Even in the midst of a hiatus period for the NBA, the New York Knicks are still looking for a general manager to take a seat next to new hire Leon Rose, who became president of basketball operations a month ago. Philadelphia 76ers general manager Elton Brand has emerged as a potential candidate for the job, but he is far from what the Knicks should be aiming for at this moment.
This is no jab at Brand, who has reeled in the likes of Jimmy Butler, Tobias Harris, and Al Horford since being hired by the front office.
Brand has been spectacular when it comes to pulling off trades and making big signings, but he lacks the experience a GM will need to navigate the cavernous depths of a dysfunctional Knicks brass.
Knicks owner James Dolan, who reportedly wanted Toronto Raptors president Masai Ujiri two times in the past 10 months, wound up hiring Rose, a known CAA agent — borrowing from the model of agents-turned-executives like Bob Myers and Rob Pelinka.
Rose has plenty of experience managing contracts, dealing with players, and is very familiar with how NBA life works. The problem is he's going from a pitcher to a hitter, and it's much harder to knock balls out than to keep them in the park.
As experienced as he is with the salary cap and the world of NBA transactions, he will need someone who can help guide him in the process.
Having Brand at his side would be the blind leading the blind.
Furthermore, being part of the Knicks' front office requires a two-fold approach — doing the job and preventing Dolan from screwing it up.
Young executives have failed at this, and even more seasoned ones have fallen prey to it.
As brilliant as Brand is as a member of the Sixers' brass, he is also inexperienced with the politicking that goes on in Madison Square Garden. Rose got a taste of it during his first day on the job, when a Spike Lee tantrum invaded headlines, leaving Dolan looking like the inept owner of a franchise that just can't get it right.
If the Knicks are to progress and leave these past 20 years behind, they must get a no-nonsense executive who can keep Dolan at bay while tackling a smart plan of attack.
There's a lot of work to do with a roster full of misfits, but luckily there are a lot of short-term deals that a seasoned general manager can expunge over the next year while yielding real value for this struggling team.
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