Morning Knicks 6/25: Knicks Hire World Wide Wes, Leon Rose Speaks, and More
-After teasing months ago, World Wide Wes is joining Leon Rose in the Knicks' front office. ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported that William Wesley of CAA will become the Knicks' Executive Vice President and Senior Basketball Advisor. The Knicks also announced the hire of Alex Kline and T.J. Zanin as scouts. Zanin is the brother of new assistant general manager Frank Zanin.
Wesley is a big name in the basketball world, having strong relationships with several players. But what does his hiring actually mean for the Knicks? Our own Jonathan Macri has you covered, as he explains how this move affects the Knicks' coaching search, front office, and overall future.
-Leon Rose has finally spoken. The Knicks' president did a special interview with Mike Breen on MSG Network, making it the first time he's talked publicly since joining the team's front office. As fans may have expected, it was a comprehensive interview, given how much has happened since March 2, the date Rose was hired. Rose talked with Breen about the NBA restart, racial injustice in America, the Knicks' roster, the 2020 draft, the head coaching search, and much more.
There were several highlights throughout the interview. When asked about his draft strategy, Rose said he will rely heavily on his "group" and that he feels the extra time before the draft should help. When Breen asked if there were any prospects he was watching closely, Rose cleverly did not name any names. Rose called R.J. Barrett and Mitchell Robinson core pieces, he is looking forward to working with Kevin Knox, he thinks Frank Ntilikina can succeed under the right circumstances, and he said Dennis Smith Jr. is a special talent. When asked about how the franchise can attract free agents, he said “we have to create an environment where players want to be here” and spoke on "culture."
When talking about the head coaching search, he said interim coach Mike Miller did a "great job," and that the coaching search would likely last until mid-to-late July. When asked what characteristics he was looking for in a head coach, the first thing Rose said was to find someone who could develop the team's young players, something fans should be happy to hear. While it was great to hear from him, Rose said all the right things during the interview. His actions will speak louder than his words. You can read more on Rose's interview from Ian Begley of SNY.
-Despite all the candidates the Knicks are interviewing, Tom Thibodeau is still the favorite to become the franchise's next head coach, according to Marc Stein of The New York Times. While this comes as no surprise, our own Jonathan Macri dove deep into Stein's report on the Knicks' coaching search. You can read more on Jonathan's conclusions about Thibodeau remaining in pole position and what it means that the Knicks are still speaking with so many candidates.
-Yesterday, I wrote about how the Knicks should try to start fresh and hire a first-time head coach. I received some pushback, citing the mystery surrounding these candidates, and that first-time coaches flop just like those who have experience. Sam DiGiovanni of The Knicks Wall provided important details on the assistants who the Knicks are set to interview. You can read more about Ime Udoka, Will Hardy, Pat Delany, Chris Fleming, and Jamahl Mosley.
-While the team is considering a plethora of new faces, the Knicks still plan to interview someone who's coached the team before: Mike Woodson. SNY's Ian Begley sat down Woodson and did an interesting interview about Woodson's previous tenure in New York, his thoughts on the current roster, what he's learned since being with the Knicks, and more.
