NBA guru Phil Jackson has taken on the toughest challenge of his entire career: He’s going to try and fix the dysfunctional New York Knicks. Before recent years, the Knicks had been a complete disaster, and the team showed signs of their old, agonizing selves last season. At this point of his career, can Jackson redeem what was once a fantastic basketball tradition?

The top priority for Jackson has to be the play and attitude of Carmelo Anthony. Recently re-signed by the Knicks, Anthony’s basketball capabilities cannot be questioned. But his attitude, decision-making and words to the media often leave Knicks fans scratching their heads.

Anthony flat out admitted he felt the team will not be championship caliber in this upcoming season. Honest, and likely even correct, those types of word coming from a star player to the media still don’t make any sense. In what world does a player give up on the hope of winning a title before the opening tip-off?

Head coach Derek Fisher will represent team president Jackson’s desires and philosophies. Former coaches Mike D’Antoni and Mike Woodson butted heads with Anthony in the midst of their departure. The Knicks simply cannot afford any ill-tempered mannerisms between Fisher and Anthony this season. Hopefully, the mindset of Jackson can mediate any hiccups between players and coaches. Anthony’s history of struggling with authority has been evident with every NBA coach he’s had in his career.

This is not uncommon in the history of NBA superstars. All stars have egos, and the most difficult challenge of any coach is to mesh their egos with players without altering their play on the court. This is what has made Jackson a legend over the years wherever he’s been. Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant are not who they are today without the subtle control of Jackson and the quiet management of egos. It is common knowledge that Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal did not like each other. That issue could destroy most teams, but in the case of Jackson and the Los Angeles Lakers, it did not stop them from making NBA history.

Jackson has coached three separate three-peats in his career. He has won championships as a player under Red Holzman on the Knicks. To revive the current Knicks to that championship level is without question his biggest challenge. The relationship between Fisher and Anthony has to be a strong one. Any type of media buzz or figment of a controversy is magnified 10 times in New York media, even more significantly in the case of the Knicks.

Can Jackson bring hope to fans of the orange and blue? Can he overcome the miserable management decisions the Knicks have made over recent years and bring the team back into the light? Can he overcome the financial woes of the team, find the right balance of players, and bring back good ol’ fashioned team oriented basketball? These numerous questions remain unanswered. All Knicks fans can do is hope.