Mike doubts Isiah's ascent
By MARC BERMAN

Last Updated: 4:42 AM, August 11, 2010

Posted: 2:56 AM, August 11, 2010

Knicks coach Mike D'Antoni said Isiah Thomas will have no influence on him and minimal influence in the organization if Thomas remains in his new role as part-time consultant.

D'Antoni spoke glowingly about team president Donnie Walsh's two-year stint and defiantly said Thomas could only gain more power if the Knicks falter -- and that's not in the plans.

The NBA likely will rule today on Thomas' consultant contract and several NBA executives believe the move will be blocked because of the conflict of interest in having a college coach work for an NBA team. Whether that means Thomas chooses to remain at Florida International is unclear. However, it is becoming more and more clear that Thomas has been in Knicks owner James Dolan's ear for the past two years.

"Donnie's not going anywhere," D'Antoni said after Team USA's practice yesterday at John Jay College in Manhattan. "Donnie's running the show."

D'Antoni would not rule out Thomas re-climbing the ranks in the Knicks' front office, but said he doubted that would happen.

"Anything can happen," he said. "That means we don't do our job well and fail. We're not planning on doing that. We just think he can add something as a consultant, but Donnie is in complete control."

D'Antoni, a Team USA assistant coach, believes he and Walsh have resuscitated the Knicks after Thomas' reign as team president and coach. D'Antoni resisted the idea that the Knicks need help and even made a sarcastic remark about the belief that Thomas influenced Amar'e Stoudemire's signing with the team.

"I think 99 million dollars helped too," D'Antoni quipped.

D'Antoni said he did not find out about Thomas' hiring until Friday's announcement. D'Antoni admitted being upset that the negative publicity of the past few days has detracted from the team's reasonably solid offseason.

"We've come a long way in two years," D'Antoni said. "Donnie's done an unbelievable job to get us out of the hole. We're out, and we're not going to go back in it. We're looking for forward for this season, and we're excited about what we have."

D'Antoni was surrounded by a larger media contingent yesterday than Team USA head coach Mike Krzyzewski.

"[Donnie's] made some unbelievable moves up until now," D'Antoni said. "We've got a nice young team coming in. I hate all the hoopla on the other end. We should be excited about the upcoming season."

D'Antoni said he has not spoken to Thomas, who is hardly laying low. Thomas attended a posh gala hosted by Gus Johnson last night in Midtown. The MSG broadcaster was celebrating his involvement in the just-released 2011 Madden video game and his new clothing line.

D'Antoni gave few specifics on how Thomas can enhance the franchise.

"What he can offer is he's a Hall of Famer, top-50 player in the game and has a lot of credibility out there," D'Antoni said. "And Donnie is very smart in tapping into him when he needs it. There's not a whole lot else to it. It's not something that changes what I do, so I'm cool."

Dolan believes Thomas can aid in recruiting free agents in 2011 and 2012, when Carmelo Anthony and Chris Paul become available, respectively.

However, the public-relations damage has been significant, especially with sources saying Walsh opposed Thomas' hiring.

"I can understand the mindset," D'Antoni said. "It does get a life of its own. It's not going to change what Donnie does. If [Thomas] can help us -- in certain areas he can -- we can use that. There's no negatives to it other than it created a story for you guys. For us inside the organization, it hasn't impacted what we've done and the positive spin we had in the last couple of months."

D'Antoni said he did not envision Thomas being hired in an official capacity when Dolan dispatched Thomas to Akron, Ohio, to talk to a member of LeBron James' inner circle the night before his free-agent decision.

"Everybody was on board," D'Antoni said. "LeBron was slipping away. Does anybody get inside his inner circle? We just tried everybody. Everybody did what they could, tried their contacts and nothing really worked. It's one of 10 things we tried."

franco12 wrote:Donnie is in complete control, that is why Dolan hired Isiah over his objections!

Rather than speculating on something (like Berman does) and assuming plausibility = actuality and having a thread with 250 comments based on that I posted this article which has direct quotes from the coach saying Walsh is in charge, this doesnt affect anyone's jobs and here is why it was done.

misterearl wrote:
franco12 - Dolan signs the checks. He goes over everyone's head

There is not one single sportswriter who has quoted Donnie Walsh in over a week.

My sources tell me that Isiah is being rewarded for signing Timofey Mozgov while the rest of the NBA slept his availability due to his contract.

Isiah signed Mozgov?

This is selling the whole thing short in my opinion. This is a national story because Isiah is such a pariah and did such damage while with the Knicks that it is unbelievable that he is employed in any fashion by the franchise he embarassed and harmed for years after his tenure ended.

Winning as Mike rightly said, will solve all the Dolan n Zeke drama.

CrushAlot wrote:"I can understand the mindset," D'Antoni said. "It does get a life of its own. It's not going to change what Donnie does. If [Thomas] can help us -- in certain areas he can -- we can use that. There's no negatives to it other than it created a story for you guys. For us inside the organization, it hasn't impacted what we've done and the positive spin we had in the last couple of months."

This is selling the whole thing short in my opinion. This is a national story because Isiah is such a pariah and did such damage while with the Knicks that it is unbelievable that he is employed in any fashion by the franchise he embarassed and harmed for years after his tenure ended.

This is an indictment to all corporate America.
There is no fairness any more.
People get all the money in the world and high positions not because of what they done or their high character but because of relations with power to be.
We are losing the main principals which were separating us whom developing world and our economical, political, and ideological edge goes out of the windows very quick.
People like Dolan and Isiah are more harmful for the society that all population of any High Security prison combined.

franco12 wrote:that is why Dolan hired Isiah over his objections!

according to who?

oh thats right, the infamous, "source within the organization" guy.

Swishfm3 wrote:

franco12 wrote:that is why Dolan hired Isiah over his objections!

according to who?

oh thats right, the infamous, "source within the organization" guy.

and your source is? berman? that's pretty reliable

nyk4ever wrote:

Swishfm3 wrote:

franco12 wrote:that is why Dolan hired Isiah over his objections!

according to who?

oh thats right, the infamous, "source within the organization" guy.

and your source is? berman? that's pretty reliable

The only time I read what these so-called sports writer write is when you guys post it in here

Paladin55 wrote:

AnubisADL wrote:D'Antoni seems salty. He was supposed to be the coach everyone wants to play for. Remember he worked with these guys on Team USA. Obviously Isiah didn't convince anyone to come here. The money did that.

The funny thing is D'Antoni said he doesn't think Isiah will have influence IF they win.

So you choose to pick out one word- perhaps a word he just threw out with little thought- in an encouraging interview and make that a point of emphasis? Nothing to look at...just keep on moving.

If you know anything about coaches and coaching, there is a tendency to downplay things- you never want to get too excited, unless you are Rex Ryan, of course. You talk up your players, but still talk about the "everyone needs to work together" type stuff when looking at your potential success.

This is really what you should have looked at:

"Donnie's done an unbelievable job to get us out of the hole. We're out, and we're not going to go back in it. We're looking for forward for this season, and we're excited about what we have."
D'Antoni was surrounded by a larger media contingent yesterday than Team USA head coach Mike Krzyzewski.
"[Donnie's] made some unbelievable moves up until now," D'Antoni said. "We've got a nice young team coming in. I hate all the hoopla on the other end. We should be excited about the upcoming season."

That is coming from a guy who has failed miserably the past two years and the four years he has been a head coach without Steve Nash. I don't think Walsh failed. I am not sure D'Antoni is capable of winning with a team that doesn't have an mvp at the point and two all nba players at the 3 and 4. In my opinion Walsh's biggest mistake was hiring D'Antoni. He has compounded the issue by supporting him blindly. That may open the door for Thomas to get back in when all is said and done.