Knicks: Dolan tells Curry, Knicks Isiah's safe for moment
Monday, February 12, 2007
BY DAVID WALDSTEIN
Star-Ledger Staff

LOS ANGELES -- Knicks owner James Dolan has seen progress and has heard from his players, and coach Isiah Thomas appears very safe for now.

Dolan, speaking casually to the team the day before Saturday's disheartening loss to the Utah Jazz, told his players that Thomas didn't have "anything to worry about right now," according to a person in the room at the time. Then to add emphasis, he playfully tapped center Eddy Curry on the shoulder, which made everyone in the room laugh.

It was Curry who said last week that if Thomas were to be fired at the end of the season, he would look to get off of the team, declaring, "I'd be trying to get out of here."

According to the person, who did not want to be identified due to the sensitive nature of the subject, Dolan was strongly hinting to Curry and his teammates -- who almost to a man worship Thomas -- that they need not worry, although it is believed Dolan has not yet made a final decision.

But he seemed to be reinforcing the idea that, barring any unforeseen collapses or roadblocks, Thomas will be back next year, hardly a surprise to anyone on the team or to anyone watching it closely.

While the owner was not making a major announcement to the players and did not make any guarantees about Thomas' future, his tone was supportive and positive, and also a little humorous. One of the things he mentioned was the wave that fans did at Madison Square Garden during the last game against the Clippers, which he seemed to enjoy.

Dolan was out West on business and had scheduled to attend the game against the Jazz after he fell ill during the Knicks previous West Coast trip in January. Although he witnessed a deflating overtime loss in Salt Lake City, Dolan has also seen a lot more positive things in 50 games this year than he did all of last season.

While still seven games under .500 at 22-29, the Knicks have nevertheless made what most observers would call "evident progress." With one more victory the Knicks will match last season's total, and in the process they have joined the playoff hunt.

"Evident progress" and "significant progress" were the terms used by Dolan when he appointed Thomas head coach over the summer. He said that unless Thomas demonstrated those things by the end of the season, he would be gone.

He has never given a tangible definition in terms of victories or playoff seeding for "significant progress," but Dolan said we would all know it when we see it.

He surely has noted the progress made by Curry and David Lee under Thomas, which most would consider to be both evident and significant. Curry is having a breakout season, averaging 19.8 points and 7.0 rebounds per game and fulfilling his billing as a franchise player.

Lee, meanwhile, has emerged as one of the best rebounders in the NBA, averaging 11 rebounds per game, seventh in the league, while both Lee and Curry are in the top five in field-goal shooting percentage.

And Thomas has also brought Stephon Marbury, despite inconsistencies due to his sore left knee, into the fold, getting him to play within the system Thomas has smartly designed around Curry.

Of course, the Knicks are not without their flaws. Defensively they may have improved from the beginning of the season, but they still allow 101.8 points per game, 22nd in the 30-team league.

They haven't even been at .500 since they were 1-1 on Nov. 3, and if the season ended today they would be out of the playoffs. They are currently three games behind the Heat for the eighth seed in the Eastern Conference with the Nets in front of them in the ninth spot, and they are five games behind the Raptors in the Atlantic Division.

But just the mere fact that they have a shot at the playoffs is a sign of significant progress, coming from the third-worst record in the entire league last year.

"It's a grind and it's a slow build," Thomas said Saturday morning. "But our future is definitely bright."

Posted by djsunyc:

Knicks: Dolan tells Curry, Knicks Isiah's safe for moment

While the owner was not making a major announcement to the players and did not make any guarantees about Thomas' future, his tone was supportive and positive, and also a little humorous. One of the things he mentioned was the wave that fans did at Madison Square Garden during the last game against the Clippers, which he seemed to enjoy.

Posted by Marv:

dj and jimimou leading the effort to save isiah's job.

Posted by jimimou:

dj - hopefully your nerves will calm down by our next home game....not that i care if you BB anyone, but just cant get arrested together...noone would bail us out.