Knicks Job a Homecoming for Weber

July 14, 2008

LAS VEGAS -- The first question is the obvious one.

How does Phil Weber -- basketball lifer and Long Island's own -- feel about joining the coaching staff of his hometown team?

"It's a little surreal. It hasn't really hit me yet, and I say that in the most honest sense," said the animated and enthusiastic Weber, who officially joined the Knicks staff a few weeks ago. "I started playing basketball when I was four years old, and my first basketball memory is of the Knicks. My dad was a coach so I was a ballboy at Cold Spring Harbor High School, so I grew up around it. And the Knicks were good, they were really good.

"I was real young, but I still remember Clyde (Frazier). I still remember those teams, and it was a first impression way back when but I was old enough to appreciate. I had little Puma Clydes, you had to have those. So it's an incredible thing. And to be close to my family and to do a job that's a labor of love. Isn't that the best ever?"

The creator of those Puma Clydes will be among those on hand when Phil embarks on his first order of duty -- piloting the Knicks' squad in the 2008 NBA Summer League, presented by EA Sports. Following a weekend of two-a-day practices, the Knicks open their five-game Summer League schedule against the Cleveland Cavs at 4 p.m. this afternoon at Cox Pavilion.

Following nine seasons as an assistant coach for the Phoenix Suns, Weber's arrival in New York rounds out his first decade of NBA coaching. A member of new head coach Mike D'Antoni's staff in Phoenix, Weber actually preceded D'Antoni by five years, as he was originally hired by then-Suns head coach Danny Ainge in 1999.

His return home is the latest stop in a varied hoop itinerary. Weber's coaching career began in 1984 at the University of Florida under head coach Norm Sloan, and has also included stops at Chaminade and Iona. He also teamed with former Knicks and current Nets General Manager Kiki Vandeweghe to form an academy for NBA player development in Los Angeles, and he spent a year traveling the country to observe 16 different major college programs.

As a player, Weber helped lead Long Island Lutheran to a state title, then was coached by Jim Valvano at North Carolina State (he red-shirted during the Wolfpack's 1983 NCAA title season). His coaching roots go all the way back to his dad, who coached at Cold Spring Harbor High School on the Island for more than a decade.

"I always think you need to be a sponge and keep going," said Weber. "Mike is absolutely the best to work with, unbelievable. I got inspiration from V, I got hard-nosed from Norm, I got (Scott) Skiles and his defensive prowess. I got Danny (Ainge) the creator, and Mike is one of the best offensive minds. My pedigree is pretty good from that standpoint."

Weber's immediate task is to lead the Knicks' summer squad in Vegas, and, by extension, give the team its initial introduction to the heralded, freewheeling D'Antoni system.

"I believe that you want to create a new mindset; a mindset of winning," said Weber. "Maybe that's like going down the highway at 100 miles an hour and you jam on the brakes. You don't, all of a sudden, go the other way. You go into a little bit of a skid, but nonetheless, it's an attitude. The attitude is … move on to the next play. You don't dwell, you just go on to the next play. The attitude of quick decisions.

"We're trying to create a culture, a culture of sharing the basketball, of making every effort. It's all about the dedication to one agenda. What they will learn as players is that Mike is unbelievable in developing roles. That's one of the things where guys will know what's expected of them every game, as far as how to do certain things. You look at every fine-tuned organization in this world. … roles are defined. You know exactly what you're supposed to do. We all strive to get better, but every role is defined. And this is all the first experience."

Weber coached the Suns' Summer League team over the last two years, so he's no stranger to the educational aspect of summerball. But back then, the Suns were perfectly attuned to the D'Antoni method. This year, with a new team and a fresh start in nearly every respect, no one would be surprised if the Knicks coaches wore "Hello, my name is …" tags this week.

Weber's Summer League goals reflect that feeling of starting anew.

"As a franchise, I think there are about three or four (goals this week)," said Weber. "We're trying to see what we have, because we're coming in new. It's not like a lot of guys that we know. We're trying to figure this thing out, of what do we have right now.

"We're trying to give minutes and experience to guys who haven't played a whole bunch, who we think are going to be really important for our future: that's Wilson (Chandler) and Gallo (Danilo Gallinari). And the other guys, we'll give them opportunities, and we'll see what happens.

"And the other thing is, do we discover another guy? Do we discover a guy we think can play? You're always looking, it's one of those things. And the obvious one that circles all the others (is), how do they play within our system?"

And, if you listen to Weber, that system won't neglect the defensive end of the game, despite what some critics might think.

"If you look at what we were able to achieve in Phoenix over the last four years. … in four or five categories in offense, we were number one," Weber noted. "But what is neglected to be mentioned, if you look at points per possession defense, we were always up in the top ten. So defensively, we're not dropping the ball there. We needed to get better individually on certain plays, and certain habits. But from a team standpoint, our defense was pretty sound. And offensively, we were off the charts.

"… We're all trying to get to know each other and we're all trying to feel each other out," he adds. "Hopefully they'll understand that we are about being positive. We're about moving on to the next play. Everything is about two things: we play hard and we play together. There's no other thing. It's those two things. It's real simple, it's not difficult."

Neither is coming home again. Weber plans to live in Manhattan, just a river away from his folks on Long Island. It'll be a happy reunion, even if it does have the potential for a little in-house confusion.

"My family and I have been very close, but we've done it in an Arizona way," he said. "Their golden retrievers. … one's called Arizona, one's called Sedona, and one's Phoenix. Now it'll be Knicky, or something like that. But it's an awesome thing to be close to home."

KNICKS OPEN TODAY: Today's 4 p.m. Summer League opener against Cleveland will be followed by games on Wednesday vs. San Antonio, Friday vs. Phoenix, Saturday vs. Charlotte, and Sunday vs. Minnesota. … All games will begin at 4 p.m. New York time and will be carried live on MSG with Mike Crispino and Walt Frazier. … In addition, all game telecasts will be replayed at 10:30 p.m. ET, with Monday's, Wednesday's and Friday's games replayed at 8 p.m. as well. … Quentin Richardson will join Crispino and Clyde as guest commentator on MSG. … Jamal Crawford was on hand at Sunday's practice.