Sorry if this has been posted already, please delete if so..

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Marc Berman, New York Post

April 20, 2007 -- Isiah Thomas, his presidential hat on again, would like to add a star this summer. He just doesn't expect to. Thomas does expect, however, to make the playoffs next spring with the same young cast.

In his state-of-the-Knicks address, Thomas believes the current group is good enough to make it to the promised land next season without any moves.

Insiders say Thomas will pursue big men Pau Gasol, Kevin Garnett and Jermaine O'Neal and look into
landing free agents Vince Carter and Rashard Lewis in sign-and-trade deals. But Isiah realizes it's all a long shot.

Thomas confirmed he has no plans to use his $5 million mid-level exception on a free agent, which The Post reported after February's trade deadline. No more lateral moves.

"Every team wants that great player," Thomas said. "The teams that have that great player probably don't want to get rid of him. We'll just keep lugging along with what we have, and try to develop our young players and hopefully one day they'll be considered great players.

"I'm pretty happy with what we have," Thomas added. "If there was a chance to improve, I'll do that. I don't think I'll be aggressively out on the market chasing."

This "playoff" team finished disguised as a 33-49 outfit, seven games out of the last playoff spot, hit by a spate of injuries this in March and April. Thomas knows he can't be sitting here a year from now with the same spiel.

"I don't think we're that far away," Thomas said. "I fully believe this in my heart, this day we would be talking about who we're going to get ready to play, as opposed to the day we're having today if we hadn't been so depleted."

Thomas downplayed buying out Steve Francis, but seemed to be promoting his trade value or the notion of the Knicks guard retiring for medical reasons. Francis appears to want a buyout, but Thomas would like him as a trade pawn.

"What we saw in Steve, when he's healthy, he's still a great player in this league," Thomas said. "You make room for that kind of guy. I don't think any change is being made unless someone gets hurt and can't play anymore."

Thomas' mid-level free agents haven't panned out - Vin Baker, Jerome James and Jared Jeffries.
A Knicks source said recently the Knicks' roster, especially with the signing of Kentucky center Randolph Morris and emergence of rookie Mardy Collins, is deep enough, and doesn't have room for another mid-level player. The roster needs to make room for the team's first-round pick from the Bulls (23rd).
The Knicks also are reducing payroll, as the mark goes from $120 million this year to $82 million next season.

"We're not in a position anymore where we have to take risks," Thomas said.

Thomas believes his young group established an identity as a low-post team centered around Eddy Curry. The Knicks will select 23rd and Thomas would trade the pick in a package for a star. He's looking to draft an outside shooter. The Bulls, with the Knicks' lottery pick, are seeded in a tie for eighth, just a 2.3 percent chance of landing Greg Oden.

"We may be able to get a solid contributor or someone we can develop down the line," he said. "We're a team right now unless the draft pick is really special, that guy will have a hard time playing for us."

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Curry made a joking threat to Bulls coach Scott Skiles. Asked if he'd go to a Bulls playoff game as Skiles' guest, Curry said, "No. I might go to his house though. I know where he lives."

[Edited by - TrueBlue on 04-20-2007 09:20 AM]

"Every team wants that great player," Thomas said. "The teams that have that great player probably don't want to get rid of him. We'll just keep lugging along with what we have, and try to develop our young players and hopefully one day they'll be considered great players.

isiah, it's your job to get the team that great player. "lugging along" with what we have is supposed to inspire confidence?

Posted by djsunyc:

"Every team wants that great player," Thomas said. "The teams that have that great player probably don't want to get rid of him. We'll just keep lugging along with what we have, and try to develop our young players and hopefully one day they'll be considered great players.

isiah, it's your job to get the team that great player. "lugging along" with what we have is supposed to inspire confidence?

It's hysterical. In one breath he talks about how happy he is with what he has and doesn't see a reason to make any changes. Then in the next he's talking about how they have to be lugging along, like he knows they need major help but will muddle through if they don't get some.

Two faced piece of ****.

Posted by martin:

Posted by djsunyc:

"Every team wants that great player," Thomas said. "The teams that have that great player probably don't want to get rid of him. We'll just keep lugging along with what we have, and try to develop our young players and hopefully one day they'll be considered great players.

isiah, it's your job to get the team that great player. "lugging along" with what we have is supposed to inspire confidence?

funny that 3 years ago Isiah talked about the necessity of adding $$$ to the payroll as a way of getting the talent level up on the roster instead of letting some of it go.

Scratch rebuilding through draft with high picks
Scratch getting under the cap
Scratch adding talent by adding bloated contracts
Scratch using the expiring contracts
Scratch the MLE

Now we got it, build from within.

unless KG JO or gasol are available

Posted by islesfan:

Posted by djsunyc:

"Every team wants that great player," Thomas said. "The teams that have that great player probably don't want to get rid of him. We'll just keep lugging along with what we have, and try to develop our young players and hopefully one day they'll be considered great players.

isiah, it's your job to get the team that great player. "lugging along" with what we have is supposed to inspire confidence?

It's hysterical. In one breath he talks about how happy he is with what he has and doesn't see a reason to make any changes. Then in the next he's talking about how they have to be lugging along, like he knows they need major help but will muddle through if they don't get some.

Two faced piece of ****.

He is the king of tryin to have it both ways. My only curiosity at this point is how much is Dolan behind all of this?

You have him stating how he feels the team will most likely use the pick(shooter) and the gm telling season ticket holders(dj) the team needs a point guard to groom as Steph's possible replacement. Now the emergence of Mardy may be causing the uppers to rethink matters but let's not forget Marbury is coming into next yr with an agenda(contract extension) statistically speaking, he so much as said so(getting numbers up next yr). So what player is going to take a backseat between Mardy, Jamal, Q, Steph? Nate's practically trade bait.