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Bad, but not bad enough Knicks give head coach Chaney 1-year extensionPosted: Tuesday March 05, 2002 10:48 AMUpdated: Wednesday March 06, 2002 12:37 AM
PURCHASE, N.Y. (AP) -- The last-place New York Knicks extended the contract of coach Don Chaney, who has an 11-27 record since taking over in November following the resignation of Jeff Van Gundy. "Yeah, it's true," Chaney said as he left practice at SUNY-Purchase. Team president Scott Layden and Madison Square Garden executive Steve Mills informed the team of the move before their morning shootaround. Chaney said a news conference would be held before the Knicks played the Milwaukee Bucks.
Chaney's extension was for one season, Knicks guard Allan Houston said. Chaney said he would answer questions about the extension later in the day. The decision to extend Chaney's contract came as a major surprise. The team has struggled to such a degree since Van Gundy's departure that Chaney has the worst winning percentage (29 percent) of any coach in franchise history. Chaney met with owner James Dolan of Cablevision following the Knicks' loss to San Antonio on Sunday, their seventh defeat in eight games, and it was widely assumed Chaney's days were numbered. New York is 14 games under .500, with a worse record (22-36) than every team in the Eastern Conference except Chicago and Cleveland. Barring a complete turnaround, the Knicks will miss the playoffs for the first time in 15 years. "We were all a little surprised," Houston said. "I had an idea just because I knew that Jim Dolan and Knicks management liked Don as a person, liked his character and how he carries himself. "It's hard to judge what he's done based upon the situation he was put in," Houston said. Chaney addressed the team and thanked the players for sticking together during a season that has been worse than anyone on the Knicks could have imagined. Van Gundy resigned unexpectedly when the team had a 10-9 record, and the Knicks have been plummeting since. They have blown double-digit leads in 12 games, stopped playing the kind of intense defense that has been their trademark and have all but admitted they have almost no chance of reaching the postseason. Injuries have taken a toll, too. Marcus Camby is out for the season with a torn hip muscle after playing a career-low 29 games, and opponents have taken advantage of New York's lack of size and quickness. Layden has been under criticism for assembling an underachieving team with a league-high payroll of $85.1 million, and Chaney has been targeted for his laid-back style -- especially by those who believe the team needed to be pushed. "I don't think it's fair to even compare Jeff and Don," Houston said. "Don was thrown into a situation where he took over a team that had all the tendencies and the mindset of someone else. Now he'll get an opportunity to establish his own." With 25 games left, the Knicks would need to go 20-5 to finish 41-41. But that seems completely unlikely given that the Knicks went 2-10 in February while being booed regularly in their own arena. Layden has just returned from a trip to China to scout Yao Ming, the 7-foot-6 center who is expected to be a high lottery pick. He was not available for comment. The 54-year-old Chaney was the NBA's Coach of the Year in 1990-91 with the Houston Rockets and is in his 22nd season as an assistant or head coach. In nine seasons with the Clippers, Rockets, Pistons and Knicks, Chaney has a career record of 276-418.
"Let's give the coach the benefit of the doubt," guard Mark
Jackson said. "It's been a tough ride for all of us, but he's a
quality, quality guy and it's good to see good things happen to
good people."
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