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May 12, 2012 Phil Jackson ready to consider a return to coaching?
By Rachel Shuster, USA TODAY
It's that time of the year in the NBA when the name of the game is speculation.
Who's going to coach the Charlotte Bobcats?
Former Lakers and Bulls coach Phil Jackson, who played for the New York Knicks, is in the rumor mill surrounding the Knicks coaching job.
CAPTION
By Matthew Emmons, US Presswire
When will the Orlando Magic decide about Stan Van Gundy?
Will Phil Jackson ever coach again?
That last one has resonance now because the team in the mix for Phil's services, as we all know from the social media world of hoops in New York, is the Knicks.
Interim coach Mike Woodson did a fine job taking over for Mike D'Antoni, going 18-6 in the regular season, having to deal with all the injuries in the postseason that ended in the five-game series loss to the Miami Heat.
Woodson seems to be in negotiations with the Knicks, who have asked, first, that he change his representation because they don't like dealing with with the father-and-son agent team of Joel and Keith Glass.
But it's never a good offseason for the Knicks without something stirring in the wind. And there are a few somethings now.
Since Florida International abruptly dismissed Isiah Thomas as its men's head basketball coach, the specter of Thomas returning to the MSG fold has been out there in the Twitter world. Thomas is thought to have remained close to MSG guru James Dolan, to the delight of some, to the dismay of many more.
Woodson and Thomas played together at Indiana U. for Bob Knight. Thomas having Dolan's ear would be a good thing for Woodson.
But then there's former Knick Action-Jackson. What has he been up to since parting ways with the Los Angeles Lakers, who could be one-and-done by Sunday if they don't win Game 7 against the Denver Nuggets?
Jackson's sweetie, Jeanie Buss, executive vice president of business operations for the Lakers and daughter of club owner Jerry Buss, was a guest on "Mason and Ireland" on ESPN 710 radio in Los Angeles and she engaged in a little speculation of her own.
Jackson's health, with his various aches and pains and surgeries over the years, had been one of the factors in his decision to step away from coaching for a while.
Jeanie Buss said that's a non-issue now.
"He's got his energy back," Buss said. "As a matter of fact, I overheard him making plans to play tennis when he's back in Montana with one of his friends. He hasn't played tennis, I don't think, in eight years. The knee replacement really is one of those operations that has such a high success rate. ... It really is a miracle. It's one of those things that because of Phil's schedule he wasn't able to take the time to get the surgery and do the rehab. Now he's done it, and I do think he has his energy back. Now how he's going to spend his time? I don't know. I'm happy for him, that he's out of pain, after watching him suffer for the last few years."
OK, so that's not the same as saying her man is ready to hit the sidelines again. But she agreed with the hosts that "having the energy back" is a good sign that Jackson might, at least, give the idea some thought.
So where better than the Knicks?
Except ... Does Jackson really want to deal with the problem of getting Carmelo Anthony and Amar'e Stoudemire on the same page? Jackson did get Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal to work together long enough to win three championships. But their games could work in tandem. Their issues were more of the cerebral variety.
Anthony and Stoudemire -- can their games really work together? Is that too much of a headache even for Jackson?
So, that leaves .... the Bobcats? Owned by Jackson's star pupil, Michael Jordan. If the team hits the right lottery ping pong ball and gets Kentucky big man Anthony Davis, wouldn't that be a a nice inducement to wave at Jackson?
But maybe he doesn't want the job of inheriting the team with the worst winning percentage in NBA history.
So where better than....the Magic?
Get Dwight Howard thinking Orlando really is the place to be? Get Howard to work on his game to maximize his abilities? Be a magnet for free agents to consider the Magic?
That's certainly the name of the game, right now. Speculation. Ain't it delicious?
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