DOLAN LIKES WHAT HE SEES
By MARC BERMAN
KEEPING A CLOSE EYE: Owner James Dolan sits courtside to show his Knicks who is signing the checks. February 8, 2007 -- Knicks owner James Dolan gave an extremely rare interview, to Sports Illustrated, in its long feature on the Knicks in this week's issue. Dolan, who normally talks just to beat writers twice a year, didn't sound like an owner ready to fire Isiah Thomas at season's end.

"I think he's grown quite a bit," Dolan said of Thomas. "He really feels he has control of his destiny. I think he's learning just how good he can be and I think he's better than even he might have thought he was going to be - as a person, as a coach, as a basketball professional. I've enjoyed watching him, particularly this year, apply himself."

Dolan also explained why he sits right in the front row, baseline, yards from the Knicks' bench - to send a message to the players. "There's somebody here who's the owner of the joint," Dolan said. "They're playing for somebody. It's me. I'm actually looking at them and saying, I sign your check."

The SI writer tracked the Knicks on-and-off since last spring for the piece that also delved into Dolan's blues band and bout with alcoholism. "My sobriety is who I am now," Dolan said.

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Does not sound like he plans to fire IT at the end of the season if things keep going like they are going, i.e. the team continues to play around .500 for the rest of the season.

So the circus will continue...

The only comfort I can take is that Don Chaney got an extension a few months before he was fired.

I don't think "we" are screwed.

Honestly though is Isiah the coach really doing that bad of a job? I know he hasnt been a good GM but I honestly dnot think he's doing a bad job coaching this team

Posted by NYK3:

Honestly though is Isiah the coach really doing that bad of a job? I know he hasnt been a good GM but I honestly dnot think he's doing a bad job coaching this team

Our players like him, wonderful. They're putting out an honest effort for one coach out of five, great. Where's the defense? Where's the effort on defense? That has something to do with the coach. We only say that Isiah is doing well because his predecessor did so poorly. If Isiah was GMing another coach who had coached the team to their current record, Isiah would've fired that coach. I can't give Isiah credit for something that he crucified other coaches for doing.

Posted by Silverfuel:

Posted by kam77:

He is not doing a bad job.
Everyone just thinks he could have done it better, faster, cheaper.

Thats New York.

If its not done their way, NY fans don't want it done.

You are right. 22-28 is awesome!!! Didn't Lenny Wilkins get fired with a record very similar to that?

Posted by Solace:

Posted by Silverfuel:

Posted by kam77:

He is not doing a bad job.
Everyone just thinks he could have done it better, faster, cheaper.

Thats New York.

If its not done their way, NY fans don't want it done.

You are right. 22-28 is awesome!!! Didn't Lenny Wilkins get fired with a record very similar to that?

I still haven't seen or heard anything about your way? If you have nothing to say, don't say it!

Posted by kam77:

Posted by Solace:

Posted by Silverfuel:

Posted by kam77:

He is not doing a bad job.
Everyone just thinks he could have done it better, faster, cheaper.

Thats New York.

If its not done their way, NY fans don't want it done.

You are right. 22-28 is awesome!!! Didn't Lenny Wilkins get fired with a record very similar to that?

Solace,

Why not wait til the end of the year before you judge? Didn't Lenny Wilkens get 81 games to amass his record? But you're ready to ditch this coach after taking over a .300 team and making them a .500 team over the last two months.

Lenny Wilkins got fired mid-season. He was 40-41 as a Knicks coach over parts of two seasons and was fired. Do you see Isiah doing as well? If so, shouldn't he be held to the same standard and fired? If he does worse, shouldn't he unquestionably be fired? Why the double standard? If anything, most people here claim Isiah has more to work with this team than Lenny did. How can I give Isiah credit for something that another coach got fired for? Why do the rules apply to everyone except Isiah?