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Phil Jackson is still a coach at heart, and coaches gotta coach, dagnabbit! The Prez might not be healthy enough to coach a full season -- or even just the home games -- but he's still ready to roll up his sleeves and impart his wisdom on the Knicks youth, starting this week.
The Knicks embattled team president is running a clandestine mini-camp this week in New York with a handful of current players, the Daily News has learned. According to a league source, the two practices are being described as a "triangle seminar" where Jackson and interim head coach Kurt Rambis will watch film and continue teaching the Knicks an offense that Jackson is intent on running despite many of the player's reluctance to embrace the antiquated system.
Not every player will attend the camp. It is unclear if Carmelo Anthony, who did not sound pleased following his exit meeting with Jackson last week, will participate. Newly signed Tony Wroten is expected to attend along with rookies Kristaps Porzingis and Jerian Grant as well as Langston Galloway and Jose Calderon.
Filtering out the standard Isola bullsh, there are a few interesting tidbits in here. It's nice to see Tony Wroten (hasn't played with the team yet) and Jose Calderon (veteran) getting in some Triangle time, but the real surprise here might be the participation of impending free agent Langston Galloway. It's difficult to imagine the Knicks letting Langston get away, but free agency is a finicky beast.
This shouldn't have to be said, but Carmelo Anthony's attendance (or lack thereof) provides absolutely no insight whatsoever on his thoughts or intentions.
It's OK to have mixed feelings on this seminar. If you're not a Rambis booster, it sucks to see him so prominently involved in a coaching role. He's going to remain with the team no matter what happens, but it's hard to imagine a quality head coach candidate jumping at the chance to helm a team with the former coach -- and the president's best buddy -- looking over his shoulder. Still, it's nice to see the players getting together to study the offense from the master. If they're going to run the Triangle, they might as well run it right.