Over the past several years the New York Knicks have not had much success. However, in the 2012-2013 season they were able to go to the Eastern Conference Finals. Other than that, the New York Knicks franchise has not had a presence as championship contenders. Knicks fans are hopeful and trust that Phil Jackson can build the Knicks into a championship team once again.
Knicks NBA Season (2013-2014)
The Knicks hired Phil Jackson, the 11 time champion who coached the LA Lakers and the Chicago Bulls. He's one of the best coaches in NBA history. After being hired towards the end of the season, the Knicks finished with a 37-45 record (9th place in the Eastern Conference). The first executive decision made by Phil Jackson was to fire Mike Woodson (who brought the Knicks to 2nd place in the Eastern Conference in 2012-2013) and this is because Phil Jackson had stated: "The coaches and players on this team had a difficult '13-'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."
First Full Season with Knicks (2013-2014)
In the first off-season on the job, Phil Jackson and the Knicks agreed to terms with Derek Fisher to become the new head coach for the New York Knicks. This decision did not take as long as usual as there was a restricted coaching search, meaning that he wanted to find a coach who was familiar with the triangle offense (which was a strategy used during his coaching career). Therefore the candidates for the job were limited. In his first full season with the Knicks, they ended with a record of 17-64 and were dead last in the Eastern Conference. As a result they also traded key pieces in J.R. Smith (former sixth man of the year) and Iman Shumpert (a great defensive guard).
Second Knicks NBA Season (2014-2015)
As a result of being last in the Eastern Conference, the Knicks received the fourth pick in the NBA Draft in which they drafted Kristaps Porzingis (which was a bust among fans, they literally boo'd him on draft night). Porzingis, later on during the season, changed those boos into cheers and was able to average 14.3 points, 7.3 rebounds, and about two blocks per game. Towards the end of the offseason the Knicks signed Aaron Afflalo, Robin Lopez, Derrick Williams, and Kyle O'Quinn. They finished the season with a 32-50 record. However, midseason fired Derek Fisher and this is because Phil was not happy about the Knicks production on the court.
The Current State of the NY Knicks
On May 18, 2016 the Knicks hired Jeff Hornacek, a former NBA player on the Utah Jazz (played against Phil Jackson's teams in the finals). In his first head coaching job he was able to lead the Phoenix Suns to 48-34 (2013-2014), which was an improvement from the year before with a record of 25-57 (2012-2013). The next decision made by Phil Jackson was to trade for former MVP (the 2011-2012 season) Derrick Rose and doing this would help ensure that the Knicks had a chance to receive Kevin Durant in free agency. Doing this trade also helps the Knicks' chances in getting Kevin Durant because of the fact that Derrick Rose and Kevin Durant are good friends. Since gaining Derrick Rose, Phil Jackson has gained the trust of most Knicks fans but has also made some think that he is the right man for the Knicks.
