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Kwazimodal
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Isiah Thomas Preseason Q&A Part Two
NEW YORK, NY, September 29, 2004 -- New York Knicks President, Basketball Operations Isiah Thomas gives Knicks In The Paint the inside scoop about what he expects from his players, coaches and the upcoming season in Part Two of his Preseason Q&A:
Q: One of your biggest changes last year was to bring in Lenny Wilkens. How has Lenny done so far in your eyes?
A: Lenny is the consummate professional and did an outstanding overall job as head coach last year. He is definitely re-energized and is very excited to get started this season.
Q: Another guy who came with you from Indiana was Mark Aguirre. What is Mark’s role here?
A: Mark is one big piece of a great coaching staff we have here. His role will be to pick up where he left off over the summer, developing our big men like Nazr Mohammad and Michael Sweetney into players that mirror what he was in his great career---a tough, fundamentally sound scoring and rebounding machine. He had great success with guys like Al Harrington and Jermaine O’Neal in Indiana and I think we will get similar results here. I have known Mark almost my whole life and he is not just a great person. He is now, and will continue to be a great coach. Like the rest of our young assistants---Herb Williams and Michael Malone as well--I think he has great potential to be a head coach at some point.
Q: With Stephon (Marbury), Jamal Crawford and a healthy Allan Houston you could have one of the most potent backcourts in the East. Is this team modeled after your success in Detroit in that manner?
A: I think two important things you need to succeed, especially in the East, are depth and a strong perimeter game. I feel we definitely have that now with that group, and if we could have similar results to what we had in Detroit, I would be very, very pleased.
Q: Kurt Thomas is a guy who is always mentioned in trade rumors. What is Kurt’s role here now?
A: Kurt is one of our leaders, and we feel he will continue to be. He is a rugged defender who fits very well in this system and with this city, and played through a lot of pain last year, and we rewarded him for his work with a contract extension. His leadership both on and off the court will be very important again this season.
Q: One of the things you have touched upon is the importance of defending your home court. Is that a priority for the season?
A: We have the best home court in the league, and for a long time Madison Square Garden was one of the most dreaded places for opponents to play, no matter who you were or how good your team was. I think over a short time that home court advantage was lost, and we now have to get it back and get it back right away. Our players are now starting to understand what a tremendous advantage it is to have “New York” across the front of your chest. But with that advantage comes responsibility, and it is our responsibility to represent our city and our fans, in the proper way every night, especially at the Garden.
Q: The schedule starts with a game against one of the best in the West in Minnesota and then gets into some key Eastern matchups. How important is getting off to a good start this year?
A: Getting off to a good start is very important, but staying consistent over the long haul is also critical to us. That is why depth is so key to on-court success. It is a long season, and the East is very evenly matched, so the teams that are able to get off to a good start and then maintain that level of success are the teams which will prevail.
Q: One of the disappointments this offseason was not getting a big man. How disappointing was it not to get someone like Erick Dampier?
A: There are very few big men of impact in this league, and you have to be very fortunate to have one, and have the right one for your team. It was somewhat disappointing not to add a big man, but I was very pleased that we were involved with every potential player this summer, and that New York has again become the desired location for so many NBA players. That was not the case when we got here in December.
Q: Speaking of big men, what do you see in Nazr Mohammad?
A: I see a very bright and athletic big man who is just starting to develop. Nazr had a very good summer working with Mark Aguirre, and I think our fans will be very pleased with our guy in the middle. His best days are ahead of him.
Q: Last time we talked about expectations for the team. What is your message to the fans?
A: Give these guys a chance and I know you will like them. We accomplished a great deal with little preparation last year, and I think this group has a chance to be good. We will battle every night for you. If we don’t, I am sure you will let us know!
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9/29/2004 12:59 PM
