Mar

21

Jerry West Eyes New York

Posted by Kyle Stack under Main 

?west1.jpg

Newsday is reporting that a source close to Jerry West says that West is interested in running the New York Knicks. West, a Hall of Fame player with the Lakers and an equally effective general manager with the team, has been out of the NBA since resigning as general manager of the Memphis Grizzlies last year.

West would really be a great choice to run the Knicks as he at least exhibits the class and integrity that the franchise currently lacks. Current president and head coach Isiah Thomas is clearly overmatched in nearly every phase of his job and he seems to be sleepwalking the rest of the season.

West is called The Logo due to him being the model behind the silhouette used as the NBA logo, but he should be called The Architect. He helped build and maintain the Lakers’ Showtime dynasty of the ’80s and was single-handedly responsible for building the Lake Show dynasty of the late ’90s/early ’00s.

Even though he didn’t have anywhere close to the same success with the Grizzlies, he was working in a completely different environment. He had better resources with the Lakers, whether it was operating with a bigger payroll budget or just being able to “sell” the Laker name and legacy to prospective players.

With the Grizzlies, it always seemed that West was trying to jump two pegs up the ladder with every move. He had to overpay certain players (ahem, Brian Cardinal) just to entice them to come to Memphis. He never had to do that in Los Angeles, as it has always been a destination. And New York would provide that same advantage.

No matter how poorly run the Knicks organization is, no matter how aloof its owner, James Dolan, can be, New York City will always be a place at which players are drawn. The stage of playing in Madison Square Garden and the marketing opportunities in the most dynamic city in the world are enticing to any player - especially 2010 free agent LeBron James.

West would thrive in the pressurized environment of New York. He is a perfectionist and a notoriously heated competitor, which is the kind of attitude the once-proud Knicks franchise so desperately needs.

The Knicks may be floundering now under the stewardship of Isiah Thomas, but they would thrive with Jerry West as its leader.




Comments

Leave a Reply