Phil Jackson’s extraordinary vision is one of the fundamental reasons why the former coach has more rings than fingers. In Chicago, Jackson visualized scenarios and designed plays that allowed Michael Jordan to score at will and win six championships. In Los Angeles, Jackson perfected long time assistant Tex Winter’s triangle offense that helped Shaq and Kobe win thee consecutive championships in the early 2000’s. Now entering his second season as the President of the Knicks, Jackson finally seems to have a plan in place to vault the Knicks into championship contention; draft D’Angelo Russell with the fourth overall pick in next week’s draft. Jackson is convinced that Russell’s vision, mainly his ability to decipher defenses quicker than anybody else, separates the Ohio State guard from the draft’s other prospects.
D’Angelo Russell and Knicks great fit at #4
Russell has been on the Knicks’ radar even before they most likely lost their opportunity to draft big men Karl-Anthony Towns and Jahlil Okafor when they landed the fourth pick in the draft lottery. Phil Jackson attended one of Russell’s games this year, a blowout win against Nebraska, in which the guard only recorded 11 points and 6 assists. Yet, when asked what he thought of Russell, Jackson commented that he’s a “great-looking kid” and a “great prospect.” Of course, Jackson was fined an undisclosed amount for his comments because the NBA prohibits team officials from commenting on college players that have not yet declared for the draft. But Phil Jackson is the Zen Master, and everything the Zen Master says or does has a purpose. Jackson’s willingness to speak and be slapped with a fine showed Russell that the Knicks are intent on drafting him. Knicks fans are hoping that their disappointing draft position is a blessing-in-disguise, as long as the Philadelphia 76ers don’t target Russell with the third overall pick. Fortunately for Jackson and Knicks fans, ESPN’s draft insider Chad Ford’s most recent mock draft has the Sixers taking international sensation Kristaps Porzingis.
Listed at 6’4″ and weighing in at 195 pounds, Russell will join the NBA’s new breed of combo guards, which includes James Harden and Monta Ellis. Russell, whose best quality is passing and finding the open man, will be tasked with bringing up the ball on occasion so that he can penetrate defenses and kick out the ball to players like Carmelo Anthony. After losing Patrick Beverly for the season due to injury, the Houston Rockets moved Jason Terry into the starting lineup, which was strange considering Terry is not a point gaurd. But Kevin McHale and general manager Daryl Morey agreed that the offense would perform more efficiently if Harden brought the ball up the court with Terry creating space as a three-point threat. The Rockets were able to come back from a 3-1 deficit to defeat the LA Clippers with Harden as the main facilitator. If the Knicks draft Russell, Phil Jackson doesn’t have to find an immediate replacement for Jose Calderon as he can play the same role as Jason Terry. Between his excellent mid range game and his patented back-spin bounce pass to the cutter, D’Angelo Russell will open up the floor for Carmelo Anthony and allow him to shoot more efficiently than last year’s numbers showed.
Critics of Russell’s game point to his inconsistent three point shot and his lack of effort on defense. They also point to Russell playing in the Big 10 this past season, a conference not known for its stellar defenses. Its true that he didn’t always play like a top 5 pick in the biggest games of the season, but neither did Andrew Wiggins. No critic is commenting on Russell’s intangibles, however. He’s very quiet on the court, much like Kevin Durant, but undeniably he is a floor general. If there’s anyone in this year’s draft that can handle the pressure of playing well in Madison Square Garden and taming the media like a veteran, it’s Russell.
Karl-Anthony Towns, Jahlil Okafor, and Emmanuel Mudiay all might turn out to be all-star players in the NBA. But down the road, D’Angelo Russell could easily become the best player from this draft class. Phil Jackson’s reputation and legacy are on the line over the next few years, considering how poorly the team has performed thus far during his reign. The man who coached Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant has a clear vision of the future; D’Angelo Russell will restore basketball greatness to the mecca.
