http://www.nj.com/sports/ledger/index.ssf?/base/sports-0/1170914363273010.xml&coll=1

KNICKS: Curry: I'm out if Isiah is fired

Thursday, February 08, 2007
BY DAVID WALDSTEIN
Star-Ledger Staff

Whatever measuring stick Knicks owner James Dolan uses to determine Isiah Thomas's future with the team, he might want to consider the wishes of his best and most promising player.

Eddy Curry, the franchise's 24-year-old cornerstone, said that if Dolan fires Thomas, he would want to follow him out the door.

The declaration came late Tuesday night, when Curry was asked if he would be surprised if Thomas didn't return next year. Curry said he would be surprised, and added that he would be very unhappy about it, too.

"I'd be shocked, I'd be (angry), I'd be a lot of things," he said. "I'd be trying to get out of here."

Curry, who was speaking after the Knicks defeated the Clippers, was asked if he was completely serious.

"Definitely," he said. "I'd be on my way out."

As things stand today, Curry probably won't have to follow through on his threat, because there are no indications that Thomas is in trouble. With Tuesday's victory, the Knicks are 22-28, just one victory away from last year's absurdly low total of 23, and there are still 32 games to play.

Surely, considering they started from the sub-basement, that's some progress.

But beyond the numbers, Curry credited Thomas, with an assist from Stephon Marbury, for his breakout season. Curry said Thomas has a profound way of instilling confidence in him -- something Thomas was known for when he coached the Pacers.

"Isiah, he's good," Curry said. "He'll make you believe. He definitely made me a believer."

A year ago, former coach Larry Brown also gave Curry the franchise tag, but it was done more in a punitive way as a method of chastising the big man for not living up to his expectations. At the time, Curry felt he was good enough for the label, but agreed he hadn't earned it at the time.

"I felt that way when he said it, but I didn't feel like I was doing anything to deserve it," he said. "So I didn't really embrace it the way I do now. I didn't carry it the way I do now as a badge of honor, like when somebody says, 'This is your team. As you go, we go.' I feel like that's how it is now."

Curry's emergence this year, with career highs averages in points (19.6) and rebounds (7.0), has allowed him to supplant Marbury as the face of the organization. Curry has accepted that transfer of power, but far more important, he said, Marbury has too after a difficult but brief transition period early in the season.

It took a few weeks before Marbury was completely comfortable force-feeding Curry the ball on every possession, and Thomas was ruthless about it, benching Marbury more than once until he eventually caught on and accepted his new role.

Curry said that since then Marbury has been invaluable in helping him accept the role Thomas has laid out for him.

"I think it started with me, and when Steph said, 'Okay, this is what it is,' then everybody else fell in line," Curry explained. "I'm sure it was tough for him. And I talk to Steph a lot. He's been the most helpful person I've had in a long time because he's like, 'Yo, this is your team, you've got to do this, you've got to do that.' I know he's been in that position before so if anybody can help me, he can."

Curry admitted that until Thomas proved to him that he could carry the team, he was a little nervous about the responsibility, and said there was a considerable amount of pressure that came with it. On Nov. 1, he really didn't know if he could handle it.

"To be honest I wasn't quite ready for that, for that kind of pressure," he said, "to go out there every night and say I want the ball every single time and if we win it's on me, and if we lose it's on me.

"Isiah makes it pretty evident that that's what he wants me to be and that's what I'm trying to be. I'm definitely starting to feel that way. It's a good feeling. It's a lot of pressure, but it's a good feeling."

Curry said the entire team understands the reality that Thomas' job hangs in the balance if they don't continue to show progress. He said that if Thomas is gone, many of the players would probably have to go too, willingly or not.

"We all know that if Isiah's not here, we don't know who's going to be here," Curry said. "Everybody's bought into that and we just want to win some games."

well i'll be dizamned....

pretty funny how the thomas develops sucha strong bond with his players...jermaine and now curry...i hope the big fella stays here

i knw...ifi isiah gets one more win..he'll match last years total...but if hets 10 more wins he will surely retain his job...dolan said he prefers zeke running the show

Hey Curry, STFU. If you really wanted Isiah to stay you'd be putting your arms up on defense and rebounding like you actually gave a sh!t.

Secondly, who the F do you think you are?!? You don't have the juice to make statements like this. You're not an irreplaceable franchise player. You're like the 8th best center in the league. The fans didn't think that much of you based on the all star voting and neither did the east coaches. All that crap your teammates spewed must have really gone to your head.

I'm seriously getting tired of listening to these idiots.

Posted by islesfan:

Hey Curry, STFU. If you really wanted Isiah to stay you'd be putting your arms up on defense and rebounding like you actually gave a sh!t.

Secondly, who the F do you think you are?!? You don't have the juice to make statements like this. You're not an irreplaceable franchise player. You're like the 8th best center in the league. The fans didn't think that much of you based on the all star voting and neither did the east coaches. All that crap your teammates spewed must have really gone to your head.

I'm seriously getting tired of listening to these idiots.

Wait. Are you seriously trying to deny Curry his right to express his opinion?

That's sort of, you know, unAmerican.

Posted by islesfan:

Posted by Rich:

Posted by islesfan:

Hey Curry, STFU. If you really wanted Isiah to stay you'd be putting your arms up on defense and rebounding like you actually gave a sh!t.

Secondly, who the F do you think you are?!? You don't have the juice to make statements like this. You're not an irreplaceable franchise player. You're like the 8th best center in the league. The fans didn't think that much of you based on the all star voting and neither did the east coaches. All that crap your teammates spewed must have really gone to your head.

I'm seriously getting tired of listening to these idiots.

Wait. Are you seriously trying to deny Curry his right to express his opinion?

That's sort of, you know, unAmerican.

Expressing his opinion is one thing. e.g. "I think Isiah deserves to stay"

No problem with that at all.

Being an idiot and thinking that he can make threatening demands is another.

He needs to STFU.

It's called using his leverage, which from his point of view, is actually quite smart.

If he hadn't improved so much offensively, I might agree with you. But the guy has become one of the most dominant low post scorers in the NBA, and because of that dramatic improvement, I think it's very possible that his defense, rebounding, and shot blocking will also improve within a year, although I doubt he will ever be as dominant defensively as he currently is offensively.

Posted by Rich:

Posted by islesfan:

Posted by Rich:

Posted by islesfan:

Hey Curry, STFU. If you really wanted Isiah to stay you'd be putting your arms up on defense and rebounding like you actually gave a sh!t.

Secondly, who the F do you think you are?!? You don't have the juice to make statements like this. You're not an irreplaceable franchise player. You're like the 8th best center in the league. The fans didn't think that much of you based on the all star voting and neither did the east coaches. All that crap your teammates spewed must have really gone to your head.

I'm seriously getting tired of listening to these idiots.

Wait. Are you seriously trying to deny Curry his right to express his opinion?

That's sort of, you know, unAmerican.

Expressing his opinion is one thing. e.g. "I think Isiah deserves to stay"

No problem with that at all.

Being an idiot and thinking that he can make threatening demands is another.

He needs to STFU.

It's called using his leverage, which from his point of view, is actually quite smart.

If he hadn't improved so much offensively, I might agree with you. But the guy has become one of the most dominant low post scorers in the NBA, and because of that dramatic improvement, I think it's very possible that his defense, rebounding, and shot blocking will also improve within a year, although I doubt he will ever be as dominant defensively as he currently is offensively.

Leverage?? When did Curry become indispensible?

Goodbye Eddy. I bet we can get a nice rebuilding package for you. Plus if you go there is really no attachment to have to keep Jamal around either.

Well, now we know we can use Frye at center.

I also have no problem no using Curry to get Josh Smith from Atlanta or trying to get Andrew Bynum from LA.

Posted by joec32033:

Goodbye Eddy.

you forget that the guy making the decisions is at the other end of the spectrum. There is absolutely no middle ground. You hate this group of players and give them no chance. They like they and want to give him plenty of time to prove/disprove. If you the neo-con, they are the Daily Kos.

I'm surprised how Isiah inspires loyalty in people. Its hard to this in real life with regular people. To do this with 24 year old millionaires is damn near impossible. Eddy is not going anywhere and it looks like neither is Isiah.

Posted by Silverfuel:

Posted by joec32033:

Goodbye Eddy.

you forget that the guy making the decisions is at the other end of the spectrum. There is absolutely no middle ground. You hate this group of players and give them no chance. They like they and want to give him plenty of time to prove/disprove. If you the neo-con, they are the Daily Kos.

I'm surprised how Isiah inspires loyalty in people. Its hard to this in real life with regular people. To do this with 24 year old millionaires is damn near impossible. Eddy is not going anywhere and it looks like neither is Isiah.

Well if you stop grouping me into disliking a whole group of players based on what I just said about one, then maybe we can get somewhere.

There are players on this team I like. A few weeks ago, I Curry started to sell me and I was feeling really good about him. This takes all of that and flushes it. I've already said I liked Lee, Richardson, Crawford, Collins. I also said that if Stephon gave me 15 and 9 with defense and leadership I would prefer that to anything else he could give us statwise.

Origionally posted by me:

Stephon Marbury-[C+] At least he is controlling the offense better. We need a stronger personality than his to control this team and balance him out. I'll take 17 and 7 and the good defense he has been showing as of late. He does that I'll bump his grade to a B+.

http://www.ultimateknicks.com/forum/post.asp?method=ReplyQuote&r=312896&t=18304&page=

As for the quotes in the paper:At times(like now) it makes me feel like I am rooting for the group with Tourette's in the special olympics.