The Knicks Fix

Isiah Thomas coached that game in Dallas like he wanted it bad. I've never seen him so intense, riding the players and working the officials. No one more than Nate Robinson felt Thomas' wrath throughout the game. Beforehand, it seemed that rookie Mardy Collins might get the start to replace injured Steve Francis. But Isiah decided to go with Nate Robinson, the second-year player.

But Nate was on a very short leash. And Isiah held a rolled up newspaper.

Several times in the first half Thomas was visibly angry with Robinson’s inability to go hard through screens. On one occasion, Thomas called a 20 second timeout just to rip into Robinson for not getting through a screen that allowed Josh Howard to hit consecutive threes. On another, Robinson had just checked into the game and fouled Devin Harris, who scored off a curl. Thomas immediately yanked Robinson.

He continually was in Robinson’s ear, but by the second half the tone turned from punishment to encouragement. Thomas kept slapping Robinson on the backside as he barked at him. Bottom line, Isiah knows with all of the injuries, he needs Nate right now. So no more kid gloves treatment. No more looking away during his antics.

Before the game, Thomas said he believed Robinson had started to understand how he wants the second-year guard to play. “I think he gets it now,” Thomas said.

He had better, because the Knicks are going to rely a lot on him and Collins for backcourt minutes without Francis and Quentin Richardson, who underwent season-ending back surgery on Thursday. The Knicks already have been without Jamal Crawford (fractured ankle) since the end of February.

The Knick youth – Robinson, Frye, Collins and Balkman – are going to play major roles as the Knicks desperately hang on to fading playoff hopes. If anything, it’s invaluable experience. And maybe, with Thomas focusing his attention on Robinson, N8 the Gr8 might actually start to develop.

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*- In the same arena in Dallas was the potential for an ultimate tongue-twisting introduction: Knicks rookie Renaldo Balkman and Mavericks executive (and former Knick) Rolando Blackman.

Rolando, Renaldo. Blackman, Balkman. We have clearance, Clarence. Roger, Roger. What's our vector, Victor? Tower Radio clearance, over. That's Clarence Oveur. Roger.

* - No complaints about travel today. Instead, an appreciation. Because it is the travel part of this career that allows me to visit and experiences places such as the Capitol Mall in D.C. or Quincy Market in Boston. Or the Grassy Knoll in Dallas. Or today, when I spent some time at the Oklahoma City Memorial. I was not at all prepared to be so emotionally moved as I was while walking through the area where the Murrah Building once stood. It is so quiet and solemn.

The statue of the weeping Jesus outside of what was the front entrance, or the time walls separated by a reflection pool or the messages and memorials to those who died, the children . . . it made an impact on me in a way I never expected. I had the opportunity to visit Ground Zero with the Islanders a little over a month after 9-11and I remember how I felt that day. I felt a similar helplessness and conflict and sobriety today walking through the OKC Memorial. There's definitely a desperate spirit there among the empty chairs and big blue sky.

I'm not much for sanctimonious lectures or political soap-boxing, but I will say there are times when you travel this country, you get to see how far we've come as a nation. And then there are times you see how much further we still need to go as a society.