WEBVTT - Stephen A's Take: Stephen A gives passionate and critical commentary on the New York Knicks' current coaching situation.

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<v Speaker 1>Let's get to the New York Knicks and then search

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<v Speaker 1>for a new head coach, which doesn't appear to be

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<v Speaker 1>going well. By the way, the Knicks, who fired Tom

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<v Speaker 1>Thibodeaux after advancing to the Eastern Conference Finals, have been

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<v Speaker 1>turned down by several teams seeking to speak to their

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<v Speaker 1>head coach. According to multiple sources, the Mavericks denied the

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<v Speaker 1>ex permission to interview Jason Kidd. The Timberwolves did the

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<v Speaker 1>same with Chris Finch. The Rockets did the same with

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<v Speaker 1>Emy Udoka, The Bulls did the same with Billy Donovan,

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<v Speaker 1>and the Hawks did the same with Quinn Snyder. So

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<v Speaker 1>the situation looks disastrous for New York, who fired the

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<v Speaker 1>head coach that led them to the Eastern Conference Finals

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<v Speaker 1>without a plan. Here's my point, what the hell are

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<v Speaker 1>you doing calling Quinn Snyder? You let go of Tom Thibodeaux,

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<v Speaker 1>and your answer to New Yorkers was going to be

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<v Speaker 1>Quinn Snyder is the next head coach of this franchise.

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<v Speaker 1>Quinn Snyder, who by the way, knows basketball, who can coach.

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<v Speaker 1>I'm not trying to disrespect him in any way. I'm

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<v Speaker 1>just simply saying, what does he accomplished that's gonna make

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<v Speaker 1>you say, Okay, it's all right that Tims is going,

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<v Speaker 1>we got this guy now, because that's what you need

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<v Speaker 1>to do. When you got a coach that gotted you

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<v Speaker 1>to back to back fifty plus win seasons or fifty

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<v Speaker 1>win seasons and took you to within two games of

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<v Speaker 1>an NBA Finals, you're going to need to have somebody

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<v Speaker 1>bonafide in order to replace him, wouldn't you say? I'd

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<v Speaker 1>say so. Billy Donovan, two top national champion at Florida,

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<v Speaker 1>respect the hell out of that man. But in Oklahoma

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<v Speaker 1>City and then now in Chicago, he's not the answer

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<v Speaker 1>for the New York Knicks at this particular moment in time.

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<v Speaker 1>He's just not. He's just not. So I can understand

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<v Speaker 1>you reaching out to the email you dooka. You had

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<v Speaker 1>no chance till in Fati. They ain't letting that man

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<v Speaker 1>out of that contract with two years left on his deal.

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<v Speaker 1>He loves them. I understand you reaching out to other

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<v Speaker 1>coaches adjacent Kidd in Dallas, Mavericks weren't letting him go.

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<v Speaker 1>Anthony Davis is coming back, Kyrie Evan eventually coming back.

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<v Speaker 1>We are about they're about to draft Cooper flag Okay, no, no, no,

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<v Speaker 1>they ain't let Jason not happening. I'm still wondering why

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<v Speaker 1>they have it picked, or at least interviewed Mike Malone,

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<v Speaker 1>former coach with the Denver Nuggets, who won a championship

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<v Speaker 1>just a couple of years ago. What the hell is

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<v Speaker 1>that about? To not even talk to this man, to

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<v Speaker 1>not even interview this man knowing that he brings championship

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<v Speaker 1>credentials to the table. What's up with that? With all

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<v Speaker 1>of that being said, y'all know where I'm going. I'm

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<v Speaker 1>waiting for Mark Jackson to get the call. Hand down,

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<v Speaker 1>man down that dude. I'm waiting for a guy that

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<v Speaker 1>started Bishop Blacklan in Brooklyn, New York, that went to

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<v Speaker 1>Saint John's University and stood out, They got drafted by

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<v Speaker 1>the New York Knicks and was Rookie of the Year.

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<v Speaker 1>I'm talking about that Mark Jackson. I'm talking about Mark Jackson,

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<v Speaker 1>who was last seen as an outside a team member

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<v Speaker 1>of you know, the A team calling games on the

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<v Speaker 1>NBA for ESPN and ABC with Jeff Van Gundy. I'm

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<v Speaker 1>talking about that Mark Jackson. I'm talking about to Mark

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<v Speaker 1>Jackson that guided Steph Curry and Klay Thompson and Draymond

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<v Speaker 1>Green through the early parts of their career that set

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<v Speaker 1>the table for Steve Curdi capitalized on and ultimately become

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<v Speaker 1>a champion as a coach. How in God's name does

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<v Speaker 1>this man Mark Jackson, who's been out of coaching for

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<v Speaker 1>a decade, not even get a job in over a decade,

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<v Speaker 1>not even as a lead assistant. How does that happen?

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<v Speaker 1>I'm really really wondering about that. I really need to

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<v Speaker 1>understand that. And so I say all of that to

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<v Speaker 1>say to you, this guy, Mark Jackson, New York would

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<v Speaker 1>stand up and salute at such a decision without question.

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<v Speaker 1>He would be embraced by New Yorkers everywhere because we

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<v Speaker 1>all know he was a damn good coach, and we

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<v Speaker 1>all knows he deserves the opportunity. He doesn't deserve to

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<v Speaker 1>be blackball like it appears he's been blackballed. The other

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<v Speaker 1>name that I would throw out there is Sam Cassell,

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<v Speaker 1>lead assistant on the Boston Celtics. It's been an assistant

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<v Speaker 1>coach in various places, including Philadelphia and now Boston. He's

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<v Speaker 1>been a bevy of places. He has paid his dues.

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<v Speaker 1>By the way, he's a two time champion as a player.

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<v Speaker 1>He knows the game of basketball. He's in your face,

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<v Speaker 1>he's about holding you accountable. By the way, he also

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<v Speaker 1>won a championship with Boston if I remember correctly, with

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<v Speaker 1>KG and the Crew. Sam Cassell is special basketball mind

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<v Speaker 1>and incredibly incredibly relatable. The players will get in their face,

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<v Speaker 1>call them the hell out, and still have them hugging

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<v Speaker 1>him and saying let's go out to dinner. That's how

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<v Speaker 1>much love they got for him, in respect they have

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<v Speaker 1>for him. Sam Cassell has the credentials Mark Jackson or

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<v Speaker 1>Sam Cassel next head coach for the New York Knicks.

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<v Speaker 1>Why not? Why not? Because clearly the Knicks don't know

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<v Speaker 1>what the hell they're doing. Maybe it was Dolan that

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<v Speaker 1>forced Leon Rose to get rid of him, rid of

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<v Speaker 1>Tom Thibodeaux, even though he wasn't able to force Leon

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<v Speaker 1>Rose to do anything else. He gave leon Rose latitude

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<v Speaker 1>with everything else. Why would he have a heavy hand

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<v Speaker 1>when it comes to Thibodeaux? And if the players had

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<v Speaker 1>something to do with this, why did Leon Rose have

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<v Speaker 1>to capitulate to them? Is he not the president of

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<v Speaker 1>basketball operations? Where was Jalen Brunson going to go when

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<v Speaker 1>you got his boy, Michel Bridges, and you gotta call

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<v Speaker 1>Anthony Towns. You got another one of his boys in

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<v Speaker 1>Josh Hort. There Where was he gonna go. I don't

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<v Speaker 1>know what the hell's going on with the New York Knicks.

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<v Speaker 1>I just know that the way they're being talked about now,

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<v Speaker 1>just a couple of weeks after getting to the conference finals,

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<v Speaker 1>it's tantamount to how they were being talked about when

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<v Speaker 1>they were hot garbage, which means that chaos once again

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<v Speaker 1>has reigned over the New York Knicks franchise, discombobulated all

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<v Speaker 1>over the place, lacking maturity, it's got doling written all

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<v Speaker 1>over it. Hopefully they'll make the right decision with who

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<v Speaker 1>their next coach is going to be. But we shall see,

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<v Speaker 1>We shall see.