Author: JEC (Page 29 of 46)

ESPN Insider Chad Ford laid out his reasons as to why he feels Phil Jackson should choose the Cavaliers over the Lakers, Knicks, Blazers and any other team competing for his services. He made several great points, among them:

*The Cavs could have nearly $20 million under the cap to work with, depending on what they do with Z.
*Dan Gilbert is desperate for a big name, which means he’ll top any offers for Jackson, he’s willing to spend whatever it takes to turn the Cavs into a first-class organization, and he’ll likely give Phil complete control of the organization, including final say on personnel decisions.
*The East is much more wide open than the West.

Of course, the main selling point is having the league’s brightest young star, a surefire future MVP, on your roster. LeBron alone will perk Jackson’s interest.

Again, I have a hard time believing that Phil could pass up this kind of golden opportunity. Ford basically confirms that Jackson would have free reign in Cleveland, and combined with the chance to coach a kid like LeBron, you’ve got the league’s most attractive coaching vacancy. In fact, in Ford’s words, “The Cavs’ gig is the best open job in the NBA right now.” I couldn’t agree more.

It seems inevitable that Phil Jackson will be back on the NBA sidelines in 2005, but what team he’ll be coaching is very much still in question. Jackson has already met with Lakers owner Jerry Buss and, reports say, Knicks president Isiah Thomas, and now a meeting with the “uncoachable” Kobe Bryant is next. Although it has yet to be reported, you’ve got to think Cavs owner Dan Gilbert is somewhere on Jackson’s list as well, with several NBA analysts saying the former Lakers and Bulls head coach will ultimately have to decide between LA, New York and Cleveland. ESPN’s Mark Kreidler, meanwhile, sets Jackson’s asking price at a steep $10 million per year.

So where’s the Zen Master going to end up? Call it wishful thinking if you want, but I honestly see the Cavaliers coming out on top in this one. The Knicks are a mess — no cap room, a selfish point guard and an absolute train wreck of a roster. I just don’t see it happening. And while I’m sure Jackson’s interest in the Lakers is genuine, considering his familiarity with the franchise (not to mention his familiarity with the owner’s daughter, Jeanie Buss), I have a hard time believing that Jackson’s turbulent relationship with Kobe, whom Jackson called out in his tell-all book “The Last Season,” can so easily be repaired. He called the kid uncoachable, for crying out loud, and gave the Lakers an ultimatum: trade Kobe or I’m gone. We all know how that one turned out. So what’s changed in the last year? The Lakers are a mess, sure, which no doubt strokes Phil’s ego, but if he couldn’t make it work with Kobe before why would he assume he could make it work now?

And why even take on that headache when you’ve got someone better than Kobe waiting for you in Cleveland? LeBron’s unselfish. LeBron doesn’t come with the baggage that Kobe brings. LeBron won’t give Phil nightly migraines. LeBron actually makes his team better by getting his teammates involved in the offense rather than trying to be the offense. LeBron is the best young player in the game and in another year or two, he may very well be the league’s best player period. How could Phil pass that up? Some say Gilbert stands as a potential deterrent, but if he was able to land Jackson he’d keep his trap shut and let his new Hall-of-Fame coach run the team. Plus, the Cavaliers have the kind of cap room that’ll allow them to make a much-needed splash in free agency. ESPN’s Michael Wilbon and Tim Legler, among others, say Jackson will choose LeBron over Kobe. Let’s hope they’re right.