‘Disaster’… Kendrick Perkins blasts New York Knicks’ coaching search

Perkins feels the Knicks are not doing anything productive with the search

The Knicks have done work to find a new coach. They attempted to contact some of the league’s top coaches like Finch, Udoka, and Kidd. Unfortunately, the teams rejected them, so they must find a new one in the coaching market.

Names like Taylor Jenkins and Mike Brown have come up as potential candidates. Those are good options, as they were successful with the Memphis Grizzlies and Sacramento Kings, respectively. However, that is not enough for some people, including Perkins, who took shots at the Knicks.

“A disaster. Malpractice at its finest. Look, if you are going to fire a coach of Tom Thibodeau’s status, a coach who helped make this franchise again. One of the elite coaches in the game, you have to replace him with a championship-level coach,” Perkins said on SportsCenter.

“You should have had a plan in place. We’re watching the Knicks trying to visit with other people’s coaches. What type of stuff is that?”

“They took five steps forward and 10 steps backwards with this move. There’s no other coach, in my opinion, besides Michael Malone that’s available to step in and fulfill his role in what they’re trying to do in their plans to bring a championship to New York.”

Jenkins or Brown could be good choices for the Knicks after Thibodeau

Perkins would have preferred if the Knicks had immediately gone for the available coaches. That would have cleared up the situation as soon as possible and helped the Knicks’ players get clarity. A stricter deadline for the coach would have helped the team, as Kevin Garnett pointed out.

With Jenkins, the Knicks can sign a successful coach who can unlock the players’ potential. He did that in Memphis, maximizing players like Scotty Pippen Jr. and Tyus Jones. With the Knicks, he could utilize the team’s depth, which was a regular issue for the Knicks under Thibodeau.

Jenkins is also a big fan of some of the Knicks’ players, including Mikal Bridges. He once wanted Bridges on the Grizzlies because he realized the wing’s potential. Now, he has a chance to coach him in New York.

On the other hand, the Knicks could try for Brown. He would fit in with the team because he implements a more dynamic system. Since the Knicks were too rigid under Thibodeau, a coach like Brown, who values freedom, could work.

It also helps that Brown and Jalen Brunson have a good relationship. That is a good dynamic between a superstar and a head coach. They could have filled the coaching vacancy earlier, but they went for coaches currently under contract with other teams. Perkins did not like that, but their hiring process can finally ramp up.