I used this line earlier in the season when Isiah Thomas said he liked the direction his team was headed:
South is a direction.
But Thomas appeared to have found religion at the deadline. Two years after he made that bizarre trade for Steve Francis and uttered the words, "It's so crazy, it just might work!", Thomas was extolling the virtue of abstinence.
“We weren’t trying to break anything up," Thomas said as he explained the inactivity at the trade deadline. "I think this is a time you use more caution and you are a little more conservative. You don’t want to take a step back. In the situation that we’re in, I believe we have good young players, I believe we have good young talent, even though we haven’t played like I thought we would have played this year . . . The most important thing is we didn’t take a step back. We didn’t try to save the day with that one savior, bad contract that goes on for a lifetime. It’s a tough position that we’re in right now, but I do believe we’re still headed in the right direction.”
I have to stay consistent here. All along I have promoted the idea of doing nothing and certainly not adding payroll. I believed, like many of you Fixers, that the most Thomas should have been permitted to do is dump salary. We know he tried to do that when he engaged in talks with the Denver Nuggets about Zach Randolph. What we know is the Nuggets were divided about bringing Randolph in and, eventually, the deal died on the table. If Thomas was able to get Linas Kleiza in the package, he would have been commended. But I'm told Nene was eventually what Denver tried to pawn off to the Knicks and that is an even worse contract to take. It was decided that Kleiza was too valuable and, perhaps, only briefly available in talks for Ron Artest, which never came to fruition, either. The Nuggets are spending enough on Carmelo and Iverson, they were not about to add another big contract without shedding one.
Thomas indirectly acknowledged the Denver situation when he said there was only one team that got involved in anything serious with the Knicks.
“We had one serious conversation with one team and that’s as far as it went," Thomas said. "All these other teams that are talking, were basically talking about their players trying to get their players names out there. But we only basically had one serious conversation. I thought it was serious.”
I couldn't resist, however, so I asked Isiah why he felt, with so many holes on this team, that it was better not to make any moves. I admit it's a loaded question, but that's the job.
“Well, you got to keep building," Thomas said. "You want to make the right move. You just don’t want to make a move to sit down in front of you today and say, hey, we made a move. We want to keep moving in the right direction. You definitely don’t want to take a step back and as painful as this has been and as painful as it is, including for myself, the most important thing is that we don’t do anything that’s going to damage us three or four years down the road.”
Sounds like Isiah has been reading the Knicks Fix. I should start charging.
I'm generally not a media scrum grandstander. But I had to follow-up.
How can you say, with this record, that you’re moving in the right direction?
“It’s difficult to see and difficult to say, because the wins don’t add up to what I’m saying," Thomas replied. "You do have the right to second-guess or speculate about what I’m saying, but my belief is that we’re moving in the right direction."
Pause.
"The wins aren’t there now," he added, "but, the way this league is, it takes time and, suddenly, it happens.”
Suddenly is happens?
James Dolan isn't still buying this, is he?
At the end of the conversation, Isiah made an interesting comparison of his two biggest contracts, Stephon Marbury and Zach Randolph.
“We only have one big contract; that’s Marbury’s contract," he said. "Zach’s contract, you know, for the way he produces, his numbers and everything, is justified. He’s played well for us. Other than that, everybody else is in the 5-to-8 milllion dollar range. The players that are performing for us on a nightly basis and playing for us on a nightly basis, some of them aren’t even making 2-to-3 million dollars. We’re very cognizant and very conscious of getting the number down and managing our number and I think we’re in a manageable situation right now. I’m glad we didn’t do anything yesterday to damage that.”
I kept playing back that last line, too. I'm glad we didn't do anything . . . sound like maybe someone else wanted him to make a move and he was against it?
Things that make you go "Hmmmm...."
*
Everything from this point forward should be a full analysis of the future. What matters is the solid minutes David Lee played (dude's a good outlet passer and is starting to show some mid-range touch) in this quality win over Toronto -- let's put away the playoff calculator -- along with the fact that Zach Randolph (dubba-dubba) continues to do what Eddy Curry doesn't: play with fire and determination. And as a result, we see Curry spend yet another second half buried on the bench. Let the debate begin: who do you keep? Curry or Randolph? Discuss.
Isiah knows his time is running thin, so, for him, every game is critical for survival. He's coaching to win, not to plan for next season. Which is why when he was asked before Friday's game if he would start playing the younger players, such as Wilson Chander, Randolph Morris and Mardy Collins, more, Thomas replied, "Now is not the time."
Perhaps the second quarter against the Sixers on Wedneday was the time. But Isiah isn't going down with this ship without gunning the main engines first.
*
I'll close here with a shout-out to MSG Network. I watched the feature, Lapchick and Sweetwater: Breaking Barriers which aired after the game. Outstanding feature, but I have a biased (no pun intended) opinion because my first basketball mentor Gus Alfieri -- the St. Anthony's legendary coach and former St. John's star -- who wrote an excellent book about Joe Lapchick that released last year, was a big part of the documentary.
What might have been more sobering than the fact that there was a time in our society when it was acceptable to discriminate and deliberately segregate, was that Nat Clifton spent his post-playing career driving a cab in Chicago. He was not bitter and showed no chip on his shoulder about how much money the players make nowadays. It seems Clifton enjoyed driving his cab, which shows a humble, genuine quality we don't see enough of from today's pro athletes.
(By the way, Brian McNamee et al, that's what the phrase "It is what it is" really means.)
In one part of the documentary, when Clifton was at his high school talking to some kids, one of them asked, "Did you play in the NBA?" His reply, "I used to play for the Knickerbockers."
That was back when they were called the 'Knickerbockers.' That's old school, baby.
Comments (25)
I'd definitly keep Randolph over Eddy, he has an outside game unlike Curry and seems to at least care about the game when he's in. I believe if we got a good SF (ron artest?) and had a lineup of Nate, Jamal, a really good SF, zach, and Dlee we could have a good team in 2 years or so. We would also need to get rid of curry, get a defensive minded center, and a pointguard to come off the bench. If nate continues to start the rest of the season i think he has a chance of being the PG we all want him to be and that he showed signs of becoming in the summer league.
The Knicks will end up with the 8th pick in the NBA draft. They can't even lose right and they wont. Teams are catching up to them and they will soon drop out of the top 5 worst records in the league and end the season with their patented 33 wins. Better yet? Isiah Thomas will retain his job.
Everybody get on your feet and celebrate!
George, you are correct. The Knicks will win enough games over the next six weeks to drop them out of a slot where they can acquire a game changer. And Dolan will decide that Isiah has the team in the right direction and bring him back. The Knicks will then trade Curry for some spare parts.
If all this transpires, I won't renew my season tickets. I've had them since 1986, but unless Isiah is fired, I'm out.
You'd be crazy to keep Curry and trade Zbo. Zbo is a baller...he's competitive and works hard, just not consistently, especially when he feels like he's been fouled and didn't get the call.
Eddy Curry has the body, but not the mind, to play in this league.
As I've said before, if the Knicks could hire a personal trainer and psychiatrist/life coach to live and work with Eddy in the off season, and get his body and mind into top NBA shape, maybe there'd be a chance, with a new coach next year, for him to be a new player. Seems like a worthwhile investment to improve something you've already invested tens of millions in....but again, Eddy would have to WANT to do it. In 4 months of really hard work and discipline, Eddy Curry could transform his body into looking more like Dwight Howard and less like Jerome James.
As is, with his pudgy body, and fragile, sulky attitude, and one dimensional game...he's more of a liability. Which is why he can't stay on the floor in games.
What Thomas was really saying the other day was that the era of big pudgy centers who can't move and run the floor is over. (aka James and Curry) Not that the era ever really existed. There's too many seven footers in this league who can run the floor, drain the 20 footer, and still play and defend the post. The other type of big man who is really valuable is the Howard/Wallace/Greg Oden/Mutombo/Mourning types who are going to guard and rebound your paint with a crazed vengeance.
The Eddy experiment was a gamble, and unfortunately, still an upgrade over the complete failure of the Jerome James experiment. Both these guys have to go. There's simply no room in the NBA for fat, plodding big men.
Exciting game last night. I think getting Curry off the floor was a huge factor, and is a rare good coaching move by Isiah. I figured it would turn into another blowout after the first quarter.
A couple of postings ago I said the Knicks never beat good teams at full strength. There is an exception, and we saw it yesterday – the Jamal gets ridiculously hot game, when he bumps his shooting % by 10-20 and/or doubles his scoring. Last night I saw the usual poorly constructed poorly coached team – just this time they were bailed out, as they have been on occasion before, by a hot night from Jamal. Not to be a downer about a win, but it is irritating to hear Isiah going on about the right direction when, if Jamal had turned his average performance, the Knicks would have lost by double digits. Its not team progress – it’s the streakiness that he has had since his Chicago days (the 18 ppg. guard who can get 50 once in a blue moon). It’s why I’d like him as a scorer off the bench – ride him when he’s hot, but spare us the 43 min./4-17 nights.
LGM - Zach is a baller on one end of the floor only. His defense is horrible, and max money for four years is a lot to pay for a one-dimensional player who is selfish, but as the featured player on a team never sniffs the playoffs. I agree that Curry is worse, but both need to go.
To Isiah Thomas, "moving in the right direction" means praying Crawford hits for 40. I'll give him this, when that happens, we'll at least be in the games. And maybe even win a few of them. That's Isiah's idea of a team concept.
Team Isiah is fortunate enough that many teams have not yet resorted to simply double teaming Crawfish (for majority of the game), limit his touches, get the other guys (who?) to beat you.
Teams that have got Ws.
Which resulted in ThomASS whining & complaining that opposing teams have made "adjustments" to their defenses to neutralize his handpicked untouchables. (Was this idiot actually suggesting that the league should not allow opposing coaches to make adjustments & countermoves?)
TRANE:
The village 'idiots' still supporting Isiah appears to be just looking out for Zeke's well being and not the necessarily the Knicks org. There's a very clear & discernible difference.
We may disagree but that's my take.
I’ve been saying for months that Isiah has a fundamental conflict of interest coaching the Knicks. He needs wins now to desperately try to keep his job. So he’s totally abandoned what little young talent he’s brought to the team. He can’t afford to play them. Also, he makes it sound like he decided not to make any moves. My hunch is the truth is probably that there was either too little interest in his marginal assets. Or, he isn’t allowed to negotiate deals any longer. LAME DUCK GMs often find themselves in that position.
George,
33 wins? So after starting 17-38, they're going to go 16-11 down the stretch? I know what you're saying (story of the Knicks and all), but how? Also, don't forget that the Trailblazers had 32 wins last year and still ended up with #1 overall pick. They were tied for the 6th worst record last year, so that's something to keep an eye on.
Alan, about playing the young guys, don't you think that might give the Knicks a better chance of winning, despite their inexperience? Especially Lee and Balkman in particular. Wouldn't our best case scenario be a lot of Curry and Q: they play well (decent), up their trade value, we lose games for a top pick, and Isiah gets fired?
Marc
@david-
i'm with you, i've been a season ticket holder for 30 years, and if isiah isn't fired immediately after the season, i am done with this mob. i think i will my knicks ticket representative and let him know that many of us are leaving if isiah stays.
Sec11rowH,
I have already contacted my rep and told him that Isiah needs to be fired. He essentially said, yes, we get lots of calls about that. But that he is not allowed to comment. However, he said, "I hear you."
This is seriously it, though. Dolan must do the right thing and fire Isiah and hire Colangelo, or some other accomplished NBA executive.
Nice job George. Peaceman's still predicting playoffs for the Knicks. After the season, Peaceman will probably claim the refs or the league as a whole had a conspiracy to keep New York out of the playoffs.
As to the roster, it's filled with worthless commodities - save David Lee as a role player - that cannot be traded for any value. Lousy players. Even worse contracts.
Isiah has doomed this franchise for the next five to seven years.
Its all about how you define "right direction"... or maybe "headed."
I see the Troll snuck up from hs parents basement to use their computer! I love the fact that the Nets have 7th seed and Philly
has 8th seed. I know you guys hate it but the knicks look like a decent bet to make 7th or 8th seed.
Makunuts is even faulting teams (not doubeling Craw) in his
twisted fanhood pretense! Man if it hurts you when the Knicks win
just stop watching! Go row your Boat!
For the people who state they won't renew their season tickets if Zeke is there next year.....don't let the door hit you in the Azz..
as many will jump to get them...maybe even at a higher price!
Your fooling yourself if you think "you" are important in this City because you have Knicks "Season Tickets." No one cares when you give ultimatums about who should Coach...they will say "sorry you feel that way " and sell your season ticket to the person on hold! Don't be another Dross with your season ticket
threats of power...when you really are less important than you think you are! Lets go Knicks!
Is Isiah wrong about the paragraph below? I actually don't think so. The question is what can you do in the offseason because you only have one starter on that team and it's Zach. I agree that Crawford is best served in a bench role.
“We only have one big contract; that’s Marbury’s contract," he said. "Zach’s contract, you know, for the way he produces, his numbers and everything, is justified. He’s played well for us. Other than that, everybody else is in the 5-to-8 milllion dollar range. The players that are performing for us on a nightly basis and playing for us on a nightly basis, some of them aren’t even making 2-to-3 million dollars. We’re very cognizant and very conscious of getting the number down and managing our number and I think we’re in a manageable situation right now. I’m glad we didn’t do anything yesterday to damage that.”
Often what Peaceman says is true. In many cities, fans probably don’t make decisions about season tickets based on the coach. But we shouldn’t underestimate the astonishing amount of animosity Isiah has generated in this city. (A LOT of people REALLY don't like him - or, at least, the miserable job he's done in NY.) When Newsday ran a poll, more than 80% wanted him fired. And they weren't all sports writers. That’s unambiguous. The man has VERY few supporters left in this city – justifiably. It’s just a terrible shame that the man who owns the team might be one of them. (Might.) I’d like to see Dolan try to raise prices. For one of the worst products in the league. This team won’t even match last year’s dismal win total.
As far as making the playoffs . . . it’s ironic how little it means and what a meager accomplishment it would be in such a weak conference. But the greatest irony of all could be that if – somehow? – Isiah manages to make the playoffs (don’t worry, he won’t) . . . but with such weak competition it could happen . . . and the irony is, after 4 years of incompetence and mismanagement . . . making the playoffs could be his single most destructive act, in the long-term . . . by denying the Knicks a decent top of the lottery pick so the new GM can START building a franchise here. Baz isn’t wrong. After more than 4 years, we have, at best, one player talented enough to be on the starting unit on a decent team – Randolph - and he would be just a place-holder until a real power forward is available.
In the past I’ve wondered whether some teams wouldn’t be better off in the lottery than in the playoffs . . . but this year’s New York Knicks could be the textbook example of a team that needs talent a LOT more than it needs 4 playoff blow-outs. (It’s frightening - we need an entire starting unit. When should we start assembling it? Summer ’09?) And don’t tell me the lottery is a guarantee. Of course it’s not. But when you’re as desperate as we are, you can’t deny yourself the opportunity. Getting in the playoffs might save Isiah’s job. (And think what you will about whether that’s good or bad for the team in the long run.) But, certainly, the long-term health of the team is much better served with a top 5 lottery pick. Which is likely where we’re headed anyway . . . but the amount of damage this man can cause this team knows no bounds. Be very afraid.
is isiaih talking about direction or erection?
i'm in da truck. will handle direction or erection that comes my way
steph is laughin his head off with isiaih's right erection speech (lmao)
knicks intern
Trane - Lee could start for some of the playoff teams in the league. I don't think you can really build a winner around Zach.
@Pete
I think you can build a winner with zach if the player compliments what zach does best..shoot and rebound
YOU NEED A SHOT BLOCKING CENTER ...
hasheem thabeet from uconn would look nice next to randolph.
that dude blocks alot of shots and won't take away randoplh's offensive game.
fave players on knicks:LEE&CRAWFORD
AND WE STILL NEED A STARTING A SMALL FORWARD WHO CAN SCORE...
isiah is a bum but i don't think he is going anywhere.
dolan has got a love jones for thomas that no one can understand.
@peaceman
got to give you credit you will support the knicks to the end.
playoffs?i don't think so...
how about some player development?
play the young cats and stop being so self serving isiah!
I like Lee, too. And think he could develop into a starter. Especially if that jumper we’re starting to see becomes more reliable. But he’s got to play some defense at the 4. Also, I’ve always had him slotted as sixth man of the year. He wasn’t all that far away last year when he got hurt. I’m curious how many players have averaged a double-double off the bench. I think he’s still a role player, still too one-dimensional to start on a legitimate contender . . . but he’s young and I’m not putting any kind of cap on his development. I just wish the Knicks believed in developing their young talent. It’s pretty obvious they’ve been abandoned for a “win-now” philosophy. (Sort of frightening for a team 19 games under .500) But it’s clear the coach is more interested in trying to save his job than he is in developing this team for the future.
@peaceman
got to give you credit you will support the knicks to the end.
playoffs?i don't think so...
The SS felt the same way about Hitler. Neocons still adore Dick Cheney.
And Peaceman will carry Isiah's bags anywhere.
Alan - I think the filters need up-grading. Or we need screens on the windows. All kinds of vermin are getting in that are supposed to be kept out.
Yet it shows you just how sad and lonely some people are. How many of us would go somewhere we were specifically told we’re NOT wanted? That’s as good a definition of "desperate" as I’ve ever heard. The real message of every Anonymous post is: Look at me . . . I'm sad and lonely.
@ NYC 2 Infinity - I haven't seen much of Thabeet - lots of block highlights. How does he look as a rebounder/clog the middle guy?
I just don't know why so many people put stock into Isiah's hollow quotes. These are the same robotic responses he gives all the time, and everybody always gets riled into an uproar about it. Almost all of his comments come off as preposterously safe, trying to be the prototypical MSG company man by following their absurd media policy, and when he speaks he seems restricted or as if he's doing so out of obligation or to placate the reporters who frequently ask him the same questions. If someone is that disingenous that often, why take him seriously and place so much value into meritless talk?
@Pete
thabeet is a good defensive presence...something the knicks lack.
kind of like a marcus camby type.
he gets points off of misses at the rim...no set plays for him
he is a intimidator,rebound type
this is the kind of guy that could do well with randolph
also he could pick up randolph's defensive breakdowns.