Clock's ticking on Isiah Thomas' time with Knicks; replacements abound

BY FRANK ISOLA
DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER

Friday, November 23rd 2007, 4:00 AM
Things aren't looking up for Isiah Thomas, who is scheduled to coach against Bulls at Garden Saturday but might face firing line before then. Burleson/AP

Isiah Thomas will either be fired Friday or hear "Fire" Saturday.

Possible replacements for Thomas are former Knick coach Jeff Van Gundy ... ... and Rick Carlisle.


It is a lose-lose proposition for the Knicks' embattled head coach, whose time in New York can best be described as day-to-day.

Whether or not Thomas is around to coach against the Bulls Saturday afternoon at the Garden is a question only Garden chairman James Dolan can answer.

In the Knicks' last home game, Tuesday's 108-82 loss to the Warriors, Thomas was serenaded with chants of "Fire Isiah."

If Thomas is on the bench .tomorrow, he runs the risk of hearing the same calls for his head. Considering Dolan's .unwavering loyalty toward the Hall of Fame point guard, Dolan may be willing to give Thomas more time even as the Knicks' season - and locker room - is falling apart.

If Dolan decides it is time for a coaching change, naming Thomas' successor will be the single greatest decision Dolan has had to make as boss. There is a theory that Dolan doesn't know where to turn, which would suggest that he may retain long-time Thomas associate Glen Grunwald to run the front office and promote assistant coach Herb Williams on an interim basis.

Assuming Grunwald stays, the other option for Dolan is to reach out to experienced coaches who are available - Jeff Van Gundy, Rick Carlisle, Doug Collins and Mike Fratello. All four currently hold broadcasting jobs with .either ESPN or TNT. Or Dolan could roll the dice on a first-timer such as former Knick Mark Jackson, who many NBA executives believe is destined to become a solid head coach.

Van Gundy, of course, is the most intriguing candidate .because he is the last Knicks coach to own a winning record and win a playoff game. He would bring .discipline, defense and .accountability to the organization. He understands the New York landscape as well as anyone and is a master at dealing with the media.

According to one source, Thomas considered talking to Van Gundy two years ago before the Knicks hired Larry Brown. Van Gundy, who was working for the Houston Rockets at the time, never was interviewed for the job.

Van Gundy, however, left the Knicks on bad terms, resigning 19 games into the 2001-02 season. Dolan never warmed to Van Gundy's brutally honest ways and was said to be on the verge of firing him before Van Gundy stepped down.

But Dolan also knows that under Van Gundy, the Knicks were winners and that Van Gundy was .immensely popular with the fans. Going back in time to .rehire Van Gundy would give the Knicks something they sorely lack - instant credibility. It would also take some of the heat off Dolan, who is being criticized for not caring that the Knicks have become a league-wide punch line.

The Knicks' trademark under Pat Riley and Van Gundy was .defense, but since Van Gundy walked away, the team has earned a reputation for being soft and uninspiring. Van Gundy immediately would find eight or nine players who are willing to compete, defend and sacrifice for the good of the team. He would restore the defensive-minded culture that made the Knicks a feared team in the '90s.

His greatest challenge would be getting through to Eddy Curry, who mostly has looked disinterested this season. However, Van Gundy has had a pretty good success rate working with centers such as Patrick Ewing, Marcus Camby and Yao Ming.

Van Gundy also has known Stephon Marbury for nearly 20 years, having been long-time friends with former Lincoln High School coach Bobby Hartstein. Marbury respects Van Gundy, who isn't looking to be Marbury's friend, mentor or father figure but rather his demanding head coach. Think about it: Van Gundy made the playoffs in Houston with Steve Francis as his point guard.

Van Gundy enjoys the less stressful environment of television and if he did return to coaching, he might only want to work for another two or three years. If so, the Knicks could hire Jackson as an assistant coach with the understanding that he eventually would replace Van Gundy.

Carlisle, who replaced Thomas at Indiana, and Fratello are also well-respected coaches who believe that you win with defense. Fratello had a handshake agreement with Thomas to replace Don Chaney as Knicks coach before Thomas suddenly changed his mind and hired Lenny Wilkens. In past years, Collins has been lukewarm about making a return to coaching.

Posted by Killa4luv:

Jeff Van Gundy and Rick Carlisle sound like EXCELLENT replacements. I would be happy with either of them, but I would strongly prefer Carlisle. I wanted him back when we were getting LB, although I was ecstatic about LB also.

ONe difference between my thinking and others here is, I like the team we have, I just think Isiah may not be the right coach for this team. I think another coach can get more out of them.

Posted by BasketballJones:

Whoever the coach is I hope whomever the GM is will support him.