The More, the Merrier
Leon Rose continues to revamp New York's front office.
My goodness, this is fun: Newsletters on consecutive days that have to do with actual news. What a concept!
Let’s get right to it:
Two things, both of which are vitally important:
Contrary to the opinions of some in my mentions, “when it rains, it pours” has neither a negative nor a positive connotation; according to both Dictionary.com and the ever-reputable Urban Dictionary, the phrase simply implies that when a good or bad thing occurs, it is usually followed by a similarly good or bad occurrence. That said, apologies for any confusion this may have caused. More importantly…
House-cleaning continues!
The Athletic’s Mike Vorkunov was the first to report the hire, but perhaps the best thing I read yesterday came from Stefan Bondy, who many fans aren’t used to saying positive things about the Knicks but had some kind words about this move.
Yes, it’s good to know that Zanin - like Walt Perrin hired a day earlier - is a hard worker and highly respected within the field. The fact that he was part of the Nets front office responsible for the infamous draft day trade with the Celtics shouldn’t color opinions on him too much. The NBA, after all, is like Hollywood; if you’re in the business long enough, you’re bound to be associated with a stinker or two.
It’s the sticking around part that is more impressive, and Zanin has been in the league for more than two decades. He started in the Sixers’ video room and moved his way up to assistant coach and eventually a pro-personnel scout for five years, during which time he overlapped with former Rose client and rumored front office person of interest Elton Brand.
Zanin then followed Billy King to Brooklyn, where he survived King’s somewhat disastrous tenure and briefly held interim general manager duties after King was let go. He was in the running for the permanent job, but eventually lost out to Sean Marks despite the support of one notable former high-school adversary:
Speaking of sticking around, the best part of Bondy’s story IMO has nothing to do with Zarin, and instead refers to someone whose tenure at MSG pre-dates that of Isiah Thomas.
According to Bondy, in addition to Gerald Madkins, Craig Robinson and Harold Ellis - all of whom were brought aboard by Scott Perry - VP of basketball operations Jamie Matthews “could also be in trouble.”
When you hear national media people and other Knick pessimists talk about Garden lifers who have survived regime after regime despite the painfully obvious results, all because they have Dolan’s trust, they’re talking about guys like Matthews.
And I should probably say here for the record: not only have I never met Matthews, but I’ve never heard a word uttered about him, good or bad. That said, the fact that he has outlived 11 coaches and seven lead executives seems to be a good indicator that he was on Dolan’s untouchables list…until now.
Whether Matthews (or any of the other folks who have worked at MSG since the days of flip phones) gets to keep his job or not, the fact that Rose seems to be empowered to make that decision is a fantastic step in the right direction, as is the direction he’s taking with these hires. Brock Aller, Walt Perrin and Frank Zanin all have impeccable reputations, and due to the roles they’ll fill - Aller as a sort of “chief of staff,” Perrin in charge of college scouting and Zanin in charge of pro scouting - the fears of Scott Perry making job-saving moves on a one-year deal should be sufficiently quelled.
Oh, and there’s one more nugget from Bondy’s report that shouldn’t be ignored:
It’s Rose’s first foray in a front office and sources said he’s leaning on longtime confidant William Wesley.
Worldwide Wes knows the NBA as well as anyone, and if Rose is indeed leaning on him in the process of making these hires (and perhaps some fires as well), it can only be a good thing.
Whether the Knicks’ reputation needs to change for them to start winning or it’s the other way around, solidifying a front office that everyone takes seriously is a great step in both of those directions.
Change for the sake of change isn’t always the way to go, but if ever there were a time and place to test that theory, it is right now with the New York Knicks.