Judging on the record, there’s no denying Isiah Thomas has done a startlingly solid job with the Liberty in his first year as president. Whether the hiring should still be regarded as inappropriate is an issue that is still being debated.
During Thomas’ introductory press conference at which he answered for his past record as the central figure in a sexual harassment lawsuit, the former Knicks president/coach begged the assembled media to heretofore judge him on his win-loss ledger with the Liberty.
With Thomas making behind-the-scenes moves since being secretly empowered in January (his presidency wasn’t announced until May 5), the Liberty finished the regular season Sunday with the best record in franchise history at 23-11 and, for the first time, the best record in the WNBA. This after the Liberty failed to make the playoffs two straight seasons.
While Knicks president Phil Jackson was AWOL all summer, off in Montana and Los Angeles following his 17-65 disgrace, Thomas guided a Garden winner. How do you figure?
Owner James Dolan recently wanted to sell the financially floundering Liberty. Now a semi-regular attendee at Liberty games, he appears delighted as his WNBA franchise begins its playoff run Friday against Washington at the Garden.
Thomas has laid low amid the Liberty’s climb, declining interviews. In a statement to The Post, Isiah said:
“When we were building this team during the offseason, there were three specific goals in mind: We wanted our team to have great chemistry, identify players that would have a positive impact in the community, and to be known for our on court defense first. To see this group perform at such a high level from the very start of the year has been enjoyable to watch. Coach (Bill) Laimbeer, his staff, and our players, have done an incredible job.
“Heading into the postseason, simply stated, we have put ourselves in the position that if we can protect home court then we will win a championship. It is exciting to provide our amazing fans the chance to play an important role in what we all hope will be an historic playoff run.”
While Dolan is enthused the Liberty have become more relevant, Thomas’ success probably hasn’t increased his chances of a second stint as Knicks president. The 70-year-old Jackson has anointed general manager Steve Mills as his successor. Though Mills hired Thomas to run the Knicks in 2004, they aren’t close — their union in the Anucha Browne-Sanders mess is not one Mills would care to relive.
In fact, Garden officials have indicated Dolan’s edict to The Post in November 2013 that he would never subject his friend Thomas to the relentless scrutiny of being Knicks president still holds water. It seems good enough for Dolan that he has helped his buddy add a solid nugget to his managerial résumé after such blotches as his Toronto Raptors presidency, the stint as commissioner of the now-defunct Continental Basketball Association and even his time as coach at Florida International. Whether the WNBA still rejects Thomas’ postponed bid to own a piece of the Liberty because of loss in the Browne-Sanders trial is a non-factor. He still plans on running the Liberty next season.
How much credit should Thomas get for the team’s 23-11 record? Thomas promoted Kristen Bernert from senior vice president of business operations to general manager, and the two worked together on a series of moves.
Rehiring Laimbeer after he initially was canned following a 26-42 two-season disappointment was their best call. Bernert worked with Laimbeer in Detroit where he guided the Shock to three WNBA titles.
Thomas also brought in Liberty alumnus Teresa Weatherspoon as the team’s director of player development — the only WNBA team with this position. He added ex-Knick assistant Herb Williams to the coaching staff to work with the frontcourt players.
As for player moves, Thomas engineered the trade with Chicago that exchanged Cappie Pointdexter for Epiphanny Prince, who ignited the Liberty when she returned from Europe. The Liberty were just 6-4 before she joined them. Prince averaged 15 points per game.
The Liberty didn’t have a first-round pick entering the draft, but Thomas made trades to gain two picks, selecting point guard Brittany Boyd (ninth) and Kiah Stokes (11th). Stoke may win rookie of the year honors. Boyd, whom Thomas met when he attended grad school at Cal-Berkeley, was emerging as the flashy penetrator before breaking her wrist late in the regular season.
In free agency, Thomas signed veterans with championship experience in Tanisha Wright and Candice Wiggins, daughter of former Major League Baseball player Alan Wiggins, and re-signed Swin Cash.
The Garden protests following news of Thomas’ hiring now turn to playoffs. The Liberty, a charter member of the league that began play in 1997, have never won a championship. It would be a cruel joke if Thomas breaks the curse.
Why couldn’t he have had this success with the Knicks?

Phil has a lot of pressure on him, ppl will surely want his head if this team flounders

nixluva wrote:Great for Isiah that he's having success but it's garbage to say Phil was in Montana this summer! BULL ISH! This was Phil's 1st real Off Season with assets and he did a very good job of using what he had to rebuild this team. He made smart moves and didn't only go for the usual Big Name. We'll see what the team does from here but it was a good off season for Phil.

phils hasn't proven anything yet. people where optimistic about his minor moves last off (I know i was) season and I don't have to remind you of how that turned out.

I stop watching the liberty many yrs ago, so i cant speak much on what was happening with them before IT, but at the end of the day, wins and losses is what matters, and phil hasn't won anything as the president of the knicks. If the shoe was on the other foot, i would say the same thing.

knicks1248 wrote:

nixluva wrote:Great for Isiah that he's having success but it's garbage to say Phil was in Montana this summer! BULL ISH! This was Phil's 1st real Off Season with assets and he did a very good job of using what he had to rebuild this team. He made smart moves and didn't only go for the usual Big Name. We'll see what the team does from here but it was a good off season for Phil.

phils hasn't proven anything yet. people where optimistic about his minor moves last off (I know i was) season and I don't have to remind you of how that turned out.

I stop watching the liberty many yrs ago, so i cant speak much on what was happening with them before IT, but at the end of the day, wins and losses is what matters, and phil hasn't won anything as the president of the knicks. If the shoe was on the other foot, i would say the same thing.

Yeah right cuz you're so fair and balanced when it comes to Phil and Fish. GTFOH with that Ish! You have as much credibility on this as an SAS RANT! Things turned bad early last year and Phil made the necessary moves to change course.

Of course we can't judge this new roster on W/L's in the off season but the moves Phil made in the Draft and Free Agency were good moves that anyone should be able to see made sense. The team is better and has some hope for the future. Only biased and Jaded SAS types can't see that.

EnySpree wrote:You can't compare the market with the wnba to the nba.

The wnba is notorious for making bull**** trades just to get players back to their hometowns. Been happening since it's inception to boost intrest. Isiah politiced a move to send Chicago native Cappy Pondexter back home for the brooklyn bred Prince. Chicago did not need that trade. It was a political move orchestrated by Isiah. You can't do that on the nba.

Now the other moves were just as good, like trading for 2 first round picks that turned out to two all rookie selections, one which is possibly the rookie of the year. They also signed the right veteran leadership to add to the stars and rookies. So kudos to Isiah for taking advantage of the wide open wnba market.

Anyway Phil has a harder way too go. The process will be longer but his real money will be made this season. He completely cleaned out and revamped the Knicks. He should be judged as this season progresses.

And rightfully so, but from my understanding, this is Isiah's first season as pres, and the team finish with the best record.

Phil IMO, doesnt have the savvy or experience to make deals or the eye to draft gems like isiah, and by no means would I ever want to see Isiah running the knicks any time soon, But I still feel like he can have a nice role in the front office, just not the Boss.

You can't erase phils first season as if it never happen, it's the main reason we settled for 2nd tier players, and cast offs.

knicks1248 wrote:

Judging on the record, there’s no denying Isiah Thomas has done a startlingly solid job with the Liberty in his first year as president. Whether the hiring should still be regarded as inappropriate is an issue that is still being debated.
During Thomas’ introductory press conference at which he answered for his past record as the central figure in a sexual harassment lawsuit, the former Knicks president/coach begged the assembled media to heretofore judge him on his win-loss ledger with the Liberty.
With Thomas making behind-the-scenes moves since being secretly empowered in January (his presidency wasn’t announced until May 5), the Liberty finished the regular season Sunday with the best record in franchise history at 23-11 and, for the first time, the best record in the WNBA. This after the Liberty failed to make the playoffs two straight seasons.
While Knicks president Phil Jackson was AWOL all summer, off in Montana and Los Angeles following his 17-65 disgrace, Thomas guided a Garden winner. How do you figure?
Owner James Dolan recently wanted to sell the financially floundering Liberty. Now a semi-regular attendee at Liberty games, he appears delighted as his WNBA franchise begins its playoff run Friday against Washington at the Garden.
Thomas has laid low amid the Liberty’s climb, declining interviews. In a statement to The Post, Isiah said:
“When we were building this team during the offseason, there were three specific goals in mind: We wanted our team to have great chemistry, identify players that would have a positive impact in the community, and to be known for our on court defense first. To see this group perform at such a high level from the very start of the year has been enjoyable to watch. Coach (Bill) Laimbeer, his staff, and our players, have done an incredible job.
“Heading into the postseason, simply stated, we have put ourselves in the position that if we can protect home court then we will win a championship. It is exciting to provide our amazing fans the chance to play an important role in what we all hope will be an historic playoff run.”
While Dolan is enthused the Liberty have become more relevant, Thomas’ success probably hasn’t increased his chances of a second stint as Knicks president. The 70-year-old Jackson has anointed general manager Steve Mills as his successor. Though Mills hired Thomas to run the Knicks in 2004, they aren’t close — their union in the Anucha Browne-Sanders mess is not one Mills would care to relive.
In fact, Garden officials have indicated Dolan’s edict to The Post in November 2013 that he would never subject his friend Thomas to the relentless scrutiny of being Knicks president still holds water. It seems good enough for Dolan that he has helped his buddy add a solid nugget to his managerial résumé after such blotches as his Toronto Raptors presidency, the stint as commissioner of the now-defunct Continental Basketball Association and even his time as coach at Florida International. Whether the WNBA still rejects Thomas’ postponed bid to own a piece of the Liberty because of loss in the Browne-Sanders trial is a non-factor. He still plans on running the Liberty next season.
How much credit should Thomas get for the team’s 23-11 record? Thomas promoted Kristen Bernert from senior vice president of business operations to general manager, and the two worked together on a series of moves.
Rehiring Laimbeer after he initially was canned following a 26-42 two-season disappointment was their best call. Bernert worked with Laimbeer in Detroit where he guided the Shock to three WNBA titles.
Thomas also brought in Liberty alumnus Teresa Weatherspoon as the team’s director of player development — the only WNBA team with this position. He added ex-Knick assistant Herb Williams to the coaching staff to work with the frontcourt players.
As for player moves, Thomas engineered the trade with Chicago that exchanged Cappie Pointdexter for Epiphanny Prince, who ignited the Liberty when she returned from Europe. The Liberty were just 6-4 before she joined them. Prince averaged 15 points per game.
The Liberty didn’t have a first-round pick entering the draft, but Thomas made trades to gain two picks, selecting point guard Brittany Boyd (ninth) and Kiah Stokes (11th). Stoke may win rookie of the year honors. Boyd, whom Thomas met when he attended grad school at Cal-Berkeley, was emerging as the flashy penetrator before breaking her wrist late in the regular season.
In free agency, Thomas signed veterans with championship experience in Tanisha Wright and Candice Wiggins, daughter of former Major League Baseball player Alan Wiggins, and re-signed Swin Cash.
The Garden protests following news of Thomas’ hiring now turn to playoffs. The Liberty, a charter member of the league that began play in 1997, have never won a championship. It would be a cruel joke if Thomas breaks the curse.
Why couldn’t he have had this success with the Knicks?

Phil has a lot of pressure on him, ppl will surely want his head if this team flounders

I suppose you come from a place where the media fuels your expectations. I suppose when phil said he thought the team could make the playoffs you hold him accountable no matter the circumstances and think if we fire him, the next guy will get it done magically. Or the next coach. Or the next big name free agent.

And for years this is what happened.........

Im sure you do understand the ramifications and details of how different the WNBA and NBA are regarding salary structure and roster construction as you must read some of what goes on here.

Im sure you do understand how big a mess the knicks actually were and by rebuilding we are in the very early stage. One would hope Dolan does and is not prone to influence as you are.
Dolan wanted to sell the liberty and maybe he thinks Isiah can find a buyer. Seems WNBA rejected Isiah at the time to have any ownership percentage. Its a money loser in MSG.

GustavBahler wrote:Good for Isiah, maybe if we're lucky Dolan will keep him there. I read that Mills was the heir apparent anyway.

The culture of the triangle is the schematic by which rosters are to be constructed. Mills should oversee this and hopefully keep basketball people around to keep this going.
It starts with a plan.

CrushAlot wrote:Marbury isn't topical anymore so Berman went to the Isiah well.

knicks1248 wrote:

nixluva wrote:

knicks1248 wrote:

EnySpree wrote:You can't compare the market with the wnba to the nba.

The wnba is notorious for making bull**** trades just to get players back to their hometowns. Been happening since it's inception to boost intrest. Isiah politiced a move to send Chicago native Cappy Pondexter back home for the brooklyn bred Prince. Chicago did not need that trade. It was a political move orchestrated by Isiah. You can't do that on the nba.

Now the other moves were just as good, like trading for 2 first round picks that turned out to two all rookie selections, one which is possibly the rookie of the year. They also signed the right veteran leadership to add to the stars and rookies. So kudos to Isiah for taking advantage of the wide open wnba market.

Anyway Phil has a harder way too go. The process will be longer but his real money will be made this season. He completely cleaned out and revamped the Knicks. He should be judged as this season progresses.

And rightfully so, but from my understanding, this is Isiah's first season as pres, and the team finish with the best record.

Phil IMO, doesnt have the savvy or experience to make deals or the eye to draft gems like isiah, and by no means would I ever want to see Isiah running the knicks any time soon, But I still feel like he can have a nice role in the front office, just not the Boss.

You can't erase phils first season as if it never happen, it's the main reason we settled for 2nd tier players, and cast offs.

The 1st season for Phil wasn't 100% representative of his philosophy of what a team should be. You know damned well that he had very few options and had to try and make it work with another GM's players. He took a chance on some patchwork moves and it flopped. If we're really judging his work i'd assume we'd want to see how the team actually turns out after more than just a few months of a roster that failed to launch and was dismantled.

Phil may not have come in with a lot of experience but after getting to see the issues with the players, he very quickly made decisive moves that for the most part has put this franchise in a much better position going forward. His initial moves did not come from a position of strength and to be honest he's not the only GM to have made some moves that were not successful. ALL GM's will have some duds. After the trade things were much clearer.

Now the moves Phil made in the draft and in free agency are very smart moves. Just how successful this team will be is of course yet to be known, but in terms of the quality of the moves Phil did a very good job. He wasn't trying to swing for the fences and end up with nothing. The media and in particular SAS want to make it seem like Phil struck out but Phil really wasn't expecting to bring in big names. He had a plan which included less prominent players who made sense for how this team wants to play. He's focused on the long term and building a sustainable winning franchise. Isiah has never done that in the NBA despite having an eye for talent. Perhaps this will work out to be Isiah's best work. Phil's 1st season was a disaster but he's not done trying to fix the mess this franchise was. This summer was just the beginning of the process and it's off to a solid start.

The development of the young players he's drafted and signed will be the biggest determinant of how successful Phil will be. In terms of building a winner, Phil isn't just grabbing players randomly. He has a blueprint, a philosophy and a vision for how he wants the team to play. He's been adding players according to those criteria. He's been targeting specific types of players and it's very clear what he's been working to build. If you get hung up on the W/L record of year 1 then you totally miss the big picture.

I totally get where your coming from NIX, and I'm not trying to entirely compare Isiah to phil. but there are certain GMS who can pull off trades better then others, draft better than others.

Is there even a bar for Phil or fish this season, no draft picks in 2016, and very little cap space..I know for me it's playoffs or else..

I think the minimum bar sans horrific injury is 41 games won. Im not looking at 17 wins--the entire team is different. Healthy Carmelo healthy Jose 100mm spent on vets 2 #1 picks--different team. If we go on the basis that we have one of the "elite" players than 41 is even kind of low but its a reasonable bar.