NBA News Update

The New York Knicks and Houston Rockets showed two of the ways teams can improve in the NBA – addition by subtraction in the first case, addition by addition in the latter.

The Knicks, a miserable conglomeration from top to bottom, fired president Phil Jackson on Wednesday after three seasons of ridiculous decision-making in personnel and the issuance of contracts that led to an abysmal record on the court. They’ve missed the playoffs the last four seasons and become back-page fodder for the New York tabloids as Jackson has feuded with players and become a distinct liability.

It’s a little hard to believe that Jackson, a former Knicks reserve who went on to coach the Chicago Bulls and Los Angeles Lakers to 11 NBA titles, could have ruined his reputation so rapidly.

The Rockets, meanwhile, recognizing the challenges they face in the Western Conference, are set to acquire All-Star guard Chris Paul from the Los Angeles Lakers when NBA transactions can commence again on Saturday. Paul and Harden will form a potent backcourt combination and give the Rockets the extra oomph they’ll need to challenge the Golden State Warriors, the NBA’s champs two of the last three seasons. Paul was going to opt out of his contract and become a free agent so the Clippers made a proactive move to cut a deal with the Rockets.

The Knicks have many decisions facing them – keeping any or all of Jackson’s triangle offense is one and keeping or trading Carmelo Anthony is another – but the things they truly need are stability and relevance.

You cannot buy or trade for those. You have to build them.
 
 
Post By: Larry Weisman, a longtime sportswriter for USA TODAY, blogs for Twistity.com. Follow him on Twitter @MrLarryWeisman