Nalod wrote:via berman:

n a shocking shakeup of the Knicks front office, Steve Mills is back and Glen Grunwald is out. Or at least demoted.
Mills, the former Garden president who hired Isiah Thomas, has been named the team’s president and general manager. Mills replaces Glen Grunwald, who will remain with the organization as an “advisor.”
“I am pleased to be able to welcome Steve back to the Knicks,” Knicks owner James Dolan said in a statement. “He is a well-respected sports executive with a strong background in basketball, as well as a familiarity with NBA operations and our company. We look forward to his leadership and believe he is the right person to help us reach our ultimate goal of winning an NBA Championship.”
“We are grateful for Glen’s many years of valuable service and pleased that he will remain with the organization,” Dolan added.
Mills also has a good relationship with Knicks assistant GM Allan Houston, who figures to have more power entrusted in him with Grunwald in the background.
The timing of the switch is curious. Dolan apparently was not pleased with the Knicks’ second-round playoff exit or the summer overhaul that have some predicting the Knicks as the fifth-best team in the East. However, Grunwald finished third in NBA Executive of the Year balloting after building a team that won its first Atlantic Division title since the 1990s and was the second seed in the East at 54-28.
Grunwald was close with coach Mike Woodson, his former college teammate at Indiana. Grunwald’s demotion does not bode well for Woodson, who is in the final guaranteed season of his contract. There is a team option for next season.
When the Knicks named Grunwald permanent GM after the 2011-12 season, it was noteworthy he didn’t get the title of president, as Donnie Walsh and Isiah Thomas had previously. Dolan also didn’t like Grunwald talking to the press and kept him mostly out of the spotlight. The Knicks may feel Mills has more cachet and more prestigious influence on several levels.“I want to thank Jim for this opportunity to return to the Knicks in this important position,” Mills said in a statement. “It is an honor and a privilege to work for such a storied franchise and I look forward to doing whatever it takes to make the Knicks a successful franchise and a team that fans can be proud of, both now and in the future.”
A 30-year veteran of the sports world, Mills had been in the running for the executive director of the Players Association. He has been a familiar face at the Garden, showing up for games since he left six years ago.
Prior to his first move to The Garden, Mills played an integral role in the development of the league office, where he held several positions, including his last role as senior vice president, basketball and player development.

Phew- that's reassuring. At first I thought Dolan had fired him for disagreeing with him, but I'm relieved to find out it's the even more serious crime of talking to the media. So the job description for Knicks GM:

a) Agree with everything Dolan says: trade Shump for slighting him, get rid of Lin for slighting him, etc, etc
b) Don't talk to the media even at media events arranged by MSG

c) Experience not necessary.

d) Job performance assessment will not be based on actual job performance, but rather how much Dolan likes you as a person.

e) as long as you meet the above criteria you will have a job for the rest of your life (no, really!)

Nalod keeps telling y'all the common thread here is not anyone but Dolan.

Don't know whey the dude was basically fired (stays on as an "advisor" is bizspeak for "we fired him but will get paid thru his contract".

Steve Mills has yet to distinguish himself other than being the man in charge when Isiah and Marbury ran the ship into the ground. This just seems like Dolan wants a new coach next year.

Im not worried about Allan Houstan as the GM. No reason to.

Grunwald was in place and it seemed like he was retained out of convienence. Just my thought.

Goes back to who makes the big calls in NY. Its Dolan team.

IronWillGiroud wrote:what is 'prestigious influence'?

It means Dolan likes him, but can't actually explain why or what qualifications or skills he has that are actually relevant to the job.

smackeddog wrote:

gunsnewing wrote:I think this is another case if the media jumping the gun. Mills is not GM. Media just doesn't have all the information or the Knicks are not ready to reveal the ultimate plan. Well that's what I'm hoping for anyway

Admire your optimism! But they've released a press statement confirming it. The Knicks have no master plan- Dolan just fires people when they disagree with him/ he no longer likes them as people. Honestly- there is no startegy. He hires and fires based on whether he likes people regardless of job performance. You can do great and he'll want rid of you (Lin, Shump, Donnie) or you can do awful and he'll keep you around (IT, Mills, Layden).

You are right. It does seem like the only qualification is if you are liked on a personal level. Oh well. It's a good thing my expectations were not very high to begin with . We will see how this regime manages to fubar the 2015 plan which is all we had to look forward to

LeBron signs with us in 2015, we have a good year, but he's not the same player anymore, we get to the playoffs, it's discovered he's been using HGH his entire career and the Knicks never win a title with him.

Seems about right for this franchise.

MSG3 wrote:Prediction:

LeBron signs with us in 2015, we have a good year, but he's not the same player anymore, we get to the playoffs, it's discovered he's been using HGH his entire career and the Knicks never win a title with him.

Seems about right for this franchise.

+1

Unless we hire a GM with a plan and Dolan gets out if the way which isn't happening

Nalod wrote:
Maybe there is some traction to the story about Dolan wanting Shump traded and Grunwald disagreed?

I hate to think this low of the decisions but in the end they just are THAT bad.

I think Mills was the "Fall guy" for the Isiah fiasco and DOlan is really sticking it to Stern for "Making" him hire and Dolan and maybe recently for Stern having him and Prokhorv sit down and look each other in the eye and work things out.

Again, crap like this makes us think the worst of this dude. Dolans resume in his watch is just awful. I hope he got good kids, you know, maybe one Jeannie Buss like kid.

Why the speculation about Phil?

Isiah been way too quiet lateley.

Remember when George was infactuated with Billy Martin? At least Billy got it done!

It's pretty clear to me that panic was at an all time high when the Nyets ripped the city right out of th Knicks hands when they traded for kg and pierce. Dolan gave Grunwald the ultimatitive of countering the move. Unfortunately the previous regimes with the help of the owner himself left us with no assets but Shumpert. Lin kicked To the curb for nothing . Amare a $100mil bench player etc