Updated Jan. 23
Isiah Thomas, you need to go.
Your actions on Monday night are unforgivable. Somehow, you thought it would be a good idea to let your Knicks play through Miami's franchise-record 27-0 run. Jason Kapono and Udonis Haslem hit practically every shot they took while the Knicks just stood around and watched.
The Heat went on to win 101-83 without Dwyane Wade and Shaquille O'Neal.
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| Did Isiah Thomas quit on his Knicks Monday night? (AP) |
"There is no strategy for being down 29-3. As professionals and as men, you have to step out on that floor and compete against the other player. There is no strategy for lying down and taking it."
You got one right. There's no excuse for allowing a team to get carved up like a Thanksgiving turkey by not calling a single timeout when it became clear one was needed. You let the Knicks down, just like they let you down.
Look, there's no doubt you were a fabulous basketball player, among the best floor generals of your generation. You were tough, arrogant, brilliant and dominant. Anyone who saw you play respects you.
As a coach, though, you're a failure. Sadly, the exact traits that made you so valuable as a superstar fail you in the role you occupy now. It doesn't build character to take a 27-0 beating. It builds catastrophe.
Bob Knight coached you at Indiana? You didn't pick up anything from him? As hot-headed as he is, Knight would never have allowed his team to be embarrassed the way you did. You left your team out there to die, and it should be no surprise that they died. It's what you set them up to do.
The New York Knicks are a joke. Thanks to bad management, they were awful before you got there. Your bravado made everyone, including owner James Dolan, believe you had the remedy.
You don't. You have no idea. You're clueless to the point where it hurts to watch. A 27-0 run without a timeout? Are you even trying?
Sadly, the fact is you are. But you just don't get it. Stop being so pompous that you believe your team will rise to each challenge you set forth. Your job is to help the team grow. A 27-0 run, without a timeout, doesn't accomplish a thing.
Except prove how foolish you truly are.
The week's Power Rankings:
| Power Rankings | ||||||||||
| Current | Team | Previous | ||||||||
 | 1 | Lakers · Trends | 1 | |||||||
| Knicks, Warriors, Nets -- it's been a while since Lakers faced a real team. ... Best passing big man in game? Pau Gasol averaging 4.2 assists. | ||||||||||
 | 2 | Magic · Trends | 2 | |||||||
| Battle of Florida, Round 1, ends in controversy; no Magic in referee's non-call. ... Last road loss: Nov. 8 at Oklahoma City. | ||||||||||
 | 3 | Suns · Trends | 5 | |||||||
| Tweet: NBA blows whistle on multitasking Amare Stoudemire, but he says he's innocent (and $7,500 poorer). ... Average score in four-game win streak: 119-98. | ||||||||||
 | 4 | Cavaliers · Trends | 3 | |||||||
| LeBron in the NFL? Might be great tight end, but why take paycut?. ... No consistency: Inexcusable losses at Toronto, Washington, Charlotte. | ||||||||||
 | 5 | Celtics · Trends | 7 | |||||||
| Truth has $30,000 price: Rasheed Wallace labels "Turkododo" a flopper. ... Time to get serious: Kevin Garnett ties season-high with 35 minutes in win at Miami. | ||||||||||
 | 6 | Hawks · Trends | 4 | |||||||
| First crack: Joe Johnson shoots 23 for 66, club loses three of four. ... Easy to figure out these guys: 9-1 when scoring 100 or more, 3-4 when held to double digits. | ||||||||||
 | 7 | Mavericks · Trends | 8 | |||||||
| Wrong side of history: Warriors play just six players, win at Dallas. ... Blowout loss to Cavs nothing new: That's four straight by average of 17.5 points. | ||||||||||
 | 8 | Nuggets · Trends | 6 | |||||||
| M-V-P? Fans shout it out as Carmelo Anthony scorches Knicks for 50. ... Shocking end to 17-game home streak; club had beaten Timberwolves 10 straight. | ||||||||||
 | 9 | Jazz · Trends | 11 | |||||||
| Carlos Boozer averaging 23.7-11.1 double-double in club's six-of-seven march up standings. ... Jazz have 36 assists, Blazers 34 hoops in 16-point drubbing. | ||||||||||
 | 10 | Spurs · Trends | 14 | |||||||
| Room for improvement: Richard Jefferson has nine field goals last four games. ... Softies devoured, three heavyweights (Celtics, Nuggets, Jazz) await in five-day stretch. | ||||||||||
 | 11 | Trail Blazers · Trends | 9 | |||||||
| Last quality win (at home vs. Spurs) now almost month away. ... Zach Randolph (remember him?) enjoys homecoming at Blazers' expense. | ||||||||||
 | 12 | Heat · Trends | 13 | |||||||
| Too much stuffing? Heat among seven home losers (to Wizards) on day after Thanksgiving. ... Hope to avoid you in April: Club has lost nine of 10 to Celtics. | ||||||||||
 | 13 | Rockets · Trends | 10 | |||||||
| Honeymoon's over: Early surprise team hasn't won back-to-back in a month. ... Where's Tracy McGrady? Club shoots 71 of 175 in home losses to Mavericks, Spurs. | ||||||||||
 | 14 | Thunder · Trends | 15 | |||||||
| Giant-killing continues: Add Jazz to list that includes Magic, Spurs, Heat. ... He can pass, too: Kevin Durant has at least a handful of assists in five of last seven. | ||||||||||
 | 15 | Bobcats · Trends | 19 | |||||||
| Trade paying dividends: Stephen Jackson averaging 40 minutes for club that's won four straight. ... Gerald Wallace takes Michael Jordan's advice, outplays LeBron James in win over Cavaliers. | ||||||||||
 | 16 | Bucks · Trends | 12 | |||||||
| Four-game losing streak includes two-, three-point losses. ... What's problem? Brandon Jennings since 55-point explosion: 59 of 160 (369). | ||||||||||
 | 17 | Bulls · Trends | 17 | |||||||
| Time to move up: After 10 of first 15 on road, nine of next 11 at home. ... No laughing matter: Club now 10-61 last 10 "Circus Trips." | ||||||||||
 | 18 | Kings · Trends | 24 | |||||||
| Bring on New England: Club sweeps three against New York, New Jersey, New Orleans. ... Another surprise for surprising team: Sergio Rodriguez impresses at point guard. | ||||||||||
 | 19 | Hornets · Trends | 18 | |||||||
| Last four road games: 0-4, 15.0 average margin of defeat. Next visit: Lakers. ... Good time for Chris Paul to rest: Club follows two-game week with two-game week. | ||||||||||
 | 20 | Raptors · Trends | 16 | |||||||
| Blown-out club glad Canadian Steve Nash (20 points, 16 assists) comes north just once a year. ... Only Warriors (112.4 ppg) worse defensively than Raptors (109.3). | ||||||||||
 | 21 | Wizards · Trends | 21 | |||||||
| Antawn Jamison doubles up on double-doubles in two wins, goes double-single in loss to Bobcats. ... Time to make move: Celtics, Suns only elite foes in December. | ||||||||||
 | 22 | Clippers · Trends | 25 | |||||||
| Marcus Camby climbing rebound list: 62 in last four games. ... Is .500 in their future? The 8-10 club gets next five at home. | ||||||||||
 | 23 | Warriors · Trends | 26 | |||||||
| Short-handed travelers make total of seven substitutions in shocker at Dallas. ... Scorching Monta Ellis goes for 34, 37, 42, 45 in five-game stretch. | ||||||||||
 | 24 | Pistons · Trends | 22 | |||||||
| Bloody Charlie Villanueva helps in win over Hawks, then has surgery on broken nose. ... TV truck catches fire, Pistons don't in viewer-less home loss to Clippers. | ||||||||||
 | 25 | Pacers · Trends | 20 | |||||||
| League leader in free throws allowed puts Monta Ellis on line 16 times in loss to Warriors. ... Mike Dunleavy hits first 11 foul shots after nearly 10-month absence. | ||||||||||
 | 26 | 76ers · Trends | 23 | |||||||
| A.I. II: Ay yi yi. ... Knew it wouldn't be easy: Seven-game losing streak includes Cavaliers, Celtics, Hawks, Spurs, Mavericks. | ||||||||||
 | 27 | Grizzlies · Trends | 27 | |||||||
| Improvement noted: Club is 5-4 after 1-8 start. ... Jamaal Tinsley puts PT over W's, signs with Grizzlies. | ||||||||||
 | 28 | Knicks · Trends | 28 | |||||||
| Double your pleasure: Sunday duel with lowly Nets one of two this month. ... Anthony adds to infamy: Four of last 10 to score 50 have faced Knicks. | ||||||||||
 | 29 | Timberwolves · Trends | 29 | |||||||
| Don't want to make them mad: Club avenges home loss to Nuggets with stunner at Denver. ... Improving Ramon Sessions cutting into Jonny Flynn's playing time. | ||||||||||
 | 30 | Nets · Trends | 30 | |||||||
| Frank-ly speaking, change needed after noncompetitive Western swing. ... Good news for new coach Kiki Vandeweghe: Bobcats, Knicks, Bulls, Warriors, Pacers in eight-day stretch | ||||||||||
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