NO MORE DOLAN OUT
By MARC BERMAN

Larry Brown sat down with Knicks owner James Dolan last Wednesday at their Westchester practice campus. The head coach met with Dolan, top Cablevision executive Hank Ratner, Garden president Steve Mills and Knicks president Isiah Thomas.

Dolan wanted to hear Brown's thoughts on the young players and get his take on the disastrous season, which continues tonight when the 7-18 Knicks host the Atlantic Division-leading Nets.

At no point did Brown sense that Dolan was unwilling to do whatever it takes to stop the bleeding. Two league sources, however, told The Post that Dolan is almost up to his limit — that he's no longer willing to be Santa Claus and he's reluctant to add much to his already league-high $119 million payroll for only a marginal boost.

The Knicks have had the chance to obtain Toronto's Jalen Rose for the expiring contract of Penny Hardaway since November, for example, but have resisted making the move. Thomas is trying to squeeze at least one unprotected first-round pick and $3 million from Toronto to lessen the burden of adding $34 million of combined payroll and luxury tax.

Rose, 32, is an adept slashing scorer who could be the Knicks' starting small forward. But he's a poor defender and wouldn't transform the team from a lottery club into one that's a lock for the playoffs. Nor does Rose fit the profile of a player who fits into Thomas' proclaimed rebuilding program — a plan so flawed that the Knicks probably are unable to keep their lottery pick in the next two drafts because of the trade that brought Eddy Curry from Chicago.

"Mr. Dolan said he'll do anything he can to help us win," Brown said in a quiet moment away from the cameras and horde of writers. "He said that to me when I got the job. He said to me, he'll do anything he can. I'm confident if there's something out there that makes us better, we'll do it because everybody feels strongly about making us the best team."

If Dolan is uneager to add payroll, it's hard to blame him. Beyond the $119 million payroll, he's on the hook for about $43 million in luxury tax — even after a reduction from Allan Houston's medical retirement.

Dolan is shelling out more than $9 million per year for Brown and paying a league-high six assistant coaches. He is also still paying former GM Scott Layden's final year of salary ($6 million) and of course, Thomas' own salary.

All that for a record tied for the league's second worst. Merry Christmas, Jim.

"The resources are there," said Dolan during training camp. "But we have to use it wisely and not waste."

While discussing Thomas' job performance during his two years in New York, Brown let it slip that the luxury-tax issue has begun to put the brakes on reckless spending on players. "The luxury tax has changed," Brown said. "When [former MSG president Dave] Checketts was here, we didn't have the luxury tax."

The conundrum is, if the Knicks aren't willing to balloon their future payroll, it'll be hard to make an upgrade. With Thomas attached to his young players, the only avenue for a big move is to trade one of their two expiring max contracts, Hardaway or Antonio Davis, to a club willing to give up talent in order to free up space under the salary cap.

Brown said Dolan has tried to remain patient. "His whole thing is, are the kids progressing," Brown said. "He never expressed [disappointment] to me, but why wouldn't he be?

"If he feels good about this, there's something wrong."

My God... are my eyes lying to me while I read this?

James Dolan is CAPPED OUT? I never thought I'd hear or see this.

We don't need him to sell the team. We need patience from the fans. We need to stop taking bad contracts (Which sounds like they might be doing so) and we need to stop making bad trades. Maybe if we had a co gm or something, where Isiah could be here purely for scouting while another gm can be in charge of trades and FA signings and stuff.

"The resources are there," said Dolan during training camp. "But we have to use it wisely and not waste."

jeez, all they had to do was give jimmy d my email address, or even invited him to the first isiah q&a where i was talking to zeke about the salary cap for like 15 mins.

If he sells the team, new owner will be more hard up for cashflow than Jimbo would ever!

Wait a minute, if expiring contracts wont be the key to our success does this mean we'll be trying to build a winner with low draft picks and the MLE?

Is that a good plan? Do we even have a plan?

Either Curry and Frye develop into one of the dominant frontcourts in the league or we we be lost on mediocrity mountain for a long, long time.

Posted by Nalod:

Posted by WOODMANnYk:

I had said it before!!! DOLAN IS NOT ONLY A SORE LOSER BUT A HORRIBLE BUSINESS MAN HANDLING SPORTS FRANCHISES..

THE ONLY WAY KNICKS WILL THEIR WINNING WAYS IS FOR DOLAN TO SELL THE TEAM TO SOMEONE ELSE..

THIS KNICKS TEAM HAS LOST THE WINNING CULTURE AND ONLY TIME WILL TELL WHEN SOMEONE WITH A BRAIN BUYS THE TEAM AND GT THEM BACK ON A WINNING TRACK..

THIS BUM ONLY CARES ABOUT MAKING THE PLAYOFFS AND IGNORS THE BIG PICTURE WHICH IS TO WIN CHAMPIONSHIPS..

EVEN WITH LARRY BROWN AS COACH, KNICKS AIN'T GOING ANYWHERE.. YOU NEED A SMART OWNER THATS KNOWS A WINNING FORMULA.. LOOK @ STEINBRENNER..

Suggest then what A new owner could do differnt.

Stienbrenner has holes in his theories too. 1998 team was at the core home grown. Since then, Yanks have not won in 5 years, and starphuch themselves every year. The 1998 team was about youth, chemistry, and good coaching!

Dolan is not my favorite, but he seems to be letting his people do the work. Thus, he is a good owner.

STEINBRENNER WINS CHAMPIONSHIPS!! HE HAS 6, DOLAN HAS 0.. DOLAN HASN'T WON DIDLEY SQUAT AND DOESN'T EVEN KNOW HOW IT FEELS TO WIN.. once he took over from his dad, almost everything has gone in shambles..

how can you say he's a good owner???? The guy is a BUM!!! He knows nothing about the sports business..

Under his watch, the rangers haven't made the playoffs in 6 yrs.. All of a sudden they're doing better but the knicks haven't hit .500 in 4 yrs..

A mistake he did was drove former team president Checketts out of NY and gave the job to a buffoon like Scott Laydown..

Poor decision - maker and very greedy .. Only time will tell when he loses the knicks and rangers..

since he took over, the knicks haven;t been selling.. He's losing $$$ and realizes if this continues, he'll be forced to slash payroll...

[Edited by - woodmanNyk on 12-26-2005 4:07 PM]

Posted by LongIslandKnicksFan:

So let's hope the Knicks keep losing so he can finally sell the team. You guys think this could happen?

nope

If Dolan is serious, he should let Penny's and AD's contracts expire.

Posted by BlueSeats:

Wait a minute, if expiring contracts wont be the key to our success does this mean we'll be trying to build a winner with low draft picks and the MLE?

Is that a good plan? Do we even have a plan?

Either Curry and Frye develop into one of the dominant frontcourts in the league or we we be lost on mediocrity mountain for a long, long time.

the knicks would have to take 1 or 2 steps forward to be mediocre

[Edited by - slimpack on 12-27-2005 10:56 AM]