This is the back page of Wednesday's Daily News:

http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/news/breaking_news/7704640.htm

Posted on Wed, Jan. 14, 2004

Knicks reportedly will fire Chaney, name Fratello head coach
By FRANK ISOLA
New York Daily News

NEW YORK - Don Chaney described his present working conditions as "horrible" on Tuesday, but the New York Knicks' coach vowed that he will not quit, no matter how loudly fans call for his dismissal or how much Isiah Thomas appears to be undermining him.

Chaney won't have the chance to quit. His run as Knicks' coach could end following Wednesday night's game against Orlando. According to a league source, Thomas is expected to replace Chaney with Mike Fratello, who has 14 years' head coaching experience but has been out of the league since 1999.

"My job is to coach this team," Chaney said following a 90-minute practice in Greenburgh. "If I'm not here to coach it then somebody else will. But I want (the players) to be men, be teammates and compete. That to me is the biggest satisfaction whether I'm here or not.

"If it's inevitable, and they see the writing on the wall, I expect them to still play."

The Knicks, who play three games in four nights, are 15-24 following Monday's overtime loss to Dallas and have lost three of four games since the celebrated trade for Stephon Marbury.

Before Monday's game, Thomas refused to give Chaney a strong endorsement, and then in the closing seconds, the crowd began chanting "Fire Chaney."

With all the uncertainty surrounding his job status, Chaney admitted, "There is a lot of pressure with the doubt part of it . . . waiting. But I'm not a quitter. I don't ever want my players to think that I'm at a point where I'd go in and say `hey, do something.'

"I'm not like that. I believe in them and I want them to believe in me. I'm going to hang in there. I don't care what the obstacles are. It doesn't matter how tough it is. I've never quit on anything and I won't quit on this situation either."

Chaney can feel a change coming and he seemed to be tweaking his boss just a bit Tuesday when he said, "the people here who have been in the league should understand" that it takes time for a team to adjust to new players. The Knicks struggled trying to make a similar adjustment when Antonio McDyess returned. They were 7-10 without McDyess only to lose the next six games with him.

"We've only played four or five games (with Marbury); you can't overreact," Allan Houston said. "But I will say we have some time between now and the All-Star break to make things happen."

With 43 games remaining, Thomas - the Knicks president - is eager to make another move. He has not been shy to shake up the team. Since replacing Scott Layden on Dec. 22, Thomas has made trades, cut players and added coaches. He's now gone nine days without making a single move, by far his longest inactive stretch since taking over the team.

Thomas has, however, continued his media blitz. On Tuesday night, he appeared on "The Late Show With David Letterman" and also taped a segment with Carson Daly. Never in the history of the NBA has an executive with a 5-6 record received this much exposure.

Here's a topic you just know wasn't addressed in those scripted television interviews: on the day Thomas was hired, he criticized Larry Bird's handling of his firing as Pacers head coach, saying, "I'm a different kind of manager. I believe in helping people. I don't believe in hurting people."

Bird, of course, never left Thomas twisting in the wind. And does Thomas really believe he is helping Chaney by standing in the Garden tunnel during games, looking over his shoulder?

"If I'm a coach and you've got people looking over your shoulder, you can't be as comfortable doing your job," Houston said.

Did it help or hurt matters when Thomas began working with several players, including Marbury, at the end of Monday's shootaround in full view of the media?

"I'm staying away from that," Chaney said.

Chaney did address the hiring of a Thomas confidant, Mark Aguirre, and George Glymph in the roles of player development. General managers and head coaches historically hire people they trust and feel comfortable with. But the timing of Thomas' moves was odd. He waited just seven days on the job to add two staff members when the Knicks already had two player development coaches.

"Now we have one coach for each player and a coach to watch that coach teach," said one Knick. "What a joke."

Both Aguirre and Glymph have solid credentials and were praised for their work with the Pacers. They both also acknowledge they are walking a fine line between wanting to help Chaney and not step on toes.

"The main thing you worry about is that the guys who are coming in are on the same page as you are and teaching the same things," Chaney said. "That could be a problem. I don't worry about that either. They're experienced guys. I watch over them. They're doing a pretty good job."

But when asked about the hostile environment created by losing and Thomas' actions and words, Chaney said: "Oh yeah, horrible working conditions, definitely. But nothing is perfect. You have to deal with it. What you have to do is crawl over the bumps. It's not going to always been smooth. You've got to crawl over them and try to survive. I tell the players the same thing."

Slowly, Chaney is losing his authority over the team. He has the support of Garden chairman James Dolan, but ultimately Thomas is going to make the call. Thomas has ruled out moving to the bench but has never said that Chaney would survive the season.

Houston, who is the longest-tenured Knick on the roster, believes that the uncertainty of Chaney's status is starting to take its toll on the players.

"Everybody can do their job better if people are confident in you, people believe in you, and you're more at peace about the situation," he said. "That's just how it is. It would be much easier for a player or a coach to do their job if that were the case. But right now our record is what it is; we can't control what people are going to say, what the front office is going to do."


[Edited by - Rich on 01/14/2004 03:01:05]

http://www.bradenton.com/mld/bradenton/sports/7704658.htm

Posted on Wed, Jan. 14, 2004

Fratello must give Isiah playoff results
By MITCH LAWRENCE
New York Daily News

NEW YORK - Under the bright lights of the ``Late Show'' on Tuesday night, Isiah Thomas didn't crack under the stern questioning of David Letterman. He didn't reveal the gigantic secret he plans on telling all of New York as soon as Wednesday night.

Mike Fratello is coming on board as the Knicks' new head coach.

It's just the kind of splash Thomas loves to make. Just as his arrival came as a mega-shock three weeks ago, his blockbuster deal for Stephon Marbury took all of New York by Surprise. As much as the fans loved that move, he's ready to appease the Garden masses who have been calling for Chaney's hide.

When we last saw Fratello working on an NBA sideline, he was having his players walk the ball up the floor and putting on one of the most boring shows in all of basketball. But now, it will be incumbent upon Fratello to allow Marbury to do what he does best. Let him push the ball.

No matter what style he uses, Fratello has to give Thomas results. And that means only one thing: the Knicks' first trip to the playoffs in three years.

In all his interviews thus far, Thomas has talked about bringing a championship to New York. That's all well and good and exactly what Knicks fans want to hear.

But what they don't want to hear, and what Thomas has given them lately, is this idea that since he brought in Marbury, that doesn't mean the Knicks will make the playoffs this spring.

"We make one trade and you guys say we've got to get into the playoffs this year," Thomas said the other day to a group of reporters. "We never said that."

Huh? When Thomas was hired, he talked about how his boss, James Dolan, wants to make the playoffs this season. That was the reason for canning Scott Layden in the first place. Thomas was seen as someone who can salvage this season. Make bold trades. Light fires under players. Shake up the roster. Fire the coach, if need be.

Thankfully, Thomas is doing that last one. It's not the fans chanting "Fire Chaney" that convinced Isiah. He knows that with Chaney, the Knicks were headed for another lottery disaster. By bringing in Fratello, Thomas is saying, we are tired of underachieving and we will make the playoffs.

Like Marbury, Fratello, from just over in Hackensack, is coming home to take his dream job. No, his teams in Atlanta and Cleveland never got past the second round. But he did get his teams to the postseason nine times in 14 seasons. Why? Mainly because Fratello gets his team to play defense. The Knicks will play the kind of defense they did under Jeff Van Gundy, the kind that gets them back into the postseason.

The Knicks' hiring of Fratello goes right along with Thomas' mandate from the boss. Dolan brought him here to do whatever it takes to get the Knicks back to playing into the month of May. Starting in four months, Dolan meant. Not in 2005. Heck, if the Garden CEO wanted a dark arena during the playoff months for the third straight postseason, he could have kept Layden on. That would have guaranteed it.

But since trading for Marbury, Thomas had recently backed off the whole playoff thing. If he doesn't think the Knicks are good enough to make the playoffs, how in the world could he have given up his No. 1 pick this June, without protections? Given their needs - more young, athletic players - the Knicks could use a lottery pick. It will be a disastrous day for Thomas if the Knicks fail to make the playoffs and the Suns come away with a top pick.

"Is this a team that can get in the playoffs?" Thomas said, the night he brought Marbury back to New York. "We hope so. But time will tell. We'll see. But that's our goal."

With Fratello, the goal becomes readily attainable. He's won 55 percent of his regular-season games. The East is in shambles again. Marbury is on board. There is more than enough time left - 43 games - to sneak into eighth place.

"Who's in the eighth spot, Miami?" Marbury said earlier in the day, before Thomas' plan to bring in Fratello leaked. Told it was Philly, Marbury didn't exactly quake in his boots. Why would he?

"We're right there," Marbury said. "It's not like out West, where you've got to win 50 games to make the playoffs. It's different. Our chances are great."

Now with Thomas bringing in Fratello, Marbury has to like his chances even more.

THis was already mentioned on the WFAN earlier on Tuesday...

I suggested Fratello several months ago. He has almost always won with less than great talent BUT with Stephon on the team I am not sure he is the right man for the job. Tough, smart but will he be flexible enough for the typ of talent now on the team

this is a bad leak though. it will definately affect tonight's game. why would the knicks play and listen for a coach who is going to get canned anyway ( fassel anyone)? as far as fratello, he knows how to win. to his credit, he did not coach a team with great amount of talen. atlanta was good with nique and doc rivers but little of anything else ( rumeal robinson a starter?). he took over cleveland when nance retired, they trade hot rod williams, daugherty had a career ending injury and mark price was on his way out. his best player was terrell brandon, who was drafted as an undersized shooting guard from oregon. the years under fratello were his best as he was ranked up there as one of the best point guards in the league. so fratello can definately help marbury succeed.

as far as his snail paced play, in the mid-90's, that was the only way that team could compete. he got to the playoffs with their best players being brandon and bobby phills, who are'nt that bad but they are not exactly the top backcourt tandem of that time either. with the talent he had to compete with the knicks, bulls, miami and hornetes, he had to dictate the tempo. his offense was called "lullaby" since he had the team pass and dribble until the shot clock is down to five and shoot. this caused the defense to sag with boredom and mental errors for them to attack. it wore down the other team offensively since they expanded much of their energy defending.

if he takes over the knicks this is by far the most talented team he has had in a while. he will return "home", so to speak and go all out to help bring glory back to the garden like marbury wants. he will definately change his style becuase he did not run the same offensive style in atlanta ( of course he had the " human highlight film" to work with). plus it will be fun to see him match coaching wits with van gundy next week when they go to houston ( remember they tortured each other during tnt broadcasts). i thought if there is going to be a coaching change "out of the house" in mid-season, fratello or chuck daly would have been the best choices.

I don't like the idea of Fratello coaching this team.

Posted by KVH:

Doc said he didn't want to coach this year, the KNICKS couldn't wait that long, i understand what ZEKE is doing !!! Its about now, not next season !!! Doc is good but not worth the wait of losing this year just to wait on him next year & even then he may not come here !!!

I agree, Isiah should have taken over for the rest of the season or given it to Malone. Then he should have hired Doc over the summer.

As far as Fratello. He has a proven winning record. NY will play D with him and THEY WILL be prepared at all times. His style is much like JVG's so expect our offense to suffer, but if we WIN, who cares. IN all honesty with marbury running the show, the offense will be fine. The TSar will rebuild the D and the confidence of this team.

I imagine he will be getting an multi-year deal, won't he?

What will Marv do without him on TNT?

the article shows that Thomas says one thing, and is not credible to his word.

Some have eaten up everything coming out of TV personality Isiah Thomas, president of Cablevisions sports entertainment program call the KNICKS. The ugly reality of all this might remind us this is a cut throat entertainment buisness that competes for a limited entertainment dollar. Its not all sports management and the desire to bring home a championship to the mecca of the basketball world.

Thomas has undermined Chaney from day one. He should have just fired him. He has not helped him. Now for those whom like to cherry pick my comments, read again: He should have just fired him from day one.

If Thomas is mr hachet man, then a fast clean cut, instead he has wrangled behind the scenes.

He has also retrenched his championship comment, and playoff comment.

Thomas said the Marbury deal has

"built trust within the community." "Very rarely do you get to connect a superstar with his community in the prime of his career. It's a love affair from Day 1," he said.

Given his TV personality and Dolan's priority to sell tickets over the long term translates in my opinion that it was important to bring in someone that can sell tickets. Not saying Steph is not a nice player. But with Dolan in charge, its not hard to figure it out.

Now they are bringing in TV personality Mike Fratello, certainly more animated than Chaney, better communicater and public speaker (RE: Sell Tickets) than Chaney. But to make another massive change mid season? Players are losing trust from management than before. Im not saying that Layden was better, but while that condition was changed, the problems just don't go away. Then Thomas has created a big riff with his coaching staff by stepping in (Hurting), and now hires from the outside. The players need stability, and interm with Malone (a Thomas man) could have worked. Isiah could have helped out without hurting his head coach, and not shake what is left of the foundation.

Fratello is a defensive minded coach. certainly this is needed, but his past teams were low scoring boring affairs. The goal of winning basketball games is to out score the opponent. Not drag them down.
I hope this does not repeat itself.

Had Dolan fell in love with Fratello the personality? The motivater? The defensive minded x's and O's?

This should be interesting.

Given Thomas's history as management/coach with the Raps/Pacers/CBA, and some hard critique over the years over his track record, and some backstabbing witht he pistons (loyalty is nice, but he stabbed Adrian Dantley in the back to bring in his childhood friend Mark Aguire as one example), and back peddling on every MAJOR comment he has said, I must continue to be suspicious of Isiah and not just blindly support every move he makes.

He has yet to earn blind faith.

If the Garden is the mecca of hoop, then those whom do not act in kind to bring forth a champioinship is a traitor to the faith. I don't see serious championship commitment here. I see lots of wheeling, dealing and spending to sell seats.

on a side note if this is the move he's got to make it BEFORE tonights game. Chaney needs to go, but these chants of fire Chaney at the garden make me sick. To me its just a no-class move. Chaney's had miserable rosters and a miserable GM behind him offering nothing. The last thing I want to see is Chaney booed or crowed at the Garden when everyone including himself knows he's getting sacked.

You can hate Don all you want but he's a good man, a family man and a good basketball man. He never had a chance to suceed here. Make no mistake he does need to go, but he doesnt deserve to be humiliated the way he has and I think its been an embarrassment to Knick fans.

I think he's done his best through impossible situations, and for his effort he deserves to be let go gracefully.

I *hope* Thomas doesnt have him coach tonights game for these reasons.