Isiah Thomas sent over the pond to scout Euros
Over the past four years, it was my understanding that Isiah Thomas does not think too highly of European basketball players, so why did they recently put him on a plane to go over there and scout them?
May 15, 2008
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Nice posting and toasting on the D’antoni press conference.
You do know that some people still speculate that Thomas has more than a nominal influence in the Knicks’s organizatio. That of course is just one theory.
In short the positive spin on D’antoni, is that he could reintroduce the Knicks to the international game. I would add that after going through demoralizing seasons, one do to a coach intentionally sabotaging the team, and another due to a coach, losing the locker room, the Knicks need a refreshing up beat approach, add to it that out of many of the run and gun teams his has reached the conference finals on ocassions.
There is hope hear.
Comment by Orange and Blue — May 15, 2008 @ 8:01 pm
Prolly because they want to get the smell of failure out of the building for as long as possible while the new blood gets ushered in. That would be my guess anyway.
Comment by bilz to thrilz — May 15, 2008 @ 8:03 pm
I’m not going to debate how much or how little remaining power Isiah has left with the Knicks because Isiah is not the coach, and he’s definitely not the president, and those were clearly his two roles with the Knicks last year.
did you read the linked article? they’re not sure he still has an office in the building. now the NY Post has always seemed closer to the MSG propaganda pipeline, but the whole point of my questioning of this is this: why send someone to do something they are known to have little interest in doing in the first place?
I’m trying to imagine Walsh sitting in his office, thinking to himself, “Isiah doesn’t like Euros on his teams. I know, lets send him over to Europe to watch a bunch of Euros. –Great idea!”
I don’t see it.
Grunwald is supposed to be leading the scouting process for this draft, that’s verbatim from the press conference the other day.
Occam’s razor: “All other things being equal, the simplest solution is most likely to be correct.”
1. The Knicks have been a horrible team for a good part of the 2000’s.
2. New people have recently been brought in to try and change the losing culture.
3. The people that have already had their chance at turning it around will yield to the new people who will try different methods to produce new results. The desired results are more wins than losses, both long term, and less importantly, short term.
That’s just how I see it going down thus far. To each his own.
Comment by knicksdefense — May 15, 2008 @ 8:55 pm
Don’t spend, Ken Berger warns Walsh.
Comment by knicksdefense — May 15, 2008 @ 10:09 pm
D’Antoni considers Ewing. Note the speculation with regard to Herb Williams, Dave Hanners and Mark Aguirre. What about Suhr? You know what I say–guilt by association.
Comment by knicksdefense — May 16, 2008 @ 9:30 am
I love that they sent him over to Europe. It makes me wish Siberia had a club worth scouting.
Comment by JohnQ — May 16, 2008 @ 10:14 am
I also saw that article in the Daily News.
If that happens it kills two birds with one stone.
BY:
Providing Curry, asumming he’s kept, with a big man’s coach with experience and a great pedigree.
Taking away from a rival team that same big man’s coach.
The one glaring point in Howards game is that he lacks offensive fluidity.
Better to nab Ewing from Orlando so that Howard doesn’t develop it any time soon.
Comment by Orange and Blue — May 16, 2008 @ 10:33 am
Good point O & B. If Howard developed a fluid offensive repetoire he would be unstoppable. Bring Pat to NY pronto !
Comment by JohnQ — May 16, 2008 @ 10:43 am
Third that motion!!!!
Howard would be the complete 2 way player if
he developed some real moves
Bring EW back and let him ride Eddy’s back
Comment by saipanknickster — May 16, 2008 @ 4:16 pm
I’m all for Ewing coming back to the garden in some capacity.
Howard is only going to get stronger.
Detroit knocking them out the box will only humble him, Rasheed in some ways took Howard to school with the veteran/champion big man defensive skills.
Only a matter of time before howard gets those because he has the physical gifts, and as far as I can tell, he has the DESIRE to compete.
That was the only thing holding curry back going into last season.
this should have been curry’s year, but instead it was regression.
He got snubbed from the all star team two years ago.
he should have played with a chip on his shoulder this year.
prove to the league that they were wrong to keep him off the team.
instead he gave way to zach randolph instead of letting zach know that it was “E’s city.”
I think Curry looks up to ewing and ewing would do a better job motivating him than Mark Aguirre or any other piston.
Comment by knicksdefense — May 17, 2008 @ 12:40 am
Then brothers Saipan, JohnyQ and KnicksD
Let’s hope it happens.
If there is any truth to D’antoni’s willingness to consider Ewing on the coaching staff, and willingness to consider hiring a defensive specialist on the bench as well, (got that off of a NYT Howard Beck article somewhere), then it is a strong sign that goes to our new coach’s adaptability. He’ll clearly need that with this roster, and where the Knicks will be starting from.
Good weekend to all.
Comment by Orange and Blue — May 17, 2008 @ 10:34 am
Guys, we need shooters! That’s a constant for D’antoni and any brand of Euroball.
There are more than a few guys on our squad that are known to put up some clangy bricks, so I think if there are any moves from the get go, we’ll be seeing some perimeter marksmen in the fold.
Maybe even in this draft, if we can give up someone like a fred jones now to get some more picks.
That would be ironic, since we don’t have the second round pick because of that perimeter shooter we cut before last season, Demetris Nichols… hindsight is always 20-20, but I still believe that Demetris, Jared Jordan and even Dan Dickau are players D’antoni would prefer to work with more than some of the players we kept Fred, Jerome James and Malik Rose. Who knows, maybe D-Nice and Jordan will get another try-out for the Knicks assuming they’re available?
One good shooter on this squad is Nate Robinson, lets see how that works out with Mike D who stated during the press conference that he was really looking forward to working with Nate before he got shipped out of Phoenix.
Walsh is taking this team Euro, well, more so than the last guy.
The euros have hurt the NBA game with the excessive “unmanly” flopping, but if you can’t beat the san antonios and torontos, with the style of 10 years ago, I join them.
It is all about how the NBA tells the refs to call the game.
anyone see the lakers game last night? those calls were pure crap. they drew 3 charges in a row and did not call it on the lakers, but on the other end of the floor….
Just bloggin’ y’all.
Comment by knicksdefense — May 17, 2008 @ 11:44 am
Too bad b/c stern loves Euro peons so much we gotta give in to the Euro Flop.
Hey but if it comes with good marksmen,… I’ll take it.
Comment by Orange and Blue — May 17, 2008 @ 1:17 pm
I read an article on SI.com by Jack McCallum (the same scribe that spent close to year tagging along with the Suns)
He wrote that Mike D’s brother Dan is “defensive-orientated but he has not been in the league long enough to be considered a guru” Mc Callum also stated that he out the Phoenix assistants Mikes brother is the one he was certain
to join mike in NYC.
Knicks D you are right bout the cut players from last year I think the coach woyld have really like D-Nick and Dickau
Let’s hope that DLee is working on his jumper while he’s not working our w/Nash this summer
Comment by saipanknickster — May 17, 2008 @ 4:12 pm
I think it was either D Antoni who often spoke about a phenonenon called
situational stops. Point being that in there mind it is more important to be able to stop teams at key junctures in the game than it is to be this lock down 48 minutes defensive juggernaut. It Knicks get better defense from guard position and Curry loses weight and realizes he can block some shots (he did it once or twice:)) since he has been here maybe they can get into a place where they have the ability to win more close games.
Comment by Kevin Harewood — May 18, 2008 @ 10:41 am
Excellent point Kevin Harewood, I wholeheartedly agree, also
hopefully Eddy could be taught to pursue rebounds at least at critical junctures
instead only snaring those wayward shots that happen to fall off the rim near him.
Comment by saipanknickster — May 18, 2008 @ 2:03 pm
It’s about the money,in this country it usually is.That would not be such a bad statement but when you reduce that idea to its essentials you are left with Gordon Gecko’s philosophy in “Wall Street”, “Greed is good (god?)!)David Stern is the clear winner in Greedfest.Apparently, he convinced Dolan, the Elder to reign in the younger Dolan, the Foolish.After all, there are Billions ($) at stake,NBA Europe,NBA China,NBA Africa,NBA,the Moon, the Stars and NBA Everafter!D’Antoni was really a no-brainer simply because NYC is about the entertainment dollar, as is the entire league,and the media capital of the world.Tourism is our second largest business.It made sense to bring in the most entertaining style of hooping to fill the next year or two before taking a huge stab (grab) at a superstar, like Lebron, who would make the leagues stock price zoom even higher if he joined a better team in waiting for him.A team that might actually have a chance of winning the big one.After all,we are not winning it all next year no matter who we draft or trade for, exempting the premature arrival of Lebron or Kobe.Both those guys, Mammon bless Lebron little? heart, understand the value of a mega-dollar and would be here in a heartbeat if it was possible.Well, at least it is a plan, if not one that satisfies the NYC hoopster purists who would prefer a team that plays some D.Sorry, that was the deal Mark!Do not discount the two headed Mothra, Dolan Jr. and Isiah.Walsh has made his deal with the devil and so becomes the third head.It is inconceivable that his, Walsh’s, is the last word.That word sits in Mothra’s mouth, unfortunately.D’Antoni will have to make his biggest decision, as his forunners did, on Eddie Curry, the coach killer.Stephon can be easily resurrected or traded,it’s in his own best interests, which are his only interests apparently.How’s your Starbury line doing with the kids after all your me-first antics?Curry must drop 30 lb. and be rock hard after the summer to be of any use to a running team.Help him Mike!Get him a trainer, a nutritionist, a refrigerator lock, a bj if he needs it,but hold him accountable.If he isn’t doing what he needs to,trade him to another dreamer.Keep his skinnier ass,or trade his fat one.All you need is a plan, ascale and a pair of eyes.Meanwhile, the Knick honeymoon will begin.Trade whoever you want to get more competitive but build that cap space and compatible team that our 2010 star can plug into.Don’t mortgage the future, but keep building that world viewer’s idea of a race horse winner.It will fill the seats and sell the cable subscriptions that make Cablevision’s stockholders scrotums tingle all over the, aw, we don’t give a crap about all that!You do!Who knows,maybe the game will change totally to the point that defense is irrelevant.I sure hope not,but “the Streetball Tour” seems to be making money?I will still root for the Knicks.But I just won’t be watching.I’ll be down at the park where the love is.Good Luck Mike!Beware of Mothra,Jimmy,Ike and Walsh(?).Watch your back!LGK, Oh yeah, good luck on Tuesday!Love, UCLA.
Comment by Tman — May 18, 2008 @ 3:09 pm
I’ll be wearin’ every Knick article of clothing I own on tuesday. Cmon Mr. Stern pick us a winner.
Comment by JohnQ — May 18, 2008 @ 11:17 pm