Report: Phil Jackson has lengthy meeting with Mike Dunleavy about Knicks job

Since Steve Kerr spurned the offer from Phil Jackson to take over the Golden State Warriors instead of heading up the New York Knicks, the organization is in a bit of a panic mode now trying to find someone else willing to come in. According to Marc Berman of the New York Post, Jackson took a huge step in the direction of finding a solution by have a rather lengthy meeting with the experienced Mike Dunleavy.

"In fact, just the opposite. According to an eyewitness, Jackson met with grizzled veteran coach Mike Dunleavy for two hours Friday morning over breakfast at a downtown Chicago hotel. Jackson is in Chicago for the pre-draft combine."

This is a stark contrast to the other names that have been reported, some of whom have barely any coaching experience on their resume whatsoever. As early as Thursday afternoon it was reported that the likes of Derek Fisher, Luke Walton and Tyronn Lue were among the top candidates.

However, as we know, Dunleavy is about as experienced as you can get as an NBA coach. He’s coached 17 years in the NBA with the Lakers, Bucks, Trail Blazers and Clippers, making multiple playoff appearances during that span. He last coached in the league during the 2009-10 campaign with the Clippers.

The question in this case would be whether or not Dunleavy would adopt the Jackson philosophy, which is why some of his proteges are top candidates at the moment.

But if it’s experience that is a concern for Phil, then meeting with Dunleavy is a smart choice.