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djsunyc
Posts: 44929
Alba Posts: 42
Joined: 1/16/2004
Member: #536
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what if it played out something like this:
- lb needs to be a dictator and needs to be in control of everything. that's how he's always been.
- when lb was hired, he thought he would be able to do whatever he wanted but certain things were "suggested." like crawford should start at point with marbury at sg. or this guy should start here or there, etc.
- so indication #1 that he wasn't going to do what isiah told him was not starting crawford and dnp'ing the first round pick. why? b/c he wants the team to give him carte blanche in his coaching.
- all the while, isiah doesn't know why lb is doing this and is probably voicing this to the players. ( i.e. steph: "isiah, what's up with coach, why is he doing this?" isiah: "i don't know man, i don't know why he's doing it"). the result of this, the players and isiah are together, and lb is viewed as the enemy.
- so lb, sensing he really doesn't have full control of the team decided to talk bad about the roster and criticize those that weren't on his side. (on a side note, crawford played everything politically correct, remaining friends with isiah and steph, but also doing what lb wanted)
- all the while, isiah is reporting back to mills and dolan that lb is sabotaging the team (which theoretically, he is. he's pretty much giving a full F YOU to management)
so at the end of the day, you have dolan, isiah, and the players on one side, with lb on the other.
team's position: "hey, we're paying you $10 mil to coach this team. you said you were going to do this but didn't. we asked you to play certain guys or we're committed to the youth and don't like how you handled them. what's your problem?"
lb's position: "hey, when you hire a coach like me, you have to let me do what i want. you can't try to make me compromise on certain things b/c that's not me. i've coached 30 years, i've coached the same way and most importantly, i win, that's why you gave me $50 mil. you call me up and say: "larry, we love what you did in philly and eveywhere else. come and do that for us". sure, i'm here and i'm going to fix it but now you want to handcuff me from doing what i want? i'm not a yes man. you want to save the knicks or not? that's what i do. and i'm going to do what i want and that way wins. you said it was my team so let me coach it the way i want to and if certain players don't fit, i want them gone."
so it was a constant struggle for control of the team. isiah had a view and a direction but he ultimately made a BAD business decision hiring lb. but that's just another example of their ineptitude b/c it's been nothing but bad business decisions for a while.
lb is lb.
marbury is marbury.
jerome james is jerome james.
you have to evaluate what you're doing before hiring or bringing in these people. if you're going to hire lb (just like with riles or pjax), you get out of his way and let him do what he wants. otherwise there's no point in hiring him (or riles or pjax), especially in a situation like ours. they are not yes-men. lenny was forced to become one so he quit. he wasn't going to put up with it either.
i don't think this is a morals issue, like who's right and who's wrong. i think it's more about the decisions being made to bring certain people in here without any real thought as to the ramifications.
for dolan, isiah, and the players, for THEIR best interest, it's best to fire lb and get themselves a guy that'll do what he's told...aka a yes-man. maybe that's why they're so high on herb. but you see, this doesn't necessarily mean they're going to win b/c dolan, isiah (as an executive), and the players never really won before and may not know what it takes to win.
but for the best interest of the TEAM aka winning, then you give the keys to lb and let him drive the car...
otherwise you get rid of EVERYBODY and start fresh.
the players are just pawns in this. they don't know anything. it's really about who is going to fix this and who's going to have their way. isiah has a huge ego. so does lb. both of them are aholes. both of them are not nice people. one is smooth and charismatic. the other is brash and candid. one has never won as an executive and one has won everywhere he's been. and neither like to play with others.
these are YOUR new york knicks...
of course, i'm just thinking out loud here...
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6/9/2006 12:19 PM
