There's a Reason Ewing Hasn't Called About the Knicks Job

Mark Jackson may be the media's favorite for the Knicks head coaching job, but former Knicks legend and current Magic assistant Patrick Ewing wants to throw his name in the hat. In fact, Ewing is apparently a bit miffed that he hasn't already been contacted. From Alan Hahn of Newsday:

"Obviously I played in New York, I know the area, I know the team, I know the fans, I know everybody, I know the media," the Big Fella said. "So, naturally, I would have loved to interview."

So why not pick up the phone? We're told that Ewing, nor anyone among his representation, has reached out to Donnie Walsh to express said interest.

The campaign started last week in Orlando, however. Magic GM Otis Smith said no one would need permission to contact their assistants. And Stan Van Gundy went out of his way to promote Ewing as someone who should be a candidate for the Knicks job. They're basically giving Patrick all the approval he needs to pursue the job, even in the midst of a playoff run. And . . . ?

"Donnie's wondering why someone hasn't called," said a person with knowledge of the situation.

So should Ewing be blamed for not making a call? I don't think so, because I'm 99% sure Hahn has this completely wrong and that Ewing simply isn't allowed to make contact.

When Hahn first mentioned Van Gundy's endorsement last week, he cited this Orlando Sentinel article by Brian Schmitz, which he apparently misinterpreted since it plainly states that Smith is requiring teams receive his permission before talking to his coaches. Can it be more clear? "Magic General Manager Otis Smith said the Knicks or any other team would need permission to speak to any of his coaches."

If Walsh is getting his info on who's interested for the job from the NY media, he might be confused why Ewing hasn't called. But considering Walsh has decades of experience running an NBA team, I'm going to assume he actually understands the reasoning behind Ewing's silence, and can appreciate the fact that Smith, like most GMs, would prefer his coaching staff to remain focused at the task at hand as opposed to potential job offers.

(As to whether Patrick Ewing would actually make a good head coach? Well, that's a discussion for another day ...)