One of last season's most ridiculed decisions came from the desk of New York owner James Dolan, who handed Isiah Thomas a multiyear extension in mid-March despite the Knicks being five games under .500 and barely hanging on to the No. 8 spot in the East.
Dolan said the Knicks had made "significant and evident progress," so Thomas was rewarded for a job well done with some peace of mind. The vote of confidence didn't work out like the owner hoped. New York won just four of its remaining 19 games, didn't come close to reaching the postseason and then had its dirty laundry aired in a sexual harassment suit filed by former MSG vice president Anucha Browne Sanders.
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| The move for Starbury wasn't a good one, but at least Isiah Thomas stands by it. (AP) |
In the four years Thomas has spent as president, they Knicks have made the playoffs only once, getting swept by rival New Jersey. They've never finished above .500. They spent a fortune to hire Larry Brown and then paid him to go away. They've run neck-and-neck with Indiana for the league lead in embarrassing situations.
Through it all, Thomas has smiled and pressed forward, dropping nuggets of false bravado and unabashed optimism that would make Dr. Phil envious. He has drafted pretty well, coming up with gems in David Lee and this year's selection, Wilson Chandler, but that's about all he can be credited for getting right.
It's become increasingly easy to criticize Thomas so, to be fair, I feel like I should point out some positives.
In his mind, everything he has done has been for the good of the franchise, and that's respectable. He's stepped up and made himself accountable by coaching the team he put together, finding out first-hand how poorly constructed his squad is. In that aspect, he has been a stand-up guy.
To be even more fair, consider how bad the Knicks team he inherited was. There were awful contracts like Howard Eisley's and Shandon Anderson's that Scott Layden handed out like candy canes around the holidays. Undersized forwards Othella Harrington and Clarence Weatherspoon were part of the frontcourt rotation. It was an ugly time.
This is where Thomas apologists should stop reading.
He came in guns blazing and happily made sweeping changes, but the reason he deserves so much blame is because few have worked. Thomas' most important move was the blockbuster deal to bring Stephon Marbury home, which cost the Knicks a pair of valuable first-round picks. At the time, it seemed like a steal. Hindsight being 20-20, even Thomas would have to admit it hasn't worked out as well as he would've hoped. Meanwhile, the Suns replaced Marbury with Steve Nash and took off.
Zach Randolph follows Eddy Curry, Quentin Richardson and Marbury as the latest of the Thomas' tweaks, which gives him a nucleus that he's entirely responsible for spending MSG's money on. If this season doesn't end in a playoff berth, the brave smile Thomas is famous for putting on shouldn't see the light of day on the Knicks sideline.
It hasn't been for lack of trying, but if this season goes sour, Dolan owes it to New York to write yet another check to get a coach out of town.
Significant and evident progress? Dolan obviously needs to look up both words in the dictionary. It's time to see real results.
| New York Knicks |
| Power Ranking Rank: 21st |
| Projected Record: 36-46, 4th Atlantic |
| Best case scenario: Zach Randolph and Eddy Curry form an imposing tandem that Stephon Marbury never grows tired of feeding. |
| Worst case scenario: The pieces don't fit -- again -- but Thomas is brought back for yet another season. |
| X-factor: David Lee has the ability to change a game with his energy, so Thomas has to find a way to get him as many minutes as possible. |
| Early season schedule: The Knicks are the last team to debut, visiting Cleveland on Nov. 2. They return home for the next four, hosting Minnesota, Denver, Orlando and a Miami team that likely will be without Dwyane Wade. |
| 2007-08 NBA Team Previews | ||
| Eastern | ||
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 Boston Celtics |  Chicago Bulls |  Atlanta Hawks |
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 New York Knicks |  Detroit Pistons |  Miami Heat |
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