Knick Knacks

Jackson making his pitch in Phoenix

Wouldn't it be odd if Mark Jackson got the Suns' coaching job for which he was interviewing Friday in Phoenix?

Then what you'd have, essentially, is a Mike D'Antoni-for-Jackson trade _ with the novice coach getting the far more ready-to-win team and the guy who's averaged 58 victories the last four seasons getting the rebuilding project.

Don't count on it, though, because unless Jackson blows Steve Kerr away (as he clearly didn't do with Donnie Walsh), expect the Suns to go with someone who's coached before.

Steph being Steph

Stephon Marbury showed up for the Mike D'Antoni introductory press conference Tuesday dressed in (the best way to describe it) a rainbow-checked sports jacket.

He also showed up smiling, laughing and joking much like he did in that "We got Zach Randolph!" video from last summer.

Steph always gets excited at occasions like this because there's never much to get excited about in his rear-view mirror. Another disappointing season. Often, another controversy.

And then the Knicks get someone like Zach Randolph and suddenly, he's geeked about the upcoming season.

Which usually turns out like the last one.

D'Antoni on his way

Mike D'Antoni and his shoot-in-seven seconds-or-less style are coming to New York.

The Suns' coach of the past four-plus years, who's averaged 58 victories in his four full (post-Stephon Marbury) seasons, has accepted a reported four-year, $24 million offer to coach the Knicks, while spurning the Bulls.

The Knicks officially confirmed Saturday evening that they have "agreed in principle" with D'Antoni and offered no other comment other than that a press conference would be scheduled once all the i's are dotted and t's crossed. Expect that Monday.

Wondering, too, what Mark Jackson is thinking (and might say on ABC's Celtics-Cavs broadcast) about a job that seemed was his until the Suns gave D'antoni permission to snoop around less than a week ago.

Perhaps that he needs to brush up on his interviewing skills?

There's plenty more on www.northjersey.com and more to come in Sunday's Record.

Feel free to share your thoughts.

Bidding war for D'Antoni?

There's a saying in sports journalism that if someone says it's not about the money, it's about the money.

Which is what the quest for Mike D'Antoni (who isn't exactly the second coming of Red Holzman) could come down to.

Logic says he ends up with the Bulls, who have a roster better suited to winning sooner and playing his frenetic offensively innovative style.

Except, the way the Knicks spend Jim Dolan's money (they're paying Larry Brown and Isiah Thomas more than $36 million combined not to coach), they could talk a lot louder about their head-coaching job than the Bulls, who grudgingly gave Scott Skiles $5 million last season to go away.