If the New York Knicks have any hope of landing Giannis Antetokounmpo, it might be a good sign they are looking at a coach who is familiar with him.
The New York Knicks have completely fallen off the rails in the last few weeks. Following their crushing loss in the Eastern Conference Finals to the Indiana Pacers, the Knicks have chosen to go in a bold new direction.
The first step was letting Tom Thibodeau go. The next was finding a decent head coach replacement. They first identified Jason Kidd, among other active head coaches in the NBA.
But after they were soundly rejected by all the teams they approached to interview their respective head coaches, they altered their strategy
Now, as their head coach hunt has been locked on two candidates, they are speeding things up. Mike Brown and Taylor Jenkins are set to be interviewed by the Knicks in the coming days.
Jenkins might have a slight edge over his rival, despite Jalen Brunson previously endorsing Brown as a coach. And it’s because of his history with Giannis Antetokounmpo, someone the Knicks want to land in a trade.
In 2018, after a five-year stint as an assistant coach with the Atlanta Hawks, Taylor Jenkins joined Mike Budenholzer’s coaching staff on the Milwaukee Bucks.
His one-year stint with the Bucks was quite successful, as they finished the season with the best record in the NBA. On top of that, Giannis Antetokounmpo was named league MVP.
The presence of Taylor Jenkins and Mike Budenholzer proved to be far more effective for Giannis. A look at his numbers from Jason Kidd’s final season with the Bucks, and Giannis’ MVP year, shows that he improved in almost every category.
| Statistical Category | Season Average (2017-18) | Season Average (2018-19) |
| Points | 26.9 | 27.7 |
| Rebounds | 10.0 | 12.5 |
| Assists | 4.8 | 5.9 |
| Steals | 1.5 | 1.3 |
| Blocks | 1.4 | 1.5 |
| Field Goal Percentage | 52.9% | 57.8% |
| Free-Throw Percentage | 72.0% | 72.9% |
Jenkins made quite an impression on the Bucks’ players. Brook Lopez and Khris Middleton, who were big stars on the team, had very good things to say about his stint with the Bucks.
Brook Lopez: “He has a really high basketball IQ, but it goes beyond so much more than that. He really just wants what’s best for the players. He’s going to go that extra mile, take guys and teach them exactly what they need to be taught to get them ready.”
Khris Middleton: “He’s not afraid to pull you to the side and just talk to you sometimes, whether it’s good or bad,” he said of Jenkins. “He’s a student of the game and a learner, but he also shares so much. He’s detail-oriented, which is great. It was good for us last year, and it should be great for them this year.”
While Giannis Antetokounmpo has not been on record speaking about Jenkins, he is a player who is very in tune with what his coaches ask of him. And given how glowingly the other All-Stars on the Bucks spoke about him, we can assume Giannis also thinks highly of him.
After a great one-year stint with the Bucks, Taylor Jenkins found success with the Memphis Grizzlies, including multiple seasons where he finished in the top three of the Western Conference
But this year, after yet another strong run, the Grizzlies surprisingly let him go. Now, with the Knicks looking to land Jenkins, he might get one of the most lucrative roles in the NBA.
Hiring Jenkins, a coach familiar to Giannis Antetokounmpo, could be a factor that sways the superstar. While he currently isn’t angling for a trade, he could choose to make a move later.
And when that time comes, the Knicks would use Jenkins’ presence as a selling point. It might make negotiating with the Bucks a little easier, although they’re sure to demand a superstar like Jalen Brunson.
Right now, they should prioritize hiring the best head coach. But this could be the start of the route to get Giannis Antetokounmpo on the New York Knicks.
