As Leon Rose nears the three-year anniversary of the day he was hired as the Knicks’ president, he still has the approval of his boss.
Team owner James Dolan said Friday he believes Rose has done a good job, though the Knicks have yet to win a playoff series under his watch.
“Yes, absolutely,” Dolan said on WFAN’s “Carton and Roberts” when asked if Rose was doing a good job.
“I picked Leon because I believe after you look at the NBA and the game that we play, that the team with the best talent wins. You want a guy who can get you the best talent. I believe that Leon Rose is still the best guy.”
Rose made his biggest splash this past offseason, when the Knicks signed point guard Jalen Brunson to a four-year, $104 million contract to lure him away from the Mavericks. With Brunson playing at a high level, the Knicks will enter their game Saturday against the Nets with a 27-23 record.
Since the start of the 2020-21 season, which was Rose’s first full year as president, the Knicks have a combined record of 105-99. They lost to the Hawks in the first round of the 2021 playoffs, then missed the postseason altogether last season.
Dolan, who insisted he has no plans to sell the team, said there is not currently a timetable on needing to win.
“It’s less of a timetable, though eventually there’s a timetable, right?” Dolan said. “But right now, what we’re looking for is progress. We want to build into a championship team. We fully expect to make the playoffs this year. That will definitely be a benchmark.”
As for Madison Square Garden using facial recognition to ban lawyers who are suing MSG Entertainment from its venues, Dolan again defended the practice, but said in most cases it would not be used against fans who are critical of him.
“I think the answer is basically no, except if you become confrontational — confrontational with other fans, confrontational with the staff, confrontational with ownership,” Dolan said. “You really have to be confrontational, not just say, ‘I don’t like you.’ That generally involves some form of profanity.”
Dolan said the only fans who have been banned with facial recognition are the ones who have come down and gotten into his face and “step over the line.”
“Even if you come down and get in my face and say, ‘Your team sucks, do a better job,’ I’m going to say, ‘We will next game. Come again,’ ” Dolan said.
