trailed by over 40 points before losing to the Bucks 132-88.

The Knicks currently have the worst record in the Eastern conference at 4-18.

Fizdale was in the second year of four year contract estimated to be worth $22 million. Assistant coach Keith Smart was also relieved of coaching duties.

At press time, the interim coach has not been announced.

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The writing was on the wall last month when Steve Mills and Scott Perry held that surreal post-game press conference following the Cavs blowout. The team has clearly checked out but most damning has been Fizdale’s handling of our young talent, who seem to have all regressed to differing levels.

Be that as it may, Fizdale wasn’t the man who put this haphazard roster together. I’m sure Mills and Perry will attempt to right some wrongs once trades can begin on December 15, but I’ve seen enough. Once this season ends, our GM and president need to follow Fizdale out the organization.

From there, throw a boatload of money and guaranteed complete control at savvy basketball minds (starting with Toronto’s Masai Ujuri) who have their finger on the pulse of what’s needed to excel in the modern NBA.

Knicks Fire Head Coach Jeff Hornacek and Kurt Rambis

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24 hours removed from the last game of the season, the Knicks are back on the head coach market. The team announced this morning that head coach Jeff Hornacek  and associate coach Kurt Rambis have been fired.

Knicks President Steve Mills confirmed the news in a statement to media this morning.

“Jeff is a true professional who has worked tirelessly for this organization the last two seasons,” said Mills. “We sincerely appreciate his efforts and considerable contributions to the team and wish him well in his future endeavors.”

The Knicks also confirmed the release of associate head coach Kurt Rambis, marking the departure of the last remnants of Phil Jackson’s tenure as Knicks president.

“Kurt has been a big part of the Knicks over these last four seasons, as both associate head coach and interim head coach,” added Mills and General Manager Scott Perry. “We thank him for his dedication to New York and wish him the best moving forward.”

Hornacek posted a record of 60-104 over his two seasons in New York.

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I’m not one of those people who blames all of the Knicks’s woes at Hornacek’s feet. However, back to back 50+ loss seasons and the lack of respect he’s garnered in the locker room make this a necessary move.

The public spats with Noah, Porzingis and O’Quinn, not to mention his previous contentious player history in Phoenix, reveals a guy who struggles with leading players. And more troubling was a shaky offense predicated on long two-pointers, weak three-point shooting, and even worse three-point defense (dead last in the league).

Now comes the more scary proposition — can the Knicks nail their next head coach pick? Can we finally get someone that not only preaches sound defense, but also has a modern offense that emphasizes ball movement and three-point shooting? We’ll soon find out if Mills and Perry can break the cycle of futility we’ve had since the 50+ season in 2012. This is without question our most important offseason since the Amar’e signing in 2010.

Phil Jackson Fires Derek Fisher, Kurt Rambis Named Interim Coach

 

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Having lost 9 of their last 10 games, Knicks President Phil Jackson has announced today the firing of second year head coach Derek Fisher.

The move comes with the Knicks on a season-worst five game losing streak. Despite nagging injuries to key players Carmelo Anthony, Kristaps Porzingis and Lance Thomas, the Knicks play in recent weeks has been marked by poor starts and haphazard fourth quarter execution. Since returning to .500 with a January 12 win over the Celtics, the Knicks have gone 3-11 and now sit at 12th in the Eastern Conference standings.

In his two years as head coach, Fisher has amassed a 40-96 record.

Assistant Kurt Rambis has been elevated to interim coach duties.

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It had to be done and I commend Phil for having the guts to sack one of his pupils.

It’s clear that Fisher was unredeemable in areas that are flat out unacceptable as head coach: his rotations, play calling and ability to adjust to the flow of the game. This has resulted in a team that lacks confidence and identity.

No sane Knicks fan believes this team is a contender, but they’re damn sure better than 12th place in the East. Let’s hope a good point guard is the next trick Phil has up his sleeve.

Matt Barnes, Fisher is all yours…

 

 

Cleaning House – Knicks Fire Mike Woodson and Staff

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Following their most disappointing season in recent memory, the Knicks have announced the firing of head coach Mike Woodson and the entire coaching staff on Monday.

Just one season removed from a 54-28 record and achieving the Knicks’ first Atlantic Division title since the 1993-1994 season, Woodson finds himself unemployed after a season where the group started 3-13, suffered prolonged injuries, and failed to gel as a team. The club missed the playoffs and finished with a 37-45 record.

In an official statement, Knicks president Phil Jackson did not place sole blame on Woodson, but stressed the need for the team to have a fresh start next year.

“I have a tremendous amount of respect for Mike Woodson and his entire staff,” said Jackson. “The coaches and players on this team had an extremely difficult 2013-14 season, and blame should not be put on one individual. But the time has come for change throughout the franchise as we start the journey to assess and build this team for next season and beyond.”

The other staff members relieved of their duties include Herb Williams, Jim Todd, Darrell Walker, LaSalle Thompson and Dave Hopla.

Woodson’s record over 2.5 seasons with the Knicks is 109-79. At press time, Woodson has declined to comment on his release.

Per the New York Post, possible coaching candidates include Steve Kerr and Derek Fisher.

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It had to be done. As much as I personally liked Woodson, the team’s play this year, on offense and defense, has been inexcusable. We were horrible in fourth quarter execution, ran Melo into the ground every game with too many minutes, and had the worst perimeter defense iamginable (switch! switch! switch!). To go from second in the East to ninth is an indictment on Woodson’s ability too large for Jackson to overlook.

Far as the new coaching candidates, I’m ambivalent at the moment. While the idea of a rookie coach is a little disconcerting, I’d trust Phil gambling there over just hiring retreads from around the league. Above all, at least we can say we’re starting with a clean slate. Your move now, Melo.