Charles Oakley says even though the dude's a LEGEND in New York, Patrick Ewing simply ain't the right guy to take over for David Fizdale as Knicks head coach.
But, don't worry, Oak's got someone in mind -- Mark Jackson!!
TMZ Sports spoke with the ex-NY star about the coaching vacancy ... and, while he lists off a number of ex-Knicks who are qualified for the gig, Ewing ain't one of them.
Why??
"Ya gotta be a different type of coach than Patrick," Oak tells us. "I think he tried before and they didn’t hire him. So, I don’t know. We’ll see what happens."
Also, why??
Oak was PISSED at his longtime friend for not having his back during his very public beef with James Dolan ... and told us back in 2017, "I'm hurting because he didn't call in and show love because I had his back for 10 years."
But, back to Jackson, we asked why he should be the guy in NY ... and Oakley says it's an easy choice.
"C’mon, why wouldn’t he? I mean, he’s young. Coached Golden State. Understand the game. Went to St John's. From New York. Yeah."
We also asked about his status with Dolan at Madison Square Garden ... and don't hold your breath on seeing him at a Knicks game anytime soon.