The team his full of *his* guys--now there are some pieces there--but are HIS guys good enough to win at a championship level anytime soon? Playoffs? I'm not talking bout playoffs--I want a TEAM that can COMPETE for the TOP prize again. Like I said I think we are right in the start/ middle of a disaterous 10-15 year MEDIOCRITY that keeps us below the top and bottom--a TERRIBLE place to be in the NBA.

Posted by BRIGGS:

The team his full of *his* guys--now there are some pieces there--but are HIS guys good enough to win at a championship level anytime soon? Playoffs? I'm not talking bout playoffs--I want a TEAM that can COMPETE for the TOP prize again. Like I said I think we are right in the start/ middle of a disaterous 10-15 year MEDIOCRITY that keeps us below the top and bottom--a TERRIBLE place to be in the NBA.

We'll get our superstars with the MLE!

Posted by BRIGGS:

The team his full of *his* guys--now there are some pieces there--but are HIS guys good enough to win at a championship level anytime soon? Playoffs? I'm not talking bout playoffs--I want a TEAM that can COMPETE for the TOP prize again. Like I said I think we are right in the start/ middle of a disaterous 10-15 year MEDIOCRITY that keeps us below the top and bottom--a TERRIBLE place to be in the NBA.

BRIGGS, I think we now have a foundation of young players to build upon. I agree that this team as currently constructed is not likely to win a championship. But I think that IT, more than any of us, knows that. The man has won two championships and I think he has an idea of what a team needs to win one. In Lee, Balkman, Q, and Marbury, I think we have heady two-way players that can win games (assuming Lee and Balkman continue to develop offensively (blakman) and defensively (Lee)). In Curry and Crawford we have dynamic scorers that can take over a game when we need offense. In Collins, Frye, Nate, Rose, we have solid bench players that can also be packaged with other players in a trade to upgrade our overall talent.

In sum, this team has the building blocks to become a very good team but we need to make a few good trades and draft picks to get us to that level. Dolan thinks that IT is the man to get us there. I have some reservations, but if he has learned from his mistakes (i.e. failure to appreciate the ramification of the salary cap and overpaying for C level talent, when comparable talent could have been had at a fraction of the cost), I think IT can be a good GM/coach for us going forward because he does draft well, gets along with the players, and has shown an ability to develop our young talent.

Dolan extends reign of lies

Company line betrays all Knick fans

By BOB RAISSMAN
DAILY NEWS SPORTS COLUMNIST

Tuesday, March 13th 2007, 4:00 AM


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By gift-wrapping a multiyear extension for Isiah Thomas yesterday, James Dolan again proved he is not a man of his word. It was only nine months ago, on his Madison Square Gulag Network, when Guitar Jimmy promised he would wait until the 2006-07 season ended before making a final decision on the Knicks president/coach's future.

Since many of Dolan's employees - including MSG announcers - are well-paid liars, no one should be surprised by the Garden boss' move. Dolan actually may be looking to expand Thomas' job description. You never know. In Dolan's world, liars are rewarded.

Truth-telling is not a priority.

Still, Dolan did all his alleged broadcasters a favor by making a premature decision on Thomas. By the time tomorrow night rolls around and the Knicks play Toronto, Mike Breen, Walt (Clyde) Frazier, Al Trautwig, or any other Gulag voice, will have the party line well-rehearsed.

The timing of Dolan's decision will not be questioned. Don't expect any of these propaganda masters to wonder if the sight of Thomas being hugged by some of his players Saturday night, after Steve Francis' game-winning three beat the Wiz, made Dolan so squishy inside he just had to lock up his prez/coach.

Or maybe Dolan got so excited about the Knicks sticking a hair follicle into playoff territory he figured the prudent thing was to quickly extend Thomas' contract. With the incredible results Thomas is getting out of the Knicks, half the league is probably sprinting to steal him away from Dolan.

Funny, right? Nonetheless, it would not be surprising to hear something like this coming from one of Dolan's microphone bozos. It is absurd, but that does not matter. All that matters is putting a positive spin on Dolan's decision. What you likely will hear is some of the same tired jive these mouths already have been spouting.

The word "progress" will be applied to individual players (most notably Eddy Curry) and to the team collectively. The word "progress" will be heard over and over again. Then will come the word "hard," as in Clyde saying: "Mike, they play hard for Isiah on a nightly basis. They are splendid in their resiliency."

Reality will be twisted. No talk about a team "improving" in an Eastern Conference that just might be the worst conference in NBA history. No, you won't hear any MSG voice taking a look at the rest of the Knicks' schedule and reasonably predicting 11 of the final 19 games will be tough to win.

The truth only would serve to cloud what will be a night of fantasy. It also will be a night of celebration. For the rest of the season, the voices will not have to worry about damaging what's left of their credibility by following orders and not saying what they really think about the job Thomas has done as a GM/coach.

The spin (MSG voices are not the only ones to use it) is all about ignoring the below-average job Thomas has done as GM. The only thing that matters is overrating the "progress" of a team operating in an environment (created by MSG and some of its "friends" in the media) where the performance bar is set very low.

This is why Thomas got a sweet deal. Only in the land of Dolan would he be able to cash in - big time - without having to make the playoffs. And yet, no matter what toys in Dolan's attic convinced him to secure Thomas for a few more years, he still put himself in a financial box.

If truth were in any supply at MSG, Dolan, or maybe even (Silent) Steve Mills, would say the primary motive for making the playoffs is to raise ticket prices for the 2007-08 season. If the Knicks again fail to make the postseason, how is Dolan going to justify jacking up ticket prices?

Unless, of course, running to extend Thomas before the end of the season is just part of a plan. If the Knicks don't make the playoffs, Dolan has the onions to still raise ticket prices. He can justify the hike by saying: "Buy into our team of young up-and-comers, with Isiah at the controls, or risk missing out on following the Knicks into a bright future."

Dolan has his network stooges to push this nonsense on gullible Knicks fans (some who double as media members). He will be desperate enough to go down this road if Thomas can't get the Knicks into the playoffs.

This is why yesterday, Isiah Thomas picked up another - and more meaningful - title.

Marketing tool.

But on MSG he still will be known as Coach Thomas.

Posted by Bonn1997:

Posted by BRIGGS:

The team his full of *his* guys--now there are some pieces there--but are HIS guys good enough to win at a championship level anytime soon? Playoffs? I'm not talking bout playoffs--I want a TEAM that can COMPETE for the TOP prize again. Like I said I think we are right in the start/ middle of a disaterous 10-15 year MEDIOCRITY that keeps us below the top and bottom--a TERRIBLE place to be in the NBA.

We'll get our superstars with the MLE!

Your joking, right?

Posted by TMS:

the 1 problem to me is that it's more than likely that Marbury is going to get an extension once his contract expires...

Then we are in more trouble than I thought. I mean, why doesn't he just go and re-sign Allan Houston to another seven year, 100 million dollar contract? Oh man' the Knicks are going to be wrecked for years to come. No one in the world knows what these guys are trying to do.

An 8th playoff spot for a couple of days is causing all of this madness? This is the long term happiness that most of you want?

Great article by Raissman.

Posted by crzymdups:

I LIKE Isiah and I am extremely torn about this. I don't think Dolan would ever let the team get really bad. I think Dolan would rather let the Knicks be a non-story than a story for how bad they were.

Hasn't that already happened?

Outside of people who post on Knicks message boards, how often do you hear about the Knicks? They've become a nonentity in this town. After the Superbowl the city's sports attention went straight to baseball. And when they are in the news, like yesterday, how many of the stories are 100% positive, where they obviously get something right? Practically never since Dolan got here.

I want to believe we can continue to find pieces in the draft and move some guys who don't fit like Frye and Nate for decent pieces/picks. But I really don't know.

The Knicks need a lot more help than just "pieces". They need major parts, especially considering they're supposed to be a rebuilding team that's 3-4 years away and they still rely heavily on a 30 something PG with tons of miles on his body.

Posted by 4949:

Posted by Bonn1997:

Posted by BRIGGS:

The team his full of *his* guys--now there are some pieces there--but are HIS guys good enough to win at a championship level anytime soon? Playoffs? I'm not talking bout playoffs--I want a TEAM that can COMPETE for the TOP prize again. Like I said I think we are right in the start/ middle of a disaterous 10-15 year MEDIOCRITY that keeps us below the top and bottom--a TERRIBLE place to be in the NBA.

We'll get our superstars with the MLE!

Your joking, right?

yes

Posted by 4949:

Posted by TheGame:

Posted by BRIGGS:

The team his full of *his* guys--now there are some pieces there--but are HIS guys good enough to win at a championship level anytime soon? Playoffs? I'm not talking bout playoffs--I want a TEAM that can COMPETE for the TOP prize again. Like I said I think we are right in the start/ middle of a disaterous 10-15 year MEDIOCRITY that keeps us below the top and bottom--a TERRIBLE place to be in the NBA.

BRIGGS, I think we now have a foundation of young players to build upon. I agree that this team as currently constructed is not likely to win a championship. But I think that IT, more than any of us, knows that. The man has won two championships and I think he has an idea of what a team needs to win one. In Lee, Balkman, Q, and Marbury, I think we have heady two-way players that can win games (assuming Lee and Balkman continue to develop offensively (blakman) and defensively (Lee)). In Curry and Crawford we have dynamic scorers that can take over a game when we need offense. In Collins, Frye, Nate, Rose, we have solid bench players that can also be packaged with other players in a trade to upgrade our overall talent.

In sum, this team has the building blocks to become a very good team but we need to make a few good trades and draft picks to get us to that level. Dolan thinks that IT is the man to get us there. I have some reservations, but if he has learned from his mistakes (i.e. failure to appreciate the ramification of the salary cap and overpaying for C level talent, when comparable talent could have been had at a fraction of the cost), I think IT can be a good GM/coach for us going forward because he does draft well, gets along with the players, and has shown an ability to develop our young talent.

Yeah, but the many bad moves he's made, I mean doesn't that raise red flags with you? I didn't even mention the debt that we are still in, with no way to move.

I guess it just depends on what you are willing to put more stock in --- the bad moves, or the good moves? I think he has enough basketball acumen, balls, and aggressiveness to take this team to a championship level regardless of past mistakes. I have a fair amount of confidence in him. The egregious errors have to be curbed tho.