March 22, 2014 - March 28, 2014, The Afro-American
B5
SPORTS
AFRO Sports Desk Faceoff
Could Phil Jackson Keep Carmelo in New York? By Perry Green AFRO Sports Editor The New York Knicks have been struggling all season, in desperate need of a life preserver. They got one over the weekend when former Los Angeles Lakers and Chicago Bulls coach Phil Jackson signed on to become the president of the ball club. Clearly the circumstances would’ve flowed differently had the future Hall of Fame coach signed on to repeat the duties as coach, that saw him collect 11 NBA titles, but the addition of an acclaimed face like Jackson should help stabilize an organization that’s in free-fall. The talent on the Knicks roster might not compare to the assortment that Jackson has coached through the years, including Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant, but Carmelo Anthony does happen to reside on the current lineup. But he’s also a pending free agent trapped in the middle of a disastrous season. Could Jackson’s hire be enough to entice Anthony to stay? Perry Green and Stephen D. Riley of the AFRO Sports Desk debate the question. Green: It’s a start. Jackson certainly brings some credentials to the table, which should entice Anthony to certainly entertain Jackson’s plans for a rebuild. Jackson’s effect on the Knicks could be like what Pat Riley has done for the Miami Heat or even what Larry Bird (Indiana) and Danny Ainge (Boston) have been able to do. The idea of leaving the executive booth too would probably float around for a while but just having Jackson as a part of the organization should be enough for a successful resurgence. There aren’t too many places where Anthony could go that would have a front office figure similar to Jackson, which would probably help drive other free agents to New York as well. The talent really isn’t bad in New York anyway. A new
Frankie Allen
UMES Drops Frankie Allen as Men’s Head Basketball Coach By AFRO Staff Frankie Allen, men’s head basketball coach at Maryland Eastern-Shore (UMES) for six seasons, will not return next year, the school announced March 12. Allen was hired in 2008 at UMES and has compiled an overall record of 42-139. He had previously served as a head coach at Virginia Tech, Tennessee State, and Howard. “We thank Coach Allen for the time he dedicated to UMES,” director of athletics Keith Davidson said, as the school announced it would not renew his contract. “We appreciate his service and wish him well in his future endeavors.” Allen will turn 65 on April 7 and in addition to his head coaching experience had also served as first assistant coach at the University of Maryland Baltimore County for two seasons and at Radford University for one season. UMES will immediately begin a national search to name Allen’s successor.
head coach and a piece or two should be enough to get them back into the top half of the NBA Eastern Conference, should Anthony stay put. Riley: New York needs somebody who’s either going to coach or play. Not somebody sitting behind a desk in a leather chair, talking on the phone. As accomplished as Jackson is, the Knicks are a disaster right now and can Anthony afford to wait for Jackson to develop a rebuild/reload plan with his prime years hanging in the balance? If I’m Anthony, you have to look around at the other teams in the league with structure and talent already in place. Not wait for it to come to fruition under a firsttime team president. Green: Whether Anthony leaves or not, he would still have to wait on a team’s development either way. There would still be a transition period for cohesion to develop if he left for another team the same way it took the Heat a year before they won the title. Teams nowadays can pretty much make over their whole roster in a year or two so it wouldn’t take New York long to get some reinforcements in place. Unless Anthony’s joining the Oklahoma City Thunder, Los Angeles Clippers, Pacers or the Heat as the teams are currently constructed, is there really any scenario that Anthony could walk into and win a title immediately? He might be better off giving Jackson some time while still playing in Madison Square Garden and sleeping in his own bed in his hometown city. Excluding what it would take to resign Anthony, New York will have around $50 million to play with in the summer of 2015 and if Anthony can just wait out next season, the Knicks could be in business once again. Riley: Jackson’s “resign pitch” to Anthony is going to be based on nothing but pure hope, patience and speculation. That same sales pitch from another team is going to be predicated off current talent, current success and Anthony being the final piece to a potential Finals team. Should any other franchise with the talent and the coach already in place such as Chicago show interest, then Anthony would definitely have to listen.
Tennessee State to Replace Head Basketball Coach Travis Williams By Perry Green AFRO Sports Editor
Travis Williams is being replaced as Tennessee State University men’s basketball head coach, school officials said in a statement March 16. According to Tennessee State Athletics, Williams was relieved of his coaching duties after two seasons as head coach. A “nationwide search” to replace Williams will begin immediately, according to Tennessee Athletics. Tennessee State finished with this season with a 5-25 record, after losing the first 10 games of the 2013-14 schedule. “We thank Coach Williams for his hard work both as an assistant and as a head coach, and we wish him the best in all future endeavors,” said Tennessee State Director of Athletics Teresa Phillips, in a statement released by the university. “We want to move in a different direction and believe that this decision is in the best interest of Tennessee State and our men’s basketball program.” Williams will leave Tennessee State with a 23-40 overall record at the school as head coach. He served as an assistant coach under former Tennessee State head coach John Cooper from 2009 to 2012. Tennessee State went 20-13 under Cooper in 2012, their first winning record since 1996.
Wikimedia Commons
Phil Jackson signed on to become the president of the New York Knicks.
Chicago’s already steps ahead of where the Knicks want to be so why wouldn’t a 30-year old All Star at the peak of his career weigh that scenario versus a rebuild? Anthony’s going to have his options this summer. Jackson’s hiring was a great add but unless he’s coaching I can’t see what he would offer outside of drawing up plays that would have the Knicks do a 180 and be able to contend immediately. Especially when there could be several other options awaiting Carmelo that could produce quicker results for a player short on time.
Total Joint Tuesday Do you suffer from constant knee pain or wonder why your knees prevent you from participating in activities?
Travis Williams
Williams took over when Cooper left to take the head coaching job at Miami-Ohio in 2013.
Join James E. Wood Jr., MD, MedStar Harbor Hospital’s chairman of the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, for a discussion on the common causes and treatments for knee pain. You also will meet former patients who had partial and total knee replacement surgery with Dr. Wood. In addition, we will offer free weight-bearing X-rays for the first 20 seminar registrants. Those who receive an X-ray will have the image reviewed by Dr. Wood and have the opportunity to discuss with him concerns about their specific type of knee pain. Please call us, or visit our website to register. Tuesday, March 25, 6 p.m. MedStar Harbor Hospital • Baum Auditorium 410-350-2563 PHONE MedStarHarbor.org/SpringEvents