The Knicks Fix

Isiah Thomas was asked for the millionth time if he has any interest in the job at Indiana University, which is expected to name its head coach this week.

"No," Thomas replied. "I have a job."

No Zach Randolph again. He stayed at the team hotel for this one trying to keep stuff inside. You don't want to know anything more than that, so we'll move on.

Nate Robinson is available to play after he missed four games with a sprained knee.

This game has playoff implications -- amazing that a team eight games under .500 holds a playoff berth -- so the Knicks can't outright tank. You'll see veterans get big minutes as you have recently after Thomas tried going exclusively with kids.

By the way, Walt Clyde Frazier turned 63 yesterday. "Time flies," he said as he marveled at his age.

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Wanted to say thanks to you guys for the kind words about the previous blog. I'm glad we can relate on levels such as knee surgeries (three for me) and kids (also three). @Ben and whynot, next time we'll get some run on the PAC hardwood. No doubt.

And to RT, that Thump wasn't the keyboard, it was my laptop across your head, punk!

Programming note: We're 11 comments away from 10,000. Whomever is the 10,000th gets to guest blog. I'll keep you posted!

*

STARTING LINEUPS
KNICKS (20-52)
Chandler
Crawford
Jeffries
Lee
Richardson

HAWKS (32-40)
Bibby
Horford
Johnson
Smith
Williams

Enjoy Davidson-Kansas.

Got some religion yesterday. The Knicks did not practice and the other writers were smart enough to go straight home from Toronto. My airline wouldn't let me make a last-second change without a hefty fee, so to the Deep South I went and after I checked into my hotel (and checked in with a few people) I walked through a very warm rainstorm and felt baptized by spring. Went into the Peachtree Athletic Club and grabbed a basketball.

Thump.

Ain't nothing like that sound in an empty gym.

Thump.

Just you and a ball and a game that never loved you back.

Thump.

Several hundred miles from home, where your wife is nine months pregnant and a doctor has just told her that they won't let her go beyond Thursday. And the baby can come any day now.

Thump.

Any day now.

Just gotta get through this next game, Fixers. This road trip ends here for me. I'll head home and K-Berg will meet the team in Milwaukee. Hot Rod Boone has the Memphis-New Orleans leg.

Me, I plan on holding a bundle of joy by then. My third child and second daughter. We're going to call her Gracie.

Thump.

The ball felt so good in my hands. Sometimes it just does and sometimes it doesn't. This one I can palm easily. I can feel the seams and flick it off my fingertips for the perfect spin that results in the perfect net-snap.

Swish.

You let your mind go when you're in the zone. Just go. Rip through, one dribble and shoot. Cross-over, rise and shoot again. Rebound, inside-pivot and shoot. Other side, same thing. Make 10. Follow all of your misses.

You think about your family, your wife who sounded so excited on the phone. You think about career and the restlessness of the unknown surrounding bids by rival newspapers to buy Newsday. What does it mean and what will be the result? You think about the season that has gone by and just what the hell is this franchise going to do to change the fortunes. You know that not everyone on this team is bad. There are good people. It always starts with leadership. They have to find a leader.

Grab the ball and go full-court. Crossover a few times, eyes always up, spotting different places on the wall as if they were players, as if you were making eye-contact. I see you, dude. Now cut.. Use the screen and pull up at the elbow.

Onions.

Hibachi.

Buckets.

Money.

Whatever they say now.

Up and down the length of the court for five makes. You're now dripping with sweat and panting, it's been an hour. Man, there was a time you could do this all day. All freakin day. But now you're old. Your knee is screaming at you louder than your lungs. Your hamstrings are warning you.

Free throws. Sink 'em. The old routine comes back before you even have time to recall it. Two dribbles. Pause. Bend and extend. Snap. Make 10. OK, make 7 of 10.

It feels good. Joy starts to overcome you. Take that power dribble and flush it. The rim snaps and makes a loud noise as you land on your feet. Damn that felt good. Almost 37 years old and can still get it down.

I dunk, therefore I am.

I coulda been a contendah. Right. I was lucky to even get as far as I did and I'm well aware of it. It used to frustrate me back then, but its someone else's life now. I hardly remember it. And that's OK.

There are better memories now. One of the best will come this week.

A walk through the warm Atlanta rain and I do nothing but smile.

I'll check in before the game. I know not everyone cares to hear about the life of a sportswriter, so thanks for letting me share, Fixers.

If you need a reason to watch, watch this game with a close eye on T.J. Ford and Jose Calderon. According to the Toronto newspapers, one of these intriguing pass-first point guards will be available this summer. And the guess is Calderon, who will be a restricted free agent, will be kept at any cost, which means Ford might be someone the Knicks could target.

Ford has two years and $16.5 million left on his contract with an $8.5 million player option for 2010-11. He has made it clear he wants to be the main man and the Raptors said they will match any offer sheet issued (the best the Knicks can offer is the mid-level exception) to Calderon. So if Calderon is getting big bucks, Calderon will be the man and Ford will likely be moved.

The Raptors want athleticism on the wings, so Renaldo Balkman and Jared Jeffries may get it done. Would you move Jamal Crawford if you are the Knicks? The Raptors would love to upgrade the shooting guard position and Crawford would fit well in this style.

All depends on what Donnie Walsh thinks. But clearly the Knicks need a point guard next season. There will be competition for Ford, of course. The Miami Heat will be in the market for a point guard, but they would love to somehow blow Toronto out of the water to bring Calderon to South Beach.

STARTING LINEUP
KNICKS (20-51)
Chandler
Jeffries
Lee
Crawford
Richardson

RAPTORS (36-35)
Moon
Bosh
Nesterovic
Parker
Ford

Enjoy the Molsons.

Today we reported in Newsday that the possibility of Isiah Thomas remaining as coach under a new regime -- Donnie Walsh -- would be welcomed by the players in the locker room. We quote a player saying "when it all comes down to it, we would have Isiah over someone new."

But in today's Post there is a story that says the players all want Thomas fired. It also quotes a player, who says "I can't think of anyone [who would want him back]. There's too much smoke and mirrors with him, too much B.S."

Obviously neither opinion is unanimous.

Quite frankly I agree with the player quoted by the Post and I even told the player I interviewed that I don't agree with him. But our job isn't about agreeing with what someone is telling us or following a specific agenda, it's about reporting what you know. And after a conversation with this player, I felt compelled to report his side of the story, which hasn't been a side often portrayed this season.

The player acknowledged that "maybe a couple of people would be upset" if Isiah remained, "but none of those same people had problems last year with him . . . It's just everything went bad this year."

When I reminded him that he was upset with Isiah about things this season, which makes this claim inconsistent, he said, "I just think that its bigger then what we say day to day because all of this is uncharacteristic of what happened last year."

I know what you're thinking because I know what I was thinking when he was saying this to me.

Do you remember what your record was last year?

For anyone who wonders why we can not identify players in these kinds of stories, you have to understand the Garden's media policy. Players are not permitted to speak to reporters without a PR person present. For example, despite reports otherwise, Eddy Curry's actual first comments since his knee surgery were to me and another reporter before Wednesday's game. I saw him in the hallway outside the Knick locker room and said, "What's up Eddy? How are you feeling?" He said, "'Sup man, good." He shook hands with the other reporter and paused long enough to take a shot at asking a few questions when a PR staffer scolded him and shooed him away.

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You may be reading Rick Carlisle's name elsewhere and even hearing it on the radio, but let me assure you that if and when Donnie Walsh takes over the Knicks, Carlisle will not even get a phone call, let alone an interview. I have heard this from several different sources close to Walsh. If it's not Isiah -- and as I've reported I don't believe that is a given, it's just plausible -- you can expect Scott Skiles and Herb Williams to get first crack. Mark Jackson will be on the list, for sure, but would bat third in the order. Jackson would have to wow Dolan, which we know he has the ability to do.

Skiles might outright scare the man. But he'd be a perfect fit in New York because his no-nonsense, scrappy and often hilariously direct personality fits the job.

Playtime would be over.

And maybe that's why some players would prefer Isiah.

The Knicks today will roll out of bed at the crack of noon and meet at the team's private charter in Westchester around 3 p.m.

Practice? Pffft!

This team has practice twice in the past two weeks. When you're trying to do the opposite of winning, you do the opposite of everything that is associated with winning.

Which may explain why Isiah Thomas is still employed: when you want to lose games, he is the perfect man for the job.

(Thanks to "Dango" who posted this on YouTube)

They're telling us this is the time for the young players to develop. Wilson, Randolph, Mardy and Renaldo. They need game experience.

None of them, apparently, need practice.

See you in Toronto.

The topic of discussion: Isiah's job status and tanking. Isiah preferred to talk about the tanking issue.

No one really cares, do they?

So about your job status....

"You come to work every day and you prepare and you get ready to go out," Thomas said. "I haven't and I won't talk about my job status and we'll continue to move on."

Sigh.

The Knicks City Dancers sure have had a good season, though. There, something positive.

Nothing new on Donnie Walsh has emerged today and since I write for a print newspaper, I'll save whatever I know today for that. We can discuss more after the game.

After tonight only 11 games left in the regular season.

STARTING LINEUPS
KNICKS (19-51)
Jeffries
Lee
Randolph
Chandler
Crawford

HEAT (13-57)
Barron
Davis
Blount
Cook
Quinn

Enjoy the KCDs.

Willis found this story and posted it in the comments area and I wanted everyone to see it.

Houston Chronicle writer Fran Blinebury did a feature on Rockets center Dikembe Mutombo to advance the ceremony the Rockets will have to honor the widely-respected center. Within the story, which you can read here Mutombo talks about his experience with Isiah Thomas during his short time as a Knick:

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From the Chronicle:

After one season with New York in 2003-04, Mutombo was told by then-general manager and now head coach of the Knicks Isiah Thomas that the day had come, and that blunt message has driven him for the past four years.

"It's still a wound," Mutombo said. "My wife and I still talk about it. It's still a bit sad to see the commissioner coming and all those people coming to celebrate the 17 years of my career and accomplishments and you look back and say that about (four) years ago, I had a guy tell me that I couldn't play basketball no more, to go to the beach and onto vacation. That's the same guy who's losing his job tomorrow.

"I never said nothing (to Thomas)," Mutombo said. "The last time we played at the Garden (Jan. 9), my wife asked me to go shake his hand, to just forgive him. I went and shook his hand and I told him, 'On behalf of my wife, I want to shake your hand and I forgive you for everything you've done to me.'

"He said, 'Tell your wife I said thank you so much.' That was the way to put it behind me.

"I think it helped me a lot. You might not be appreciated by everyone. But you have to fight your own war."

The Knicks traded his rights to Chicago in August 2004 and one month later he came to the Rockets, where he quickly became beloved.

----

These are words from one of the most genuine human beings on the face of the earth.

Merriam-Webster defines it as such: ready to take place; especially : hanging threateningly over one's head; He was in imminent danger of being run over.

(Please, I encourage you to find the irony in the example sentence).

Fixers, we use imminent sometimes to report something that we feel may happen at any moment. It also, however, is used to suggest something may happen between now and when the Book of Revelations come to pass. Or when Isiah Thomas is finally asked to clean out his desk at MSG.

For now I can tell you that Donnie Walsh stayed back in Indianapolis while the Pacers flew to Jersey for tonight's game against the Nets. Larry Bird didn't make the trip, either.

My hunch is this thing won't be officially official until after the season ends. Just a hunch. Of course no one expected the Pacers to annouce anything about Larry Bird's future until after the season, too. The media has a way of forcing things to happen sooner than planned, but I don't expect James Dolan is the type to change his schedule according to media pressure.

Case in point, as some of you Fixers have mentioned in your posts: Larry Brown. That soap opera played out well into the offseason despite countless reports that Brown was on his way out and Brown even calling himself a "dead man walking."

What is it with death and the Knicks job? Isiah also referenced death when he said, "I fight to the death and when I say death I mean die" while talking about his job status.

Both men will rest in peace on a nice soft bed of Cablevision money.

Sure there is reason to believe Isiah might be kept for one more season with Donnie at the helm -- then Dolan can leave it to Donnie to fire him -- but that's mostly fueled by the idea that Dolan is very loyal to Isiah and does not want to cut him loose. If this is the case, then the Knicks are more screwed than anyone has ever imagined.

But let's not debate that now until we know the facts or at least know something more concrete. One step at a time. The guy hasn't even been hired yet...yet.

Remember, Mike Fratello was supposedly a given until the bottom dropped out. It has happened elsewhere, too. Bill Belichick and the Jets comes to mind. Perhaps Walsh is holding out because Dolan wants him to keep Isiah and Donnie doesn't? We don't know.

For now, it appears this is close enough to say imminent. But the vague definition of imminent. Like how death is always imminent. (There's that word again). Or a Jerome James injury is imminent.

If you're looking for a target date, let me suggest May 20th as perhaps the first day Walsh represents the Knicks in a public capacity. That is the day of the NBA draft lottery. If David Stern's optimism suggests anything, perhaps there will be a few weighted ping pong balls in the machine, with a magnet on the Knicks ball.

A report by Ian Thomsen on SI.com is the latest media outlet to chime in on this volley of reports and denials.

No time to expand. I'm tossing the keys here.

We have a story up on the Newsday.com sports main page about the calculated denials from the Indiana Pacers about the Donnie Walsh reports.

P.S. - @ Patrick H: Ken Berger brought up that point in his column today and it is definitely a topic of discussion. But right now I have reporting to do. I will come back on this once I have time to formulate a thoughtful blog.

A Pacers spokesman this morning at the team's shoot-around in Indianapolis denied the ESPN report that said Donnie Walsh had agreed to run the Knicks after this season.

The spokesman told the Indianapolis Star that Walsh "hasn't agreed to anything with anybody."

Walsh was at the shoot-around but declined comment.

Stay tuned....

Among a dozen email messages I received this morning was a simple five-word heads-up from the Knicks: "Schedule change: No practice today."

As of last night after the game, and in the midst of the Donnie Walsh report, the team had planned to practice this morning at 11 a.m. at the MSG Training Facility. No explanation was given as to why practice was suddenly cancelled -- it's not like Isiah Thomas works this team hard anyway -- but you can guess that the rampant speculation and reports about Walsh's imminent deal with the Knicks while Isiah Thomas still has a job might have something to do with it.

(Yes, thank you Captain Obvious!)

The Knicks aren't saying anything more and so far there are no announcements planned for today. Of course this was the same situation as in Indiana on Monday, when suddenly the Pacers announced a "major press conference" in the afternoon.

The Daily News in its final editions today sourced a Pacers official that confirmed the ESPN report, which said Walsh has agreed to take over the Knicks after the season.

It wouldn't surprise me if the Knicks actually did practice but told the media practice had been cancelled just to keep us away. Obviously the only topic of discussion would be about Walsh and Thomas' future and he's getting tired of answering these questions.

You wonder where Isiah's breaking point is with this stuff. He's played it very cool throughout and he gives off a vibe that he knows more than he's letting on. Does he?

The Knicks play again Wednesday against the Miami Heat at MSG before embarking on a five-game road trip that zig-zags the map (Toronto, Atlanta, Milwaukee, Memphis and New Orleans).

Hmmm...a road trip. A good time to install an interim coach (Herb Williams, ready for round three?).

Keep checking here. My phone is open as I munch down on some Honey Nut Cheerios.

My cell phone never hung up during the entire 75 minute drive from the Garden to my house. I literally bounced from one call to another and the end result, Fixers, was a frustrating inability to confirm the ESPN report.

I was able to find out some details of ESPN's story. Usually the network credits a scoop to one of its reporters (i.e.: ESPN's Chris Sheridan is reporting . . .) but on this one a reporter is conspicuously not credited. I was informed that the reason for this is because the report came from an executive-level figure at ESPN, not someone at the reporter level.

I find it hard to believe that this came from the Knicks or the Garden. Throughout this entire ordeal, Garden people have remained tight-lipped. No comment, no nothing. Whatever ESPN got wind of had to have come from someone close to Walsh or the man himself.

This on the same day Walsh's attorney, Steve Kauffman, had a secretary read a statement to any member of the media who called him for information. The statement said Kauffman would not comment until after the season.

As of 1:30 a.m., the Knicks have not announced a press conference for Tuesday. As the report said, Walsh's agreement with the Knicks isn't expected to happen until after the season. How fitting that the Knicks end the regular season April 16 in Indiana?

All of this seems very peculiar. The Pacers hastily arrange a press conference on a Monday afternoon to announce that Larry Bird has been given sole control of the operation and Donnie Walsh is leaving after 24 years. Why the rush? Herb Simon said it was because the media speculation had everyone confused. Oh really? Since when did that ever matter?

There's more to this story as the ESPN report that emerged later in the day proved.

And if the ESPN report is accurate -- hey, a high-level executive there is putting his reputation and credibility on the line, so you would hope it is accurate -- that means James Dolan and Steve Mills didn't put too much time or effort into searching for the best candidate available. Jerry Colangelo, Jerry West, Kiki Vandeweghe, for starters...and what about Dennis Lindsey, Dave Griffin or Kevin Pritchard? You couldn't wait until after the season was over and brought a few of those guys in for an interview??

The three-year deal ESPN is reporting as the contract Walsh is expected to sign is also something to look into. Three years for someone who is coming in to take over a franchise? "Very short," is how one NBA general manager reacted when I mentioned it to him tonight.

A long day that started out with few expectations. The Pacers practiced in the morning with no indication that the team had any plans to make what they eventually deemed a "major" announcement. By 3:30 p.m. there was a press conference that no one saw coming and moments later Walsh's ouster was public knowledge. By 10 p.m. word of the report that Walsh had agreed to join the Knicks started to filter out. By 11 p.m. it was on SportsCenter.

As I finish typing this it is nearly 2 a.m. and so many questions remain unanswered.

But it's time for bed.

Good night.

Fixers, we've reached madness level.

An ESPN report tonight after the Knicks loss to the Nets said that Donnie Walsh will accept a position with the Knicks after the season.

Garden officials remain mum, with "no comment" as the only reply. Walsh's attorney, Steve Kauffman, not only did not return phone calls, he turned off his phone completely.

Good times.

Tune in tomorrow....

Perhaps the last meaningful game of the season. But impacting a rival's chances of making the playoffs doesn't seem to motivate Isiah Thomas.

"I don't take much solace in being a spoiler," Isiah said before the game. "I'd rather be on top."

OK, like you're really interested in any of this.

Here's the key quote from Donnie Walsh's news conference today to announce he is leaving the Indiana Pacers after 24 years. Doesn't sound like he wants to settle into retirement right away.

"I did spend one weekend where I went home and thought, 'OK, I'm going to sit here like I'm retired' and I thought I was going to jump out of my skin. That's one reason why I have developed some options, see where they go and see if I'm going to continue to do this or not. I haven't made that decision all the way."

Walsh's plan is to stay with the Pacers through the end of the season. Now do the Knicks wait or do they make the next move?

Or do they make any move at all?

STARTING LINEUPS
KNICKS (19-50)
Jeffries
Lee
Randolph
Crawford
Chandler-*

NETS (29-41)
Jefferson
Boone
Krstic
Carter
Harris

*-Nate Robinson is still out with the knee injury.

Enjoy the continued speculation.

The Indiana Pacers' Web site is saying that Donnie Walsh, the team's CEO and president, will leave the franchise after this season, making him a free agent.

Here's a link to the team's news release.

What this means to the Knicks will immediately be a topic of discussion.

It has been correctly reported that Pacers co-owner Herb Simon met with Walsh on Friday. Initially Simon told confidants that he did not expect to make a decision on the front office soon, but suddenly today the Pacers announced the press conference at Conseco Fieldhouse.

Today's news will have some ripple effects with the Knicks, who have had a "very preliminary" conversation with the 67-year-old Walsh about a possible opening in New York.

Larry Bird will continue in his role as the Pacers' president of basketball operations.

Now that Walsh will leave the organization after the season ends, you can expect the Walsh-to-New York talk to go into overdrive once again.

Stay tuned for more details once I get to Madison Square Garden.

For the 12th time in franchise history, the Knicks have reached the 50-loss mark. With 13 games left in the season (and not a whole lot of ambition to win) is it out of the realm of possibility that Isiah Thomas' team set the franchise record by hitting 60?

What a way to go out.

But keep in mind: with every loss the Knicks get closer to an extra ping pong ball.

The next loss also brings a milestone. It would give Isiah 100 losses (next to 52 wins) in two seasons. He is second only to Eddie Donovan in Knick history as the fastest to 100 losses. Donovan did it in 149 games from 1961-62 to the 62-63 seasons. Monday against the Nets is Game No. 153 for Isiah.

So close. He did say he wanted to leave a legacy.

By the way, if the Nets fail to clinch a playof berth, it would be the first time since 1986-87 -- over 20 years -- that the NBA playoffs are nowhere to be found in the New York area.

Good thing we have strong college basketball programs in the area.

* * *

* - Mardy Collins doesn't get a lot of ink -- or bandwith space -- but you have to say there were much greater expectations for him this season after his strong finish to last season. Collins had his knee scoped in May and the rehab set him back a little, along with the extra weight he apparently put on as a result. The knee took a while to recover - remember he missed the summer league - and he admittedly wasn't 100 percent at training camp. It didn't help that Mardy had no idea what his role would be this season and went from DNP to starting back to DNP several times throughout the season. Clearly Collins needs to put in some serious work this summer on his body and his conditioning, not to mention the consistency of his shot. As with most of the Knicks young players, it's impossible to scout them based on this season. There needs to be some much stricter discipline with these guys.

* - I watched Michael Beasley against Wisconsin and while he has owned college basketball, he's not going to step right into the NBA as a dominant force. I'm not saying he shouldn't come out because this year is a light draft year and he will undoubtedly be a lottery pick, possibly No. 1 overall. But any team that drafts him should not expect him to step into a starting role and deliver as a centerpiece. He has so much to learn and Wisconsin big man Greg Stiemsma showed Beasley can be man-handled on the post, which is what he'll get on a nightly basis in the NBA.

When considering the best situations for Beasley, perhaps Miami would be a good place for him because he can play behind or next to Udonis Haslem and have Dwyane Wade and Shawn Marion to dominate the offense. Minnesota doesn't have a need at his position but Memphis does. He'd have a lot more pressure on him with the Grizzlies, where he'll play right away.

There's no doubt the kid has an NBA body that will only get stronger and bigger as he gets older and continues to work hard. He has the game, too. What you always have to watch out for is the situation the kid goes to as a rookie and what pressure is on him from the start. Best example is Kevin Durant. His numbers are gaudy, but is he really the Rookie of the Year? My choice - and I get a vote - is Al Horford.

Durant desperately needs to add weight and intellect. A constant green light doesn't make you a great player.

* - More NCAA scouting: The more I see and read about Stanford's 7-footer Brook Lopez, the more I'm thinking he might be a very good fit with the Knicks. Brook is intelligent and mature and an exceptional athlete. These are the kinds of bigs you need in the NBA, the Tyson Chandler-types. Lopez could grow into a compliment for either Eddy Curry or Zach Randolph, depending on which you decide to keep. I might even consider drafting his twin brother, Robin, with a second-round pick because Robin is a heck of a shot blocker. I know there are needs at PG and SF, but perhaps those you fill via trades (you have to revisit Kyle Lowry for sure). Then again, you really should do your homework on Italian star Danilo Gallinari, the 6-10 small forward who will be available in this draft. If he's on the board, will the Knicks finally go for a European player?

* - Happy Easter, Fixers.

By Erik Boland

MINNEAPOLIS -- The Knicks will be without Nate Robinson, who sprained his right knee in the fourth quarter of Friday night’s loss to Memphis, for tonight’s Draft Lottery Bowl matchup against the Timberwolves, who lost Friday night to Indiana. The Knicks come in with the fifth-worst record in the league and, based on late-game lineups of late, clearly are focused accruing as many ping-pong balls as possible. The Timberwolves have the league’s fourth-worse record, but do have Al Jefferson, who has developed into one of the NBA’s best big men. Jefferson is going for his 49th double-double of the season; the Knicks are trying to avoid their 50th loss. That about sums it up.

KNICKS (19-49)
Wilson Chandler
David Lee
Randolph Morris
Jamal Crawford
Fred Jones

TIMBERWOLVES (17-51)
Kirk Snyder
Ryan Gomes
Al Jefferson
Marko Jaric
Randy Foye

On another note, injured Timberwolves point guard and Brooklyn native Sebastian Telfair, said a little while ago in the locker room playing for the Knicks would fulfill a childhood dream. His cousin, Stephon Marbury, said the same thing when he joined the Knicks, a union that obviously hasn't worked out.
"“It’s definitely possible,” Telfair said when I asked him if it was possible for a native New Yorker to handle the pressure of leading the Knicks. “I don’t know who it’s going to be or when it’s going to happen, but it’s definitely possible.”
More from Telfair in tomorrow's paper and on Newsday.com.

...he said, "I take back what I said about Randolph Morris."

Just breaking chops, Randy. We kid because we care.

Despite a 1-for-8 shooting night and just 4 points and 3 rebounds in 26:21, no one should be ready to label Morris as a bust or anything close to a disappointment. He's like that car that has sat in the lot for a few months. You can't just start it up and expect it to peel out down the road.

Trust me, this kid can play. Just give it time and, right now, time is all the Knicks have left in this season.

Morris was a project when the Knicks signed him out of Kentucky last March -- in fact, his one-year anniversary as a Knick is tomorrow, Easter Sunday -- and, considering his extreme lack of playing time this season, the 22-year-old big man is still very much a work-in-progress. One of the most important parts of any pro athlete's game is timing and without anything previous to draw from, Morris still has to adjust to the NBA game.

"I would say if it does feel strange it's from a lack of experience," Morris said of finding his game now that he's suddenly getting ticks. "Going through the ups and downs of a rookie year you're learning as much as possible. That's what I'm going to try to keep doing."

Isiah Thomas has thrust him into the starting lineup for these two games (including tonight in Minnesota) to see what he can do. Morris' contract expires after this season and Thomas said the team wants to see what he can do before they make a financial decision on him. It's kind of unfair to the kid to have to audition for a contract after sitting for most of the season, but that's the business.

And if there was ever an opportunity to prove some value, it will be tonight against one of the league's up-and-coming big men, Al Jefferson. Morris has to find a way to stay out of foul trouble and the Knicks have to find ways to get Morris involved in the offense. He has the ability to play the pick-and-roll and, as we've said before, he has the footwork down for some solid post-moves, most especially a soft jump hook. Like with all Knick big men, defense and rebounding are the most critical elements that need to be seen.

* * *

* - Anyone notice a rival blog stealing our "Tanks A Lot" headline idea? We need to start copyrighting these things. Next thing you know they might start posting thoughtful, intelligent and entertaining blogs about relevant things.

* - For those who are concerned about talk of a possible sale of Newsday to some prospective buyers, one of the reported interested parties, MSG chairman James Dolan, happened to pass my way at the Garden before last night's game while I was talking to one of Memphis' assistant coaches. I know Dolan is not speaking to the media, but I had to make a personal plea: "Mr. Dolan, are you buying Newsday?" No reply. But I was told he gets home delivery. So that's a good sign.

* - Erik Boland holds the fort down from Minnesota tonight while I keep an eye out for Peter Cottontail, catch Easter Sunday Mass and hope I remember where all the eggs are hidden. It's never good to find one when you're moving furniture in July.

Do I need to even bother with the snarky metaphor regarding the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus being at the Garden now?

Didn't think so.

Huge turnout - a sellout! - for this game. Spanish fans are chanting "Nav-ar-ro!" for Memphis guard John Carlos Navarro.

If there's anything to watch tonight, keep a close eye on Kyle Lowry. With rookie Mike Conley, Jr. owning the starting point guard position, it makes sense for Memphis to want to move him this summer. And New York is a perfect place for the former Villanova standout, who is tough, plays defense and can dish the rock.

Randolph Morris will get extensive minutes against Darko Milicic. Let's see the Big Cat go.

STARTING LINEUP
KNICKS (19-48)
Chandler
Lee
Morris
Crawford
Robinson

MEMPHIS (16-51)
Gay
Miller
Milicic
Conley
Navarro

Enjoy Easter.

Amid the Donnie Walsh hoopla was an interesting report from the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that says Bucks owner Sen. Herb Kohl acknowledged he vetoed a trade with the Knicks that would have sent Zach Randolph to Milwaukee for Bobby Simmons, Dan Gadzuric and Charlie Bell.

"I don't want to impugn him, because I've never met him," Kohl said in the story. "Zach started out in Portland, and at the point they traded him, they really wanted to do that. He did not help them win. Then they traded him to New York, and within six months they wanted him out. They were prepared to trade him to the Bucks or anyone else. And he had three years, plus this year, remaining on his contract, which was over $50 million. Now any owner, I submit, who would not take an interest in that and would not want to be a part of that decision, is not doing his job."

We should remember Isiah Thomas went out of his way to say a report about the Milwaukee-Knicks situation was false. Now it is revealed that what was false was Thomas' claim, not the report.

Or is it that Larry Harris, who was fired by the Bucks yesterday, wanted to present this to the Knicks but first brought it to Kohl's attention? Kohl then shot it down before Harris even called the Knicks, which is why Isiah can say it never was something he discussed.

With 15 players on the roster, a one-for-three deal for the Knicks would mean two players would have had to be cut.

Regardless, it's just another example of why as a reporter -- and a reader -- you can't trust every bit of information you receive. Almost everyone has ulterior motives.

Pardon my skepticism, but doesn't it seem a little strange that so much background information is being offered about Donnie Walsh's situation?

In a matter of days, we've been able to report that Walsh has, in fact, had "very preliminary" talks with the Knicks and that Walsh is also involved in possibly staying with the Pacers and that other suitors (Milwaukee) have also reached out. Suddenly a man who a few years ago was thought to be headed toward retirement is the hottest commodity in the NBA, not that I'm saying Walsh isn't a viable candidate. He would bring instant credibility and respect to a franchise that desperately needs it. Walsh would be a commendable hire, but only if he is selected after an extensive search. You would hope the Garden would put a great deal of time and effort into finding a replacement for Thomas. They obviously should have put more time into hiring Thomas.

Hey, our job is to report and that's what we (myself and other writers on the beat) have done with this. But when I step back a second, it's hard not to notice that so much information is coming out in waves. I know I often say where there's smoke, there's fire. But it could also be a smokescreen.

You would think if things were really "hot" between the Garden and Walsh, information would be very difficult to come by. Our job is to report, so that's what we do. But there's this part of me that just can't help but wonder why the Milwaukee Bucks interest in Walsh have any real impact on the Knicks? Does anyone think that if Walsh had a choice between the Knicks and Bucks he would choose Milwaukee?

If you know how Jim Dolan works, media negotating is something he loathes. Look at how fast things quieted down about Kiki Vandeweghe.

*

The focus has come off the players with 15 games to go. It'll be all about Isiah Thomas and whomever the Garden chooses to be his successor.

Though most of the players can see a difference in Thomas and, as one vet told us the other day, he's no longer trying to win games, David Lee said Thomas hasn't said anything to the players about his situation.

"No we haven't talked about that, he just talked about finishing the season off right," Lee said. "I've had people call me yesterday, 'Hey you know so-and-so I heard's going to be the next . . . (pauses) . . . "After the trade deadline rumors and everything going on, I kind of I think it's something to teach me again that you can never -- sorry guys -- you can never believe what you read in the papers. Sometimes and you've just gotta kind of let things play out. So that's what I'm going to do and I'm just going to keep working hard."

Mike brought it up in his post and it gave me an idea. We've all seen the Knicks "Night at the Roxbury" spoof on YouTube and some other clever videos. Here's what Mike was talking about: the Muppet Show out-tro. So right, Mike. The perfect sign-off for the Isiah Thomas era, right down to Statler and Waldorf mocking the show at the end (they would represent the media, of course!).

So have at it, Fixers. I know some of you dabble in the YouTube stuff. Can you rival the Roxbury video with an Isiah Thomas era out-tro, to the Muppet Show theme?

With no denials about the now widely-reported Knicks interest in Donnie Walsh, it seems pretty clear James Dolan is in the exploratory stages of finding a replacement for Isiah Thomas.

I mentioned in my story today the potential of Thomas staying on as the coach under Walsh because the two have a relationship and Dolan previously has said he thinks Thomas is a good coach. I believe anything is possible, especially if you consider the amount of money Thomas' contract extension (three more years at about $18 million). But there is such a need for sweeping changes with this franchise that I can't see a logical reason to keep the main lightning rod of controversy (next to Stephon Marbury).

Logic, of course, hasn't always prevailed here. (See: March 11, 2007)

Though I would expect the Garden to involve more than one person in the search process -- we've already heard names such as Kiki Vandeweghe and Jerry Colangelo, but I wonder if there are any current GMs or assistant GMs who might make themselves available? -- the Walsh scenario isn't exactly a slam dunk (weak pun, I know) because the Indiana Pacers might very well decide to dump Larry Bird and hand the reigns back over to Walsh. He would then have to decide whether to maintain the loyalty to the Pacers franchise he has run for over two decades or move to a new challenge, at the age of 67, and rebuild the capped-out Knicks.

The Pacers would be the easier situation. They have movable players (a healthy Jermaine O'Neal is still worth plenty on the open market) and a reasonable foundation of talent. In New York, anyone who takes over will have his work cut out for him.

Whomever it is, however, the bottom line is it appears change is finally on the way.

Here's your lineup down the stretch against the Pacers, in a game that was tied at 83 with less than nine minutes to go in regulation:

Mardy Collins
Fred Jones
Wilson Chandler
Jared Jeffries
Renaldo Balkman

That group was on the floor to see a close game turn into a rout. When Jeffries fouled out, Randolph Morris took his place.

"I wanted to see how they'd compete," Isiah Thomas said of his lineup. "I just wanted to see if the young kids could pull it out."

With only the lottery left to play for, this what you're gonna get as the season winds down. And there will be a whole lotta Wilson Chandler, who isn't shy about going to the basket or putting up shots (he was 6 for 15 from the floor and had 15 points, 8 rebounds, 2 steals and a blocked shot.

"I think they definitely picked up their intensity," Chandler said of the Pacers in the fourth quarter. "You could tell that they are a team playing for something, a possible playoff spot."

The win allowed the Pacers to remain three games out of the final playoff spot.

At 19-48, the Knicks tragic number is SIX.

More Donnie Walsh-related news in the print editions for tomorrow.

It's green jersey night, so don't adjust your television set.

But may we suggest you change the channel?

Eddy Curry today underwent "successful" arthroscopic surgery to repair the torn cartilage in his right knee. Of course it's news when the surgery is "unsuccessful," but we're just passing this along.

Isiah Thomas talked about his years here with the Pacers. How it still makes him wonder what-if. Perhaps Knicks fans can wonder, too. Indeed, what if Isiah was able to hang around a little longer with the Pacers? Perhaps he would have never been there for the Knicks to hire back in Dec. 2004.

Remember to send Magic Johnson a Thank You card.

We chatted with Larry Bird before the game (he said he didn't know anything about Donnie Walsh-to-the-Knicks). The Pacers are in a very troubling situation. No one is going to games anymore and Bird knows along with the losing, the Hoosiers here just can't embrace a team that makes more headlines in the police blotter than they do in the sports section.

"There's going to come a day when we're going to have to make some changes," Bird said.

That day will be April 17, the day after the regular season ends.

For both franchises.

STARTING LINEUPS
KNICKS (19-47)
Chandler
Randolph
Lee
Crawford
Robinson

PACERS (25-41)
Dunleavy
Murphy
Foster
Murray
Granger

Enjoy St. Patrick's Day.

Here we go...

Yet another indication that the Garden might be in the midst of a search for Isiah Thomas' replacement comes in today's Daily News, which says James Dolan met with Indiana's outgoing president Donnie Walsh last weekend.

Though details are sketchy and unconfirmed (the report was based not on actual confirmation of Dolan and Walsh meeting, but on flight records of Dolan's plane, which happened to be in Indianapolis), Walsh's agent is quoted as saying Walsh has the pedigree to succeed in New York. The Indianapolis Star had a story in today's editions reporting the Daily News report. So that means the Knicks Fix is reporting on a report that reported on the original report.

Still with me?

You remember a few weeks ago Kiki Vandeweghe possibly met with Garden president Steve Mills at a screening of ESPN's "Black Magic." (Saw Part I last night on ESPN and while I found it interesting, it's not quite as compelling as it is a typically monotonous documentary). Vandeweghe immediately denied sitting with Mills, let alone talking with him about the job. But as I said then, where there's smoke . . .

If Dolan is, in fact, going through the interview process to replace Isiah Thomas, the candidate list certainly doesn't stop there. There will be a great deal of interest in this job once it gets out that it is available. Never mind the challenge of cleaning up the mess Thomas will leave behind, you have to consider the perks of the job, from the salary to the cache of New York to the fact that you have an owner who is willing to spend whatever it takes.

With that in mind, doesn't Jerry Colangelo, who was quoted at all-star weekend as saying he would be interested in the Knick job, deserve a good, long look?

Newsday's Ken Berger in November wrote about Walsh's interest in the Knicks, so there's no secret there. We've also known the NBA would prefer an experienced figure in that position to right the ship and get the franchise back on course. Walsh also fits that mold.

But at 67 years old, is he a long-term solution? No. What would be worth watching is to see whom he would bring in as a No. 2 -- perhaps a hand-picked successor -- and also whom he'd select as coach. The News suggested Mark Jackson in the coaching role. One would think Rick Carlisle (a short-term former Knick and also an upstate New York native) would be on that list, as well.

And, remember Fixers, Walsh and Isiah Thomas have a good relationship.

As I've said before, be very afraid.

What happened here
As the New York sunset disappeared
I found an empty Garden among the flagstones there
Oooh-ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh who lived here?
He must have been a Gardener that cared a lot
Who weeded out the tares and grew a good crop
And now it all looks strange

It's funny how one insect can damage so much grain....

They're expecting a sellout tonight for Knicks-Hawks at the Garden. It would be No. 16 on the season.

The basketball may be bad, but the business is always good, baby.

Maybe that's the most troubling thing about the Knicks.

I did a story in the Sunday Newsday about this phenomenon of big crowds, which continue to fill the Garden despite how awful the home team has been and the little regard the team's management and ownership seem to have for the paying customers. They outlasted you, Knicks fans. The protests, the chants and the oversized pink slip rally....all of it fell on deaf ears and has now been muted.

You now cheer for close losses. You now root for win No. 20 in game No. 64. And now they've got us talking about next season and the young players, which is a perfect way to sweep the issues of this season under the carpet.

Don't let it go down like that.

Look at how they have forced you into lowering your standards. This is like putting a jug band in Carnegie Hall. People would still show up because it's Carnegie Hall. And, hey, that dude playing the jug is really trying hard.

It's not as much about the show as it is the venue. And the James Dolan knows it.

When I said earlier in the season that Knick fans should keep filling the building and letting Dolan & Co. hear it, I meant they should continue to hear your displeasure with the current condition of the franchise. Not that you were thrilled with an overtime loss to the Portland Trail Blazers. Or giddy about not getting blown out by Detroit.

LeBron's 50? I can understand that one.

And I can understand why after last season -- there was some optimism...heck, it was even portrayed here on the Knicks Fix -- there was a 91 percent renewal rate for season tickets. But, as fellow Fixer David Nussbaum pointed out, the renewal might drop dramatically if Isiah Thomas does, in fact, return next season.

(David, by the way, is the guy mistakenly not identified in the story who says he often leaves his seats empty just so Dolan sees some seats unoccupied. But David, Dolan also knows those seats are already paid for, so, quite frankly, the fact that they're empty probably doesn't bother him as much.)

Another point about the Isiah Thomas Effect on the season ticket holder renewal rate was made to me by K-Berg last night. The renewals go out in May, if I'm not mistaken. You would think fans would want to know by then about Thomas' status before they make a decision.

All of these things come into play. Then again, if Dolan knows he has so many Knicks fans suckered and knows the Garden will never be as desolate as it was in the mid-1980s, when they barely got 10,000 a night in the building, he will never really feel pressure from the fan base to do anything.

And so in some ways, the more you fill that place, the more it will remain an Empty Garden.

*

@Peaceman and Trane: Fellas, call a truce! Trane, Mark did, in fact, have a rough relationship with the Garden fans after the initial love affair. But Peace, I don't think there is any residual animosity from it. Plus, Mark wasn't calling all Knicks fans "rats," he merely made reference to the fact that all of these people who adored him were so quick to jump ship on him when the first sign of adversity hit. Rick Pitino is partly to blame for it as much as Al Bianchi. Not that I'm putting all of my support in endorsing Mark Jackson to be the next head coach (I want to see the candidates available first), I was just using him as an example of a point guard who might be able to provide some first-person experience to a young point guard who would come into a pressure situation in New York.

But I have to admit, I love the banter. We gotta liven this place up again.