"Xavier McDaniel, I Presume?"

(Since the Knicks continue to surrender second half leads and lose games I figured that we're going to need to do something else with this space on occasion. With that in mind I've trekked through the wilds of the Internets to find the latest news on some of our long-lost Knicks from happier times.)

When asked about by Mitch Lawrence at the News about the way the NBA has changed, Sam I Am Cassell recalled a manlier, brawnier and more violent time defined by, among others, our very own Charles Oakley:

"I won a long time ago, when there was the real NBA," he said. "When the league was all about men....The league is very soft now...I know a lot of guys, like Charles Oakley, LaSalle Thompson and Buck Williams, they couldn't play in the game like it is right now. The enforcer on the team, he'd be cut right now. The game was tougher. It ain't that tough right now. It's like they're protecting the quarterback."

...Although the Seattle Sonics are experiencing some growing pains in Kevin Duran'ts first year the one player who has been getting high marks from folks around the league is former Knick Kurt Thomas, who has been banging in the paint and hitting pick-and-roll jump shots in the great Northwest this season.

THOMAS TARGETED: The one player the Sonics are anticipating they will be asked about in coming weeks is center Thomas, who has an expiring $8 million contract and has shown he can still play at a high level. Thomas entered Thursday averaging 7.3 points and 9.3 rebounds in 25.6 minutes per game.
The Sonics may consider re-signing Thomas for next season because he has been such a positive influence on the younger players and he is the team's most legitimate center in years.

So, Kurt Thomas, according to the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, is:
A) playing for a cap-friendly price
B) a valuable trade commodity
C) A positive influence on younger big men
D) Better than previous big men the Sonics have had, including Jerome James

Of course, the Knicks kicked Thomas to the curb, largely because Stepon Marbury and his negative influence on younger players didn't get along with Kurt's crazy eye. And, to replace him Isiah drastically overpaid for the guy that Seattle would never choose over Kurt. Looking back this may be the personnel carousel that most epitomizes the Isiah regime.

Anyway, I hope Kurt gets traded to a contender. I love watching him body-up on Duncan in the playoffs and would root for him most anywhere that he lands.