Should the Knicks surprise in the playoffs, not only will it enhance Van Gundy’s credentials, but it will vindicate Grunfeld as well and bring into question why he had to be removed in the first place. THEY endured a not-so-quiet disharmony that has already cost one of them their job and could eventually send both looking for employment elsewhere.
Ernie Grunfeld, the Knicks former GM, and Jeff Van Gundy, the Knicks current coach, weren’t on the same organizational page for most of this lockout-infected season, with Grunfeld wanting a more athletic, up-tempo approach to the Knicks’ offense, while Van Gundy favored the half-court, post offense that centered around aging warrior Patrick Ewing.
It got to the point where Garden president Dave Checketts had to step in as a referee to end the feuding, ultimately deciding that Grunfeld was more expendable with the season in progress than Van Gundy.
But there has been no promises made that the coach will return to earn the $2 million he has coming to him next year, his future likely based on how well the Knicks perform during the playoffs. The poetic peculiarity in this is that Van Gundy and Grunfeld are now uneasy allies in the Knicks’ postseason venture.
For Van Gundy to save his job, the Knicks must do well, real well. Advancing to the Eastern Conference finals or extending the second round to at least a seventh game would at least give Van Gundy a credible case for returning next year when the NBA goes back to norm with a full training camp and an 80-game schedule.
Even that would be iffy, considering Checketts will hire a new GM, who likely will want to bring in his own coach.
Yet, should the Knicks surprise in the playoffs, not only will it enhance Van Gundy’s credentials, but it will vindicate Grunfeld as well and bring into question why he had to be removed in the first place. Talk about your strange bedfellows.
Grunfeld, reassigned by Checketts from GM to the anonymous role of consultant on April 21, took the hit presumably because his $68 million payroll and personnel tinkering weren’t netting the required results.
The Knicks were 21-21 at the time and one of the league’s biggest disappointments. Not only weren’t they playing well on the court, but there were plenty of distractions off it; from the rift between Van Gundy and Grunfeld to Latrell Sprewell balking at coming off the bench; to Charlie Ward questioning the presence of female reporters in the locker room.
It has been reported that Grunfeld twice tried to fire Van Gundy during the Knicks waffling, but was prevented from doing so by Checketts, who likely figured axing the coach would equate to pulling the plug on the Knicks playoffs chances and deny the Garden of a postseason payday.
Eventually, Checketts laid most of the ”distractions” at Grunfeld’s feet and declared the Knicks make the playoffs or heads would roll.
Now the Knicks are in; fulfilling Checketts’ mandate, but still leaving Van Gundy in limbo. To secure his position, the coach who is 14-14 in playoffs games, must reaffirm his ability to get the most out of this team.
In doing so, he will also vindicate Grunfeld, who took the heat for trading Charles Oakley to Toronto for Marcus Camby and John Starks and Co. to Golden State for Sprewell.
For if the Knicks are to do anything in these playoffs, they will need huge performances from both those players, along with Kurt Thomas, another new acquisition this year.
There is no way the Knicks get past the Heat, the Pacers or whoever they play in the first round if those three newcomers don’t contribute at a high level.
If they play well, the Knicks can advance. If the Knicks advance, the better it looks for Van Gundy, and ultimately the better it looks for Grunfeld for bringing them to New York in the first place.
A day after he was reassigned, Grunfeld told the Post that it would take more than 42 games to determine whether his recent trades were a success or failure.
”Whether my recent moves pan out or not, I think, we’ll find out in the next couple of years,” he said. Actually, it may not take that long.
If Sprewell goes off as he has shown signs of doing, and Camby continues the rapid development he has shown with increased playing time, the two of them could be major factors in the playoffs and give the Knicks the type of athleticism Grunfeld was hoping for when he traded for them.
Van Gundy can’t help but give both of them substantial minutes. This is the playoffs with no room for hidden agendas.
Camby, who played a total of five minutes in the first two games against the Heat, has earned his time, while Sprewell is too much of an explosive scorer to keep idle.
And don’t forget Allan Houston and Larry Johnson were brought here by Grunfeld, too. Houston averaged 21.1 points in 10 playoffs game last year, including 30 points in the Game 5 clincher over the Heat when Patrick Ewing was unavailable with a bad wrist.
Houston could be poised for a breakout postseason. Johnson averaged 17.9 points per game last year and would like nothing better than to stick it to the Heat and Alonzo Mourning again.
As the eight seed, the Knicks will be the underdog in this postseason, much like they were last year. And you wonder, after a regular-season filled with acrimony, whether they can find the consistency and cohesiveness to have success in the playoffs.
If the Knicks do, then not only does Van Gundy come out looking good, but Grunfeld, as well.