The Knicks have finally finalized and announced the agreement to name former player agent Leon Rose their new president. The announcement via press release was accompanied by a letter to season ticket holders. No press conference has been announced, which leaves many questions unanswered.
The Knicks are an easy target in how they handle media relations, and this does not help their perception around the league. After an unnecessary and ultimately foolish news conference on November 10, Knicks fans did not hear from the team's front office when they fired David Fizdale, just as they won't now after hiring the person that will lead the franchise.
No other NBA team would fire a head coach or hire a new president without holding some kind of media availability. It's a troubling sign that no matter how much the faces change, the Knicks behavior will remain unchanged as long as James Dolan is owner.
Not holding a press conference, however, is not a sign of how well Rose will run the franchise. Unfortunately, without Rose answering any questions it will be impossible to know what his plans, philosophy or strategy will be moving forward. As a former player agent, there is no way to know how he thinks about the game.
From a Knicks perspective, they might be better off not parading out their new president and making him look like a savior like all the others that have come before him. For Rose himself, it makes sense to want a little more time to evaluate things, including the head coach, before making any public proclamations. These decisions, however, leave the public in the dark as to what comes next.
Perhaps, Rose will speak after he hires a general manager or a new head coach? Here are some of the things Leon Rose said in his letter sent to season ticket holders, and what he will need to articulate when he finally addresses the fanbase.
1. How do you plan on shaping the organization?
Obviously, Rose would never mention any names when it comes to who might fill the Knicks general manager position and head coach position down the road, but he could indicate how much he plans to overhaul the organization. How many people that have been part of the organizational problems that work in the shadows of MSG will remain? How will his college scouting program change? How much change will truly come with Leon Rose?
Rose was careful to praise Mike Miller in his letter to season ticket holders.
"For the remainder of this season, I will work tirelessly behind the scenes while evaluating every aspect of the organization," Rose wrote. "Most immediately, we will support Mike Miller, his staff and our team, who have plenty of basketball left to be played this season. I want to thank Mike for his continued leadership and professionalism during this period."
The expectation continues to be, however, that he will bring in a coach of his own choosing when the time is right. It would be nice to see what Rose's basic thinking will be when choosing who is best fit to lead this organization moving forward.
2. How do you philosophically want to build your team?
The NBA has undergone major changes, with the continued emphasis of the three-point shot, and the decreasing importance of scoring big men. Phil Jackson famously had more of an old school view of the league. What's Rose's approach? As a former player agent there's nothing to indicate how he thinks about basketball in the broadest sense. Does he value three-point shooting as much as a Daryl Morey, or does he want to emphasize something else? We simply don't know.
We also don't know how he wants to build the team. Is he going to focus on free agency, the draft or both?
"Our team has young talent, significant future assets (including seven first round picks over the next four years) and an ample amount of financial flexibility in the coming years," Rose wrote to season ticket holders.
Utilizing those assets is vital to the success of any organization, but building is a tricky thing and getting ahead of oneself early in the process can ultimately be destructive in the long term.
3. How quickly do you envision the team making significant progress and what's the timeline to competing at a high level?
Rose did address this, in part, in his letter to season ticket holders.
"Nothing about this is easy, or quick, so I ask for your continued patience," Rose wrote. "What I promise you in return is that I will be honest and forthright. We will develop a plan that makes sense, both to jumpstart our short-term growth and ensure our long-term success."
It's great to want to jumpstart short-term growth and ensure long-term success but sometimes that isn't possible. Is Rose willing to endure another lean year or two if that's what the marketplace and the current state of the franchise dictate to make long-term success more probable and sustainable? No one has any clue.
4. Will the way the team is utilizing its current players change for the remainder of the season?
This is something we will notice relatively quickly. Will Miller's rotations change at all, or will they remain the same? It makes sense to see more of the less experienced players on the roster the remainder of the season, but Miller has continued to play players like Moe Harkless and Bobby Portis significant minutes. The hope would be Rose will tell Miller to prioritize minutes to learn more about the players on the roster that could be a part of the future.
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