Isiah arrives late
By Erik Boland
MILWAUKEE -- Coach Isiah Thomas did not arrive at the Bradley Center until 6:30 p.m. as he was "tending to a "family medical matter," according to Knicks spokesman Jonathan Supranowitz. Thomas did not meet with reporters before the game, as he normally does, and may or may not talk about what briefly took him back to Chicago after the game.
Anyway, the expected starters for tonight. Quentin is back, Nate did not make the trip, still struck with an upper respiratory infection.
Knicks (14-36)
Quentin Richardson
Zach Randolph
Eddy Curry
Jamal Crawford
Fred Jones
Bucks (19-31)
Royal Ivey
Michael Redd (back after missing six games with an injury)
Andrew Bogut
Charlie Villanueva
Desmond Mason
Could be ugly...
Comments (11)
please lose and let david lee have a quality game. give me an L, give me an O, give me a T.....LOTTERY.
go bucks
Yeah Alan ..it was ugly for the Bucks! Good call! lol
Is there any question? This is the guy whose post-NBA career defines the term “trainwreck.”
Zeke takes over the Raptors as Executive VP and in a short 4 year period manages to wear out his welcome. A dispute with then-Raptors management over inappropriate conduct with team staff (sound familiar?) and improper giveaways to NCAA players results in his dismissal. Undaunted, Zeke flashes that cheesy sh*t-eating grin and moves on to the NBA on NBC, where his stilted, self-serving color commentary leads NBA to add Bill Walton to improve things.
Let me say that again - Zeke was SO bad they added Bill Walton to the broadcast to make it better.
After leaving NBA on NBC commentary in the capable hands of stoner Walton and East Coast know-nothing blowhards like Peter “Toys R Us” Vecsey, Zeke moves on yet again, this time to:
The Continental Basketball Association. The CBA used to be the NBA’s minor league, the precursor to today’s NBDL but a hell of a lot more organized. Even coaches like George Karl and Phil Jackson paid their dues in the CBA and it brought forth more than a few players who played sizeable roles on some very good teams; Vincent Askew, Tim Legler, Mario Elie. It was thought that under Zeke’s leadership the CBA might grow into a successful feeder league for the NBA itself. On August 3, 1999 an investment group headed by Zeke purchased the whole shebang including licensing and marketing for about $10 million.
Like any good incompetent executive who wants to look good for his shareholders the first thing Isiah did was cut salaries. And believe me, these guys weren’t making much money to begin with … about $1500 a week, which was then cut down to $1100 a week with players being responsible for many of their own travel expenses.
About eight months later Zeke was offered the head coaching job of the Indiana Pacers, who apparently came to this decision after Larry Bird consulted sheep entrails or huffed some serious glue. Isaiah signs a letter of intent to sell to the NBA Player’s Union but then ends up putting himself first, running away to coach the Pacers while putting the CBA in a blind trust … a mere 18 months after Zeke taking over league operations the CBA folds. That’s got to be some kind of record considering the league had been around over 50 years before he became involved with it.
Isiah did OK, not great with the Pacers … basically didn’t do any better than his predecessor despite having some fairly talented rosters including Brad Miller, Ron Artest, Reggie Miller, Jermaine O’Neal, Jeff Foster and others.
After getting cut loose from the Pacers the Knicks move in to sweep him up. Why God, why??? What the hell in his miserable resume would ever make anyone think this weirdo was qualified to run a lemonade stand, let alone one of the premier franchises in the sport??? Did he flash that famous grin again and hypnotize the entire front office? Did he have pictures of David Stern in a compromising position?
I’m not even going to go into the various contracts and trades he’s done while running the Knicks because I simply don’t have the time at the moment to catalogue the vast Encyclopedia Incompeta that he’s managed to put together in less than four years at the helm … it’s mind bogglingly, hilariously stupid. All I can say is that his record of trading away draft picks and overpaying free agents makes even the stupidest moves done by our former ownership pale in comparison.
Remember how much the Vin Baker deal killed the Sonics chance of competing? Now imagine signing seven Vin Bakers. Then imagine giving away most of your draft picks in order to have the privelege to do this. Then what picks you do keep you are forced to give up in trades to try and jettison some of the horrible contracts that are crippling your ability to compete. Then after two years of this you are rewarded with … an extension! Way to go Zeekie, you’re doin’ a heckuva job!
The only guy that even roughly compares to his level of incompetence in any sport I can think of is maybe Detroit Lions President and CEO Matt Millen, who is clearly as clueless at his job as Zeke is at his but still retains the confidence of upper management…the Peter Principle in full effect.
Well that’s enough ranting from me for the moment, I encourage you to tee off on the team and the man.
Isaiah - you stink. I hated you as a player, I hated your goon squad no-talent compadre Bill Laimbeer…how ironic is it that he turned out to be ten times the coach you’ll ever be. If there’s any justice in this world the Knicks will lose the rest of their games this year and you go down in history as not only the worst pro sports executive but the worst executive of all time. Flash your grin at that, you jerk.
I believe Mark Cuban when he says any press is good press (negative or such). Some folks know more about Isiah than they do their own family.
Zeke will go this summer, I think. But most of these players need to go too. They rejected pressure and accountability and quit on their coach and city. Penny did it in Orlando, Kidd did it in NJ, McGrady has done it as well and they have never won a ring. God forbid that the message of "stops leads to points=wins" doesn't sink in.
But Isiah brought these guys in and lost em since Phoenix. He either has to go back upstairs or just go. But I would rather have him under the pressure of making fiscally responsible trades and draft picks than a new guy or gal (I'm open to anything now) feeling the "go get em at all cost" attitude of Dolan. That could lead us to a strapped franchise and out of the free agent market coming up.
Two games running now, David Lee has shot the jumper. He's been getting the ball in the triple threat position and gone straight up and proper with no psychosis and banged em in. Standing jumpers off passes and even a couple off of jab steps. They can't sag off him anymore.
Congrats David.
Weed Wallace replaced KG on the All Star team.
Nice to see Peaceman back on the blog after his latest court-ordered visits to the Peacechildren.
is PeaceWoman out on parole again?
Who can figure out this mess anymore?
Only a proven Pres and Coach to sort out the players, draft picks, free agents and to create a winning building plan.
Look at Pat Riley, trying to rebuild his team in a year and off to a flying start. He knows how to think, act and get things done properly!
We need a great Basketball Executive to turn around this chaos and create a winning culture with class and character!
@ Anonymous
Not getting enough attention posting your number in mens bathroom stalls? If you really need someone to tell you the truth,
call 631-960-7178. Help is on the line 24/7. lol
Sorry dude...I'm straight!
I never imagined I’d find myself feeling sorry for Isiah Thomas. But he’s in an impossible situation, even if he created it. He's such a pitiful figure these days. Having redefined the notion of LAME DUCK. He must feel like he’s in one of those dreams where you find yourself on stage, but don’t know what play it is. Or you’re doing neuro-surgery, but don’t know anything about it. That’s what it’s like watching Isiah try to coach this team. Mercifully, it appears he’s no longer allowed to function as GM, so he can’t embarrass himself further – or hurt the team further – by making any more moves that will go on his resume alongside Marbury, Curry, Francis, Malik Rose, Jalen Rose, Maurice Taylor . . . etc. etc. etc. But he’s still forced to lead the troops into battle every night, and he’s the one they look to at the end of the games. He’s the one who’s supposed to design the play with 12 seconds left. (Iso Crawford at the top of the key . . . BREAK.) And he does about as good a job as I’d do in the O.R. What is Dolan waiting for? Put the man out of his misery Let him slink back to Chicago and lick his wounds from the last job he’ll ever have running an NBA franchise.
Calling Steve Tisch. C’mon, Steve. Ain’t no more mountains to climb in the NFL.
Let’s all send out a collective prayer that Steve Tisch is a hoops fan. If that doesn't work, let's get Daddy Dolan to set a price, then let kids all over the city start sending in dimes and quarters 'till we have enough to buy the team. Hey, I can dream, too, can't I?
How about trading Zach for J O'Neal and Curry for Al Harrington?