Phil Jackson Comments on Kurt Rambis, Carmelo Anthony and More

New York Knicks president Phil Jackson addressed the media Friday and had plenty to say about the future of the team, including the statuses of both interim head coach Kurt Rambis and superstar Carmelo Anthony.

The Knicks fired head coach Derek Fisher and replaced him with Rambis after a 23-31 start, but things haven't gotten much better under Jackson's longtime assistant with the Los Angeles Lakers, as they are just 4-8.

According to Al Iannazzone of Newsday, Jackson left the door open for Rambis to earn the permanent head coaching spot if the team plays well down the stretch:

New York is seven games out of a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference—so a run to the postseason is unlikely—but Jackson said he has pushed for Rambis to give it his best shot, per Chris Herring of the Wall Street Journal:

That is due in large part to the fact that there is no incentive to lose, with the Toronto Raptors holding the Knicks' first-round pick.

According to Herring, Jackson admitted that he doesn't want to hand the Raptors a high draft selection.

While the results haven't been there under Rambis, Jackson believes he has had more input with regard to on-court situations since Rambis took over, per Marc Berman of the New York Post:

Despite Jackson's increased role, he has empowered Rambis to the point where he wants him to be mindful of not overworking Anthony, per Herring:

The 31-year-old is having another great year, averaging 21.8 points per game, and he has been among the team's few bright spots along with rookie big man Kristaps Porzingis.

While rumblings regarding Carmelo being a potential trade chip are seemingly always present, Jackson believes he will be a key part of the organization moving forward, according to ESPN.com's Ian Begley:

When asked specifically about the possibility of trading Anthony, Jackson put the ball in the player's court because of his no-trade clause, per Herring:

He doesn't believe Anthony has any desire to join a different team in the near future, though, as Begley noted:

Jackson acknowledged that Anthony has shown some frustration with losing as of late, but he viewed it as a positive in terms of the nine-time All-Star showing that he cares, according to Herring:

Although the 2015-16 campaign has been a disaster for the Knicks, there is hope for success in 2016-17 and beyond since they have money to spend.

Jackson suggested that he would like to spread that money around during the offseason in hopes of landing multiple impact players, per Begley:

Point guard is a position of need for New York, with Jose Calderon struggling through a subpar year, but Jackson seems to believe that the triangle offense won't require him to go out and get a superstar to run the point:

One of the biggest questions that the 70-year-old always fields relates to his long-term commitment to the Knicks franchise.

He looked to quell any concern on that front Friday, as he made it clear to Frank Isola of the New York Daily News that he wants to be present for the turnaround:

The pressure to win in New York is immense, and while Jackson hasn't been able to live up to expectations thus far, the 11-time NBA championship-winning head coach knows how to build a winning culture.

His ability to re-sign Anthony and draft Porzingis seemingly has the Knicks on the right path, but there is no question that he needs reinforcements.

Jackson is aware of that, and if he is able to convince some quality players to buy in to what he is constructing in New York, then the Knicks may be closer to playoff contention than their record suggests.

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