Ewing Underappreciated?

Who would you rather have as the Knickerbockers Head Coach?


  • Total voters
    15

Crazy⑧s

Evacuee
If it's truly the case, then that sucks balls.

I'd still take Mike D I think. It'd be great to have Ewing on board however. Especially if we were to FINALLY acquire a center & have him tutored by the one & only Big Pat 33.


If only he were 20 years younger & filling the paint with fear for us right now.

NEW YORK -- Stan Van Gundy loves having Patrick Ewing on his staff. He can't figure out why the New York Knicks don't want him.
Van Gundy criticized the Knicks on Monday night for failing to give Ewing, the franchise's career scoring leader, a coaching job in the organization.
<!-- INLINE QUOTE-BOX MODULE -->
?
nba_g_vangundy_65.jpg
The fans certainly love him. The organization to me sort of pretends to appreciate him and like him.
? <cite>-- Magic coach Stan Van Gundy on
assistant Patrick Ewing</cite>​
<!-- END INLINE QUOTE-BOX MODULE -->"I'm not trying to needle anybody or tell them their business," Van Gundy said after Orlando beat the Knicks 106-102. "What's amazing is they honor the guy, I don't know, every year. They honor him, but while they've got a lot of ex-players in their organization, they've never made any move to try to hire him. That to me is amazing."


Ewing was honored at halftime, when the Knicks presented seven of their former players with "legends awards." Introduced last, he received a loud ovation from the fans, who seem to appreciate him even more than they did when he was playing in New York from 1985-2000.


Van Gundy isn't sure the organization does.
"I mean, I don't know. It's sort of back and forth," Van Gundy said. "They seem to like you. The fans certainly love him. The organization to me sort of pretends to appreciate him and like him."
Ewing was a favorite of Van Gundy's brother, Jeff, who coached the Knicks from March 1996 until resigning in December 2001.
Ewing is in his second season on Van Gundy's staff after previously serving as an assistant coach in Washington and Houston. He is credited for his work with centers Yao Ming and the Magic's Dwight Howard, who came out early to watch the halftime ceremony -- none of the Knicks players did.
Yet he was apparently never a serious candidate for the Knicks' coaching job last year when Isiah Thomas was fired. Meanwhile, New York did interview former Knicks guard Mark Jackson, even though he has no coaching experience.


"This is a guy that not only was the face of their franchise, but when your best player works as hard as he does and competes as hard as he does, he gives your team a chance to be great. They say great things about him, but when it's time to put up or shut up, they don't do anything," said Van Gundy, who recently feuded with Shaquille O'Neal over his comments about O'Neal's flopping.


"So you know, it's been amazing and it's been our fortune in Orlando, that it's pretty amazing that with the ex-players that they hire here to me, there hasn't been a move. There are other ex-players that got interviews for their head coaching job, but then a guy who's been in the league with three different teams as an assistant can't get an interview."
Ewing has said he wants a top job in the NBA and there was some thought he would end up back in New York last year, either as the head coach or perhaps as an assistant on Mike D'Antoni's staff.:peace:


"I'm just like any person who is coaching in this league," Ewing said before the game. "I'm just looking for an opportunity, that's all."


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8T2l5Emzu-I
 

TunerAddict

Starter
Probably would not be a good head coach. Skill wise he would seem to be a great assistant working with big men, but I don't see him having the ability to coach a team.

Doesn't matter anyway as D'antoni is a far superior coach to what he could ever imagine being.

You give the best man for the the job the job, not the guy you have sentimental feelings for, and that is what we did.
 

Paul1355

All Star
Ewing would be a good assistant coach to replace a guy like Herb Williams....Ewing helped Dwight Howard be an even better big man and with Ewing as our big man coach...Lee, Curry, Jeffries, Harrington, etc all of these guys would improve their awareness and aggressiveness in the paint.
 

abcd

KnicksonLIN.com
Patrick Ewing > Mike D'Antoni

Ewing would have gotten the Knicks Brook Lopez.

Ewing would have gotten rid of Eddy Curry and Quentin Richardson, after seeing how much those two guys suck.
 

Kiyaman

Legend
Our coaching staff SUCKED on DEFENSE the past 4 seasons.

Yao rookie season showed how misplaced he was as a Center in the NBA....Ewing and Mutombo rounded out Yao all-around game as the leagues tough center.
The Houston Rockets was the team that was supposed to go after Zach Randolph and Artest this offseason to put with Yao this season.

Dwight Superman Howard is only 23 years old....before 2007 the hiring of Patrick Ewing Dwight Howard could not position himself as a center so the Magic could only use him as a Strong-Foward. Under Patrick Ewing 2 years of training and positioning Dwight Howard is the number one top center in the league. Guess who is 2nd? Yao!

Stan Van Gundy is absolutely right....the Knicks should've signed Patrick Ewing with an urgency....why? Eddie Curry showed that he is one of the leagues top scoring low post Centers in the league....however Curry is clueless and disoriented on defensive-positioning inwhich Patrick Ewing would've became the Knicks coach on team-defense and defensive strategy for our poor 4th qtr. defense.
We all know why coach Dantoni is not coaching in Phoenix this season....no-defense strategy in the 4th qtr...
 

LeFlume

All Star
And Ewing is the only one in this league who knows how much they suck? or do you think every GM in the western hemisphere knows the same thing? Those two are persona non grata. No GM (unless his name Isiah) would trade for those two. Don't blame Walsh, no one wants them and that's why they still in New York. Not because Walsh didn't trade them
 

Scribbles

Rotation player
Patrick Ewing isn't under appreciated by any means from the Knicks organization.

If anything, I think they're preserving his legacy by not handing him such a depleted roster.

I would take Ewing any day over any coach but maybe the Knicks are right in this instance. I mean if we have a losing season, we don't want fans to turn on Pat and start booing him. This is NY you know. LOL

We booed Isiah Thomas outta 2 jobs at once LMAO.
 

OGKnickfan

Enlightened
Probably would not be a good head coach. Skill wise he would seem to be a great assistant working with big men, but I don't see him having the ability to coach a team.

Doesn't matter anyway as D'antoni is a far superior coach to what he could ever imagine being.

You give the best man for the the job the job, not the guy you have sentimental feelings for, and that is what we did.

Your comments, as well as Paul's, are completely arbitrary to Ewing's ability or skill, insofar as coaching is concerned. What makes you, or Paul, an authority on coaching, let alone this particular man's coaching ability?

You say that you don't think he has the skill? Based on what? You say that he could never imagine being what D'Antoni is. What does that even mean? You think you're prescient of everything in Ewing's life? You then speak of the man in a condescending manner, saying he'd make a "great assistant coach for big men," as if he can't work in any other area of the game, when, in fact, he's not a big man assistant coach, he's an assistant coach for an entire team.

You say the best man should get the job? What makes D'Antoni better than Ewing? Ewing hasn't had the chance to be a head coach, let alone one that had the benefit of coaching two guys like Nash and Stoudamire, who would've gotten winning records for any coach in this league.

As a former coach and player, I've seen guys who I thought were good coaches, up close, and have found out they're not very good. I've also seen guys who I've thought were bad, and they're excellent: strategic, can easily pick up on problems and are good at explaining solutions.

So, really, you don't know what you're talking about.
 

Scribbles

Rotation player
Patrick Ewing isn't under appreciated by any means from the Knicks organization.

If anything, I think they're preserving his legacy by not handing him such a depleted roster.

I would take Ewing any day over any coach but maybe the Knicks are right in this instance. I mean if we have a losing season, we don't want fans to turn on Pat and start booing him. This is NY you know. LOL

We booed Isiah Thomas outta 2 jobs at once LMAO.

And made him overdose on Lunesta.
 

TunerAddict

Starter
Your comments, as well as Paul's, are completely arbitrary to Ewing's ability or skill, insofar as coaching is concerned. What makes you, or Paul, an authority on coaching, let alone this particular man's coaching ability?

You say that you don't think he has the skill? Based on what? You say that he could never imagine being what D'Antoni is. What does that even mean? You think you're prescient of everything in Ewing's life? You then speak of the man in a condescending manner, saying he'd make a "great assistant coach for big men," as if he can't work in any other area of the game, when, in fact, he's not a big man assistant coach, he's an assistant coach for an entire team.

You say the best man should get the job? What makes D'Antoni better than Ewing? Ewing hasn't had the chance to be a head coach, let alone one that had the benefit of coaching two guys like Nash and Stoudamire, who would've gotten winning records for any coach in this league.

As a former coach and player, I've seen guys who I thought were good coaches, up close, and have found out they're not very good. I've also seen guys who I've thought were bad, and they're excellent: strategic, can easily pick up on problems and are good at explaining solutions.

So, really, you don't know what you're talking about.

Resume shows the better candidate.
That ****ing simple.

Guy with 0 wins as a head coach, or a guy who has average 58 that last 4 seasons.

No brainer who is the better man for the job.

Quit being so sentimental and use your brain.
 

OGKnickfan

Enlightened
Resume shows the better candidate.
That ****ing simple.

Guy with 0 wins as a head coach, or a guy who has average 58 that last 4 seasons.

No brainer who is the better man for the job.

Quit being so sentimental and use your brain.

Uhhhh... yeah, he got 58 wins and now, all of a sudden, when he doesn't have Nash and Stoudamire to help him, he has 28.

And as for Ewing, you can twist things all you want, but he has been a more than effective player and assistant coach. Every team he's worked for, as an assistant, has made the playoffs. And again, you're a fan: you don't know what really goes into the technical aspects of basketball, AKA coaching.

And speaking of resumes, let's look at yours: you have been murdered by ABCD, metrocard, and others, and now by me: congrats. And do I even have to mention Mardy and Anthony?

SHHHHHHHHHHhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!
 

TunerAddict

Starter
Uhhhh... yeah, he got 58 wins and now, all of a sudden, when he doesn't have Nash and Stoudamire to help him, he has 28.

And as for Ewing, you can twist things all you want, but he has been a more than effective player and assistant coach. Every team he's worked for, as an assistant, has made the playoffs. And again, you're a fan: you don't know what really goes into the technical aspects of basketball, AKA coaching.

And speaking of resumes, let's look at yours: you have been murdered by ABCD, metrocard, and others, and now by me: congrats. And do I even have to mention Mardy and Anthony?

SHHHHHHHHHHhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

Most comical shit you've ever said...

Not even worth discussing shit with because you are so blinded by your own arrogance that you don't even acknowledge the arguments and points made by your opposition.
 

abcd

KnicksonLIN.com
Most comical shit you've ever said...

Not even worth discussing shit with because you are so blinded by your own arrogance that you don't even acknowledge the arguments and points made by your opposition.

What's wrong? You're mad cause you're yet to win an argument on Knicksonline? What are you now? 0-40? You're worse than the Washington Wizards.
 

KBlack25

Starter
Me thinks Stan Van Gundy should mind his own God damned business. And would putting on a tie for the game where his Assistant is getting an honor really hurt the guy?
 

jpz17

Starter
Stan has a point there, why wasn't Ewing an assistant? I'm sure Mark Jackson was offered a spot. but I think he wants head coach anywhere
 

Dirk

Benchwarmer
is ewings too old to make comback as player? maybe sign him in 10 day contarct andd see if knees of him hold up, he mite help usin final push toward playoff this season
 

New New York

Quiet Storm
Jeff Van Gundy even said that Stan was being too sensative about the whole situation. Jeff praised Donnie Walsh as a GM and said he doesnt think the Knick managment are taking advantage of Pat by using these honorary moments to sell tickets. Plus what does giving him an interview for the sake of doing so really mean, to me that is more disrespectful if you really have no intenitons on actually hiring him. The one thing Walsh did that I didnt like was interviewing Herb for the job last Spring when we all knew that there was no chance he would get the job. So should we really patronize the greatest player of our franchise like that


Back to Pat as a coach, look Pat has to pay his dues as an assistant first, and then establish himself some where else before getting a gig in NY. This was my argument against Mark Jackson last year, NY is not the place you learn how to be a head coach at in any sport. I think Jeff Van Gundy was an exception, but even he was an assistant for The Knicks under Pat Riley before taking over as head coach. If Patrick failed as coach in NY then you have to believe his legacy is tarnished somewhat, so better make sure he is up for the challenge.

I'm not saying Ewing won't be a good coach, but he isnt ready to coach in NY just yet. Let him go somewhere like Washington, show and prove and then we can consider him. I mean after all it was in Indiana, not Boston where Bird got his one and only shot to coach and no one thought of that as disrespect, so Ron Jeremy needs to have a Slim Fast and chill!


ron-jeremy.jpg
 

JayJ44

Starter
Excellent Piece on the Situation by Alan Hahn

Stan Van Gundy's unprovoked rant Monday about the Knicks using Patrick Ewing "to help them sellout the building" was clearly premeditated. Those closest to Ewing know how much it bothers him that other people (see: Isiah Thomas) have had control of a franchise he carried on his shoulders for 15 years and had to watch crash and burn from afar. Give SVG a pass here because he's sticking up for his guy and that's fine.
But for Van Gundy to say "the organization sort of pretends to appreciate him" is way over the top. There is a new regime in place and it's not fair to lump Donnie Walsh -- who is unquestionably trying to do the right thing here in re-connecting the wayward franchise (and it's fan-base, to that matter) to its past -- with those who came before him.
Let's not forget that Walsh said he wanted to speak with Ewing during the coaching search last spring, but Magic GM Otis Smith would not give permission while the Magic were still in the playoffs. The same went for Tom Thibodeau of the Boston Celtics.
Sure, Walsh could have waited and let Mike D'Antoni, clearly the most accomplished and experienced coach available (after Stan's brother, Jeff, said he wasn't interested), take an offer from the Chicago Bulls. But Walsh acted fast, blew the Bulls away and got the man he felt was best for the long-term plan (read: making the Knicks even more attractive for potential star free agents).
D'Antoni immediately said he would be open to adding Ewing as an assistant coach, but would Ewing want to take the job knowing it might mean one of his best friends, Herb Williams, would be out of a job? (Remember, Herb was the only assistant retained from Isiah's staff).
Ewing isn't looking for any handouts. He has put in the work as an assistant coach and has learned from both Van Gundys and Doug Collins. If and when he does get a head job, those who know him best say he will need to make sure he -- like any rookie coach -- hires a top assistant with head coaching experience to help him through game management.
And keep this in mind: like Mark Jackson, who was inches from getting the job, if Ewing was hired to coach the Knicks, he would have had to endure a first season of salary-dump trades (Zach Randolph and Jamal Crawford) in the first month, the Stephon Marbury saga and the pressure to prove he could handle the job (including meeting three times a day with the media on game days...which you know Ewing would just love to do, right?).
I tried to make this point from the very start of the season: this year is more about demolition than it is about making the playoffs. I have debated it all season long, that the playoffs are a nice goal, but with a collection of expiring contracts and an eye on going after star-level talent, this isn't the roster you're going forward with. So don't expect too much.
And so with that in mind, to hire a rookie coach to handle this transition period would have been a disaster greater than anything that has happened this season, including those losses to the Nets and Kings last week.
But for those who can't get over it, let's look around the NBA for a second and consider some of the greatest players of Ewing's era who now have NBA positions:
Michael Jordan - an executive in Charlotte (and previously in Washington) and not in Chicago
Larry Bird - an executive in Indiana (and not in Boston)
Isiah Thomas - with the Knicks (previously with Toronto) and not in Detroit
Dominique Wilkins - a figurehead executive position with Hawks and also a TV analyst
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar - a "special assistant" coach with the Lakers
Magic Johnson - bought a small ownership share of the Lakers, coached them briefly
Let's assume Ewing, who has made it clear his goal is to be a head coach, would not be interested in what is essentially an apprenticeship role that was given to Allan Houston, which is a "special assistant to the president." Ewing wants to coach. If the Knicks invited him on the staff after this season, why would he take it? Why would he leave a star pupil like Dwight Howard and an established team like the Magic? So he can spend a year going early to the gym only to have Eddy Curry blow off their pre-arranged workouts?
[Bloghost note: Full disclosure here - I wrote last season about Curry saying he would love to talk more with Ewing. But we're learning over time that Curry, like many of these current Knicks, are really convincing with their pseudo-sincere rhetoric.]
Patrick's future may be elsewhere, such as in Washington, perhaps, where his coaching career began on Doug Collins' bench. He has an old friend in Ernie Grunfeld, the GM for the Wizards, who should reach out and invite him in for an interview. It would also be a bit of a homecoming for Ewing, who has those Georgetown roots. And there is far less of a media glare there in D.C. and a much better roster (when healthy) that could grant him much-needed success out of the gate.
As for the Knicks, there is major repair work to be done with this franchise, from its present condition to its future and also to its need to mend so many fences of the past. Monday night was an attempt to begin the latter process.
Just bloggin.
http://weblogs.newsday.com/sports/basketball/knicks/blog/2009/03/mad_at_dead_people.html
 
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