Phil Jackson: Knicks 'not ready for showtime'
New York Knicks president Phil Jackson gave a harsh assessment of his team’s performance after New York was blown out at home by the Chicago Bulls in the season opener on Wednesday.
"Not ready for showtime, were we guys?" Jackson said to reporters before getting into a vehicle after the game.
The Knicks were dominated from the opening tip, and the Bulls opened up a 35-point second half lead en route to a 104-80 win.
New York shot 37 percent from the floor, including 3-of-17 from three-point range. Taj Gibson led six players who scored in double figures for Chicago with 22 points, also adding eight rebounds. Carmelo Anthony led the Knicks with 14 points on 5-of-13 shooting.
Jackson, who signed a five-year deal worth a reported $60 million to take charge of the team’s front office, was asked how long he thinks it will take for the team to be competitive.
"I can't say how long it's going to take," Jackson said, according to the New York Post.
The Knicks overhauled their roster in the offseason, trading former Defensive Player of the Year Tyson Chandler and guard Raymond Felton to the Dallas Mavericks in exchange for Jose Calderon, Samuel Dalembert and Shane Larkin. The team also re-signed Anthony to a five-year, $124 million contract and hired coach Derek Fisher, who is coaching for the first time.
Fisher agreed with Jackson about his team's performance against Chicago.
“My assessment of tonight is, we are going somewhere, but at the beginning of where we’re going it’s going to be difficult to get wins,” Fisher said. “We’re going to have to fight pretty hard to win games.”
The Knicks go on the road on Thursday to play LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers.
- Scooby Axson
