420 Blues: The Zen Master’s Karma Crashes

The New York Knicks are 4-20.

Things looked so rosy for the Knicks earlier this year when the team hired the legendary Phil Jackson as team president. Jackson holds the National Basketball Association record for the most combined championships (13) as a player and a head coach. He also has the highest winning percentage of any NBA coach ever (.704).

Jackson is known as the “Zen Master” for his serene approach to basketball. He cites eastern philosophy and Native American spirituality as influencing factors in his coaching style. Jackson has also admitted a fondness for cannabis.

New York City was expecting miracles from Jackson. He hired Derek Fisher as head coach, who had starred for Jackson as a player. Things definitely looked good on paper for the Knicks. Unfortunately, the game is played on the court – not in the sports pages.

Jackson embraces the “triangle offense,” a system of play that earned him huge success as head coach of the Chicago Bulls and Los Angeles Lakers. The triangle is detailed system of play and takes a while to learn. But it’s very effective; that is, if players learn how to read and react to the defense.

Unfortunately, for the Knicks, it’s a Wreck-tangle offense. The team flounders in the last five minutes of the game, the shooting stats of its star player, Carmelo Anthony, are down and the Knicks rank in the bottom five of the league in defensive efficiency. Jackson has accused the his team of having a “losing mentality.”

All of this has resulted in a 4-20 record, second to last in their division. (Only the woeful Philadelphia 76ers, owners of a 2-19 record, are worse.)

The stoner world knows that our code of “420” is a time for celebration. Maybe the Knicks should chill, take a 420 break and regroup. It sure couldn’t hurt. The good news is that their ignominious record of 4-20 will change after their next game. But we can’t offer any more good suggestions if their record reaches 4-21.