December 19, 2005 -- LARRY Brown has had three losing seasons in 33 years of coaching in the NBA, ABA and college. So it's pretty safe to say this season we're witnessing the worst coaching job of Brown's career.
Thursday marks the two-year anniversary of Isiah Thomas' reign as Knicks president. The teary testimonials that greeted Thomas' first anniversary will not resurface.

Thomas said the Knicks are in "rebuilding mode," yet probably won't get to keep his lottery pick the next two years because of the trade for Eddy Curry. That's precious.

But while Thomas certainly must take his share of the heat, it is Brown who has driven the Knicks into a 6-17 grave.

It's not just the roster. It's also the coach. The unstable rotation has made players unsure of their roles, resulting in an utter lack of chemistry.

Past the season's quarter-pole, other teams are melding. The Knicks, however, have regressed, losers of six straight, owners of an outrageous 16 different starting lineups in 23 games. Brown has committed the profession's cardinal sin: overcoaching.

The latest Brown faux pas was the inexplicable seven-game inactive sentence he gave to rookie forward David Lee. Brown has whined about not having enough rebounding or ball movers, but the fundamentally gifted Lee is all that.



Brown finally unleashed Lee Saturday against the Pacers, and the rookie provided a giant jolt across the last 4:59 of the first half, blocking a shot, laying in an offensive rebound, tapping another ball back to the perimeter to keep a possession alive. Lee then brought the Garden fans out of their seats with a driving tomahawk slam.

Acting as if he didn't want Lee to turn into the game's story, Brown only played him nine minutes total, none in the fourth quarter. So there were ancient Antonio Davis and Maurice Taylor on the court in the final 30 seconds, standing like statues as Austin Croshere wiggled between them for a game-clinching layup.

That Brown believes Davis, Malik Rose and Taylor deserve to play over Lee is mind-boggling. But then again, Brown is the guy who played 11 of 12 players on his roster opening night in Boston — the DNP belonging to Channing Frye.

"I know we have a great coach and I have a lot of confidence he'll find a way to make it all work," Thomas said on WFAN over the weekend. "Larry typically starts slow with teams and he always finds a way to win."

Thomas made a candid admission, saying that had he known Brown would be hired as the Knicks' coach, he may have made his offseason acquisitions differently. Thomas was referring to the Quentin Richardson/Nate Robinson-for-Kurt Thomas exchange and, possibly, the Jerome James signing.

"There are players on the team he probably wouldn't have wanted or wouldn't have picked," Thomas said.

That the Knicks have the NBA's highest payroll is a clue that basketball talent exists on the roster, that they should be .500. James Dolan is paying Brown close to $10 million a year to get underachievers to maximize their talents and "play the right way." Brown was hired to make Stephon Marbury a better player in the clutch. Herb Williams could have coached the Knicks to 6-17, too — for about $8 million less.

For two weeks, Brown has said he must do a better job coaching. By now, Brown may actually mean it. The overpaid coach is pressing like his overpaid players.

Brown claims to be so embarrassed by the Knicks' play he wants to wear "a hat and sunglasses" to his son's youth games. He should add the fake-nose/mustache getup, too.

marc.berman@nypost.com


Im pleased to see, some members of the media have not completely given up on the Knicks, and gone down the Trade Marbury for a chili dog (extra onions) Fire Isiah, Retire Larry route.

Bermans article does raise the issue that our vets are only useful as lockerroom presence's. Their playing days are done, the talking on court should be done by the rooks ( judging by the Indiana game, ESPECIALLY Lee). I think Larry is starting to realize that as well, and hopefully, we will see more crunch PT for the player who actually still care about the game, ie Lee, Frye and Crawford.

[Edited by - firefly on 12-20-2005 07:48 AM]