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joec32033
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BOO GOTTA BELIEVE
ISIAH: KNICKS 'ON RIGHT TRACK'
By ANDREW MARCHAND
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SHOE BUSINESS: Stephon Marbury hands out his Starbury sneakers yesterday at Steve & Barry's in the Manhattan Mall. Marbury and the store donated 3,000 pairs, one for every boys player in the PSAL.
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December 9, 2006 -- Ultimately, Isiah Thomas is right. Knicks fans "don't see it, the way [he] sees it."
Where Thomas sees a light at the end of the tunnel, Knicks fans see a train full of more losses barreling down on them.
Yesterday, with a 7-14 record, Thomas spoke positively about the Knicks' fate. In his opinion, the Knicks are "on the right track."
"We're not in a bad spot considering we have had two of our main guys out," Thomas said, referring to Jared Jeffries and Channing Frye. "As much as people want to be negative sometimes with our team, my job is to be real with our team."
In the abysmal Atlantic Division, the Knicks are a game-and-a-half behind the first-place Nets. But, in reality, of all the sub-.500 teams in the division, who thinks the Knicks are the most likely to improve?
Yesterday after practice, Thomas was sensitive not to create a further rift with the fans. He cut short a questioner he felt was trying to position the boos at the Garden as Thomas vs. the fans.
"I don't know if it is me against them," Thomas said.
After 10 regular-season games at the Garden, Thomas and the Knicks do know what they are facing tonight. Though the Bucks are the opponent, the crowd is quickly becoming the Knicks' nemesis.
With a 2-8 home record, they know they are just a couple of missed open jumpers away from boos and an early deficit from the "Fire Isiah!" chants.
Yesterday, the Knicks faced their increasingly dire situation.
"Winning is the best cure," Stephon Marbury said. "It is like good deodorant. Everybody wants to be around you and smell you when you have good deodorant. When you don't have no deodorant on, it is not that fun being around that person."
Steve Francis, out with tendinitis, said boos never have bothered him.
"I've been shot at before," Francis said.
The man on the firing line - figuratively - is Thomas. Thursday, he said the fans can't be expected to understand the game the way he does, which is an interesting tact for someone who wants the negative environment to improve.
"I'm confident we are on the right track," Thomas said. "I'm very stubborn about the path we are taking. I'm very realistic about who we are and what we are. Building a young team, that is very challenging in this league."
Thomas seems to know how quickly the season can unravel, no matter what the standings state.
"We just have to stay together," Thomas said. "New York is a hard place to win in. The league right now is a very difficult league because of the parity of the league."
But if Thomas' positive outlook is to become prophetic, it is going to start at home.
"If you are going to be a serious playoff contender, and that is our goal right now, and we are right in the thick of things, you definitely have to win and play better at home," Thomas said.
Though it would seem to make sense the booing would affect the Knicks more on offense than on defense, they are averaging more points at home (98.9) than on the road (98.3). Defensively is where they falter at the Garden. The Knicks have allowed 102.9 points per game at home, 99.7 on the road.
"Our job is to turn the boos into cheers," Thomas said.
http://www.nypost.com/seven/12092006/sports/knicks/boo_gotta_believe_knicks_andrew_marchand.htm
Did Isiah just say it is especially hard to win at home because of parity or am I misinterpreting something?
~You can't run from who you are.~
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12/9/2006 8:13 AM
