Shane Larkin gives diplomatic response to Phil Jackson’s criticism that he ‘hasn’t grown since the start of the season’

Shane Larkin took the high road in response to criticism by Phil Jackson that he failed to grow last season with the Knicks.

And the Zen Master wasn't talking about Larkin's 5-11 stature.

In a story written by good buddy Charley Rosen as part of his ESPN.com series on Monday, Jackson continued to dish on his former players, saying of Larkin back in February: "Unfortunately, Shane hasn't grown since the start of the season."

Larkin made no secret he wasn't a good fit for the triangle, saying as much in a tweet in response to Jackson's comments on Monday.

"Couldn't grow in an offense I wasn't comfortable in," Larkin tweeted. "All good. No shade. Glad I'm across the river now. Wish them luck."

The Nets were apparently higher on Larkin than Jackson, contacting Larkin as soon as he became a free agent on July 1 and quickly scooping him up, hoping he can return to the form he showed that enabled him to be a first-round pick with a more faced paced, pick-and-roll style of play.

Jackson was a bit more complementary with Andrea Bargnani, another Nets acquisition in free agency while also observing his history of injuries. He also noted that Bargnani had interest in remaining in New York for next season, which proved prophetic.

"Bargnani will be an unrestricted free agent and would be a great fit in the triangle," Jackson told Rosen. "He's 7-foot-1 with long arms, high shoulders, loads of talent and is an intriguing player. One thing working against him is his history of injuries. Because of a variety of injuries, at this time he's still in a training-camp mode -- and he hasn't really played full-time in over a year. Another concern is whether he wants to continue his NBA career or go back home and play in Italy. I had a sitdown with him last December and got the impression that he'd rather stay here. I know that he likes living in New York, and I've heard through the grapevine that he'd be happy returning to the Knicks. He's a very intelligent guy who's made some very profitable business investments in Italy, so money might not be a big issue. Anyway, if we can agree on a payday that meets both of our needs, this is something that will be worth investigating."


(nydailynews.com)