The Knicks Fix

Good to hear. Alan, I asked before.. is there still reason to be afraid just on the basis that they were active? Does this show that Isiah has more power than we're all hoping he has?

Great success!!!!!!

Alan, doesn't the fact that he tried to get crap like Simmons, Nene, and whatever else mean that he still has all the power? I mean, he just didn't make a deal because nobody anted what we had, not because Dolan told him no trades or to cut the payroll. It was quite the opposite. Also, a lot of people fully expect Isiah Thomas back next year (including people from ESPN like Ric Bucher) and Herb Williams as the coach taking over for Isiah. I mean, this is pitiful. i hope it isn't true but if it is I'm done.

@Matt and George: Excellent points, but maybe we should consider that James Dolan does have final say on all trades. Picking up that kind of contract can't be tolerated. The Vince Carter talk is certainly concerning if you're monitoring what the Knicks were trying to do.

I'm with you Alan, I think Taureen Green is a player, and we miss out when we fail to get him

If Executive/Coach Zeke doesn't go...PLEASE avoid ordering your season tickets at ALL costs!!

I don't care:

1) who they get in the draft
or
2) who they trade for come draft day

Make the Garden look like it does for St. John's games (no offense to Johnnie's alumni)!!

It will be official Isiah will be the past soon. I hope he enjoys the 21 Million left on his contract.

George: I completely agree. If Isiah comes back, I think I'm done. I'm so over it already. I hate not caring about the Knicks. I hate Dolan and I hate Isiah. The whole situation makes me feel so powerless to do anything and simultaneously angry. How can they let this guy back in the building??

Imagine if you showed up to work every day and most days that you showed up something negative happened - say 7-8 negatives in a row followed by one positive. Everytime a negative thing happened you made some flimsy excuse and deflected the blame. Now let's say that some of the negative things that happened were a direct product of the ideas that you implemented. And furthermore, some of the excuses that you made implied that the ideas that you implemented in the first place were a bad idea!

Tell me this: would you still have a job?

How, in any for-profit corporation, is that performance acceptable? We all know Cablevision is a for-profit company (they aren't out there building schools or raising money money for charity) - so why, considering Isiah's track record - does he still have a job? I just don't get it.

Simply put, the fact that respected commentators like Bucher are reporting this is simply beyond my comprehension.

Isiah must go.

I'm having flashbacks of being in the cafeteria in elementary school and trying desperately to pawn off my pretzels for some Oreos. Except I didn't pack my own pretzels for lunch only to feverishly try and unload them a mere hours later. Oh no, they were there because the tyrannical general manager of food acquisition, Mrs. Across the Hudson, had put them there.

What excuse does Isiah have?

Alan,

Great news! To me this strongly indicates the end of the Zeke era. A heck of a mess for the next GM to clean up, at least he won't have any fresh problems to deal with. He can start by first making a good draft pick, then start addressing the cap situation for the future. He'll have time on his side because everyone will sympathize with his situation. Maybe the next GM can do what should have been done four years ago.....REBUILD. Yes, I do believe it's not only possible but imperative that we rebuild, NY'ers will understand and exercise the patience Zeke thinks we lack. Maybe Colon does actually care about this franchise after all.

WHAT A JOKE!!!! I really am hating this team ... how can we be such a mess? We're the EFF-ING NY KNICKS!!!!! Seriously, look at the roster. If you were staring over completely who would you keep? David Lee? Jamal Crawford? Possibly. Other than those two, would you want anyone else? How about an undersized 2 guard who is trying to learn the point and can't defend? How about 2 large blokes who want the ball all the time but can't play any defense? How about a 7 footer who can't get on the court and who we're paying $5 mill a year? A disgruntled PG making $20 mill? A skinny beanpole brought in for his D (which isn't very good) who has NO OFFENSE WHATSOEVER???

I mean, this team just makes you want to puke every day ... and now, we're not even bad enough to get Eric Gordon or Derek Rose??? Someone wake me up in 2010 when we might actually be able to see some light at the end of the tunnel (unless Isiah + Dolan lose their minds and bring on some more bloated contracts!!!)

There's plenty of time to discuss strategies for rebuilding the team under the new GM. For now, however, just let me say . . .

Oh, happy day . . . oh happy day . . .

I think it's important that we're all very careful to spell LAME DUCK correctly over these last few months of Isiah's employment at MSG.

I also don't think it's too early to start thinking about a going away party.

One word of advice, however: Don't get in the truck with Stephon.

IF ISIAH COMES BACK AFTER THIS SEASON I THINK I'M DONE WITH THE KNICKS UNTIL HE IS GONE...

how could dolan bring him back after a pitiful season like this?

losing to boston by 50,losing to the sixers by 40!

and then blaming the sixers loss on the trade deadline.

I SWEAR IF ISIAH COMES BACK AFTER THIS SEASON
I AM OUT!

IF DOLAN DOES NOT CARE ABOUT HIS FRANCHISE WHY SHOULD I?

Thank God we're at status quo. Hopefully Dolan cans Zeke right after Game #82, and is smart enough (don't laugh) to bring in a good GM and coach.

To be frank, fellow Fixers, I'm really just down on even talking about the squad these days. It's just not fun.

- If Isiah had been fired two years ago, he would have been in the same boat with dozens of other GMs who tried and failed. It’s no sin. Not even very good GMs have perfect batting averages (to mix my sports metaphors).
- If Isiah had been fired after last season, he would have deserved mention as a bad-to-terrible sports executive, with maybe an asterisk or two for a few of his overtly stupid trades and signings.
- If he’s fired after this season, he will have earned himself a podium finish among the absolutely worst sports executives of all time . . . any league . . . any sport.
- If Isiah comes back next season . . . I’m not sure it’s possible to think of him with any greater ridicule. If he was a laughingstock a year ago . . . at this point words like “pitiful” come to mind to describe his job performance. But if he’s around for another season . . . I believe that’s the point when Stern will have to step in and stop the bleeding. He’ll probably make some kind of deal with Daddy Dolan, to remove Sonny Boy Dolan from any decision-making capacity at MSG . . . and strong-arm CableVision into hiring a legitimate GM. And Stern will probably bring a list of no more than three to choose from.

Count me in as no longer a Knick fan if Isiah is somehow still here next season, in any capacity.

Thomas cannot come back in any capacity next year if the Knicks are to have any hope of re-establishing themselves as a respected franchise. If Thomas remains, the culture/mentality will not change.
The Knicks need a dynamic coach/GM or coach and GM that can get Doltan to drink the Kool Aid like Thomas did.

On the day Zeke gets fired, the editors of all the tabloids will have a monumental task: writing a backpage headline that captures the hugeness of one of the most historic firings in the history of New York sports.

(Is there anyone out there that will dispute that Isiah's failure's are, indeed, historic? The only thing I can compare it to is if Rich Kotite, in addition to his epic coaching failure with the Jets, also served as GM during that time, lost a sexual harrassment suit, drafted Tony Mandarich No. 2 overall, and lasted four years.)

OK, time for a backpage headline writing contest!

So far, all I've come up with is "End of an Error." Does the pun with End of an Era come through? Or, they could go with simple and sweet ones like "Hallelujah!", "Finally!" or "Now Let's Try to Pretend Like this Never Happened."

If you guys are up for playing, send in your ideas.

Reign of Terror Ends!

Isiah Knixed!

alan,
Thank god isiah thomas did not make any trades today, to further damage the salary cap.

Now, we have to hire Jerry Coangelo & rebuild this basketball team

Man, I've been pondering my End of an Error headline, and it just doesn't capture the epic failure of Isiah's time. It seems like it's impossible to write a headline that will do justice unless it contains an expletive.

Although "Isiah Knixed" is darn good. : )

Reign of "Error"
Isiah Knixed

you can't leave any puns on the table writing tabloid headlines

ASSiah Lord Uncle TomASS 4 President!!!

(Paid for by the James Dolan foundation)

ASSiah is our M-V-P, M-V-P, M-V-P!!!

Hey Alan, I asked you before but you did not comply....
When you see ASSiah, pick him up and body-slam him, PLEASE!

Who we do we like as Ass-iah's replacement?

The only way we get Isiah and his regime out is no show at Knicks games and no buy of any of knicks stuff

27 days and counting...

David Aldridge scoops you.

Again.

Small wonder.

Some people deserve to cover professional basketball for a major metro daily. Others just slide under the door, a leak that slowly mutates into a pile that somehow lands a paycheck.

Tell Berger to get ready for Plano.

And clean up your resume for Home Depot, Hahn.

Who is this Anonymous clown?
Don't tell me that this is 'sick puppy' MARK?

* ASSiah is blaming Layden, LBrown, and the Knicks Intern for this year's debacle. Nothing new there;

* I heard that ASSiah is reaching out to Dr. Jack Kervorkian for help. It's about time;

* Knowing Zneke, he is probably angling for another contract extension with the Dolan empire;

* ASSiah: please go away, go to Iraq, go back to Motown or ChiTown. Or drink antifreeze/coolant, it's good for you.

* Uncle TomASS' eye for talent is and has been producing excellent results. I concur, Mardy Collins is a superstar PG in the making per the KnicksNoD.com community

* Another season wasted, down the drain. Thanks to Mr. eye for talent and his hand-picked untouchables.

Why would Dolan get rid of Zeke for following his orders?
Everyone knows it was Dolan’s call that started our downward spriral
with the Marbury to the bench order at the Sun’s this year!
I don’t think Dolan is that stupid or low enough to fire the very same
coach that carried out his orders to a “T”
Add the fact that Zeke may be the best at drafting in the NBA and
it would appear that Dolan has accepted responsibility for screwing
up this years team!

Maybe this is what Dolan has told Zeke:
Dolan: Look Zeke finish out this year, get us a good pick
in this years draft and use Marbury’s 21 Million expiring contract
to get us what we need to win next year…and I’ll STFU all next season! OK?
Zeke: Fine Jim, Just STFU next year..and BTW I want to bring in Bob Knight
and work on being GM! OK?

Dolan: Fine, I’ll lift all media restictions with Bobby here!
Hell, those NY MSM guys will want me to reinstate them
by November! LOL

The Following is Coach Knight's future first press conference
as the Knicks head coach. Isola asks him about Curry, followed by Mr. Hahn asking him about a point guard!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=50LsvwmgJ7I

Here's a headline if the happy day comes: "FLUSHHHHH!!"

MAK - based on the painfully unfunny "jokes," non-existent knowledge or interest in b-ball, and moronic repetition, I'd say yup.

I'm stoked the Knicks haven't made any more bad trades, but I think that is more to do with the crazy undesirability of the roster. I've read a lot of comments saying dump Zach etc. for expiring contracts - but those are worth way more than the players Isiah is dangling. Isiah made this mess by amassing players without considering anything but their "talent (lol) - contract size was no option. Other teams don't work that way - there's a reason why the Knicks got the rep as a dumping ground for crap deals, and there is no one else who wants those players without sweetener (Lee, the pick, etc.). There are no takers for Zach at four years for the max. People had floated a Wallace trade with Chicago as a way of maybe improving the d and getting out from under a year of Zach, but the Bulls were able to get arguably better players for shorter money without impeding the development of their young forwards. Its the same all over the league - Denver didn't want to take the contract.

The good news is that these players get easier to move as their contracts get shorter. The Marbury expiring is now valuable for an off-season trade. Zach, Curry, the JJ's etc. are all a year shorter, and the (hopefully) new GM will be in a more flexible position going forward whatever the plan.

Peaceman - don't worry, I'm still very worried about Dolan...

One other thing about Knicks trades - imagine the p.r. hit a GM would take for dealing for one of Isiah's darlings, after everything that has appeared in the media. Things are bad enough in Miami - if the Heat announced the acquisition of fat, lazy passive Eddy with his no d, no rebounding game, they'd get crucified in the media and ridiculed across the league. The national perception of the Knicks is another thing that would benefit from a fresh start.

Nobody would argue that Isiah’s done an adequate job of drafting. But the bloom has come off the rose of his much-vaunted “eye for talent.” Let’s not forget that not one player Isiah has drafted has been able to crack one of the least-talented starting units in the league. Most of them still can’t get off the bench on a terrible team.

And the “Marbury problem” started long before Phoenix. It started with Isiah’s massive blunder to trade for him in the first place.

There probably is an outside chance Isiah will still be coach/GM next year. As Alan says: Be very afraid. Then again, almost anything is “possible.” Supposedly it’s statistically possible that if you put enough monkeys in front of enough typewriters, one of them will pound out Moby Dick. But if you’re Random House, that might not be where you go for your next best seller. And if you’re the New York basketball franchise, with any luck, you’ve seen enough mistakes and mismanagement from this GM and coach to know it’s time to bring in some credible people to fill these jobs.

PS - I'd say "yup," too.

That makes a lot of sense....

Why blame Znake?
Blame the owner (Dolan). After all, Dolan has demonstrated willingness to spend the bucks to make the Knicks better but ASSiah screwed it up royally.

Maybe this is what Dolan has told Uncle TomASS:

Dolan: Look Znake, quit already. I really would prefer not to pay the balance of your contract
Zneke: yo Jimmy D. you ignorant fool, I've been on record that "you can take by dignity, but you can't take away my money." Fire me and pay me my money, please! I'm sick & tired of all the boos, all the late night jokes, even Philly fans were chanting "Fire ASSiah"
Dolan: Ah Znake, want some some cyanide or anti-freeze to drink?
Lord TomASS: I've been trying my very best to get fired for months now. What else do you want me to do? I'm so incompetent that I can't even get myself fired no matter how hard I try. Fire me already, please.

Znake: yo James, can your PR machine blame this one on Knicks intern?
Dolan: I don't think so Tim.

As always......
One has to be a total and complete idiot to still be supporting Isiah Lord Thomas.

I agree with Pete this organization needs to rebrand themselves. In a way no trade is a huge bonus for whoever takes the helm next year. We have Fred Jones expiring and some other contracts with only one year left. Next year we will have even more expiring contracts. This is great for a team that needs to rebuild for the future. Isiah's time here i wouldn't say was any better than what Layden tried to do. We need to get some hunger back in this organization and get young, athletic, and smart players. All of the current roster will be black listed as Isiah's guys. Lee will have his name in the notorious group when Zeke leaves the organization and that will be a asterisk near all there names for the ret of there lives.

Go Knicks 08-09 - A new team a new mission

Mak – you know we agree in theory about Isiah. Yet, I would take issue with characterizing someone I disagree with as an idiot. I like having people disagree with me. Think of how boring the world would be otherwise. I think Isiah’s tenure at MSG has been an unqualified disaster. Peaceman obviously doesn’t. He’s allowed. Moreover, I don’t want to discourage him from telling us so. You gotta admit . . . it’s a gutsy opinion these days. But that’s as far as I’ll go. Give him a break. You don’t see that kind of enthusiasm/optimism every day. He’s fighting the same battle on knicksdefense, too -- where, apparently, most bloggers want Isiah fired at this point. Like I said: It takes guts.

If I were GM, I'd let the contracts just come off the books over the next couple of years, unless I could get young prospects and picks, to try and get into a better cap situation. The nice thing about the expirings that AR mentioned is that the new GM can either use them as trade assets or just expire - either way there is flexibility.

I have no problem with Peaceman - I just don't agree with him most of the time.. He cares about the Knicks (unlike, say, the Anon clown) and brings a different point of view.

No one talks about this, but I wouldn't be surprised if Lee didn't resign here. I could see him playing out his contract and going elsewhere as a free agent, just for a fresh start. I hope not - I like his game - but there has to be a part of him that would love to be able to kiss the whole Knicks experience good bye.

I’ve been a little concerned about Lee, as well. But isn’t that long-term? Isn’t he a restricted FA when the first 3-year contract is up? Meaning it’s team’s option to match? I could be wrong about that.

But if I’m right, then it’s still a few years away. By then, a new GM can have the franchise headed in the right direction. If he’s a part of that, maybe he won’t be as eager as he must be today to jump off a sinking ship.

At the same time, he’s one of the genuine assets the new GM will have to work with. Lee, maybe Crawford, and a few of the expiring contracts. I wouldn’t be surprised if Marbury’s contract doesn’t start to look attractive to some GMs around xmas. I say, let him sit at the end of the bench in street clothes ‘till then, and then have a bidding war for all the GMs looking to take $22 million off their cap in the summer of ’09. It could be a long line . . .

I don't characterize someone I disagree with as an idiot.
I do however, unequivocally would characterize someone who still idolize and worship Isiah Lord Thomas an idiot.

There's a clear distinction there.

On another Knicks' site, someone commented that I don't even talk about basketball.
* well, with the Knicks, what basketball?
* since day 1, I've said that Zeke was a bad hire and will ruin NYK basketball;
* as a basketball fan, I have to go to various sites (Lakers, Celts, ESPN, etc.) to talk basketball;
* plus many topics about NYK basketball are just regurgitation of things we've covered already many time before;

I politely would declare: Isiah, please go away already. Have mercy on NY basketball. Let NYK start a genuine rebuilding process. (Jerry Colangelo has expressed interest in coming to NY)

Again, no argument on your characterization of Isiah's tenure in New York. Look above to see how I evaluated his performance, year by year. You may very well be looking at a podium finish in the race for worst team executive of all time . . . any sport . . . any league. You might be able to find a few individual trades that are worse. I'd say Scotty Sterling still may take the trophy for worst trade of all time: McHale and Parish for Joe Barry Carrol. But Isiah stays in the race with the sheer volume of first-class blunders, Not to mention the fact that, after more than 4 years, he still hasn’t brought one legitimate starter to the team. We need an entire starting unit. That's shameful. (OK, you can park Zbo at the 4 while you go after higher priorities to build a team, but he’s not the answer there, either.)

I, too, am shocked there are still a few die-hard Isiah supporters (very few, but a few). But, again, that's okay. Yet so many have dropped out. There was some Bozo on Isola’s blog as recently as last summer calling Zeke GM of the Year. The problem isn’t their faith in Zeke. It’s how dismissive some were of any critical opinion. Guess the season hasn’t quite gone the way they expected.

All this stuff is just opinions, of course. But the one thing you can’t argue with is the standings. And we’ll be lucky to match the team’s record under Larry Brown. Whether you love the man or hate the man, the standings are his report card. This is his team. He assembled it. He coaches it. And he’ll be lucky to get 25 wins out of them this year. That, you can’t argue with. And that’s an unqualified dismal failure.

GREAT NEWS NO TRADE MADE BY ZEKE..
IF ZEKE ISN'T FIRED THE KNICKS MIGHT WIN 1 GAME IN THE 2008-09 SEASON..

point guard isn't going to fix nothin we need a born star.
derrick rose eric gordan.lmao....2 bad yall aint scouts....lmao....

we need to get guys like josh smith young guys that been in the league an opther teams aint givin them a chance.....

HOW LONG DID J.ONEAL SAT ON THE PORTLAND BENCH B4 INDY GOT HIM? 4 YEARS DOING NOTHIN THATZ MY POINT..GIVE SOM1 A CHANCE ALOT OF HIGH SCHOOL GUYS ARE GOOD OR GREAT THERE ARE HARDLY ANY BAD 1Z..

I THINK DORELL WRIGHT OF THE HEAT IF GIVEN A CHANCE WILL BE GOOD OR GREAT HE IS A GOOD DEFENDER N HAS SOME OFFENSIVE SKILLS PLUS IS YOUNG..MARTEL WEBSTER GERALD GREEN..ETC THOSE ARE THE GUYS U GIVE A CHANCE...THEY YOUNG AN IF THEY LOVE THE GAME U CAN FINDOUT WHEN U GIVE THEM THE CHANCE....

STAY TUNED FOR MORE KNOWLEDGE...

why does everyone consider mebury's contract an asset? what is attractive to a g.m. (who doesn't work for dolan) about throwing 22million into the toilet? why would any g.m. do that? the only scenario that makes sense is if that g.m. were looking to dump some equally onerous but longer term contract. is that what we are really looking for? are we really looking to add to long term payroll?

i am not, and that is why i am against trading this contract. just clear the payroll, give a new g.m. room to work with. it's time to get real fellow fixers, there is little worth salvaging with this mob. our best player, jamal, might not start for 20 other teams in this league. the other guys everyone here seem to love (balkman, n8, lee) wouldn't start for ANY team in this league.

forget rebuilding, we're talking demolition.

I've got news for you. Most of those guys don't even start here. And we've got one of the least-talented starting units in the league. And Crawford should come off the bench, too.

But don't discount how valuable a maxed-out expiring contract is to another GM. That could be a valuable chip in a sign and trade for a genuine all-star that another team can't afford to re-sign, for example. A contract like Marbury's might be the single best asset a team could have - other than another all-star, of course. But by your own logic -- let the new GM decide that, and how he wants to play it.

Well FIXERS....looks like coming up empty was GOOD!
The player that hurts this team the most, SAT the entire 2nd
half! 6.5 games out of the playoffs with an even weaker East!
March 12th is the Knicks window! Why? We will run 7 straight
against......
1.HEAT
2.ATL
3.Pacers
4.Memphis
5.Wolfs
6.Nets
7.Heat

then we may beat the Raptors...again so that may be an 8 game win streak! So FIXERS....get the Ad Nauseum Colangelos or whatever common NBA drool out of your mouths.
Enjoy COACH THOMAS THE NEXT THREE YEARS!!!

MAK , are you the Idiot expert? Seems you have lots of Idiot experience to mak such statements! LOL LOL LOL
Gotta check to see who won the Raptors game...or Mr, Hahn did we come up Empty...like your lead post?????

Sec11rowH,

If we have a demolition it will be so called fans like you!
Your silence is too loud when the Knicks pull off a quality win!!!
I guess we won't see you blog a lot the next 27 games!!!!

It’s certainly a great day in New York when the Knicks win a basketball game. Everybody gets excited about that. All the more so because it’s such a rare, rare event. When it only happens once or twice every dozen or so games, Knicks fans are allowed to stand up and cheer. That’s only natural. But we need to be a little careful so others don’t perceive us as gloating, or bad winners. No team that’s 19 games under .500 can gloat, or has anything to feel smug about. That’s an easy way to look extremely foolish. And it might force a team like last night’s losers – who will be in the playoffs, incidentally - to do some inescapable mathematics: Namely, by late February the Knicks have had all of 17 gloat-opportunities. Yet 38 deafening silences. Those numbers don’t speak well for the home team . . . or the gloaters.

The only thing I took from yesterdays games against the superior Raptors was a Knicks team playing more out of anger and a killer mentality and were taking it out on Bosh and the Raptors. The problem is they need constant motivation from the garden crowd are something negative to work with. Jamal Crawford is an enigma much like the whole team. He reminds me when you play NBA 2008 and the shooter is on fire. He becomes invincible. But the there are nights maybe a 5 game span of games were he score 2-12 points. They will most likely lose on Sunday because they can't handle prosperity.