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djsunyc
Posts: 44929
Alba Posts: 42
Joined: 1/16/2004
Member: #536
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March 24, 2006 -- JAMES Dolan, Steve Mills, Isiah Thomas, Larry Brown, Stephon Marbury and every other overpaid underachiever (no need to get up, we know who you are) with much to say and naught to show for it only have 15 games left to do their best to make the Knicks' season more worthless than the team's 19-48 record attests.
How can they not see what we see?
Does Charles Dolan's Prada, er, prodigal son continue to believe (come on, honest Injun) Thomas has the foggiest notion how to construct a cohesive, competitive, captivating unit? Considering the disjointed jumble of players and the negligent spending, surely Dolan must be losing faith in Thomas' decision making. Surely there must be someone on or off the payroll he trusts to divulge truths he's incapable of fathoming on his own.
In a warped way I actually feel sorry for Dolan; my mother always taught me not to make fun of the afflicted and I think it's about time I heed her advice. Why wouldn't he expect Thomas, one of the NBA's all-time greatest guards, at least to know something about stocking the backcourt with compatible components?
Clearly, nothing is further from reality. The Pacers understood that early on in their three-year relationship with Thomas. Management listened to precious little Thomas had to say when appraising guards. It probably had something to do with him shrugging off any promise in Mike James during a summer league tryout. And insisting expiring talent Tim Hardaway could add something to their mix. And all but giving up on Jamaal Tinsley during his second season.
By the end of the year three, Thomas had stopped talking to Tinsley altogether. When Larry Bird saw that for himself during a summer workout session conducted by Chuck Person at Conseco Field House, he decided a coaching change had to be made.
Is Dolan really so obtuse he can't comprehend changes must be made to the Knicks, starting at the top? How long can you allow dockyards of good money to be misspent on ghastly investments?
Click to learn more...
Jalen Rose and Steve Francis, Thomas' last two acquisitions, earn $29.4 million between them and are G-ed up for $16.9M (next season) and 48.6M (next three) respectively. Wednesday night, they combined for 21 minutes, three rebounds (all by Rose), two assists, three turnovers (all by Francis) and five points on 2-for-4 shooting against Phony Orlando. Neither starter got a scintilla of daylight over the final three stanzas of the Knicks' 111-87 demolition.
What's with the short lease approach? If effort is supposed to equal minutes, how come Eddy Curry ever lifts off the bench in view of how often he's posterized in the paint?
Am I mistaken, or did Brown swear he signed off on both of Thomas' native imports? Then how come he's squawking about the team's excess amount of guards? How come he's just learning Francis may need the ball on the break? (I know, what break?!) How come he's harping on the necessity for a rebounding power forward or a center who can play defense and block shots? Gee, you mean to say he preferred Reggie Evans or Theo Ratliff (and Darius Miles) over Francis but was overruled?
I wonder (not really), was there ever a serious effort to obtain the eminently available Chris Wilcox (14 points, 7.2 boards, 62 percent FG shooting since joining the Sonics for Vladimir Radmanovic) from my Paper Clips?
If Brown doesn't have enough minutes to distribute among so many deserving (gag) guards why was Jamal Crawford subtracted from the original agreement of Penny Hardaway and Trevor Ariza for Francis and Pat Garrity?
(Nate Robinson would never play for me again after his dirty and dumb push of already hacked Andre Barrett that is costing Channing Frye the rest of the season. How about lagging back and allow your shot-blocker - four at the time - to handle business? Maybe it's due to his miniature size that Robinson has such a cinderblock on his shoulder, but the fact is, he's dangerously reckless to friends and foe alike, and shows signs of Danny Fortson-itis as a result of his uncontrolled hostility at practices, games or in the shower.)
"Most of the time I don't understand what Larry is doing," said a veteran Knicks employee. Don't know why; seems obvious through my scope.
When your team is playing as if Thomas is coaching, when fans are yearning for the days of Dancing Harry, it's apparent Larry Legible is trying to leverage his way into a buyout of the final years of his $11M per contract.
Either that or Brown is angling to get Thomas fired.
If you fire Thomas first, it says here, you're letting Brown off the hook. That would be criminal. Obviously, you cannot win over the long haul without good players. Nevertheless, many coaches have lost with good players. As mentioned in this space once or twice, the Knicks aren't nearly as bad as Brown has made them. Find as many faults as you want with the roster, the Knicks should be a lot closer to mediocre than morbid.
What everyone fails to understand, excepting Pistons owner Bill Davidson, of course, is that wherever Brown coaches he must be the star of the team; Allen Iverson has been the only one to overcome that - barely - following countless skirmishes and scars.
I say, you can't disinfect Thomas' room alone, or Brown's room, or Mills' room, you've got to delouse the whole house.
This just in: Dolan has given a vote of confidence to Louisiana Governor Kathleen Blanco.
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3/24/2006 3:15 PM
