The Knicks Fix

We've seen just about every possible name associated with the Knicks job at this point. And that trend will continue as long as Donnie Walsh continues to extend this process of finding a coach.

But Mike D'Antoni?

According to SI.com, D'Antoni's days in Phoenix are over after another playoff ouster at the hands of the San Antonio Spurs.

McCallum speculates that the situation in Phoenix might go a little more surreptitiously than the usual fired-then-hired routine. For instance, the Suns may not fire D'Antoni, but if another team happens to call for permission to speak with him, they might grant it. Then if he gets an offer, the Suns let him out of the final two years of his contract.

If this is the case, I would expect Walsh to make this call ASAP. When a former NBA Coach of the Year is available, you make a call.

And he should do so before Bryan Colangelo pulls a quick reverse on Sam Mitchell. D'Antoni's up-tempo style would be more conducive to the Raptors personnel than the Knicks (as they are currently constructed) so you could see Toronto as a better fit logistically. If that's the case, Walsh could then go for Mitchell, who is more New York-style with discipline and defense as his mantra (not that the Raps showed either).

Though it happens all around sports (see: Joe Torre) this sloppy-seconds thing is a little disturbing (getting a fired guy who was replaced by another fired guy and neither reached their expectations with a better roster than the Knicks), but at least with D'Antoni, you're getting one of the top coaches in the league. (The Suns demise has more to do with Steve Kerr, IMHO...you trade Shawn Marion and don't make up his minutes? Foolish).

And while Jamal Crawford and Nate Robinson sure would love it, can you see Eddy Curry and Zach Randolph keeping pace in D'Antoni's exhausting system? The Suns, with Steve Nash at the point, made D'Antoni's style look fun. The Knicks might make it look really, really ugly, especially considering how most of the team has an allergic reaction to conditioning.

But with some moves here and there, in time Walsh could construct the right mix for that style. And the Garden could see some entertaining ball for a change. That's if D'Antoni wants the challenge (and to deal with some losing at first). McCallum writes that D'Antoni might just take a year off from coaching.

Or, instead of the Knicks and as an alternative to Toronto, he might be better off taking the Bulls job. That roster is a lot more set up for his style of play and a lot closer to being a winner sooner.

One question I have in all of this is, who does Phoenix then bring in to replace D'Antoni? What is out there that is so much better than him? This is a team with a veteran roster that doesn't have much time left, so a rookie coach might be an even more precarious choice than maintaining status quo.

The Knicks are still looking for a coach, but Larry Brown has already found himself a new team. He suddenly became affordable to the tightwad Charlotte Bobcats because LB has that $18 mil of walkaway money, courtesy of the Knicks, who, did we mention, are still looking for a coach.

Brown was on Mike Tirico's show on ESPN Radio today and expressed regret about his one-year debacle as coach of the Knicks in 2005-06.

"I thought it was so important to go to New York and help, because I thought if you did a good job in New York as a coach, you helped our sport and you helped our game and helped the NBA," he said. "And I was so disappointed in what I did."

Tirico then responded, "When you see the way the New York thing has gone, Larry, it wasn't just you."

To which Brown replied, "I was the coach and ultimately that's my responsibility. They gave me a great opportunity, it didn't work out, but I'm lucky enough to land on my feet . . . It doesn't make me feel any better that somebody else struggles."

Especially not now that Isiah Thomas is no longer in charge of the franchise. Though Brown probably won't ever get over James Dolan's decision to side with Isiah instead of him, LB won't have as much disdain for the Knicks with his old friend, Donnie Walsh, now running things.

Still I had to laugh at a quote published last week in the New York Post by Brown's agent, Joe Glass, who was asked if Larry would consider a Knicks comeback under Walsh: "We already got out of that gulag."

Brown should do well with the Bobcats, who have young talent. You would expect Michael Jordan will do whatever Brown asks, which is exactly how Brown wants it. Expect Ray Felton to hate life, but perhaps play the best if his young career once he figures it out. Being a Carolina guy might help him only a little.

Right now, with Brown, you have to argue the Bobcats are in a better situation going forward than the Knicks. We still have to see who Walsh hires as coach, what they do at the draft and, of course, what happens with the roster this summer before we make a final judgement.

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* - There were some gossip items in the tabloids today involving a party that Zach Randolph threw at The Plumm, which is a West Village hangout. Apparently Z-Bo was telling people he doesn't expect to be back with the Knicks next season. But a more interesting story involved Pacers guard Jamaal Tinsley, who apparently lost his Blackberry at the place and was trying to get other guests such as Vince Carter and Mardy Collins to help him find it. Tinsley reportedly offered a G to the Plumm staff to find it.

* - Just got word from Toronto that Bryan Colangelo today said he's not making a coaching change....at this time. Does this change if Mike D'Antoni suddenly is available? Perhaps, but considering the money owed to Mitchell, I think he's relatively safe. Now if the Raps get off to a poor start next season, that's a different story. Colangelo has some other tough decisions to make this summer, including what to do with his point guard situation. He needs more scoring at the two spot and could use someone to ride shotgun in the toughness department next to Chris Bosh. This may be a total wildcard, but as I watched the Raptors in the playoffs, I kept thinking to myself that this team might be perfect for Ron Artest. He'd give them the snarl they lack, he can hit an outside shot and certainly can run. He fits their game, plus he plays the way Mitchell wants to play. Just a thought.

A strange development we've been following closely here during the Knicks coaching search is the evolving situation between Patrick Ewing and his former team.

You all remember that Ewing over the weekend went on TNT with John Thompson and admitted that it “bothered” him to not get a call from the Knicks regarding the coaching vacancy.

“Obviously I played in New York, I know the area, I know the team, I know the fans, I know everybody, I know the media,” the Big Fella said. “So, naturally, I would have loved to interview.”

So why not pick up the phone?

We're told that Ewing, nor anyone among his representation, has reached out to Donnie Walsh to express said interest.

The campaign started last week in Orlando, however. Magic GM Otis Smith said no one would need permission to contact their assistants. And Stan Van Gundy went out of his way to promote Ewing as someone who should be a candidate for the Knicks job.

They're basically giving Patrick all the approval he needs to pursue the job, even in the midst of a playoff run.

And . . . ?

“Donnie’s wondering why someone hasn’t called,” said a person with knowledge of the situation.

During his playing career, David Falk represented Ewing. But, as per NBA rules, Falk can not represent clients in coaching and management positions while also representing players, so Ewing has to find someone else to represent him. Not too difficult. Falk's gotta know a few reputable people.

It would then be up to that person to contact Walsh. But...

didn't Ewing earlier this month say he would prefer to be contacted?

“I think it would probably be best if they came to me,” Ewing said on April 6, when the Orlando Magic visited the Garden.

According to the source I spoke with, that isn’t the best plan of action.

“Considering the quality of candidates who have called,” the source said, “that kind of sense of entitlement is going to hurt him in the end.”

It seems Ewing's best chance of a return to the Knicks is as an assistant coach, perhaps on Mark Jackson's staff. Herb Williams would also look to bring The Big Fella in, if he got the job.

But, after this experience, would Ewing accept the invitation?

Perhaps Bob Raissman is a Fixer. Or he just writes with common sense and no fear of repercussion.

Raissman's column today in the Daily News echoed the sentiments of many of you in the comments area, some louder than others. And like you, Raissman called out some of us in the media.

And he is damn right.

The delicate handling Jackson has receieved by the local press is quite curious. Aside from a few columns (Newsday's Shaun Powell was one who immediately disagreed with the idea of hiring the inexperienced Jackson ahead of an experienced candidate), most of the coverage has focused on when Jackson met with Donnie Walsh, what assistant coaches he will hire and getting people such as Rick Pitino and Lou Carnasecca to endorse him.

But as Raissman wrote today:

Jackson's popularity with the media has led to mostly fawning coverage. It has left no room to reminisce about his helicopter days and rabbit ears. As a young man, Jackson did have a rather unique attitude. In 1989, after the Knicks lost the first game in a playoff series with Chicago, Jackson said Knicks fans were "just like rats. They're the first ones to jump off the ship when it's sinking."

I know I read about the "rats" line before from one of you in Fixer Nation.

We here have tried not to have such tunnel vision when it comes to Jackson. Is there a fear that -- with the prevailing belief it's Jackson's job if he wants it -- he will know who was critical of him and who was not and treat those who were not as favorable differently?

Hell, I hope not. Because that would make him a phony. And we already had one of those.

I think we've been pretty consistent here at the Fix: we're not saying Jackson would not be a good coach, we just think you have to strongly consider someone with experience on an NBA bench. Can this franchise really afford to gamble at this point in history?

It doesn't matter to me who becomes the coach. I still have a job no matter who they hire. So it does me no good to, say, tell one of the lead candidates something like, "I really want you to get the job." Quite frankly, I really want me to keep my job. So I'll do mine. If you do yours well, we'll get along fine.

With that, you should know we had a story today about Patrick Ewing's comments to John Thompson during the TNT broadcast yesterday. Patrick is making it known he is not happy that the Knicks have yet to reach out to him about the head coaching vacancy. I think there is also some blame to put on the New York media (myself included) for not including Ewing among the names we asked Donnie about regarding the search.

I don't believe Walsh is purposely slighting Ewing as, perhaps, Isiah did last summer when Ewing was looking for an assistant coach position. I believe Walsh is used to doing things his way and that includes not interrupting teams in the midst of a playoff series. Magic GM Otis Smith said permission is not required to speak with his assistants and I'm sure Walsh has made note of this.

But I also thought it was interesting back in one of Walsh's earlier interviews when he was asked about bringing back Knick players to be part of the organization and Walsh said he was always open to having an actively involved alumni with the Pacers. But to a point.

"Now, you know, I don’t want every Tom, Dick and Harry...," he said with a laugh, "but yeah, I want it to be a place that they understand we value what they did here, the guys that played here. And they’re not just forgotten when they stop playing. That doesn’t mean I can hire everybody, that doesn’t mean a lot of things. But they should be welcome here."

Speaking of inexperience, the Daily News today reported that TNT analyst Kenny Smith will interview with Walsh this week about a front office job. Smith is yet another guy with zero experience, but a front office job under Walsh is often more like an internship. I wouldn't look at it the same as the head coach position.

But keep in mind there is a lot of interest in this job, which, right now, Glen Grunwald still has. There will be some very experienced people angling for a front office position under Walsh if he decides to open up a search for a general manager.

Enjoy your Sunday.

We ran a story in today's Newsday that said Donnie Walsh flew to Phoenix to meet with Mark Jackson.

So the process has officially begun. I don't expect things will come together quickly, unless Jax blew DW away in their meeting. There are other candidates for Walsh to get to, but, as we said, if Jackson came across to Walsh as well as Larry Bird did in 1997, then Walsh might see no reason to carry on.

Stay tuned . . .

A call to Donnie Walsh's phone was met with a grumbling, "Hello?"

After identifying himself, the questioner asked, quite plainly: "There was a report that you're meeting Mark Jackson today at the Garden...."

"I'm not talking today," Walsh abruptly replied. "I'm not at the Garden. I didn't meet anyone at the Garden. So the report was wrong."

OK, so where are you?

"I'm in the bathroom!"

Oopsie.

With that he hung up and, once he was finished in the loo, of course, probably wrote himself a memo:

1. New media policy excludes access in the john.

So, depending on what report you have read (and are willing to trust) Jackson either met with Walsh yesterday somewhere other than the Garden, or traveled to Phoenix to meet with him or maybe will meet with him next week.

Walsh made it a point yesterday to tell his PR staff to tell us reporters that he is not giving daily updates. He is a New Yorker, but he's never experienced anything like this in Indiana, where he dealt with one beat writer on a daily basis, not seven that cover the team here in New York. During the conference call on Tuesday he was asked if he would divulge when and where he planned to meet with Jackson.

"No," Walsh replied, "because then you’ll be peeking through the windows."

He chuckled, but only a little.

But Donnie's right, at times like these we're tip-toeing the line between reporter and paparazzo.

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So we'll continue to scramble to find out when and where DW and Jax met, will meet or are meeting, and try to compile the names of those who are on the current short list (while also tossing out every other possible name, even those who are currently coaching other teams).

- Avery Johnson still has a job, but everyone knows his on the hot seat in Dallas. Wouldn't surprise me if his people are already putting feelers out to teams looking for coaches, just to gauge interest.

- George Karl is an obvious one because he and Walsh have Carolina bloodlines and Karl has always talked romantically about New York and the Garden.

- Sam Mitchell, too, has the link to Donnie Walsh via the Pacers.

But Walsh hasn't reached that point yet. Obviously the longer this process goes, the less Jackson's chances are. Walsh wants Jackson to impress him and prove his instincts correct. Who knows when Walsh will get the chance to meet with Tom Thibodeau, even if the Celtics have a break between the first and second rounds. Doc Rivers publicly said he'd allow his assistants to interview for jobs during the playoffs, but if Walsh allows, I'm sure Thibodeau would prefer it not to happen until after the Celtics are finished.

Meanwhile, the Orlando Sentinel wrote a story about Stan Van Gundy talking about Patrick Ewing as a coaching candidate.

"This amazes me," SVG said. "All these names out there and they're not talking about him . . . I'm bewildered that one of the absolute greats in the New York Knicks' organization. . . . and they're not talking about him at all."

It should be noted that Walsh has not sought permission to speak with any potential candidate who is working for another team. That does not mean Ewing is on his list of people to call, but you can assume that if Walsh is aware of Ewing's interest in the job, he would extend him an interview. In the Sentinel's story, Magic GM Otis Smith said the Knicks (nor any other team) would need permission to speak with any of its coaches.

This process is only going to come to a quick result if Mark Jackson blows away Walsh in that interview that either took place yesterday, today or sometime soon.

With that said, I have my calls to make today. After I go to the bathroom....

I'm not as convinced that we in the media should focus solely on Mark Jackson as if it is a given he has the job. I think Donnie Walsh, despite inclinations that he would like to give Jackson the job, also feels like he wants to do his due dilligence here because there are many, many options for him.

Let me hit this at the top: Avery Johnson should not be an option.

Why are we going re-tread here? Why would anyone promote the idea that a coach who is apparently failing with a dramatically more talented roster of players in Dallas could be successful with the Knicks? Avery Johnson dealing with the New York media every day -- and three times a day on game days -- is a precarious scenario all by itself.

I like Sam Mitchell -- he's no-nonsense -- and I know he has a connection with Donnie through the Pacers, but, again, unless you've run out of options, what makes Mitchell such a commodity if they're ready to run him out of town in Toronto?

Fixers, keep the filter on when you read such reports. Reality is the hardest perspective to maintain when speculation dominates the landscape.

The assumption is it's Jackson's job, unless he blows the interview. I think we can't get ahead of the facts, which is that Walsh speaks highly of Jackson and the potential he has to be a coach. But Walsh never said he was convinced of it. That part is up to Jackson. And, quite frankly, we don't even know if Jackson really wants this job.

He'll interview, for sure. But with no experience on a bench in any capacity outside being a player, Jackson has no idea what it takes. Suppose he gets to December and realizes the job is demanding way too much of his time and energy? He won't know this until the day comes.

Or he's already considered it and is preparing for it with the same intensity and determination that Larry Bird apparently wowed Walsh with back in 1997, when he interviewed for the Pacers job. Larry had Donnie at hello. Mark has to do the same.

From the people I've talked to over the past week, Tom Thibodeau is sure to bring the kind of preparation and energy that Bird brought to his interview. Thibodeau's life is coaching. He's the type that sleeps in the office and watches game film as a means to unwind. If there is ever a prototype for changing the culture of a team -- work ethic, discipline and preparation -- Thibodeau is it.

The Celtics have known him for just one season and check out how they raced about him in today's Boston Herald.

"He’s the best defensive coach I’ve ever played for," Rajon Rondo said. "He’s the hardest working coach that I’ve ever seen. I asked him a question about how he works one time, and he said that it takes him four hours to break down one film."

Added Brian Scalabrine, "Everyone uses the same things, but not everyone teaches the same way. [Thibodeau] is a good teacher. The thing about him is that he can teach everyone to do this. As long as Tom gets a team where he can implement what he does, he’ll be like a lot of guys who could be great head coaches. But hell yeah, that man can coach. With the way we run our system, he’s dialed in on the defensive end."

I'm not saying that Jackson can't do the job or won't bring all the necessary tools to the job. I'm saying I don't know because he's never done the job. And I think when you're the Knicks and you are where you are with the franchise, I don't know you can just hand the job to an inexperienced person just because he has New York roots, swagger and was a damn good point guard. Jackson's got to want this job bad enough to say good-bye to his family for seven months out of the year (actually, you'd prefer it goes longer) and focus all of his energy on his job.

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Gotta toss this in:

Kobe Bryant jumps an Aston Martin...

He says "Do not try this at home," but, of course, people did...

And Prince's third-cousin twice removed did...

And then Kenny Smith...ouch

Newsday's Katie Strang was at midtown's Cafe Oakley, where the Oak Man himself was screening a pilot for a cooking show.

Here's the story she posted:

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By Katie Strang

He was known for his prowess in the paint, but former New York Knick Charles Oakley demonstrated he has some serious skills in the kitchen as well.

During an exclusive screening of his own cooking show named “Café Oakley” in Midtown Manhattan, Oakley served up some of his favorite dishes including fried chicken, smothered steak, and macaroni salad. After the screening of the show, which he plans to shop around at different networks, Oakley also served up some insight into his former team, the New York Knicks, who recently fired head coach Isiah Thomas after finishing a dreadful 23-59.

“It’s a bad situation for the city,” Oakley said of the Knicks’ effort this season, at least some of which he attributed to Thomas’ coaching style. “What he’s done in the past five years for the team has been garbage.”

Oakley said he saw the Knicks play at various points throughout the season, and noticed they did not look well-coached to play defense. Just because Thomas was a great player, Oakley said, doesn’t make him a good coach.

“He should’ve been fired a couple years ago. He wasn’t fit for the organization,” Oakley said.
Oakley believes Thomas’ successor should be Herb Williams, who is a longtime Knicks assistant and former player.

“They’ve should’ve given Herb the job [before],” Oakley said.

While television analyst Mark Jackson seemed to be the initial frontrunner with new team president Donnie Walsh, Williams has been short-listed as well, and Oakley believes his loyalty to the organization should be rewarded.

“He would bring just as much as Lenny Wilkens brought here. More than Isiah, no question. He needs a chance, and they should give him a chance, because every time they’ve asked him to do something, he’s done it over the years,” Oakley said.

Oakley also said he has spoken to former teammate Patrick Ewing about the current Knicks coaching vacancy, and that Ewing said he would be interested if Williams was coach. Oakley said he himself would be interested in coaching in some capacity if the right person was hired as head coach. At this point, Oakley said, the Knicks don’t have much to lose in taking a chance on Williams and investing in one of their own.

“They’ve fired everybody else,” Oakley said. “They may as well give him a chance.”

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In case you didn't catch it on Newsday.com's main page yesterday, veteran columnist John Jeansonne wrote a solid, in-depth piece about Jeff Van Gundy. As most Jeansonne pieces, this one's a must read.

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Had a lively debate about the coaching search last night with fellow Fixer Brandon Tierney on his ESPN Radio show (7-10 p.m. weekdays). Brandon says if he had to choose between Mark Jackson and Patrick Ewing, he'd choose Jackson "seven days a week." I challenged him as to why he was so convinced about a guy who has never done the job before, yet has zero confidence in Ewing, who has, at least, spent four seasons on an NBA bench as an assistant coach. BT and I went at it and it was fun. Almost felt like I was auditioning for The WheelHouse, which is his show (along with Brian Custer and Scott Ferrall) on SNY at 6:30 p.m.

Yeah, I know. I have a face for newsprint. But if Isola can keep getting his mug on camera...

Yo, BT has some life, though. Single dude, living in Manhattan, radio gig, TV show. And he plugs The Fix whenever he can on his show, so we gotta break off a little for him here.

There has been a need for some damage control after it was revealed that Isiah Thomas would remain with the organization in some capacity rather than be outright fired from his position. This afternoon on the Max Kellerman show on ESPN Radio, Donnie Walsh addressed the Isiah situation:

"I don't want there to be some kind of double-voice here, so he's answering to me and nobody's reporting to him," Walsh said. " . . . He's not going to be here on a full-time basis anymore. I'll be calling the shots, I'm in charge of the franchise. It's my responsibility where it was his."

Walsh also added this about Isiah's role:

“There is no job description. He more or less is going to – when I call him and ask him to do things, he’s a guy, for me, that I could call up and say, ‘Listen, there’s a tournament in Europe and there’s a guy playing and I want you to go see him and give me an opinion on this guy.’. . . That would be an example of the kind of things I would ask Isiah.”

Walsh also had a conference call with the writers. More on that later...

Good morning, Fixers. Have we reached the saturation point with coaching candidates? Scott Skiles is off the table. Herb Williams had his chance to gauge his chances. Patrick Ewing hasn't been contacted and Jeff Van Gundy isn't interested.

Mark Jackson is the front runner of a one-man race. And he has yet to have a formal sit-down with Donnie Walsh, though, you would expect, that is a mere formality.

So in the meantime let's get to some unfinished business, the roster. Instead of doing the usual report card -- let's assume a 23-win team is loaded with F's -- we should decide the keepers and the dumpees going into 2008-09. We'll deal with this in real-world logic, so contract status counts as much as usefulness.

JAMAL CRAWFORD (career-high 20.6 ppg) -- Likable team guy has endured several coaching changes and played in a backcourt with the unpredictable Stephon Marbury. I'd like to see him in a stable situation, with a playmaking PG and a coach who turns that green light to yellow. Still plenty of upside for him and an opt-out coming next summer. He's a one-dimensional player, but it's a hell of a dimension to have. He's athletic and smart enough to be a better defender, which is that one element missing. KEEP

ZACH RANDOLPH (averaged a double-double) -- I've said from the start that he initially appeared to be all-in, but then started getting-his when stuff hit the fan in November. His defense and passing are troubling, but he did prove he can stay out of off-the-court trouble, which is a step in the right direction. Despite his contract the Knicks did have some interested teams at the deadline and they should revisit. I like Zach and would love to believe him when he said he plans on coming back next year in the best shape of his life. I want to believe it, but I don't know if I can afford to if I'm the GM. DUMP

STEPHON MARBURY (appeared in just 24 games) -- His time with the Knicks has been a train-wreck, but don't one of you say you've known all along he'd be a bust as a Knick. When Isiah first brought him in, it was the prodigal son's return. Now he's New York's basketball orphan. Like Zach, you'd love to believe he'll come back in shape both mentally and physically, but that ship's sailed. One year with $22 mil, you're not moving him until the deadline, at best, and you'll probably have to take on bad contracts. So the best bet here is a buyout and an adieu (or is it, Ciao?). Air out the room and let another PG give it a go. DUMP

EDDY CURRY (played just 25 mins per game) -- His weaknesses are correctable and it has nothing to do with the fact that the NBA isn't a big-man's game. Curry has uncanny athleticism for a man his size and he is damn coachable. As one coach said to me, "Some guys are lazy and some are just not good self-starters. Eddy is not lazy." I agree. But someone needs to get on his big butt and keep him accountable. Zach's presence made Eddy shrink a little and that's telling of Eddy's personality. He's not a lead dog, which is what Isiah tried to make him, but Eddy is definitely someone you can develop. He needs to work on his explosion, period. Confidence comes with knowing you are in great shape. Eddy lost confidence this season because he knew he wasn't. KEEP

NATE ROBINSON (scoring average improved third straight season) -- We pushed for him to get an opportunity to prove himself as the PG of the future and we'll admit at this point that perhaps he is built to be what he is right now: energy and offense off the bench. Confidence is critical with N8 and you can't mistake cockiness for confidence. You have to take into account that he has not been properly developed, but whomever gets to coach him next season needs to figure out how to get him to play like he did last July in the summer league. He was mostly under control, very confident and very unselfish. Oh, and he played defense. N8 should follow the likes of Barbosa, et al and soon will become a Sixth Man candidate. KEEP

DAVID LEE (14.7 rebs per 48 mins) -- D-Lee admitted to me that he didn't feel 100 percent until about January, which was a result of that leg injury at the end of last season and a very busy offseason that included workouts with the USA Basketball Development team. He started to get his bounce back in the second half of the season and his numbers improved dramatically. He also developed a go-to move on offense (inside pivot, jab-step) and started hitting a mid-range jumper with more consistency. We know he can rebound and with his pogo-stick legs, he'll go back to being a double-figure board man. Next year is about knocking down shots and proving he can slide into the four spot as a starter. Defense on the post is his next challenge. With those legs and maybe 10-to-15 lbs of bulk, he should be able to challenge more. KEEP

QUENTIN RICHARDSON (shot 32.2 % 3PT) -- Back surgery had an impact on his offseason conditioning and he never really got it going. The team's internal turmoil had something to do with it as well. Q-Rich is old for a 28 year old and his days as a starter might be over, but he could still be an effective player off the bench as a shooter and defender. Of course he's got to accept that role willingly. He's a difficult player to move, so you have to get him to buy-in. He has an influence in the locker room and in the right setting can be a leader. KEEP

FRED JONES (2:1 assists:turnovers) -- Will be a free agent and is not expected to be resigned. Made the most of the heavy minutes Isiah gave him late in the season, perhaps as a way to get scouts to see him so he'll have some opportunities next season. Overall good guy who was a surprisingly reliable three-point shooter. DUMP

WILSON CHANDLER (18 ppg, 7.7 rebs in last four games) -- How do you judge a rookie when he gets major minutes in what is otherwise considered garbage time in a lost season? Before his knee injury in the second-to-last game of the season, Will started playing with a great deal of confidence. He proved he has a shooting touch and isn't afraid to get to the rim. He also took on defensive challenges. Explosiveness makes him a good help defender, but he noticably lost his legs as he started getting major minutes. Off-season conditioning is critical because if he shows up in great shape and plays with confidence, he'll push for the starting small forward spot. KEEP

JARED JEFFRIES (39.9 FG%) -- Isiah brought him in but then didn't know how to use him. Jeffries is a smart player who reads plays well but doesn't always execute properly. Isiah had him on the perimeter as a ball-mover, but that made it easy to double off him, because of his poor shooting. Jeffries has to be a slasher and cutter and, occasionally, you can post him up. With his size, length and athleticism, he has to be a better defender than he's shown, but that might be a result of how he was used. Jared should be a dynamic help defender in the paint. With so many forwards, I'm not sure he has a role here. I like the guy personally and enjoyed chatting with him about basketball and life. With three years left on his contract, he might be tough to move, but you have to investigate it. DUMP

MALIK ROSE (16.6 pts, 10.0 reb per 48 mins) -- The locker room godfather, who is good to have around to counsel young players and veterans and set an example. But for selfish reasons, he's an expiring contract that you keep around to the very end and let him melt off the cap. Then, if he calls it a career, you bring him into the organization either on the broadcast side or in basketball operations. Smart dude with rings. You can't have enough people like that in an organization. KEEP

RENALDO BALKMAN (43.2 FT%) -- A year ago you could see potential and, perhaps what Isiah was thinking when he drafted him with a first-round pick. After the summer league you got an idea of what type of role (defensive stopper) he could serve off the bench as another energy, up-tempo player. Then you saw him this season and he looked like one of those guys you'd only remember five years from now as "the guy with the dreds". Balkman is yet another Knicks youngster who has not been properly developed or mentored. Let's say this gently: Rey is not a guy you can just leave to figure it out on his own and trust he'll get it right. He's a guy who needs constant discipline and direction. The question for Donnie Walsh to ask himself would be is Balkman worth the effort? With Chandler emerging, Lee showing he can be versatile and Jeffries and Richardson on the roster, where does Balkman fit? Perhaps you need to see him in a stable, controlled environment with rules and regulations (not to mention defined roles). KEEP

MARDY COLLINS (36.2 FG %) -- Had an impressive end to last season but knee surgery in May had a negative impact on his offseason. The knee was not 100 percent in training camp and then Isiah was yo-yoing him in and out of the lineup during the Marbury drama. Some guys told me Mardy started to slip to the "dark side" for a while this season and that's a trend Collins can ill-afford. The obvious issues with his game involve his shooting, but the defense he showed a year ago was missing this season. He doesn't run an offense with the conviction of a floor general. If the Knicks pick a PG in the draft, it might mean the end for Collins. DUMP

RANDOLPH MORRIS (37 rebs, 37 fouls in 18 GP) -- Isiah kept him hidden for most of the season and when he finally let him play, we saw why. Randy shows decent footwork and good post-up moves, but he's slow both in movement and explosion. Lack of playing dulled his reaction time, which had a lot to do with it, but clearly this young guy should have spent the year in the D-League. It was a waste of a year for him and might cost him money because he'll likely wind up in the D-League next season hoping to attract an NBA team's attention. DUMP

JEROME JAMES (2 GP) -- If there were ever a candidate for the Disabled Player Exemption, Jerome's case is it. He clearly can't keep himself healthy and that knee is the issue. Otherwise, I'd try to sue him for breach of contract because he showed up out of shape for two straight training camps. Just keeping him on the roster is symbolic of the past regime's lack of discipline and accountability. DUMP

* *

OK, so that's eight keeps (Crawford, Cury, Robinson, Lee, Richardson, Chandler, Rose and Balkman) and seven dumps (Randolph, Marbury, Jones, Jeffries, Collins, Morris and James). Obviously some of these DUMPs will result in cap hits from buyouts or will bring in equal dollars via trades, so you can't view it as saving money or opening up roster spaces. With some of the dumps, it might not be feasible to move the player (Randolph or Jeffries, for instance) so the DUMP may have to wind up being a KEEP, depending on the market.

Let's break down what we know at this point as we monitor the Knicks head coaching search.

Here are the key candidates to keep an eye on for now:

Mark Jackson - During the ABC broadcast of Spurs-Suns, called the Knicks opening "intriguing" but did not elaborate. We know Walsh had his eye on Jackson for the Pacers job, but Larry Bird wanted Jim O'Brien. There is a mutual respect between the two and you can be sure Jackson will get every opportunity to prove himself the best choice. His New York roots do factor in here, as they always do with the Knicks job. The fact that Jackson has no experience on an NBA bench is a concern, but rest assured he would have someone on his staff who did. I wouldn't assume Jackson's arrival would signal Patrick Ewing's long-awaited return to the Knicks as part of his staff. The most interesting issue to watch if Jackson does emerge as the guy is what happens with Stephon Marbury, who couldn't play for Larry Brown and eventually even turned on his mentor, Isiah Thomas. We expect he'll listen to Jackson?

Jeff Van Gundy - Also on ABC, he didn't seem to take Walsh's interest in him seriously -- "Man, he must have been desperate!" Van Gundy laughed -- and instead used the opportunity to instead promote Jackson for the job. Considering Jackson's inexperience and his close relationship to Van Gundy, the idea was floated about the two working together, with perhaps JVG serving as an associate. JVG seemed to downplay that idea, as well when he said he is a better superdelegate. Though this might be a very interesting scenario, I wouldn't get too caught up in it. Van Gundy has said he doesn't plan on coaching in 2008-09 and it is is very unlikely that he is going to uproot his family once again just to be an assistant coach. But it is certainly an exciting proposition.

Tom Thibodeau - We reported today that Thibodeau has already reached out to Walsh through an intermediary to express his interest in an interview. Walsh would have to seek permission to meet with Thibodeau, who will be quite busy as an associate head coach with the Boston Celtics, who are expected to go deep into the playoffs, perhaps as far as the Finals. The question here is will Walsh wait for Thibodeau? And will Thibodeau be willing to divert his focus from the Celtics' playoff run to take the time during off-days to interview for the Knicks' job? The Celtics would hate to lose him, but don't expect Doc Rivers to stand in his way.

Scott Skiles - As we reported today, Skiles heard from Walsh but he already has a very good offer from the Milwaukee Bucks that he may accept as early as this week. One experienced coach off the table.

Herb Williams - Herb will meet with Donnie on Monday to discuss his future. It is not believed that the Knicks longtime assistant is on Walsh's shortlist. Williams has head coaching aspirations -- he interviewed in Charlotte last summer before Michael Jordan gave the job to Sam Vincent -- and he will likely try to get his name out there for other opportunities. Williams is a realist, but if he's not taken seriously as a candidate for the Knicks it will be heartbreaking.

Patrick Ewing - Let's get something cleared from the top: I read the comment from David Thorpe in an ESPN chat when he suggested Ewing isn't the hardest-working guy on the Orlando staff. I asked some people in Orlando about him and was told that Thorpe's comment was the furthest from the truth. Ewing, since he started on Van Gundy's staff in Houston, has worked like any other assistant coach. He handles all aspects of the job and does not consider himself above menial tasts, like some high-end players-turned-assistants do. Ewing wants to be taken seriously as a coach and not a big-man specialist. Sure, he's had two very good specimens to work with in Yao Ming and Dwight Howard, but to suggest that his impact on their development is exaggerated is just plain ignorant. Ewing gives valuable input and, if anything, his encouragement instills confidence in young players. Is he ready to be a head coach or does he even have the personality to be one? I have no idea. But would he be a valuable assistant in New York? Absolutely.

Mario Elie - Engaging, intelligent and very popular former NBA player who won two titles with the Rockets (one at the expense of the Knicks) is now an assistant with the Mavericks. Unlike Jackson, he has at least some time on an NBA bench (also worked for Warriors and Spurs) and like Jackson, has the marketable New York roots and the savvy to deal with the media from a broadcasting background (was a Rockets' studio analyst). One thing to watch is if Avery Johnson gets canned by Mark Cuban -- no guarantees they get out of that first-round series against New Orleans -- would Cuban tap Elie to replace him?

Chew on all this for a while, Fixers. I'll hit you up when I have more.

The Knicks will be a topic of discussion during today's ABC broadcast of the opening game of the Spurs-Suns series, which tips-off at 3 p.m. Eastern. Sometime during the broadcast, play-by-play announcer Mike Breen is expected to broach the subject of the Knicks coaching vacancy with his partners, Mark Jackson and Jeff Van Gundy, whom Donnie Walsh acknowledged are on his list of candidates.

Both Jackson and Van Gundy will offer a few thoughts -- really more of a statement -- about the Knicks job.

As you know, Fixers, I have been promoting JVG on this blog. It is most likely he would only talk to Walsh if he is contacted, but would not approach the Knicks looking for an interview because he would be happy to see Jackson get the job. The two are very close.

Van Gundy, who as you all know resigned as the Knicks coach in Dec. 2001 amid uncertainty about his future, said this week that he had no plans to coach in 2008-09. But those close to him know the one job that would always make him bend the rules is New York, where he was one of the most popular coaches in franchise history.

One longshot scenario could be that Jackson asks Van Gundy to join him on the bench as an associate head coach. A person close to Van Gundy who I spoke with yesterday said he's be surprised if Van Gundy would take an assistant coach position.

There will be others for Walsh to consider, including former Chicago Bulls coach Scott Skiles, who has already reached out to Walsh through an intermediary. It is believed that Memphis coach John Calipari has kept tabs on the situation; he has a mutual-friend connection with Walsh, but isn’t believed to be a top choice. Sacramento Kings assistant Chuck Person, a Walsh protégé, is likely on the interview list for some capacity. Longtime Knicks assistant Herb Williams will get an interview, but doesn’t appear to be among the favorites. And highly-regarded Celtics assistant Tom Thibodeau will have to seek permission to interview during the playoffs if he wants a shot.

As far as Isiah still remaining with the organization and the outrage some of you have, consider the alternative. James Dolan took the step not many thought he would make by hiring a respected basketball man to take over the franchise and gave him full autonomy. If the one caveat was to keep Isiah employed so he can "work" off the remainder of his contract instead of giving yet another person a hefty severance to walk away, I think it's a reasonable compromise.

I don't expect we'll see or hear much from Thomas in his new role.

Donnie Walsh announced the dismissal of Isiah Thomas as the Knicks head coach, but, as expected, did not completely dismiss him from the organization.

“Following a lot of discussion and thought, I made the decision that Isiah will no longer coach the team,” Walsh said in an opening statement. “I value Isiah and his knowledge of the game and he will remain with the organization, reporting directly to me. He will not have an official title, but he will provide meaningful input to me.”

“I believe a new coach will help the direction of the franchise,” Walsh added, “and also think Isiah remaining a part of the franchise is good for the organization.”

Walsh acknowledged at least two potential candidates for the job will be former Knick Mark Jackson and, interestingly, former Knicks coach Jeff Van Gundy.

“He’s always been a guy that I think could make a really fine head coach and I certainly will interview him,” Walsh said of Jackson. “He’ll be one of the guys on my list, along with others.”

When asked if he had any concerns about hiring someone who has never coached before, Walsh replied, “Larry Bird got us [the Pacers] to the Finals and he was a coach with no experience.”

Van Gundy would seem a longshot because of how his first stint as coach ended, when he abruptly resigned in Dec. 2001. Garden chairman James Dolan is still bitter, but the caveat is he gave Walsh full autonomy when he hired him as the team president three weeks ago. Walsh said he had no knowledge of any issue between Dolan and Van Gundy.

“I don’t know what the past was here,” he said. “And nobody’s brought it to my attention.”

Walsh says he expects to get a lot of calls now that the position is available.

“I will get calls,” Walsh said. “This is a coveted job. People will want to coach here.”

Stay tuned for more. I don't have the time right now to put together a blog with opinion and conjecture, so I'll leave that to the room. Tossing the keys on the table. Have at it, Fixers!

"Following a lot of discussion and thought, I made the decision that Isiah will no longer coach the team," Walsh said in his opening statement.

Thomas will not have an official title and will report directly to Donnie. No one will report to Isiah.

Coaching search to begin immediately.

Donnie Walsh will talk with reporters at 5 p.m. All indications are the news will be exactly what we've been reporting.

Stay tuned. I will check in after the call is completed.

At least we're not standing in the rain by a roadside in Greenburgh, waiting for Larry Brown's car to cruise by.

But the Isiah Thomas situation has dragged into another day with him still the head coach, at least in title. As I wrote today, it will be interesting to see how this plays out. Does Donnie Walsh want to spare Thomas one more day of public flogging which would come by announcing the demotion -- reassignment, whatever -- via conference call?

My guess is Walsh may instead wait until he's chosen a replacement and then have a gala press conference at which Isiah's fate is mentioned with the prefix, "By the way..."

There is some motivation to protect Thomas, who has been the only member of the embattled Garden to have to stand and face the music on a daily basis -- sometimes three times a day -- since the sexual harrassment trial. Thomas may have made some ill-advised, out-of-touch comments from time to time, but you have to at least give him credit for standing in the firing line on a daily basis. Front-and-center.

His reward will likely be continued employment within the organization, which offers the opportunity for him to possibly be around when things do finally turn for the better with the Knicks. He can be there to get the credit when David Lee becomes an all-star or Wilson Chandler is a regular starter. Or when Jerome James plays in a game.

The latter might be asking a bit too much.

Garden chairman James Dolan is known for his loyalty and there is a very evident empathy that Dolan feels for Isiah. As we reported in January, whatever the ending was to be for Isiah as the leader of this franchise, Dolan wanted it to be a gentle break. This one is Charmin-esque.

So assuming -- based on what we've heard, of course -- that there now is a coaching vacancy with the Knicks, we can begin to move on to debating the potential candidates.

But before I get into it, let me invite you to check out Newsday's The Final Score blog, hosted by Anthony Rieber and Jim Baumbach (in Fixer Nation, let's designate them handles such as 'Riebs' and 'JayBee'). The fellas debated the idea of Mark Jackson as the Knicks coach and would love to hear your thoughts on their thoughts.

In the meanwhile...I'm back to the phone and Blackberry, hoping to find out something more realistic and relevant. In other words, something more than that Stephon Marbury believes he's in the plans for next season.

Fixers, this is a time where you need to be very careful where you get your information. And I should let you know that none of the players were given any indication about anything involving the team going forward.

"Yeah," one player told me yesterday after he was finished. "I was thrilled with the lack of information."

I'm more disturbed by the wealth of misinformation.

Got the email late last night about Mark Jackson surprising the YES Network with the on-air announcement that it was his final game as a Nets broadcaster. Jackson lives full-time in Los Angeles and the commute is rough. His gig with ABC/ESPN is still ongoing, but the timing of the sudden step-down at YES coincides with Isiah Thomas' final day as coach of the Knicks.

Jackson has been promoted in the media as one of the lead candidates to replace Thomas. Donnie Walsh yesterday was asked specifically about Jackson.

“I’m not endorsing anybody right now," Walsh said. "If it ever got to the point where I’m going to get a coach, then I’ll draw up a list at that point.”

But when pressed to offer some thoughts on Jackson's potential as a coach, Walsh replied, “Mark played here [in Indiana]; I loved him as a player. I thought he was a very, very smart player and I thought he was a guy that could be a coach someday.”

How the Knicks handle the coaching situation will be interesting. When Walsh was hired as president, the fact that Thomas had been stripped of the title was lost in the story. We may expect the same when it comes to the head coach position. Walsh may not announce anything until he is ready to hire a coach, so that the story is about the hire, not the guy who was reassigned in the organization.

Jackson may be the guy for all we know. To his credit he has remained very tight-lipped about the situation. Scott Skiles is still out there and one would think Walsh would do his due dilligence in at least talking with Skiles and the other experienced coach out there, Jeff Van Gundy.

I know, Fixers, I keep bringing up his name. JVG has never shot down the idea of coming back to coach the Knicks. And if Dolan really has given Walsh "full autonomy" then he would not step in the way of this hire.

That being said, I agree it's a longshot.

Tom Thibodeau might be screwed by the fact that his current team, the Celtics, are expected to go on a long playoff run, which will keep him from being able to interview for the Knicks job until later in the spring. Donnie might want to have someone in place before the pre-draft camp in May so the team can begin to plan for the draft and potential roster moves.

Stay tuned.....

Your subtleties
They strangle me
I can't explain myself at all.
And all the wants
And all the needs
All I don't want to need at all.

When darkness turns to light,
It ends tonight
It ends tonight....

These are the final media sessions with Isiah Thomas. This morning he talked about enduring life in the media crucible this season.

"I’m not looking for sympathy or anything," he said. "Sports and basketball has been extremely good to me. You can’t be on the top all the time, although I want to. When you’re on the bottom and you lose, all the things that get you to the top you have to rely on those things. You have to persevere, you have to overcome hard times. You gotta hold on to your dignity and integrity and you walk through those tough times."

Before the game, Isiah stayed high-road with his comments, even when the subject of his former protege, Stephon Marbury, was brought up. Aside from Isiah, himself, no other person contributed more to his demise in New York than Marbury.

"I know for every person that I’ve coached or tried to be a part of their growth I know that myself I personally tried to help ever single person I’ve come across," Isiah said. "I do believe that he, like others, I definitely have tried to help."

....A falling star
Least I fall alone.
I can't explain what you can't explain.
Your finding things that you didn't know
I look at you with such disdain

When darkness turns to light
It ends tonight,
It ends tonight.
Just a little insight
Won't make this right
It's too late to fight
It ends tonight,
It ends tonight.....

Donnie Walsh also chatted with us before the game. Still no timetable on the Isiah Decision, but rest assured he won't let this drag on.

“I don’t want a timetable because I don’t want phone calls every day on this," he said. "But, yeah, now that the season is over with I’m going to get down and take a look at how I feel the future should go.”

So, as I'm sure most of you Fixers would ask, what more does he possibly need to think about?

“I think, like any decision, you just have to get by yourself and then make the decision one way or the other,” he said.

Are you at that point now?

“I’m gonna be.”

....Now I'm on my own side
It's better than being on your side
It's my fault when your blind
It's better than I see it through your eyes

When darkness turns to light,
It ends tonight,
It ends tonight.
Just a little insight won't make this right,
It's too late to fight,
It ends tonight.....
(Lyrics by All-American Rejects)

* *

Tomorrow, along with the final standings for the lottery drawing (May 20, by the way), I will post a blog of what I would say to each player in exit interviews...Thanks for the post, OldSchoolOakley...I checked it out and it seems Jerome already had his exit interview and headed home. Donnie said he had a few exits already, so clearly Jerome was excused.

Good scouting by your wife.

* *

And we present this, with thanks to HooDPoV via YouTube:

Tickets to the game from a heavily discounted package deal or from a desperate scalper: $99

Parking at a nearby facility: $35

Hot dogs, pretzels and soda: $0

Hearing Isiah Thomas say such disingenuous things as....

I don't think we can ever fully show the fans how much we appreciate them because they've given us so much this year. They've been so good to us this year that, there's nothing we could ever do to try to repay them. Except for a huge, huge thank you, I guess. Just a huge thank you.

.....Priceless.

I actually love the free food and drink idea for tonight's game. A terrific way to express gratitude for a fan base that just kept filling the Garden despite how bad the product has been this season.

And it's a brilliant move to counter any negativity that may exist on what could be Isiah's final night along the Garden sideline. A fat and happy crowd will be too giddy to boo.

Let them eat cake!

Donnie Walsh took in his first Knicks practice, which was everyone else's first Knicks practice in three-and-a-half weeks. Isiah gave his boys love and praised them because they "busted their tails today."

Walsh's presence had nothing to do with the effort. Just a normal day for this well-run and organized franchise that is just down on it's luck is all.

Please disperse. Nothing to see here.

* *

Walsh talked about a few topics -- still no decision on Isiah, but knows one has to be made sooner rather than later -- and praised the play of rookie Wilson Chandler, who has played with a great deal of confidence and shown an ability to score.

Walsh said he noticed Chandler in Indiana back on March 17, when he scored 15 points and 8 rebounds in the 110-98 loss and matched up with Pacers swingman Danny Granger, who had 26 points and 11 rebounds in the game.

“He went at him," Walsh said of Chandler. "He ddin’t take a step back. And I think Danny’s going to be a terrific player, so that showed me something. And in the games I’ve seen him come in, he gets things done right away.”

Chandler's play has gone mostly overlooked amid Walsh's arrival and the change in direction for the franchise, but as we've pointed out here on the Fix, the kid can play a lil.

And here I want to credit Isiah for making a decent draft pick, but then again you have to question why he didn't play the kid sooner? Even Chandler questions it.

"Definitely, I always wished I played more earlier in the season," he said, "but I don’t really think about it too much because I’m playing now. It doesn’t matter.”

Do you think about selling yourself to the new boss?

“I think about it sometimes," he said, "but being my first year I don’t know too much about the business. I try to learn every day being around the veterans. I listen and I watch a lot, but at the end of the day I don’t know what’s going to happen.”

* *

OK, as I said, I have a couple of votes to make. We discussed Rookie of the Year. I took in all of the Fixer opinions and will let you know what my ballot reads when I send it in. Next up is Defensive Player of the Year. Always a challenge to come up with five names to vote for, but I think the first-place vote should go to Marcus Camby. Dude is blocking almost four shots per game and also does work on the defensive glass.

Thoughts?

Great scene after the game Friday night here at the Garden. A large group of fans waited in a section across the court from the benches and as Al Horford emerged from the tunnel, they cheered and sang, "It's great to be a Florida Gator!"

It's great to be Al Horford. Can you find a rookie in the NBA this season who has had a greater impact on his tea