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fishmike
Posts: 53867
Alba Posts: 1
Joined: 7/19/2002
Member: #298
USA
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Pick and roll: Isiah must show us he has right plan
'With the eighth selection in the 2005 NBA draft, the New York Knicks select ... a plan that makes sense."
As he steps to the podium, adjusts the mike and clears his throat, David Stern can at least light a match in a very dark Garden with those very words. It's the only way this night will be noticed by the big city, the only way to repay the faith of a small and dwindling number of fans who still care, the only way to come remotely close to 20 years ago, when Stern announced that with the first pick, the Knicks would select "a 7- foot center from Georgetown."
That's because tonight isn't about the Knicks getting some guy from Europe whose name you can't pronounce. Or a big guy who needs work. Or a high school kid who wowed 'em in the McDonald's game.
Tonight is about the Knicks letting us know what's up, for once.
Do you honestly know what the Knicks are doing? A better question: Do the Knicks know themselves?
The Re-invention Tour continues under Isiah Thomas, who's still tinkering with a '75 Pinto that's doing nothing except spinning its wheels. The philosophy changes inside the Garden faster than a lunch menu.
One day, the Knicks are being patched up in a desperate and misguided attempt to make the playoffs or bust. The next day, they're being built for the long term.
One minute, they're adding contract. The next, they're dumping.
Meanwhile, as a sports franchise, they remain the biggest waste of money this side of the Bronx.
There's no sense of direction or method to the madness. They haven't come up with a clear and concise way to get from Point A to B.
Instead, they're stuck at Point C, for Confusing, and it's questionable that anybody they select tonight will drastically improve the view.
Their problems are hardly a secret. They have a point guard with skills who rubs off on his teammates like sandpaper. There's no inside presence, too many mediocre forwards and a guard who shoots too much, and they're about to trade their only true defender any minute now. And you wonder why they can't fill their coaching vacancy with an attractive candidate.
The state of the Knicks would be excusable if they'd draw up a blueprint and stick to it. There needs to be a firm philosophy laid out and presented to the customers, with a reasonable timetable to reach goals and meet expectations.
But yesterday, on the eve of the draft, with basketball ready to make a rare appearance on the local radar, the Knicks were silent. It leads you to believe they're either cooking up some genius moves in the back room or they don't have a clue. You decide.
All we're left with are the voices of optimism from 1½ years ago, when Thomas was hired to put the Knicks on the road to recovery. Here's what was said on Dec. 22, 2003:
"I'm more than confident I will find a way to get this job done," Thomas said.
"We feel Isiah can bring energy back to the team," owner James Dolan said.
"My goal is to clear the clouds. The mind-set around here has to change. What's required is leadership," Thomas said.
"This is simply not acceptable," Dolan said.
"I want to win the championship. In my mind, everything else is failure," Thomas said.
Thomas said something else the day he took over: that the Knicks "don't have a lot of time" to turn themselves around and that "Mr. Dolan wants to make the playoffs."
In their haste to do a paste job, the Knicks refused to consider the option of breaking it down and starting over. Thomas even mentioned how "New York won't stand for that," as if being in town for five minutes made him an expert at taking the pulse of a basketball city.
Well, New York would stand for rebuilding if it made sense and if the time was right. Thomas had both of those advantages when he was hired.
Dumping contracts such as Allan Houston's made sense; adding contract didn't. Imagine if Thomas had adopted a break-it-down mind-set from the start. Right now, the Knicks would be adding a second straight high lottery pick and possibly staring at tremendous cap flexibility this summer or next.
Really, what's the difference between two rebuilding seasons and the two seasons the Knicks just had? Right now, their roster is mish-mash, their payroll is $100 million-plus and, more alarmingly, there are few signs of hope or intrigue.
Tonight, the Knicks will add another piece to their very complicated puzzle, and odds are great that the incoming rookie will need more time.
He'll fit right in.
NBA Draft order 2005
at Madison Square Garden
Tonight, 7:30 TV: ESPN
Draft order
First round
1. Milwaukee Bucks
2. Atlanta Hawks
3. Portland Trail Blazers
4. New Orleans Hornets
5. Charlotte Bobcats
6. Utah Jazz
7. Toronto Raptors
8. Knicks
9. Golden State Warriors
10. Los Angeles Lakers
11. Orlando Magic
12. Los Angeles Clippers
13. Charlotte Bobcats
14. Minnesota Timberwolves
15. Nets
16. Toronto Raptors
17. Indiana Pacers
18. Boston Celtics
19. Memphis Grizzlies
20. Denver Nuggets
21. Phoenix Suns
22. Denver Nuggets
23. Sacramento Kings
24. Houston Rockets
25. Seattle SuperSonics
26. Detroit Pistons
27. Utah Jazz
28. San Antonio Spurs
29. Miami Heat
30. Knick
Second round
43. Nets
54. Knicks
Futures past
First-round picks
Knicks' last 10 years in the first round of the NBA draft:
Year Selection
2004 None
2003 Mike Sweetney
2002 Nene Hilario
2001 None
2000 Donnell Harvey
1999 Frederic Weis
1998 None
1997 John Thomas
1996 John Wallace, Walter McCarty, Dontae' Jones
1995 None
Crazy eights
No. 8 picks the last 10 years:
Year Player Team
2004 Rafael Araujo Tor
2003 T.J. Ford Mil
2002 Chris Wilcox LAC
2001 DeSagana Diop Cle
2000 Jamal Crawford Chi
1999 Andre Miller Cle
1998 Larry Hughes Phi
1997 Adonal Foyle GS
1996 Kerry Kittles Nets
1995 Shawn Respert Por
"winning is more fun... then fun is fun" -Thibs
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6/28/2005 11:20 AM