Posted by djsunyc:

courtesy of kosmovitelli on realgm:

This is no breaking news, it was expected by most of us.

Coming from a 23win season where both Dolan and Thomas put all the blame on Larry Brown for last season's debacle, it was expected that the so called ultimatum "significant progress or out" was bogus.

After a 23 win season, pretty much everybody knew Isiah or any other coach would easily top that. The roster isn't that good but it isn't that bad either, it's below average. Using Brown's record as barometer of improvement was another tactical manoeuver by Dolan.

Anyway I understand Dolan, even if I call him and Isiah Dumb and Dumber, he's not really dumb. He doesn't know anything about basket-ball, he sees things as a cablevision executive. From a business stand point, Isiah has done a good job. He's a wonderful PR machine. Unlike Layden he can have a terrible record and still make the fans believe that he's not responsible for the fiasco. He still put fans in the seats. The press talk about the Knicks all the time, he's always in the headlines. Dolan is still thankful for the playoffs 2004. After 3 years where MSG couldn't raise tickets prices, even if we won only two more games than the previous season under Layden, the 2004 playoff trip allowed MSG to raise ticket prices by 15% thus allowing more revenues. According to the latest 2006 figures, the franchise is now valued at $592M agaisnt $401M in 2003.

Between 2000 and 2003 (Layden), it was only + 2%. Between 2003 and 2006, it's + 50% !!!

Hiring Isiah Thomas wasn't really a basket-ball decision, it was a pure business decision. It's not a coincidence that Mills and Dolan thought only about two candidates to replace low-key Layden who never talked to the press and never made the headlines : Isiah Thomas and Magic, two PR machines with a good knowledge of the business side of basket-ball. They needed former players, former superstars who can talk to the fans and make them believe no matter how bad the team does in the standings.

As long as Isiah can find excuses, scapegoats and keep a fan base of faithfull gullible fans who believe in him no matter what he does, all will be good. I mean it's kinda amazing, I have only seen this for Dubya. If you criticize Isiah Thomas, you're a hater, you hate him because he's black, it's us against the world, the whole world hates the Knicks, blah blah blah. I can't believe grown-ups, adults can buy that kind of crap. Isiah Thomas is really amazing. Just like Dubya, he can turn a lot of people into a bunch of simpletons.

From a basket-ball standpoint and for the Knicks, keeping Isiah Thomas as General Manager is a terrible decision. From a business point of view, it makes perfect sense.

Why do people keep trying to compare IT to George Bush? It really is insulting and undeserved. The article talks about being a hater, but if you are willing to compare the two, then you should be called a "hater" because IMO no sane person would compare what IT has done as a GM to the thousands of deaths Bush has caused in his ill-conceived war on terror.