Phil Jackson would reportedly like to keep Kurt Rambis as his permanent head coach next season.
According to Ian Begley of ESPN, Jackson gave Rambis the Knicks’ interim job with the hope that he would be able to take it and do enough to earn the full-time gig for 2016-17.
Rambis does, however, need to show that he can win games with the Knicks to do enough to win the job.
Jackson definitely has an ego. He’s committed to seeing that his triangle offense works in New York, and he’d likely want to see Rambis succeed for the same reasons.
The problem for Jackson right now is that Rambis isn’t doing any better than his predecessor, Derek Fisher. Rambis is just 4-8 since taking over, and moreover he’s brought some embarrassment to the organization with off-court distractions. He’s tried to push his team, but as far as results go, they simply haven’t responded, which may leave the Zen Master with no choice but to look elsewhere for his next permanent coach.
