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MaRbUrYiSaKnIcK
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USA
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Knicks Deeper and Improved, Says Thomas
by Tom Kertes
GREENBURGH, NY, October 1, 2004 -- Being new and improved is one thing. But could this year’s new and improved Knicks actually WIN the equally novel NBA Atlantic Division? “I’m not going to run away from that,” President of Basketball Operations Isiah Thomas ponders the question then breaks out in a smile. “I like being expected to win. So if you say to me that we can win our Division, I say to you ‘thank you.’”
“I like everything that we have,” said a clearly elated Thomas. “We gave all our guys a mandate to improve themselves over the summer and they all did that. I’m comfortable with our smalls, I’m comfortable with our bigs, I’m comfortable with our interchangeability, I’m comfortable with our depth. We can play fast, slow, we can press, we can shoot from the outside or go with an inside game, we can play at any pace and play well. I think we have a team with an edge. I think we could have a very hot team here. I want the Garden to be a hot place again, with steam coming out of the stands. And I think this team can accomplish that.”
Of course, a healthy Allan Houston would be a big part of that exciting equation -- and the Knicks President fully expects Houston to be as good as new. “I’ll tell you one thing, he’s as good as I’VE ever seen him,” smiled Thomas. “When I got here, he could barely walk, now he’s doing 100-yard sprints on a football field with a guy holding him back with a rope. He did everything right -- and I think we did everything right with him -- over the summer so he feels great about himself and his body.”
“Will Houston be available on opening day? Let’s put it this way, if we had a big game TODAY, Allan Houston could play -- and I’m supremely confident that he’d play very well,” added Thomas. “It’s been a long and tedious process but I feel we did a great job with him. So I’m not going to have any artificial deadline -- whether it’s opening day or whatever -- to interfere with that. We’re not looking to Allan Houston for one day or one month. We are looking to have Allan Houston at his best for the next three years.”
“With all that said, do I think Allan Houston will be on the opening day roster and ready to contribute? YES.”
Thomas does not feel that, in spite of the team’s increased depth, chemistry will be a problem. “The best people will play,” he stated matter-of-factly. And the best people might well include second-year forward Michael Sweetney -- ”The job Mark Aguirre and George Glymph did with him, they should bottle it and sell it,” said Thomas -- and Penny Hardaway. “This is the first of the past few summers when he could work out and prepare instead of rehab,” explained Thomas. Newly signed Jamison Brewer might be another major sleeper. “Think of Jerome Williams as a 6-4, 6-5 guard,” said Thomas. “Jamison is another one of those energized defender-rebounders, a glue-type guy who keeps it all together.” And a glue-type guy every big-winning team must have.
With more scorers playing a number of different positions, Thomas expects a far more team-wide attack this season where “we can win consistently on nights when Stephon Marbury only scores 12-14 points. As long as the inside players continue the improvement I’ve seen from them over the summer”, the all-important inside-outside balance should be far better as well, according to Thomas.
Thomas is really looking forward to Lenny Wilkens coaching these deeper, much more versatile Knicks. “Lenny has coached and can coach all kinds of different styles and be successful doing it,” smiled Thomas. “That’s one of things that are so great about him. I guess that’s why he’s in the Hall of Fame.”
Marbury is finally home at MSG!
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10/1/2004 9:08 PM