It gets even more bizarre...

http://nypost.com/sports/knicks/28254.htm

TIMMY HAS NET SCORE TO SETTLE By MARC BERMAN

FOUL PLAY: Tim Thomas, hammered by Nets' Jason Collins during playoff series last spring, has gone into boxing ring to toughen up for next season.

Tim Thomas has spent the summer rehabbing in a boxing ring with his street pals from his old neighborhood in Paterson, N.J.

Coincidence? Let's just say he has not forgotten the cheap shot Jason Collins laid on him in Game 1 of the Nets-Knicks playoff series that ended his season. Rising for a dunk, Thomas crash-landed on his back after Collins' clothesline.

Only in the past three weeks has the Knicks' small forward felt 100 percent. The grudge lives on and Thomas threw some interesting innuendos at Collins yesterday.

"I'm still upset about it," Thomas said after serving as guest speaker at the Knicks' summer camp for kids at Chelsea Piers.

"There was no real reason for that. If [Collins] would've [gone] for the ball, it was something different. And that's just motivation for me throughout this summer to get right, especially the way I've been hitting that bag with the boxing stuff. It's motivation for me coming back in the right state of mind and doing what I have to do."

Thomas did not elaborate, but it's clear he'll be in a feisty mood this season. He said the boxing has strengthened his back and fitness. After the incident, he called out his teammates for not retaliating and incited more bad blood, calling Kenyon Martin a "fugazy," Italian slang for fake.


Asked if he regretted what he said, Thomas replied, "Not at all. Not one bit." In fact, Knicks president Isiah Thomas praised Thomas in their exit interview. "He was happy with the way I approached the situation," Thomas said. "Zeke understood it."

Indeed, Tim Thomas is one name never brought up in trade talks. Isiah still looks at him as their 6-10 rock at small forward.

Yesterday, Tim Thomas laid off Martin but took a shot at the Nets for not re-signing him.

"It's a slap in the face, for that guy to do so much for that organization and for them to just say, 'OK, we're not going to do nothing for you and get you out of here,' " Thomas said. "He should feel very disappointed. But I couldn't care less about the New Jersey Nets."

Asked if the Knicks have surpassed the Nets, Tim Thomas said, "We still have to go out and play basketball. On paper it looks good, but it means nothing if you don't go out there and do it."

Some teammates were privately put off when Tim Thomas questioned them and challenged his mates to strike back. He says it's a non-issue.

"The way I felt on the ground, someone to step in somebody's face and start an argument would've been enough for me," Tim Thomas said. "Watching the replay and just seeing that everybody came to help me get off the ground instead of approaching the other guys, I felt was wrong. But as teammates, we all talked about it and that situation is over. We're going to move forward from it."

I didn't even read that whole article, and it pisses me off. Why the hell is he trying to settle old scores, when he needs to be working on his rebounding and defense. His basketball game is nowhere near where it should be, and he's practicing getting into fights. I think it's time to trade this guy. I am very patient, but it's really wearing thin with TT now.

I agree that it's good he is determined and wants to be respected, but why the hell is he mainly working on his boxing? It seems to me, that he just wants to get revenge for game 1 of the playoffs, as opposed to redeeming himself, and trying not to underachieve this coming season.

yea...
a) its Berman
b) this was the best part of the article: "He said the boxing has strengthened his back and fitness. "

I can think of some other guys that could use those kinds of workouts.

I agree. Timmy is a great athlete. Working out with a boxer should have been part of his regiment since he entered the league, but unfortunately it had to take the Nets incident to prove that to him. It is like I have said on several of my threads about TT, he has the potentials to be a star-superstar in this league, but he has to want and work hard at it.

Posted by Rich:

As long as he is going to be a Knick, he gets a second chance from me.

any word if he was working out w/Chris Childs to get some pointers on the left-right combo?

Good to see Tim working on his toughness. For a player w/ his frame he's need to draw more contact. We saw a couple years ago how an offseason boxing regime made a big difference for Kobe Bryant. He was stronger, tougher and better with people around him.

I think TT can be one of the bigger suprises next year. Last year we saw him be a big part of several key wins after his slow start. None bigger than than the KVH beating and his 2nd half performance against the Bucks in that great comeback.

We saw a couple years ago how an offseason boxing regime made a big difference for Kobe Bryant. He was stronger, tougher

Really? I didn't know Kobe did that.

Posted by Bonn1997:

We saw a couple years ago how an offseason boxing regime made a big difference for Kobe Bryant. He was stronger, tougher

Really? I didn't know Kobe did that.

i think Chris Childs motivated him too.

One thing that you all must know about TT is that he is a second half player. He may have a bad first half, but come the second half he becomes a little more agressive. If he ever puts his head in the game and plays four quarters, watch out. that is when he will be the allstar that we all know that he can be.

Posted by fishmike:

"We also saw how TT can disappear for long stretches, like in the 1st half of that Bucks game. People love to talk about that game but never seem to mention the 1st half. The Knicks won the game but could have easily lost. The outcome doesn't mean you can ignore the fact that he didn't show up from the opening tip."

Sure it does... I want winning basketball players. One of TTs faults (which has been well documented) is he isnt aggressive and takes to long to let the game come to him. Part of the reason he was so god as the 6th man in Mil for years. He would come off the bench and play the 2,3 or 4 for any giving stretch.

You can focus on anything you want. Since the Knicks WON the game I took greater notice to the fact that we were able to make adjustments and come back. You think Bucks fans walked away from that game saying "just because we lost doesnt take away from the GREAT first half that KVH had." ????

Please

Personally I don't care what he does to grow some ballz.

I'll say whatever he did worked when his rebouding average goes up to at least 6 a game from reakin 4.5. He is 6 10 250, how is it even possible to average less then 5 rebounds a game at that size?

So we'll see. I wount mind if he knocks out Martin at some point either, or Collins. That would almost be worth the 5 game suspension lol. Would prolly be one of the most usefull things he will ever do as a Knick too.