GIVE ZEKE ZIP IN CREDIT LINE
By PETER VECSEY

March 24, 2007 -- MARK Cuban's slow-pitch bouquet to Isiah Thomas while the Mavericks were in New York is learned jibber-jabber from years of playing poker with chumps:

Haul in the chips and praise the losers. "It was just bad luck. ... The cards just weren't falling for you. ... You're real good players."

"They're good all right, good at losing all their cash, many more times than not," underlines column contributor Alan Hirsch. "The only thing the Knicks are really good for is matching the other team in the 'total minutes played" column. It's uncanny how every game they're able to equal their opponent, 240 minutes to 240 minutes. They're even able to keep pace minute-for-minute in overtime."

I'll believe Cuban believes in Thomas when he puts him in charge of squandering his fortune and managing his team's minutes.

Nobody is saying the Knicks haven't improved this season, but much of that is attributed to the cast remaining together from training camp (other than buying out peripheral personnel), and maturing naturally as individuals and as a unit. I think we all know who made the no-trade, stand-pat decision, and it wasn't the False Prophet.

What I am saying is, the Knicks would be in no worse shape had James Dolan not replaced Larry Brown on the sidelines and simply allowed the players to coach themselves.

That was never more evident than after Thursday's homely performance against Portland (and reinforced last night in Cleveland), minus low docks dealer Zach Randolph, the Blazers' leading scorer and rebounder.

Oh, that's right, Eddy Curry, the pony the Knicks ride in the paint, didn't play, against Portland, either. Check that, I'm wrong; it just appeared as if he didn't play, judging by his zero trips to the free-throw line to complement his eight-point, four-rebound effort against the Blazers.

So, what seems to be Curry's problem? "Teams have figured out how to play us right now," Thomas enlightened the assembled media crunch after the loss to the Blazers. "They're double-teaming and triple-teaming Eddy. We've just go to find a way to score the basketball."

As opposed to what, the goal? A puck? Music? At least Thomas has that much down cold!

Still, this is nothin' remotely new. Opponents have been confounding Curry for weeks by attacking him from different angles at diverse intervals to keep him off balance when he gets the ball, or to keep him from getting it. While his team's backcourt (once Jamal Crawford got stressed out) has infuriated him by banking the bulk of the Knicks' attack in an off-shore account.

It's immaterial which comes first, the defensive convergence on Curry and subsequent disruption/frustration, or the colonization of the 3-point line by Stephon Marbury (3-12), Nate Robinson (8-9) and Steve Francis (1-6) against the Blazers. What matters is the Knicks are meekly allowing the defense to dictate their offense, as evidenced by last night's 90-68 atrocity to the Cavaliers.

Hence, no free-throw attempts for Curry and a short stack of 14 for the entire team Thursday - in their own building - and deservedly so. Marbury, Robinson and Francis combined for 27 trifectas and 10 fouls shots. In comparison, the Blazers, infinitely more aggressive to the tin, went to the welfare line 31 times.

Any game now I fully expect Thomas and his staff o' plenty to craft the appropriate adjustment, and that doesn't mean catering to Curry for 27 while nobody else cracks double figures except Renaldo Balkman (12). Deputize Robinson, if necessary, to unscramble the clutter. You definitely want the input of someone who celebrates after every basket as if it's an NBA championship. When do 5-foot-8 guys with low assists - one in 33 minutes - ever win games? Never! Nevertheless, Da Gadget seemed pretty happy.

On second thought, maybe Thomas plans to wait until next Friday's rematch in Dallas to unveil his cunningly remodeled offense and defense to show off in front of Cuban.

Or maybe he's saving such shrewdness for Game 2 of the opening playoff series.

Who knows, maybe adjustments weren't covered under the warranty of Thomas' recent extension.

Because Dolan re-upchucked The Prophet's contract, human nature took over in a league of hard-line hombres. The Knicks dropped their guard and haven't recovered from the hangover of the reward for attaining mediocrity. But, wait, mediocrity is equilibrium. The 30-39 Knicks aren't even close.

I can still see the photo of the team huddled that infamous afternoon. Curry and the other suspects were he-hawin' it like they'd achieved something special. I don't think they've won more than once since. A reward for what?

Isnt this the same chap who had the knicks locked in for the playoffs?

it's very easy to be a writer--you can say whatever--if that means degrading someone so be it--then change your opinion tomorrow--he has the word prophet in the right column but it should be paired with his own name. i think the writers in general write 75% of their junk in a jealous manner anyway. They ONLY WISH they were on the other side--so when they swash-buckly their pen--it's the equivilant of the napoleon complex--for the most part.

Posted by nixluva:

Because Dolan re-upchucked The Prophet's contract, human nature took over in a league of hard-line hombres. The Knicks dropped their guard and haven't recovered from the hangover of the reward for attaining mediocrity. But, wait, mediocrity is equilibrium. The 30-39 Knicks aren't even close.

I can still see the photo of the team huddled that infamous afternoon. Curry and the other suspects were he-hawin' it like they'd achieved something special. I don't think they've won more than once since. A reward for what?

I don't get his point. The knicks didn't seem to be complacent when they beat Toronto. I think they just hit a wall. If Steph doesn't have a good offensive game and you also get similar poor games from Francis and Frye, this team is SCREWED. It's really not about the defense. It's not like we've been a great defensive team all year. Sure we need to play good D, but this team is primarily an offensive team and I highly doubt that they would lose interest in scoring. The low point totals indicate that we just aren't scoring. That's not about effort like it would be when it comes to defense. It's a physical and mental breakdown. I just hope they can recharge and get back on the horse. If they can manage to win the next 2 home games that would keep them in it.

2 days of rest may be just enough to get them over the hump.

This team is screwed not because Steve, steph, and Fry having bad games but because they are on this team in general inclusing Eddy.
So it is nothing to do with any particular game or any specific performance of any of this players.
They just wrong mix in wrong place and at wrong time.
Guess who is the man to blame?




[Edited by - arkrud on 03-25-2007 2:24 PM]

[Edited by - arkrud on 03-25-2007 2:24 PM]

Isn't it about time for all knicks fans to stop with the overly optimistic approach knowing this team is showing the same type of meltdown we witnessed last yr just with a diffrent leader.

When will we all see the team with the same understanding .

There is nothing new under the sun with our beloved NY KNICKS except Randolph Morris.

Posted by KnicksSince88:

The Knicks are playing without their top 2 rebounders, Their 2nd leading scorer, their 4th leading scorer, and their 5th leading scorer. Remove that from any team and their play will suffer. ZERO exceptions. Crawford, Lee and Q are all top 5 on the team in minutes played. Thats 3 of the top 5 players that you play the most, GONE.

Id like to see the Knicks make the playoffs. Being reallistic, and given the fact that they are missing what they're missing, they likely won't. But in the long run while making the playoffs this year will be nice, we'll know a lot more about this team next season, now that theyve had a year to develop some sort of identity, and have their guys returning. They were playing +500 ball for a very long stretch until recently. Something like 21-18 over 39

Well, since you put it that way, I feel much better about my beloved Knicks.

In fact, I think I will go ahead and order my season tickets for next year for a team that has not hit the 40-win mark since 2000-01 and, after we finish with 33-35 wins this year, will have averaged a robust 33 wins over the past six seasons.

Go Isiah!

Go Dolan!

Go Knicks!

The team sucks be honest with yourselves

We are one of the worst defensive teams if not the worst in the entire league, and have 5 guards and lead the league in turnovers per game. We have nearly been blown out 1/4 of every game we play and Isiah has ****ed this team for years with that stupid Eddy Curry Deal.

We are giving away a lottery pick which could have turned into jeff green, brandon roye who we could have drafted last year is turning into a young star and we have Randolf Morris coming to save us. Another big with a questionable work ethic, and desire for cash instead of winning.

If you think he deserves credit for having curry in training camp and in moderatley better shape, and q mentally sound and david lee with a season under his belt, "you were fooled"

This team has no future and no chance to be good with this ******* at the helm. We are barely better than Philly, Atlanta, Charlotte, Bucks and all of them have a greater chance of improvement so we are lucky to be in 10th this time next year

Joe that is when Isiah lost me and I didn't care for the marbury deal , not that he wasn't a talent, but that kind of money is spent on a front court player.

We can lose all 13 remaining games and that won't upset me. What upsets me is the return of the excuses, the whining for minutes and the uninspired play during crucial games. Isiah really needs to go out and target team first, self-motivated players. We have a couple but our core group we literally have to beg to think of winning first.

if we lose all 13 i would be very worried because we are in danger of failing behind a number of teams.....

Question if we land one of the top two picks should Isiah be executed?