Bobcats at Knicks

Played basketball in the city yesterday. After the gym closed, a couple of the fellas were still hanging around talking about the NBA as they often do, and someone among the small circle brought up the Knicks, so I was sure to walk over and listen in.

The consensus among the three was that Crawford was the one player the Knicks should really keep. I said nothing. Someone even said that Crawford is carrying the team, and that without him, the Knicks would be much worse. I wondered after hearing this, if this person understood exactly where in the standings the Knicks currently reside.

This other guy I played against, a very good player despite his age, added that Lee, Nate and Renaldo should be kept. I thought to myself, “I can see where this guy is coming from.”

But then the same guy who thinks Crawford is “carrying” the Knicks said he thinks Isiah deserves another year after this one. I made sure I heard him right.

They all thought Lawrence Frank was far worse of a coach than Isiah. No argument from me there. I don’t think Lawrence Frank has really proved himself as a coach yet in this league, nor has Isiah as a coach for that matter. They brought up the fact that during the playoffs last season, Frank allowed Vince Carter to continuously chuck up half-court shots instead of taking the ball to the basket. I reminded them that this is a common trait among aging players that have been injured previously. Look no further than Vince’s cousin Tracy McGrady, and how his game has changed over the years since his Toronto/Orlando days.

When I asked why Frank has yet to be fired by Rod Thorn, they said it is because of his political ability to keep his job. That may be true, but that’s also how I’d describe Isiah’s continued tenure with James Dolan’s Knicks at this point. Would Isiah Thomas the GM fire a NBA coach for going 17-39, from November through February, were it not Isiah Thomas coaching? Isiah fired Don Chaney, Lenny Wilkins and Larry Brown with comparable winning percentages, so you tell me.

But their argument with regard to Isiah staying on was that Isiah hasn’t had the right players to get the Knicks anywhere. I reminded them that Isiah hand-picked each and every player on the Knicks roster, and that he basically bet the franchise on Eddy Curry, giving up several high unprotected lottery picks to get him.

Eddy Curry was great last year as the first option every time, but now that he isn’t the first option, he’s starting to look like less of an NBA player and more of a very large and unhappy bench ornament. The Zach Randolph trade has really backfired in that respect, because last season with the ball going through Curry, as a team, the Knicks were simply more competitive in the NBA. The Knick games were more exciting last season than they are right now. Remember the frequent overtimes, buzzer-beaters, nail-biters? Not so much of that this season. Granted we only won 33 games last season, but we’re on course to win far less than that this season if the Knicks don’t get it together.

This year, they look more lost than when Larry “Next Town” Brown was the coach. Oh, that was another thing–they thought Larry Brown got a raw deal only getting one year to turn the Knicks franchise around into a winner.

Most of this is Dolan’s fault, and not Isiah’s in my opinion. Isiah is doing the best job he can, it just isn’t working out. When Isiah first came to New York, he said they’d have to be very creative and risky in order to try to get better, and that’s basically what he’s done, except the risks have backfired, especially the defensive liabilities. But the real problem here is Dolan doesn’t want to ever admit he was wrong or made a mistake, because when you are that rich, you live in your own world, with people kissing your ass instead of telling you when you suck. Dolan should not be allowed to have anything to do with a basketball team, he doesn’t understand it at all, as he’d be the first to tell you.

Just bloggin’