The New York Knicks removed Derek Fisher from his position as head coach on Monday morning. On Tuesday, they lost for 10th time in their last 11 contests, falling five full games back of a playoff spot in the process.
With only 27 games left in their season, it appears clear to everyone but interim head coach Kurt Rambis that the Knicks will not be making the playoffs. Barring an unforeseen development prior to next week's trade deadline, then, the next major move they make will be hiring a new head coach.
When making that decision, team president Phil Jackson and general manager Steve Mills would be wise to open up the pool of candidates beyond the relatively small group that once played for or coached under Jackson, something they did not do the first time around.