Whatever debate there was about Phil Jackson’s capacity to institute a culture shift is over. He did it and could have foreseen.
J.R. Smith has seen the light.
“Trying to consider the rest of the group over my scoring is something that I never really had to do before,” Smith told ESPNNewYork.com’s Ohm Youngmisuk. “I have always been in a position to score, [now I am ] able to take my time and allow the game come and let my teammates triumph more than myself, I think that is the ultimate triumph.”
As the year progresses transformations in the preseason have a means of reversing themselves, but for the time being, it seems Jackson has performed magic.
Obtaining Smith to purchase in the equal-opportunity tenets of this triangle offense is enormous, and everything then –figuring out how to coax defense from a frontcourt rotation involving Andrea Bargnani and Amar’e Stoudemire, convincing James Dolan to keep kazoos out of the locker room–should be cake.
The Knicks are not so far removed from a season in 2012-13. Jackson’s influence alone should help them get closer to this total than the 37 wins last season was amassed by them.
Don’t expect a championship chase–Carmelo Anthony understands some actual assistance and maybe not before the bad contracts on the novels slough off in 2015.
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