'The Garden Will Like Jalen': Knicks Ex Rod Strickland Talks Brunson
It's been so long since the New York Knicks had a difference-maker at point guard that some fans might've happily welcomed back Rod Strickland to the Empire State.
That small subset of metropolitan basketball observers recently got their wish, as Strickland was recently named the head coach of Long Island University's men's basketball program. Strickland, a native of The Bronx and a 1998 All-NBA Team representative, began a 17-year NBA career with the Knicks, spending parts of two seasons in New York as a first-round pick (19th overall) in the 1988 NBA Draft.
The accomplished point guard is thus well aware of what lies ahead for newly minted Knick Jalen Brunson, who joins the team on a four-year, $110 million deal. In his rookie season (appearing on the second All-Rookie Team), Strickland united with fellow first-round choice Mark Jackson to help the Knicks earn their first playoff series win since 1984 before he was shipped to San Antonio during the following season.
Familiar with the allure and responsibility attached to Madison Square Garden, however, Strickland is confident that Brunson will be up to the challenge, revealing such faith on the most recent edition of MSG Network's "MSG PM."
"I think it's a great addition. He's been a winner, he's been a top player since he's been in high school (and) he's only gotten better," Strickland told hosts Kazeem Famuyide and Jeff Johnson. "He won two national titles (at Villanova). So he's a winner. He knows how to play, (has) a great IQ, can get his own shot up. I think he can play in whatever system. So I think the Garden will like Jalen."
Though they've had their share of notable contributors at the one since Strickland left, the Knicks have yearned for long-term stability in the role. Their latest attempt, a pricey contract for four-time All-Star Kemba Walker (another Bronx dweller), backfired and he was traded to Detroit in an effort to help clear financial space for Brunson's services. Head coach Tom Thibodeau has based a good part of his offensive strategies around point guard contributors, notably leading players like Derrick Rose and Rajon Rondo to some of the finest numbers of their careers.
Brunson's arrival was one of several hardwood topics Strickland faced in his conversation with Famuyide and Johnson, also addressing the legacy of new four-time champion Stephen Curry as well as the future of embattled Brooklyn Nets star Kyrie Irving. Strickland is the godfather of Irving, whose continued endeavor in Brooklyn has been called into question at the onset of the NBA offseason.
Strickland is set to embark on his first head coaching endeavor at LIU, which is coming off a third-place finish in the Northeastern Conference (16-14, 12-6). He previously served as an assistant coach at the University of South Florida (2014-17).
