[bigboydan]

Dolan is thinking of paying Larry Brown 44 million to retire and make Isiah Thomas coach.

I say why not? Let Isiah coach all of this "talent" he has brought in here. P.S. Can you imagine being able to just piss away 44 million dollars like that?

May 14, 2006 -- HOOP DU JOUR AMONG the "celebrities" who ambled over to Lincoln Center to watch David Blaine immerse himself in a water bubble was Isiah Thomas. If anybody can appreciate someone who stands around the West Side doing nothing, it's the Knicks president.
Then again, should information from a high-level team source prove precise, I'll be forced to wolf those words.

According to that Knicks hearing aide, Thomas suddenly has a plan; who cares if it's borrowed from his bosses? From what I'm told, Cablevision boss James Dolan and Garden President Steve Mills are endorsing the buyout of Larry Brown's remaining $44 million, four-year obligation, and strongly urging Thomas to take over as head coach, a position he held for three years with the Pacers.

That's one way, I guess, of holding Thomas accountable. Since replacing Scott Layden 21/2 seasons ago, he's assembled and re-assembled the roster.

Presumably, he thinks his chosen ones can play more than a lick.

Presumably, he still likes most, contrary to Brown, who loathes most, none more than Stephon Marbury, Isiah's poisonous pet who recoils on orders. That's why Stephon didn't make his season-ending speech to the media, as threatened; his cult figure commanded him to holster his fangs.

Presumably, Thomas will be able to extract more energy, caring and loyalty from his recruits than a drill instructor who habitually rags them in public. Marbury won't exactly be the only player celebrating, should Brown be bounced.



The way I hear it, Thomas is positive the Knicks will improve appreciably with him in charge. He's confident a tweak here, a tweak there, and his talent pool's win total will soar from 23 to close to break even.

For months, the piqued, the turned off and the tuned out have advocated the deportation of Mills, Thomas, Brown and Marbury, altogether aware it would never remotely happen in its entirety during this off-season or, considering their bloated contracts, in seasons to come.

Convincing Dolan to extinguish himself is a more practical prospect. You can't as much as tempt him to sell his family cable company and all its accoutrements; it's not like people haven't made the effort.

"The only way to get the Knicks out of Dolan's clutches," groans the above-mentioned insider, someone who's been there, tried that, "is to pry it from his cold hands." At the very least (at best, in other words), the popular rumination by those lost in a daydream is that even Dolan, Mills and Thomas must recognize that Brown and Marbury cannot return for another venomous go-around.

One pollutant or the other - hopefully both - must be eradicated before next season's projected mediocre presentation is too far gone to resuscitate.

Unless Brown's health issues - and advantageous insurance clauses - compel him to split, that would have seemed to leave Marbury as the odd man out. Judging by quotes from Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor, it's not unreasonable to visualize a trade to re-acquire Kevin Garnett's former kindergarten playmate.

That was the common-held belief. Yet, we figured wrong.

Presumably, that means more than the firing/expiring of Joe Favorito, so far the sorry season's lone casualty . . . though I often suspected the veteran Madison Square Garden publicity man was responsible for a lot of the Knicks' problems.

My next 10 thoughts, exhumed from the cracks in my cranium re: Thomas coaching the Knicks:

1. I like it. Why ask your overpaid, underperforming figurines to tune out two different overpaid, underperforming figureheads when you can eliminate the middle man and pass the savings on to no one.

2. What size gurney does Thomas take?

3. Let's see if I get this: Thomas, an abject failure in one job - president of basketball operations - is given additional duties. Who's running Camp Cablevision? Howard Dean?

4. Did Anucha Browne Sanders sign off on this?

5. How long will it take Thomas and Marbury to fall out of love?

6. Is this the Knicks' way of offering to serve St. John's probation?

7. What happens to Next Town Brown? Has someone considered his feelings? I mean, the guy's been about nothing but stability for three decades. This might very well be a shock to his system.

[The Great One]

5 words come to mind.....

WORST GENERAL MANAGER IN HISTORY

[bigboydan]

Originally Posted by The Great One

5 words come to mind.....

WORST GENERAL MANAGER IN HISTORY

i agree TGO

it's tough to beat matt millen, but thomas should did beat him by miles.

[BigDog]

I don't care who is coaching if you don't have the players you're not going to win and the Knicks DON'T have the players to be contenders.......The sooner they figure out that Marbury is NOT a franchise type player the better off they'll be.That would be the first thing I'd do is get rid of his ass

[pags11]

this would be a downgrade and would be a waste as they still have to pay brown...he's a dick, but he's shown he can win wherever he's gone...

[shady610]

id love to see him coach the team. then he will have to do the post game press conferences and answer all the GM questions he will be getting.

[The Great One]

Just when I think isiah can't make any more decisions that would be any more costly to that sorry ass team. Now he basically is agreeing and James Dolan to to pay Larry Brown 44 million plus last years salary to coach 1 year and have the 2nd worst record in the league and STILL the league's highest payroll by far.

There is not even a close 2nd for the worst GM in history award. The guy is a moron and has no business sense. Why these teams pay these ex-athletes good $$ to be in a complete business environment is beyond me.

He gives mediocre players and in some case, team cancers max dollar deals. Trades away his teams lottery picks. has the highest payroll in the league, buys out coaches contract after being there 1 season.

Just horrible. can't stress this enough. A 6th grade girl who has never even seena basetball could not do any worse than him at this position.

Francis and marbury on max. deals in the same back court. You've got to be kidding. Look at Jalen Freakin Rose's contract. How about a scrub like malik Rose. He is just a moron and doesn't even deserve a last meal before his execution. He's too stupid to know how to order it anyway.

[Dark Horse]

Isaiah and Dumars are the tandem that keeps the Pistons on top. Both are masterful...

[The Great One]

Here's a look at the current Knicks salries. I think right now their teamsalary is about at 125 million give or take a few and the league salry cap is around 49 million per season. UNBELEIVABLE

New York Knicks Date # of total
Player signed years salary misc FA
Jackie Butler ......... 2/27/05 2 minimum '06
Ime Udoka ............. 4/6/06 1 minimum '06
Qyntel Woods .......... 11/6/05 1 minimum '06
Jalen Rose ............ 8/2/00 7 $92.88 million p-opt '07
Malik Rose ............ 7/26/02 7 $42 million p-opt '07
Maurice Taylor ........ 8/7/01 6 $48,750,000 '07
Steve Francis ......... 9/1/99,8/26/02 4+6 $14,124,582+$85mill p-opt '08
Jamal Crawford ........ 8/5/04 7 $55.44 million p-opt '09
Eddy Curry ............ 10/4/05 6 $60 million p-opt '09
Channing Frye ......... 7/2/05 4 $10,138,889 rc t-opt '08+09
Stephon Marbury .. 7/18/96,3/13/99,10/7/03 3+6+4 $5.67+$70.9+$76mill '09
Quentin Richardson .... 7/29/04 6 $43.5 million p-opt '09
Nate Robinson ......... 7/2/05 4 $5,576,499 rc t-opt '08+09
David Lee ............. 7/1/05 4 $4,566,033 rc t-opt '08+09
Jerome James .......... 8/2/05 5 $30 million '10



Look at some of the contracts. And keep in mind, this is not even counting the Allan Houston contract that is no longer counting against the cap because of his "retirement". But that contract was absolutely huge to. He pays average guys like stars.

Except for the rookies contract which are set by the collective bargaining agreement anyway and have nothing to do with Isiah, ever person that gets any playing time is overpaid on this team.

Also, keep in mind for some of these people, he trades away lottery picks in 06 and 07 for Mr. heart ailment Eddie Curry.

They'd really be in deep if Allan Houston didn't retire.

This is an example why I say the "salary cap" is a joke anyway. Look at what they spend. Nearly every team is over it. I beleive the Suns are a team that is under it and look at what they would do to the Knicks.

[bigboydan]

those contracts are just unmovable TGO.

needless to say there screwed for one hell of a long too, and the worst part is none of those players have any trade value either IMO

[Illusion]

Half of those contracts are unreal. No wonder the Knicks are going nowhere fast.

[BadAzz]

If Isiah takes the coaching job, will he still be the GM as well?

If not, this is a fabulous decision. Knicks could quitly move Isiah away from front office and he would not even understand he got fired. It does not matter who is the coach for next 5 seasons, because you cannot win with that bunch of personnel anyways. Then, replace Isiah with the closest firepost. That firepost cannot agree to any stupid trades or contract extensions. Put a hat on the firepost and Isiah will not notice anything.

After 5 years the peyroll and draft pick situation is significantly better and hopefully Isiah is convicted of the murder of ESPN's Bill Simmons by then. Then the Knicks may start rebuilding.

This must happen fast though. It is only a matter of time before Isiah trades for Frye and a first rounder in 2015 for Kenyon Martins bad knees. And he will continue stockpiling assets with a free agent signing of Mike James - of course a max contract.

[Mudcat]

As a guy who pays less attenton to the NBA than the other major sports, I can't tell you how confusing this situation seems to me.

They want to pay one of the reputedly best coaches in the history of the game - who just won a championship a couple years ago - 44 million dollars to go away so he can be replaced by the guy whose best thinking assembled this overpaid, 23 win roster.

Okay, good luck with that.

[isetcap]

He could not do worse than Brown did this year.