Charley Rosen, Phil Jackson’s confidant and his former longtime Albany Patroons assistant coach, believes center has to be the Knicks’ No. 1 priority in the offseason. Rosen, a triangle offense savant, believes Kentucky’s Karl-Anthony Towns, who has growing momentum as the No. 1 overall pick, isn’t the answer as the low-post threat needed in the triangle, but free-agent-to-be center Greg Monroe of Detroit would be a great Jackson pickup.
via the NY Post:
“They need a center with a big butt to hold space,’’ Rosen told The Post. “They didn’t have anybody like that. It takes away a major portion of what you can do with the triangle because then it really becomes just a perimeter offense.’’
After watching Towns in the NCAA Tournament, Rosen says, “Towns is not a big enough body. He’d never get that position in the NBA. He doesn’t have enough power or core strength. He wouldn’t be able to set up one dribble away from the basket. He’s not a kind of center you need in the triangle. He’s not physically that type of center, but he’s athletic and does other things. Look how far out (Lou) Amundson, (Jason) Smith and (Andrea) Bargnani get pushed out when they post up, well out of the box.’’
Aside from the shock value i.e the butt comment, some of what Rosen said actually makes sense. Phil Jackson himself said the Knicks priority is free agency not the draft. Monroe is set to become a free agent at the end of this season and the Knicks, Lakers, 76ers and Celtics are reportedly hot on his heels.
