Mike D'Antoni Resigns: Are Jerry Sloan and Phil Jackson in the Knicks' Future?

Mike D'Antoni has resigned as head coach of the New York Knicks. He never was able to get Carmelo Anthony to buy into the Knicks' system and a rift had built to the point where he had lost the locker room.

This creates an interesting situation in New York. Assistant Mike Woodson is the interim head coach, but there is no doubt that the Knicks are looking for a long-term guy to take over the team.

With D'Antoni now gone, the Knicks have several options. Fortunately for them, both of them are legends. 

Jerry Sloan has stated that he would be interested in the position, according to sources.

Sloan will forever be associated with the Utah Jazz for all of the contributions he made for Salt Lake City and their basketball team. 

That being said, he never won a championship. He came close several times when he had Karl Malone and John Stockton. Unfortunately for him, he was going up against a guy named Michael Jordan. 

In New York, Sloan has a shot at getting his first ring. Despite coaching in a small market throughout his career, his persona and energy will make him a great fit in the Big Apple. Sloan seems like the type of dude that can handle the pressures of New York. 

He's also a high-IQ coach who will get the dysfunctional Knicks to play with each other. He inherits a young point guard in Jeremy Lin to build the team around, a high-profile scorer in Carmelo Anthony, and a defensive stronghold in Tyson Chandler. 

Sounds like an awesome deal for Sloan and the Knicks. It'll be a symbiotic relationship that will probably conclude with a happy ending.

Phil Jackson is also available. Although it would take more convincing, he's definitely someone the Knicks would make a push for. Jackson has also not indicated in any way, shape or form that he's done coaching. 

New York would seem like an ideal option for him, because the travel is significantly easier on the East Coast. Coaching in LA, the flights are longer, and it was becoming a major hassle for the legendary Zen Master. He also played in New York in the 1970s back when they won their first NBA title, so he knows all about the Knicks' winning culture. 

It's also an exciting challenge for a head coach that has accomplished seemingly everything. He's won 11 rings, but you can't say that the idea of turning the Knicks into a championship franchise doesn't intrigue him. In New York, he gets a franchise that hasn't won in decades. It's a fast-paced, vibrant city where he will become a larger-than-life character. 

As Frank Sinatra sang, "If I can make it there, I'll make it anywhere."

Jackson has made it everywhere but New York.

In fact, nobody's made it in New York. They haven't won anything in almost 40 years.

With the Knicks, Jackson gets an offensive-minded team that hasn't shown they can play defense. Most of this is because of D'Antoni's run-and-gun system. Jackson, who is also offensive-minded, can at least coach the team to play some defense. 

He also has several great pieces in Amare' Stoudemire, Carmelo Anthony, Tyson Chandler and Jeremy Lin. The team is capable of winning games. They showed it when Carmelo was hurt and Lin was taking over the world during the Linsanity phase.

Their problem is that they have too many egos; Phil Jackson is the best answer for that. He's dealt with everything and, most importantly, he has succeeded in even the craziest of times. 

Whether it's Jackson or Sloan, the Knicks can't lose on this decision. However, they absolutely need one of these two legendary minds if they're going to win anything in the near future. A city like New York needs a coach like Jackson or Sloan.

Don't think coaching matters?

Well, it does. The Chicago Bulls didn't win a title with Michael Jordan until Jackson came. The Lakers had Shaq and Kobe Bryant in the late-90s, but they weren't able to win with Del Harris. They won when Jackson came. 

When Karl Malone and John Stockton retired, the Utah Jazz were still a respectable franchise that would make the playoffs regularly.

Coaching definitely is a significant reason why teams become dynasties. The only great head coach in the league right now is in San Antonio.

There are two others on the wings and the Knicks have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to jump on them to revitalize the franchise.