From the New York Post’s Marc Berman :
In May, Knicks president Isiah Thomas flew to Los Angeles. Some thought Thomas was there to conduct a second interview with Phil Jackson.
Not the case. Thomas was seeking to interview Paul Westphal. A former NBA head coach, Westphal had flown under the radar the past four years, coaching in the shadow of UCLA and USC, at Pepperdine in the West Coast Conference.
Saturday night, during NBA summer league play at UNLV, Knicks interim coach Herb Williams and Westphal sat together in the third-to-last-row of the bleachers, the latest bombshell in the Knicks’ coaching search that has been going on for three months.
Thomas, who interviewed Westphal for the head-coaching position, is now looking at the former Sonics and Suns head coach as the perfect top assistant for Williams, who clearly will be the Knicks’ head coach next season if Larry Brown stays in Detroit. And, of course, if Williams doesn’t make it through the season, Westphal, if hired as an assistant, would be waiting in the wings.
I caught most of Saturday’s Knicks/Wizards summer league clash, and while such matchups usually tell you a little less about the relative abilities of the players involved than say, your average NFL exhibition game, Nate Robertson looks to be a terrific addition for New York. Robertson’s passing, ball-handling, court savvy, etc. put him in a different class. Maybe not First Class, but certainly Business (or if you’re flying Virgin, Premium Economy).
Agreed on Robinson — who is galvanizing, and far better than I remembered him from college — but agreed, too, on how borderline useless these summer league games are. I still remember one game from a few years ago when I excitedly spotted the next great NBA combo guard. He seemed to be moving faster than anyone on the court, his jumpshot was dead on and he attacked the basket with aplomb and style. His name was Joe Forte.
I have watched Nate Robinson play since he was a freshman in high school. Very fast, very smart, skilled ballhandler, good shot, with a vertical leap of about 4ft. And he’s a leader. He wills his teams to win. I think he’s a total steal for the Knicks.
I attended college with Nate the Great (as I’ve proudly mentioned here before) and I cannot wait for the moment he becomes the biggest little thing New York has seen in years. The firiest competitor I’ve ever seen in person, the most jaw-dropping leaper I can think of…He is a special player and personality. Tmidgett is right on – he wills his teams to victory. He’s a wet firecracker.
Fuck Nate Robinson. Im more excited about the possibility of Westphal as an assistant coach. Maybe his buddy Rush Limbaugh will start showing up courtside.
TH