"Wilkens' 'resignation' is not believable" by Adrian Wojnarowski Bergan Record
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islesfan
Posts: 9999 Alba Posts: 37 Joined: 7/19/2004 Member: #712 |
1/23/2005 9:23 AM
Wilkens' 'resignation' is not believable
GREENBURGH, N.Y. - Never mind that Isiah Thomas didn't fire Lenny Wilkens, he would have never fired him. He was Knicks coach for life, and Thomas said so Saturday. This was a resignation. Wilkens had never quit anything in his long, distinguished Hall of Fame coaching career, and it was hard to believe that's what truly happened. If he had fired Wilkens, you see, Thomas couldn't stand there and declare his ex-coach's 81 games on the job a smashing success. He couldn't stand there and sell that trade for Tim Thomas, that $55 million for Jamal Crawford and insist everything is so wonderful in his presidency at the Garden. If Thomas fired Wilkens, he would've had to confess to a mistake, and one thing about his managerial and coaching track record is unmistakable: Being Isiah Thomas means never having to say you're sorry. So, yes, Wilkens resigned. Enough was enough. Jeff Van Gundy resigned as Knicks coach, and forfeited the $8 million left on his contract. Wilkens resigned, and strangely, he'll get paid. That sure sounds like a firing, doesn't it? Lenny had those vague personal issues, the kind that executives and coaches never have when they've won nine of 10 games, only when they've lost nine of 10. Wilkens struggled to read that statement Saturday, struggling to get the words out - almost as though he didn't believe them. Wilkens didn't stay to answer questions at the Knicks' practice facility, because Wilkens had no interest concocting stories for the reasons he supposedly quit. He went along with this resignation, and these so-called issues in his life that drove him out, but he wasn't going to stand there and play make-believe with management. It's strange, isn't it? Hubie Brown retired this season, and talked and talked and talked in the aftermath, explaining his reasons for walking away. Wilkens read his statement, and let Thomas do the talking. To the end, Wilkens was the ultimate company man, letting Thomas have his way, going quietly, the way his deposed assistant, Dick Helm, had done. His trusted assistant had resigned in the aftermath of the disastrous loss to the Celtics in the home opener. Just decided that he had some things in his life to work out, packed his bags and bailed on his buddy, Wilkens. Sure he did. In Thomas' first season a year ago, the losing was unacceptable. Oh, it was just unacceptable. Thomas demanded accountability. He was the new sheriff in the Garden, and it was refreshing to see someone refuse to accept the garbage of the Scott Layden-Don Chaney era. Once he started losing with his guys, everything changed. Now, it's called "transition." It's called young guys finding their way, and part of the big, master plan. "I really expect our fans to stay behind us, come through these tough times with us," Thomas said. "Just because it's a little tough and a little rocky, don't start crying and whining, because this is how it is." Don't start crying and whining? Sorry, but you can't serve up this kind of bad basketball and talk to Knicks fans that way. They pay too much money, and listened too intently when Thomas took over promising that they wouldn't have to wait forever for winning basketball. All that tough talk of accountability has faded fast, replaced with more and more excuses. Thomas was in complete spin mode Saturday, insisting that Wilkens had "laid a foundation" and did everything that Thomas wanted in his 40-41 run as coach. Well, they don't defend. Whatever Thomas insisted, his guys don't play hard. They're going to keep getting younger and more athletic, Thomas promised, as though that's a formula for winning basketball. Tim Thomas is young and athletic, and what does that get you? Deeper into salary cap hell with an uninspired, untradable player. There's a reason John Paxson let him go, choosing the Bulls' bright future with winning ex-collegiate stars Kirk Hinrich and Ben Gordon over the intangible-less AAU game of Crawford. If Thomas wanted to be accountable, he should've stood there Saturday and said, "I pushed out Lenny Wilkens." That's all. Stand there, and say: "I pushed out Wilkens, the way I pushed out Helm." Thomas didn't mind doing that with Chaney, who was unnecessarily mistreated on the way out with Thomas' clumsy pursuit of Mike Fratello. Why is it different now? That's easy. Thomas didn't hire Chaney. Thomas hired Wilkens. That's his guy. That's the nature of the business. And before the clamoring gets too loud, everyone needs to forget Phil Jackson. Nine titles or not, he's the wrong coach for the Knicks. Just a horrible fit. There is nothing about his style, his system, to suggest he could turn a struggling team into a contender. The Knicks don't need Zen, they need a kick in the behind. They need Hubie Brown, they need Jeff Van Gundy, they need a tough-minded defensive coach promising to get the most out of an underachieving team. And to imagine the triangle offense with this putrid collection of passers, just forget it. I hate writing this sentence, as much as any I've ever written in my life but here goes: The Knicks are a Larry Brown project. He's a D-minus person, but an A-plus coach. And he's always wanted to coach the Knicks at Madison Square Garden. He won his NBA title with the Pistons, maxed out a team that in the right season found the right formula. Detroit won't do it again, Brown knows. For now, Herb Williams is the perfect Knicks coach for Isiah Thomas. He'll do what Thomas tells him to do, and do it with a smile. It's disappointing. Thomas arrived in New York with a reputation of double-talking, of smiling brightly as he said one thing, only to mean something else. Everyone wants to give Isiah a chance. They really do. Only, his first year on the job hasn't gone nearly as well as he wants you to believe. If it didn’t work in Phoenix with Nash and Stoutamire... it’s just not a winning formula. It’s an entertaining formula, but not a winning one. - Derek Harper talking about D'Antoni's System
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"Wilkens' 'resignation' is not believable" by Adrian Wojnarowski Bergan Record