New York Knicks owner James Dolan still believes in team president Leon Rose despite his failure to bring Donovan Mitchell home and amid rumors that Bob Myers, the Golden State Warriors dynasty architect, might become available.
In his second media appearance in as many days due to Madison Square Garden’s controversial facial recognition technology, Dolan also spoke about Rose’s tenure and the Knicks’ timeline.
When asked if he thinks Rose is doing a good job, Dolan responded in the affirmative.
“Yes, absolutely,” Dolan told Craig Carton and Evan Roberts on WFAN’s “Carton and Roberts” radio show.
“Why did I bring Leon in? I’ve been doing this for like 20-something years, and in my experience with the NBA, there are things you can do as an owner. You can create an environment where everybody, you give them enough money to do their job, give them more money than they need to do their job. You can stay out of the way, which is usually the best course of action.
“But you do end up picking the one guy who’s going to make all the strategy, who’s going to execute for you. I picked Leon because I believe after you look at the NBA and the game that we play, that the team with the best talent wins. You want a guy who can get you the best talent. I believe that Leon Rose is still the best guy.”
Rose, a super agent of NBA superstars before becoming the Knicks president, had taken a conservative approach and has the rising star Jalen Brunson as his prized recruit in his first three seasons.
It was widely believed around the NBA that Mitchell, now a four-time All-Star, was on his way to New York last summer until the Cleveland Cavaliers swooped in with a package that many thought was inferior to what the Knicks could have ultimately offered.
“My attitude has changed. Every new owner comes in thinking they’ve got the answer to how to make the team successful. Not to disparage my fellow owners, but there are franchises out there with owners over the last few years you can look at new owners who have come in and thrown a lot of money, etc, and are not doing as well as they thought.”
Knicks owner James Dolan
Mitchell is currently leading the Cavaliers in their bid for one of the top four seeds in the East with an MVP-caliber season, while the Knicks are fighting to avoid the play-in tournament.
Dolan said he didn’t meddle in the Mitchell trade talks.
A younger Dolan would have brought home Mitchell at all costs, as he did in 2011 with Carmelo Anthony.
“My attitude has changed. Every new owner comes in thinking they’ve got the answer to how to make the team successful,” Dolan said. “Not to disparage my fellow owners, but there are franchises out there with owners over the last few years you can look at new owners who have come in and thrown a lot of money, etc, and are not doing as well as they thought.
“You really got to leave a lot of the strategy to the guys who have dedicated their lives and careers. My deal with Leon and with [Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau], etc., is that I get to speak.
“Their deal is they don’t have to listen to me.”
During the Knicks’ struggles last season, Dolan reportedly gave Rose autonomy to fire Thibodeau. But Rose didn’t.
Thibodeau was again under fire during the Knicks’ rocky start this season until things settled after he shortened his rotation. Now the Knicks are sitting seventh with a 27-23 record in the Eastern Conference following back-to-back wins over the Cavaliers and Boston Celtics. They are half-game behind the sixth-seed Miami Heat and three games behind Mitchell and his Cavaliers.
Despite Rose’s failure to bring in Mitchell, his former CAA client and a bona fide star, the Knicks have made progress from last season with Brunson’s arrival and Julius Randle’s return to his All-Star form.
But even with the dynamic duo’s rise this season, the Knicks look like a fringe playoff team, which isn’t Dolan’s dream. But eventually, he believes Rose will get them the talent to compete for championships. Dolan does not have a specific timetable for the Knicks. He even said his other professional team, the New York Rangers (in NHL), is more ready to compete than the Knicks.
As to when the Knicks will be ready, he doesn’t exactly know.
“I would say it’s less of a timetable,” Dolan said. “Eventually, it’s a timetable, but right now what we’re looking for is progress. We wanna build into a championship team. We fully expect to make the playoffs this year. That will be a benchmark.”
“Eventually, there’s a timetable,” Dolan said. “But, right now, what we’re looking for is progress. We want to build into a championship team. We fully expect to make the playoffs this year. That will definitely be a benchmark.
“Now, this is sports. If Jalen Brunson and Julius Randle both get hurt? [Making the playoffs is] probably going to be tough.”
But even if they are healthy, it will not be easy with the Knicks having the fourth-toughest remaining schedule, per Tankathon.
But credit to Rose for giving the Knicks a fighting chance while collecting draft capital for star hunting down the road and Dolan for not meddling with the team’s affairs.
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