Whatever debate there has been about Phil Jackson’s ability to institute a culture change is finished. He did it and could have possibly foreseen.
J.R. Smith has seen the light.
“Trying to consider the rest of the team over myself or my scoring is something that I never really had to do before,” Smith told ESPNNewYork.com’s Ohm Youngmisuk. “I’ve always been in a situation to score, [now I’m] in position to take my time and allow the game come and let my teammates triumph more than myself, I think that’s the ultimate win.”
As the year progresses transformations in the preseason have a means of reversing themselves, but for the time being, it appears Jackson has performed magical.
Getting Smith to buy into the equal-opportunity tenets of the triangle offense is enormous, and everything after that–figuring out how to coax defense out of a frontcourt rotation involving Andrea Bargnani and Amar’e Stoudemire, convincing James Dolan to maintain kazoos out of the locker room–must be cake.
The Knicks aren’t so far removed from a season in 2012-13. Jackson’s influence ought to help them get closer to this total than the 37 wins they amassed season.
However, don’t expect a championship chase–maybe not before the undesirable contracts on the books slough off in 2015 and Carmelo Anthony understands some assistance.
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