http://www.nytimes.com/2006/06/27/sports/basketball/27knicks.html?_r=1&oref=slogin

James Dolan, left, and Isiah Thomas on Monday at Madison Square Garden.

By HOWARD BECK
Published: June 27, 2006
Isiah Thomas wore a dark suit, a bright pink tie and a steely, stone-cold gaze as his boss, the owner of the Knicks, sat inches to his left yesterday afternoon and flatly declared that Thomas had one year to revive the team or be fired.

Isiah Thomas assembled the Knicks roster that went 23-59 last season to tie the franchise record for losses in a season.
Last Thursday, James L. Dolan, the Knicks' owner and the Madison Square Garden chairman, fired Coach Larry Brown after a disastrous, deflating and, at times, comical season. Thomas, the team president since December 2003, was named Brown's replacement.

What Dolan did not announce then, but did yesterday in a meeting with reporters, is that Thomas's job — both of his jobs — are on the line. His deadline for making "significant progress" is next spring.

"This is his team, he made this bed," Dolan said during an hourlong interview with reporters who regularly cover the team. "At this time next year, Isiah will be with us if we can all sit here and say that this team has made significant progress toward its goal of eventually becoming an N.B.A. championship team. If we can't say that, then Isiah will not be here. I say that with him right here."

As Dolan made that pronouncement, Thomas sat emotionless, his arms in front of him. He lifted his hands close to his chin and interlocked his fingers. When he at last spoke, Thomas sounded more resolute than enthusiastic.

"I've been in pressure situations before," Thomas said. "All my life has basically been about pressure, about having to get it done. And just because you say it publicly does not make me afraid of it or shy away from it. You got a job to do, go get it done."

Continuing with Brown was untenable, based on disclosures Dolan made for the first time yesterday, the most dramatic of which was that Brown wanted to waive several players. The group, according to team officials, included Stephon Marbury, Steve Francis, Jerome James, Jalen Rose and Maurice Taylor. Doing so would have cost the Knicks $150 million in salaries, in addition to an equal amount in luxury taxes.

"He knew that wasn't possible," Dolan said.

Brown admitted late in the season that he had lost many of his players, and he publicly called for a dramatic roster overhaul. But Brown knew that their hefty contracts made some of those players' untradable.

So Brown proposed cutting them. Because that, too, would be impossible, Dolan concluded, he said, "that Larry never intended to coach this team beyond this season."

Dolan added, "What he's really saying to us is, 'I'm going to make you fire me.' "

The Knicks fired Brown just 331 days after celebrating his arrival as coach. Despite his Hall of Fame credentials and gaudy résumé, Brown led the Knicks to a 23-59 record, their worst in two decades.

Along the way, Brown alienated most of his players and engaged in a public feud with Marbury, the point guard. But it was his turbulent relationship with his bosses that ultimately cost him his job.

According to Dolan, Brown tried to negotiate trades without authorization, violated company policies in using the news media to criticize players and repeatedly defied orders to cease that behavior.

Dolan cited two instances in which Thomas proposed a trade, only to be told by another general manager, "That's great, but I got a better offer from your coach."

"We couldn't get Larry to focus on his job," Dolan said. "Larry wanted to focus on Isiah's job."

Because of these and other alleged breaches of policy, the Knicks are refusing to pay the rest of Brown's contract, which had four years and $40 million remaining.

A provision in the contract — one that Dolan said was unprecedented, and was requested by Brown last summer — calls for any dispute to be arbitrated by Commissioner David Stern.

Brown's agent, Joe Glass, said yesterday that he would appeal the Knicks' decision by the end of the week. Glass declined to address any specific allegations.

"It's very surprising to me that at this date we still haven't seen one single thing in writing from the Knick organization about what their allegations are," Glass said. "We know nothing but what we've read in the paper, and that's I guess par for the course."

Brown has hired a Washington law firm to represent his interests. Glass would not say whether Brown expected to file a lawsuit. He also said Brown would not be granting interviews.

The presentation made by Dolan and Thomas was startling in its content and breadth. The Garden environment under Dolan is tightly controlled and intensely secretive. It is extremely rare for officials to divulge private discussions — even off the record — and rarer still for them to go public with a detailed critique of a high-ranking employee. That they did so in this case speaks to the extent of their frustrations with Brown.

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Reports that Brown would be fired first surfaced in mid-May. Dolan said he did not make a final decision until he met with Brown last Thursday morning. Had Brown promised to follow directives — and sign a document affirming that promise — Dolan said he would have kept Brown, despite the dismal results last season.

Brown, after all, is renowned for reviving bad teams. And Dolan noted, citing Brown's contract, "I had 50 million reasons to stay with this."

But Brown did not acknowledge any of the alleged violations during the meeting, Dolan said, and that prompted the decision to fire him.

Brown has been known as a turnaround artist, but he has also been known for grating on his teams and for falling in and out of love with players. Dolan said he was disturbed that Brown advocated trades for Rose and Francis, then barely played them.

Thomas said he was aware of Brown's reputation but hoped that Brown would give the Knicks two or three good seasons before problems arose.

"We made a mistake hiring Larry Brown," Dolan said.

The task of reversing the Knicks' fortunes now falls entirely on Thomas, who will retain his front-office duties and become the team's fifth coach in the Thomas era. Although he has coaching aspirations, this is a job that Thomas always said he did not want.

Dolan did not request that Thomas coach the team — he ordered it, Thomas said. Dolan declined to give specific standards for Thomas to meet, although it seems reasonable to assume he expects something closer to a .500 record, at minimum. Dolan said he wanted "evident progress, not just debatable progress."

Thomas may have a head start on Brown. Whereas Brown never believed in the roster, and publicly bashed some of his players, Thomas will walk into the locker room as the person who wanted them all here.

"I believe in the players," Thomas said. "I believe in what I've put together and we'll make it work."

When the Knicks hired Brown, Thomas spoke of him as a partner and a friend. Now, Thomas said, he is "a little heartbroken and a little" angry.

"We needed Larry Brown, me more so than anybody sitting here," Thomas said. "We were going through a rebuilding phase, and we needed credibility with our fans."

Thomas said he planned to retain the Knicks assistant coaches, including two — Dave Hanners and Phil Ford — who were hired by, and are friends with, Brown.

Aside from a one-page statement issued last Thursday, Dolan and Thomas had not commented on Brown's firing. According to team officials, they will not speak about Brown again.

They will also not hold a full-scale news conference. Only the seven reporters who cover the team on a daily basis, and a reporter for The Associated Press, were invited to yesterday's interview at the team's Midtown offices.

Photographers were not allowed, nor were columnists. The team excluded broadcast media outlets, although Dolan and Thomas later taped an interview with the team-owned MSG Network.

Simultaneously comic and tragic, if such a thing is possible.

Good news is, although I think LB's assessment of the team was correct (and everyone knows it) - I think this controversy will ignite some players to make a genuine attempt to play better - you'll see guys playing playing hard now, covering the opposing perimeter guards all of the sudden, 'just to prove LB wrong'...

And in his absence, Larry will have motivated the squad more than in his presence.

40 wins is my prediction, and Isiah will get many pats on the back. Steph Jerseys will sell out as we once again face Miami in the first round, as an 8th seed, and we'll get all nostalgic, remembering NY-Miami of old...Miami will sweep, but Zeke will have saved his job. Silver lining: During the sweep, Channing proves he's the real deal, dropping 37/14/4 in game 4, after big game fouls out in the 2nd. Nate dunks on Udonis. Posters get printed up: 'The Dunk, part 2'. Significant progress...(or debateable?)

30 wins will be a struggle, let alone 40 and the 8th.

the East is much improved.

at the top:

Miami
Detroit
NJ
Cleveland

the mid:

Chicago
Indiana

lower:

Washington
Milwaukee


team definitely on the rise:

Orlando


teams on NY's level that matchups could go any way:

Boston
Charlotte
Atlanta
Toronto

only team likely to take a step back:

Philly

Now we got "dead man Coaching!"

"dead man trading"!

In my opinion the "ultimatum" may carry a little less weight than people think. The Knicks could have easily won more games last year with their players if LB had developed a strategy (and lineup), worked with it, and got the players to buy into it. Instead he changed the lineup everyday and lost the players confidence and respect. The players on the Knicks know that they are better than 23 wins and it is a slippery slope when you are constantly beat up for losses (in practice and in the media) by the guy you feel is responsible for them.

Isiah really only has to develop a team concept and let the players play a little, he is smart and ****y enough to know that improving the team's record will not be a problem. They have tradeable assets to better balance the team. They also play in the worst div in the NBA, so staying competetive late into the season shouldn't be a problem. The ultimatum was more for the fans sake, because Dolan and Isiah see improvement over last year as inevitable.

Posted by Panos:

The point is no matter WHAT line up he settles on, there will be disgruntled vets sitting on the bench causing a stink and killing chemistry. We are too deep in mediocre talent.

Vets sitting on the bench don't kill chemistry. Especially if the guys that ARE playing win games. I don't think all these doomsayers have a clue how this team will play next year. Jalen and Mo know what time it is. Malik knows the deal and James is just happy to collect a check. This team belongs to the younger players and they know it.

I expect that this team will be a much happier group and I think they'll pull together.

Yeah, I think you'd be surprised how possible 40 wins is if the cats are all suddenly motivated by the 'Us against the world' bug....

but regardless, 'Dead man trading'! - That's great.

Or maybe the whole 'fix it in a year' thing was actually a message from Dolan to the players, trying to manipulate them into wanting to save the new coach by 'bad news bears-ing' it this season....