Thursday, April 24, 2008

The Knicks Are Like the Dream Team

Insofar as Isiah Thomas is Not Allowed to Contact Them

Isiah Thomas knows all about the ol' freeze out. He's done the freezing and he's been frost bit before. As the story goes Isiah Thomas was the ring leader in the East locker room prior to the 1985 NBA All-Star Game. In this capacity he convinced his teammates, including Moses Malone, Larry Legend, Dr. J, Bernard King and the Chief, to keep the ball out of the hands of a rookie from the Chicago Bulls, Michael Jordan. Thomas's reason for this was that he felt like the young scorer was getting an inordinate amount of media attention for someone who hadn't paid his dues yet. You might have heard of this Jordan character. Well, apparently he was a bit of competitor and he didn't take kindly to being locked out of the offense. In fact, he held that grudge for decades.

When the IOC amended their rules so as to allow professional basketball players to participate in the 1992 Olympics the whole sporting world was aflutter with the possibilities. The NBA was in a golden era and the spots on the team were priceless. Chuck Daly was named the head coach of the squad and the roster was assembled. The starting center was Patrick Ewing (of course). The starting power forward was Karl Malone. The starting small forward was Charles Barkley. The starting shooting guard was Michael Jordan. And the starting point guard? It sure as hell wasn't Isiah Thomas. It was Magic Johnson. And the backup point guard? Isiah? Nope. It was John Stockton.

This time, as the tale is told, Michael Jordan was the one doing the freezing out. And Isiah was the one out in the cold. He was passed over by the United States men's national basketball team in spite of recently leading the Pistons to back-to-back titles in the years leading up to the Games. He was passed over in spite of the fact that he was undeniably one of the greatest point guards to ever play the game. He was passed over in spite of the fact that his own coach was calling the shots.

He missed out on one of the defining moments for a generation of ballers because he was so selfishly short-sighted in that 1985 All-Star Game. He missed out because his petty jealousy incited him to use his Napoleonic sway as PG in that game to try to take down a kid who had done nothing wrong other than score points as a rookie. And, don't get me wrong, I hate Michael Jordan as much as you can actually hate a professional athlete that you don't know. But, I'd take his side in this battle.

And, as usual, Jordan wins in this rivalry too. Yeah he only got off 9 shot attempts as a starter in his first All-Star Game appearance but he also led the most celebrated team possibly in the history of sport and participated in what could only have been some of the most dramatic high-stakes poker games in the history of gambling during those weeks in Spain.

So, Isiah must have felt a familiar feeling when new Knicks Team President Donnie Walsh informed him the other day that he was prohibited from making any contact with any players on the Knicks roster or coaches on the coaching staff. He must have had a little deja vu. Because he's been here before. He's been told to stay away from team's he felt, in one case rightly and in the other wrongly, that he should have been on. He knows what it's like to not be welcome. To be frozen out.

The karmic paybacks are just starting for Isiah Lord Thomas. He tried to hold down Jordan. Talk about your all-time backfires. He tried to run the Knicks for his own vanity rather than for the fans and for the players. He stubbornly insisted that he would never quit or change even if the circumstances seemed to beg either or both of those moves. And, now his bluff has been called. He has been stripped of his titles. He's likely had to give up all of his office space. He can't show up at the Garden unless he's coming to report to Walsh. He is barred from contact with anyone other Walsh. And his bold proclamations about never quitting, ever, will force him to be powerlessly present as his work is undone. His refusal to admit failure will allow him to be even further humiliated by Walsh who can now use him as an errand boy and doesn't seem shy about doing so, already mentioning that Isiah will be available to be sent to Europe if there is a prospect to be seen.

That example of the sort of task that Isiah could be assigned is particularly hilarious given the complete lack of European scouting that occurred under his stewardship. And, this is why I have no problem with the fact that Isiah hasn't been totally fired from the organization. In fact, I like this even better. He's been stripped of all power and now only has accountability, something that he never had before. Now he is Donnie Walsh's basketball concierge. That is a far more shameful fate than simply being fired. If he'd been fired he could have just left town. He could have potentially even moved on to another pursuit (probably not a NBA job) and distanced himself from the past few years of his life. That isn't an option now.

He's stuck, frozen in fact, by his refusal to quit. He's not allowed to talk to the players who he coached and hired because of how poorly he has been known to handle himself. Walsh doesn't want Isiah whispering poisoned somethings in the ears of Jamal Crawford or any other Knicks who may still foolishly trust him. He doesn't want him turning the Knicks locker room against whomever the new coach is in the same way that he turned that 1985 All-Star Game locker room against Jordan.

Saturday, April 19, 2008

"This House Is Clean"


Isiah Thomas Is Removed As Knicks Coach

A poltergeist has been exercised from the World's Most Famous Arena. Isiah Thomas will no longer be haunting the sidelines at the Garden. He will no longer be allowed to move around the furniture (or the personnel) while everyone is soundly asleep.

Donnie Walsh made the inevitable announcement late yesterday afternoon that Isiah would not return as coach next season. Everyone knew it just had to be coming. I mean, just look at the last year of his terrible tenure. But we all wanted it so bad that we were afraid that it wouldn't happen. We were so beaten down by the past seven seasons, by everything that has happened from the day that Patrick was traded to Seattle right through the way that Mike Dunleavy carved us up for 36 points for the third time this season. Non-Knicks fans would tease about the possibility that lil' Jimmy Dolan would somehow get Isiah a stay of execution for one more season. When Kiki Vandeweghe was rumored for the gig that Walsh ended up taking the papers reported that Isiah's staying on was a condition of the tentative deal. But Kiki wasn't an Academic All-American at UCLA by accident and he walked away.

And, clearly there was no way that the ol' pro from the Bronx was going to sign on to start with one hand tied behind his back. Walsh knows this city enough to know that if he took the helm of the S.S.Knickerbocker and didn't fire Isiah immediately that we would leave port next season with a breach already in the hull. He'd be taking on water and losing fan support from day one if he didn't make that move. He knew that by firing Isiah he would gain the goodwill of the citizenry and that he would be given a free pass for early struggles because those struggles would be growing pains rather than death throes.

Growing pains and death throes. That will be the difference between next season and last season. Because Isiah Thomas is gone (at least from sight if not from the payroll) this ballclub can move forward. For the first time in a long time, something went the way it was supposed to. Something went the way that we had hoped.

And, after seeing how quickly and clinically Walsh removed Isiah from this position one can even hope to see things being done the right way from here on out.

"I can't really tell you where he failed with the club. I think that we reached a point this season when our team didn't compete for a long time," new team president Donnie Walsh said. "The bottom line is that we haven't won and the team didn't look like it was motivated to try to win and be competitive."~Donnie Walsh on demoting Isiah Thomas

Thursday, April 17, 2008

And So It Goes

The 2007-2008 Knicks Season Is Over After One Last Rout In Indiana
Knicks 123 - 132 Pacers


It's over. It's done with. This incarnation of the New York Knickerbockers will never take the floor again together. Right?

This coaching staff will never lead another group of young men into battle bearing spoons instead of swords. Right?

One can only hope. Well, except for Mike Dunleavy of the Pacers who probably doesn't want this team to change a thing. To him this Knicks team is just perfect. They've got the perfect combination of slow rotating defenders in the half court and slower transition in the open court for him to score precisely 36 points per night, which he did in 3 out of 4 times he faced NY this season. That's his career high.

It's been a brutal season. It's been exhausting the past few weeks. And, I know that the losing has made it hard to muster the energy to post on this site. Or to sit on the couch and watch games. Hell, I was at the game on Monday actively hoping that they would lose so as not to hurt their draft position. There's no doubt that it's been a rough year. The roughest that I've seen.

It's rougher than 2005-2006 when Larry Brown's team finished with an identical record. That season was terrible. It was dysfunctional. But it wasn't embarrassing in the myriad ways that this year was. This team lost 34 games by ten or more points. They lost 10 games by 20 or more points. They lost a game by 26 points. They lost a game by 28 points. They lost a game by 29 points. They lost a game by 30 points. They lost a game by 32 points. They lost a game by 34 points. And they lost a game by 40 points.

This team even lost a lawsuit. They lost players to injury. They lost their dignity. They lost in every conceivable way that they could have.

But it is over. And so it goes.

Wednesday, April 16, 2008

The End of An Error and An Anthem

Late in Monday night's loss to the second-string Boston Celtics a familiar refrain rang through the Garden. It rose above the crinkling and crackling of food wrappers. It soared up to the rafters and mingled with the names and numbers of the legends hanging high above the parquet floor. It was what seems likely to be the very last "Fire Isiah" chant that will ever be uttered in Madison Square Garden.



After such an arduous season saw this phrase enter the sports lexicon it seems strange that it may never be uttered again. It seems almost unbelievable that I won't need to give voice to those words ever again. Or maybe, "Fire Isiah" can live on as a catch-all call-to-arms for any fan base when their coach or general manager deserves to be sacked.

Perhaps Isiah can attach his name to forcible regime changes in NBA the way that Mario Mendoza forever linked himself to ineptitude at the plate in Major League Baseball or the way that Tommy John ended up being better known as a surgical procedure than a pitcher.

Monday, April 14, 2008

Isiah's Scorched Draft Policy

How Isiah Thomas Wants To Hurt This Team Even After He's Gone


It is a military tactic in use since before the reign of Pontius Pilate. The Scythians used it before their territory was overrun by the Persians. The Armenians used it before their lands were taken by the Greeks. In the American Civil War the troops of the Confederacy were ordered to implement this same action as General Sherman and his Union soldiers marched towards them. (Of course, Sherman was going to do the same when he arrived anyway, but that is neither here nor there.) Throughout all recorded time those who have been certain to lose their lands and possessions in battle have destroyed them rather than abandon them to the uses of the approaching enemy. It is called scorched earth and it is nothing new. It is as old as war itself.

It is another way of saying that if "I can't have it than nobody can." And, it is exactly what Isiah Thomas has been trying to do to the Knicks draft pick ever since Donnie Walsh was hired. With the writing on the wall that his reign over the court at the Garden is over. With the hoof beats of Walsh's horses quaking the ground several floors beneath the hardwood, Isiah has inexplicably started coaching again in what can only be construed as an attempt to squander the one silver-lining in this cloudy season: the team's draft pick. By winning three of their last four games the Knicks have given up the inside track on one of the top three picks. They have potentially forsook that which could redeem this lost season.

The Daily News reported that Thomas even had the audacity to hold the longest practice that the team has had in weeks on Sunday. It was not too long ago that he was barely asking his players to shoot-around before tip-off. And, now he wants them to practice? Why? So that he can get a better look at Randolph Morris? Nope. So that they can squeak out a win over Charlotte? Or a playoff bound Pistons team that is resting its starters?

Actually, yes. That is exactly why. In his own retreat from his soon to be conquered territory Isiah is for-once heeding the lessons of history. He is not ignoring those wiser leaders who came before him. He is listening to them and he is setting fire to the most precious assets that he has so that those who usurp his lands cannot make use of them.

Isiah Thomas is coaching again just to ruin our chance at Derrick Rose. He does not want to help his erstwhile enemies (Donnie Walsh, the players themselves and the fans are included in this number) succeed in the place where he failed so famously. In doing so he is taking away the only good thing that he could have brought forth from the wretched incubator of his tenure on the bench.

He is setting fire to our draft lottery ping pong balls just as those Scythians set fire to their fields and slaughtered all the livestock which they could not carry with them as they fled their conquerors.

Thursday, April 10, 2008

"Winner! Winner! Chicken Dinner!"

Announcing the Winner of the 2008 WWOD? NCAA Tournament POOL

This familiar (at least to me) phrase comes to us from the casinos of Las Vegas, Nevada. It comes from a seemingly distant time when Vegas wasn't seedy and family friendly in equal parts. It comes from a time when gambling was classy, martinis were taken in a fedora with breakfast and the Mafia and the Rat Pack rather than the IRS and the motion picture business ran the town. Back in those by-gone days calls of "Winner, winner! Chicken Dinner!" could be heard resounding through the oxygenated casino floors all around town. Back then the standard bet was $2. And most casinos offered a three-piece chicken dinner with some sort of potato and another vegetable for the bargain price $1.79. So, one winning hand could bring anyone a chicken dinner. Ergo, "winner, winner, chicken dinner."

Although the winner of the 2008 WWOD? Tourney Pool does not actually get a delicious chicken dinner, they do win the awesomest prize ever (offered by me for winning this year's pool). And, the winner of that prize is none other than WWOD? reader and picker of Kansas MarkJacksonShimmy. Mr JacksonShimmey is a Pacers fan and commenter who beat the rest of us rather soundly in this year's pool.

He picked 11 of the Sweet 16, seven of the Elite Eight and three of the Final Four. And he had Kansas to win it all. The only demerits on this bracket is that he missed the boat on Davidson and Western Kentucky but, then again, so did just about everyone else. Most notably Georgetown and Drake.

For his prescient picks he is receiving a limited edition What Would Oakley Do? T-Shirt. I can only hope that this will be worn with pride around the environs of the state of Indiana and spread the WWOD? gospel to the land of Rik Smits and Chuck Person.

Wednesday, April 9, 2008

Really? A Three-Game Winning Streak? Really?

I hate that the Knicks beat the Bobcats, 109-107, at the Garden. I hate it.

"The Mets have found ways of losing that I never knew existed."~Casey Stengel

A Photo Essay of the Mets 2008 Home Opener
Part Seven
Actually there wasn't really anything new for Casey in this one. This loss was eerily similar to so many losses from the end of last year. Timid bats and terrible relief pitching. To be honest, I'd kind of like the team to find a new way of losing.

"I've come to the conclusion that the two most important things in life are good friends and a good bullpen."~Bob Lemon

A Photo Essay of the Mets 2008 Home Opener
Part Six
And, here's the moment when it started to feel like September all over again. When the sense of inevitability crept into my chest. When Willy went to the bullpen and called out #60.

The first home-team-directed chorus of boos for the 2008 season rained down upon none other than Scotty Schoeneweis. After coming on and sort-of starting the seventh inning (after Joe Smith took the hill but never threw a pitch) the Show gave up to 2 hits and a hit-by-pitch before almost escaping the jam on a tailor-made double-play ball to Delgado at first. Unfortunately, Delgado pegged Utley while making his throw to second. Everyone was safe and two runs scored. Tie ballgame. And, boos. Lots of them.   

Down a run heading into the eighth things were not nearly as bad as they felt. Especially since Heillman, arguably the team's best reliever, was on the hill. Wright was leading off bottom of the inning. There was plenty of time to turn this around.

False. Heillman gave up 2 runs on 2 hits in his one inning of work.

"A baseball game is simply a nervous breakdown divided into nine innings."~Earl Wilson

A Photo Essay of the Mets 2008 Home Opener
Part Five

Sometimes you can just sense that it's not your day. Looking at this picture you might think that either Shane Victorino or Jayson Werth had such a sense after their collision in centerfield. But you'd be wrong. That sense was in the seats and at second base. Where us Mets fans and David Wright all felt robbed of at least a double. For what's worth, I thought that Victorino dropped the ball from my perch ten zillion feet away. Apparently the Umpire who was much closer disagreed. 
 
While all the talk heading in to the game was about the looming presence of CitiField no one knew about the last addition at Shea. The future. You can apparently see it through a hole in the wall on the Mezzanine level. And, it seems to have scared this guy.

Meanwhile, back in the stands fans are much more concerned with the present and with the drunk guy presently punching them in their faces. By the midpoint of the game it was getting rough upstairs. Phillies pitcher Jamie Moyer had slowed down the game in a Trachselian manner and the natives were getting restless. This skirmish actually featured someone throwing a cop down a few stairs. 

This drunk wasn't throwing any cops, he was just throwing up. He casually threw up beneath his seat and didn't tell his friends, who didn't notice. He would soon grind the vomit into the floor with his shoe so that no one would be the wiser. Classy. 

We can only hope that these two can reconcile their differences. 

"A hot dog at the ballgame beats roast beef at the Ritz."~Humphrey Bogart

A Photo Essay of the Mets 2008 Home Opener
Part Four

Agreed.

And, yes, this hot dog actually costs as much as a steak at the Ritz did in Bogie's day.

"They usually show movies on a flight like that."~Ken Coleman

A Photo Essay of the Mets 2008 Home Opener
Part Three

In his first "real" at-bat since that devastating second half slump Jose Reyes grounds out to Jimmy Rollins. That's fitting. 

Howard at first. Utley at second. Rollins at shortstop. That's a pretty impressive infield. Pedro Feliz (who's at third) just needs to remember to show up each day and not accidentally injure any of them and that foursome is as good as they come. 

The second-best first baseman in today's game steps up to the plate to lead off the bottom of the second inning and to the surprise of everyone in the stadium cracks Jamie Moyer's second pitch over the right-center-field wall. Perhaps rumors of his demise are greatly exaggerated. Or, perhaps he guessed right on a tepid fastball from an old lefty. 

Either way, HOME RUN!!!!!!!

Mets lead, 1-0 after two innings.

"When they start the game, they don't yell, 'Work ball.' They say, 'Play ball.'"~Willie Stargell

A Photo Essay of the Mets 2008 Home Opener
Part Two
Shea is packed up this afternoon. Our seats are on the aisle in the upper-deck, way down the third base line. The sun is shining on my face and the beers are in commemorative plastic bottles. So far, so good.

And, Citi Field is really right there in left. Taunting all of us at Shea. You've got to wonder how that structure is going to affect balls hit to left field. Is the wind effectively blocked by the team's new digs? Does this mean it will be easy to hit one over that wall? I feel like that used to be the hardest spot to get one out. Or will be there be some new, unnatural wind current pushing balls even farther back into the field of play? You've also go to wonder where I'll be watching the home opener this time next season. Citi Field doesn't rise nearly as tall as Shea does and you know that more seats are going to be downstairs rather than in the upper deck. I hope the last home opener at Shea doesn't turn out to be my last home opener too. 

After a few pitches by Oliver Perez we're right back into the thick of it. The season is on. The red, white and blue bunting already seems out of place. The subway hope is already replaced by upper-deck expectation. And Ryan Howard and the division rival Phillies are already in town. Howard is a big dude. Still, I'm not terrified while he is in the batter's box. He strikes out too much for me to be too scared of him.  

On the other hand, Pat "the Bat" Burrell does scare me. He rakes against the Mets. He just kills us. Ollie and Schneider seem to be aware of this too as they meet on the mound before taking on The Bat with two on and two out in the top of the first. It's totally awesome that we're having mound meetings during inning No. 1 of the home opener. Totally. Awesome.

Well, whatever those two talked about out there it worked because Perez struck Burrell out looking. "Oll-lly! Oll-lly!"

"You always get a special kick on opening day, no matter how many you go through. You look forward to it like a birthday party when you're a kid...

...You think something wonderful is going to happen."~Joe DiMaggio

A Photo Essay of the Mets 2008 Home Opener
Part One

And, yes, I just used a quote from the Yankee Clipper to open a photo essay about the Mets. And, I'm mostly fine with it. Joe D captures the feeling of possibility that permeates a home opener (even if it's not actually the true opening day of the season). You look forward to it for so many reasons and there is an awesome sense of possibility that each fan in attendance gets along with the refrigerator schedule.

The 7-train is pulling up to Shea. And, doesn't she look terrific?

Well, at least until you see her much more attractive roommate...

I see the first of, presumably, many Santana jerseys on the platform after getting off the 7. The "Let's Go Mets" chants are starting up as we all head downstairs. After a morning in the office it finally feels like Opening Day. I still think I need a beer before I'm yelling anything.
Leaving the subway station you no longer walk across that small concrete bridge and down those spiral staircases. The stairwell descends right from the station this season and deposits you at ground level standing face-to-face with Citi Field. It looks classy and comfortable and expensive. In other words, it looks nothing like Shea. 

Tuesday, April 8, 2008

Chatting Up Chad Ford

Here Are Some Belated Knicks-Related Excerpts From a "Chat" with the ESPN hoops maven. My reactions are included in italics

Jonny (LA): I know there is lots of volatility right now, but please give me your prediction for the Knicks next coach and GM. Thanks.

Chad Ford: Coach? It won't be Isiah. I think Mark Jackson will get a shot. I don't think Rick Carlisle will. As for GM? If he can get his right hand man in Indiana, David Morway, that would be the most obvious choice (though Morway may choose to stay in Indiana with Larry Bird instead). It's interesting that more people haven't talked about Morway ... a guy who many in the league think is GM material on his own. If it's not Morway ... Billy King is a possibility. I'm told there's no way it will be Mark Warkentein.

WWOD?: First of all, I'm glad that both the question and answer take for granted that Isiah Thomas is gone. Nice. Secondly, I LOVE that Mark Jackson will get a shot. Just because it shows that there is an understanding of team history. Isiah has always ignored the Knickerbocker history because it is not his own and he has done this to his own detriment. That being said, Rick Carlisle also donned a Knicks uniform for a few seasons and I don't like to hear that any high-caliber person won't even be considered. I think we've leave all options open. We've got to realize that this team is still years from being good and that the coach we hire now won't necesarily be the one take us to the mountaintop. Or, even the satelite parking lot where those hoping to go hiking in the state park where the mountain is located. So, we don't need our dream coach right now. We need the guy to turn this thing around and demand accountability in the meantime.

* * * * * *

Doug (NY): Chad, how realistic is it that Donnie Walsh will be able to free up enough cap space by 2010 to lure LeBron or Wade to the Knicks?

Chad Ford: If he let's Stephon Marbury's contract expire and then finds a trade for either Zach Randolph or Eddy Curry that gets back contracts that expire by the summer of 2010 ... the Knicks will be far enough under the cap to make a run at a serious free agent like LeBron or Wade. All it really requires is a little patience. Make a great draft pick this year and next year ... develop young players like David Lee ... and the Knicks could be in very good position in the summer of 2010.

WWOD?: I'd like to believe Chad here. I think the key is really Marbury's contract. We've got to let it come off the books rather than trading it for more contracts, that likely go past next season.

* * * * * *

MRL the Pearl (Owings Mills): Isiah Thomas. Will he ever work in the NBA again?

Chad Ford: I doubt it. Maybe as a coach. Never again as a GM or team president.

WWOD?:One can only hope that this is the case. Perhaps if he took a job coaching in college or a D-League team he could rehabilitate his image as coach enough to come back to an NBA sideline. It seems implausible but there are so many retreads in the coaching ranks that nothing should surprise too much.

* * * * * *

Doris Bullet (Fort Lee): If both the Knicks and Nets are going to be able to fit lebron in 2010 which team do you think Lebron would choose?

Chad Ford: The Nets.

WWOD?:Everyone seems to think that Lebron-to-the-Nets is a foregone conclusion. I guess so, but I hope that this move happened soon enough that the Knicks might be able to force their way into the picture. If Marbury's contract is allowed to die of natural causes and either Randolph or Curry is traded then the Knicks will be rebuilt before the Nets are since Vince Carter isn't going anywhere.

* * * * * *

Matt (CT): Do you think Donnie is looking for a true point in the draft? hopefully the balls bounce the Knicks way so they can get Rose!

Chad Ford: Yeah, Derrick Rose should be at the very top of their list -- ahead of Michael Beasley. He's a huge point guard, with excellent athleticism and great floor vision. He's a leader and a superstar in the making. He reminds me of a 6-foot-4 version of LeBron. Very few players have that combination of quickness and power at his size.

Chris (Boston): Hey chad, can you see a situation where Beasley isnt drafted 1st overall??

WWOD?:Yeah, if any team were to turn their draft board over to me. At this point, there are only five teams that don't take Rose with the No. 1 overall pick: New Orleans, Utah,

Chad Ford: Yes. I think the Knicks would take Rose No. 1. Ditto for the Pacers. I think Miami would have to look very closely at Rose vs. Beasley. And I think Seattle would as well.

Jack (Toronto): You don't think Donnie Walsh got enough of me-first players in Indiana? No way Mayo goes to the Knicks.

Chad Ford: I don't think that's totally fair for Mayo. He's been a team player at USC this year.

WWOD?:Anyone who reads this site or who has talked to me for more than five minutes in the past five weeks knows that I want Derrick Rose on my team more than A-Rod wants to be well-liked. I want him to be our next point guard really badly. And, I'm setting myself up to utterly devastated if we don't land him. Which is stupid. Because there are other good point guards out there. Eric Gordon is strong and young and can score. O.J. Mayo ended up having a much better season than it seems (I agree with Ford's defense of Mayo on this point), even if he was upstaged by a few our diaper dandies. Still, Rose is the prize and to me the rest are thorns.

Thursday, April 3, 2008

The 2007-2008 NBA Ping Pong/Relegation Standings

(While those Western powerhouses are getting all of the attention as they jockey for playoff position, I thought it would be worth shedding a light on the knock-down, drag out fight for the top draft picks in the upcoming drafts. After all, only one of those "good" teams can win a title this year while a few of these remarkably bad teams have the chance to nab a player that fans will cheer for the next decade. I mean, would you rather be one of the #7 seed in the East or at the very bottom right now? Would you rather have had the number one draft pick in 1985 or overachieved and made it to the 1985 Western Conference Semi-Finals?)

TeamRecordGames BehindRemaining Games
Miami13-62-@WAS, DET, CHI, MEM, @CLE, @TOR, ATL
Seattle17-58+4HOU, DEN, @DAL, @HOU, @SAN, DAL, @GS
Minnesota19-55+6.5@PHO, MEM, @CHA, NOH, @ORL, @MEM, @DET, MIL
KNICKS20-55+7@NOH, ORL, @DET, CHA, ATL, BOS, @IND
Memphis20-55+7*GS, @MIN, PHO, @MIA, MIN, @POR, @DEN

As you can see, the Miami Heat have the inside track on the most ping pong balls in the upcoming draft lottery. Their magic number to clinch the NBA's worst record and a 1 in 4 chance of the top pick (which is what you get for having the worst record in the league) is 4. If they lose 4 times or if the Sonics win four times then the Heat clinch the worst record**. The Heat's magic number in regards to the T-Wolves is just 2 and it is 1 for the Knicks and Grizzlies. So, it's going to be hard for anyone to unseat Pat Riley's crew from the top spot at the bottom. In fact, looking at the Sonics brutal slate of games (all remaining games are against teams in the playoff mix out West) it looks like it will be hard to snag second (to last) place from them. Still having to navigate the Texas Triangle during the last week of the season is certainly a good omen if you're banking on one of the top two picks, since finishing second in the Ping Pong/Relegation Standings gets your squad a 19.9% chance at the top pick and an 18.8% chance of the second pick.

All that being said, I think the Knicks can lose the rest of their games. Fingers crossed. On paper the only ones you have to worry about them winning are at home to Charlotte and away to Indiana. Still, I suspect that a 2-5 finish could leap frog them ahead (or behind) of Minnesota, who is frankly a better team and has a whopping four winnable games left. Two of the T-Wolves winnable contests come against the Memphis Grizzlies, the team with the most direct affect on the teams in this heated basement barn-burner. Fresh off two victories over the Knicks in the last week and a half, they still have two on deck with Minnesota and one tilt to go with Miami.

*Having beat the Knicks in both meetings this season, the Grizzlies will finish a spot below them if they finish with the same record. 

**The Heat and Sonics split their season series, 1-1, so I'm not sure how the tie-breaker would work if it were necessary. 

Wednesday, April 2, 2008

Meaningful Basketball Discussions

Just like Donnie Walsh, all Knicks fans have a lot of meaningful basketball discussions ahead of us. So, let's start with the Don's scripted remarks:


And, after that rather stiff foreplay the Don and the assembled fourth estate really get down to brass tacks. And, by "brass tacks" I mean that he is asked every which way how quickly he is going to fire Isiah. And, he gives the best, most meaningful nonanswers that I've ever heard. It is amazing to hear someone speak honestly about this team who is actually affiliated with this team. I can't even describe how great it its. This clip is almost a half an hour long, but it is VERY, VERY much worth the time. It's not often that you get to hear one of the top hoops minds in the game speak plainly at length.


And, though I love the idea (and implied results) of "a meaningful basketball discussion I just can't imagine anyone having one with this Cheshire cat. This is the very definition of a sh#t-eating grin. A picture from this interview is in the dictionary under that entry.


But the knowledge that that man is not likely long for his current post as head coach (and that even if by some Faustian bargain he is able to maintain that role he will not be charged with stocking the cupboard) makes me almost as happy as I know Mike Breen must be. The Knicks play-by-play man has been wonderfully outspoken in his criticism of the Knicks dismal play this year as has is partner Clyde Frazier. As a fan you felt like they felt your pain. And, today you felt like they felt your joy.


Though, the my enthusiasm for all of this is somewhat tempered by the fact that Stephen A digs it.


But, not too much. I'd pick Stephen A over Isiah T any day of the week. Which is saying something. I would rather listen to Stephen A while stuck in traffic every single day for the rest of my life than have to watch Isiah run this team for any longer than the last day of the 2007-2008 regular season. So, bearing that in mind, let's cleanse the pallet with some Chris Sheridan.

From the Horse's Mouth

The New Don

Donnie Walsh Officially Named President of Knicks
It was on December 22, 2003 that Isiah Thomas was named President of Basketball Operation of the New York Knicks. His official bio on the team's website and in the media guide states that this is the date that he "brought his singular style and winning attitude to the world’s greatest basketball city."

That bio goes on to state that:
His impact upon the Knicks has been swift and dramatic, as he has engineered trades to bring the likes of Stephon Marbury, Jamal Crawford, Steve Francis, Eddy Curry, Jalen Rose and Quentin Richardson to New York, as well as the free agent signings of Jared Jeffries and Jerome James.

And, adds that:
Thomas’ patience and ability to stick to his long-term plan, rebuilding the organization through a balance of youth, athleticism and experience, have re-energized the franchise (every player on the Knicks’ roster has been acquired during Thomas’ regime). Taking on the added role of head coach, he brings a singular philosophy - both short- and long-term - for returning the Knicks to elite status.

The fact that this text is on the team's website today is as laughable as the team's lack of a called play coming out of a timeout in the fourth quarter. Steve Francis, Jalen Rose and Jerome James are listed as three of the eight most significant non-draft roster moves during Thomas' tenure as Team President. Really? On April 2, 2008 the team is touting the Jared Jeffries and Jerome James free-agent signings in his best-of section? That right there is as damning as anything else I could ever write about the guy. It's so much more damning because you realize that his worst, most laughable moves are really all that he has to show for himself. After all, Jared Jeffries may actually be his best free-agent signing!

And, horrendous personel judgement is just one of the myriad reasons why Donnie Walsh is replacing Isiah as President of Basketball Operations. That is one job down for Thomas and hopefully the rest will be stripped from him shortly after the close of the season. Either way, there is a new Don in town as of 1 PM EST and I couldn't be any happier.

In this case the new boss is nothing like the old boss. The new Don is nothing like the old Thomas. He has the job because he's great at exactly this sort of job and not because he was once great at another job (playing basketball) that is related to this sort of job. The new Don is someone whose resume reads impeccably*.

His team has been to the playoffs in 16 of the last 18 years. He put together a team that made a trip to the NBA Finals in 2000. His teams made six trips to the Eastern Conference Finals. His teams won four division titles. He put together a team that had the best regular season record. His club made (mostly, except when Isiah sold him on Fred Jones over Tayshaun Prince) savvy draft picks and hired (mostly, except a certain former Pistons great) quality coaches.

Even if you don't think he is the absolute best person for the job. Even if you long for Jerry West, there is no way that you don't think that Walsh isn't one of the top-four people for the job. He is a basketball man, born in NYC, molded as a player under the legendary Frank McGuire at UNC (where he would receive his law degree after eschewing a career as a baller), shaped as a coach at the University of South Carolina and hardened as a General Manager-turned-Team Executive in the Midwest. After this long circuitous journey, Donnie Walsh is ready to come home. He is ready to turn around the enfeebled Knickerbockers.

There is a new Don in the New York City. And, he ain't a member of the Corrleone family. He is a member of the Walsh family from the Riverdale section of the Bronx.


*Everything that transpired in Indiana lately goes on Larry Bird's ledger in my opinion. Walsh has been phasing himself out, and I do (perhaps with rose-tinted glasses) place most of the blame at Bird's feet. Of course, this team was irrevocably damaged by the melee with the Pistons. That team had Artest and half of the Warriors roster that everyone in the NBA loves now. Remember that? Things have gone to hell in a hand basket since that fight (and since Walsh starting backing towards the door in deference to Bird) but we can't forget that Walsh new about those guys before Nellie did.

"Everthing's Coming Up Roses...and Walshes"


How the Knicks Can Win Big By Losing Them All

So, the Knicks continue to tank games. It is unabashed. While you were watching baseball they were blowing a late lead to Bucks last night before eventually falling in OT. As planned. They have lost 15 of their last 17 games. They were outscored 32 to 21 in the fourth to allow overtime. And, I couldn't be happier. I've got designs on the one of the top two picks in the upcoming draft lottery and I think, for once, we've got the coach to get us there!

With so few games to go and the point guard (the glaring hole on our team that undeniably cost them the game last night as they couldn't run a halfcourt set when the possessions counted most down the stretch) of my dreams playing so well in the tournament I'm just happy to have the ping pong balls that each additional defeat brings in the upcoming draft.

The Knicks wake up today with a 20-54 record. This is good for fifth worst in the Association. Miami has the runaway lead for last place with only 13 wins, but I'm not overly worried about catching them (since we can't) because I think that the the Knicks just need to have one of the top two picks to get a potentially franchise-changing player in Michael Beasley from K-State or Derrick Rose from Memphis.

And, to be honest, I want Rose. I want a point guard that can pass, score, defend and has some size and can completely control a game. In other words, I want Rose to be my Chris Paul. Or, my second Mark Jackson. And, I think that if we can land in the top two spots of the draft then we can snag him.

That means, that we've got to outmaneuver Memphis (19 wins), Minnesota (19 wins) and Seattle (17 wins) either by way of bouncing ping pong balls or by way of errant basket ballls. Thankfully, tonight the Blue and Orange disastactular travels to Memphis. If we can pull out a loss down there (and maybe send some Knicks gear over to Coach Cal and D. Rose) than we'll have fallen level with them.

That leaves 7 more games to make up one with Memphis and three with Seattle. Unfortunately, the Knicks don't get a chance to lose to either of those teams again this season. Which is a shame. If we could be losing to anyone these days I would want it to be Seattle or Minnesota. However, the Knicks play very losable games @ New Orleans, at home against Orlando, @ Detroit and at home against Boston. Those should all be chalk L's, which leaves dangerously winnable contests against Charlotte, Atlanta and @ Indiana on the schedule.

The Hawks are fighting (and seemingly securing) a playoff seed so I would hope that they wouldn't mail in their fourth to last game of the year. They need the win. I need the loss. And, I'm confident that we can all leave that night (Friday, April 11) feeling like we got what we wanted. So, that just leaves Charlotte and Indiana. The 'Bockers have split the first two games with Charlotte. Each team has held serve at home. However, the Knicks win came in their brief stretch of inspired .500 ball in February when Nate was playing so well and Jamal hadn't broken the 45,000 minute-mark for the season.

The Knicks are not the same team they were for those two halycon mid-winter weeks and the Bobcats have won 3 of their last 4, including a win @ the Lakers. Even though the game should be a toss up I feel confident that Isiah can sabotage this game with some combination of Wilson Chandler in crunchtime and Randolph Morris the rest of the time.

And, if we can make my dreams of these losses a reality and THEN we'll end the miserable 2007-2008 season in Indianapolis playing another woeful team in front of tens and tens of paying customers. In many ways it is fitting that we end with the Pacers since the word is out that today the Knicks will announce the hiring of longtime Pacer exec Donnie Walsh as the President of Basketball Operations here in the Big Apple.

If so, then I would think his (hopefully) last duet (since their first took place in Indy) with Isiah will be a good one. Isiah can lose each and every game left on the schedule and Donnie can use that draft pick to start turning this thing around in the offseason.