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!
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STARTING LINEUPS
KNICKS (20-52)
Chandler
Crawford
Jeffries
Lee
Richardson
HAWKS (32-40)
Bibby
Horford
Johnson
Smith
Williams
Enjoy Davidson-Kansas.
Comments (22)
First time commenting Alan but I have been reading all season long. As soon as the Knicks collapsed and became a disgrace, I've come here for all the news instead of wasting my time watching the game. I always read blogs over the past few years but when I found yours this season, I was kinda mad that I had not found it earlier. Your writing style and coverage is several notches above the rest.
I just finished watching Memphis-Texas. I'd take Derrick Rose over Beasley if the Knicks get the #1 pick. This kid is a winner and looks be a more athletic Deron Williams. That's the best comparison I can come up with right now. He has good form on his shot and I think it will continue to develop.
Hope you have one of those Panasonic Toughbooks, the armored kind cops use. It'll have to be pretty sturdy to survive a collision with RT's skull. Congratulations, Al.
Funny that Isiah would make a show of trying to win this game, after disavowing the spoiler role. But, you can pretty much believe the opposite of what he says anyway (more often than not, at least). Otherwise, we can just call him Speedbump Thomas.
Big game today, we need this loss! Go Hawks!
Derrick Rose looked like the truth today and would be a great pick for the Knicks. However, for a shot at the first pick, they need to be within the first four or five slots at the least.
Why can't the Knicks tank as well as Pat Riley?
Great loss tonight! We need only nine more to have a real shot at D Rose.
And only nine games until we are freed of the Isiah Thomas nightmare.
Great news fans,
Knicks are .5 games back of dropping lower than Minnesota and 1.0 games back of dropping past Memphis.
Knicks play Memphis this week.
Memphis and Minnesota play eachother twice next week.
Memphis also plays Miami next week.
Minnesota also plays Charlotte next week.
Let's hope all these games work out in our favor AND we continue to lose. I'm getting worried now because it seems Isiah has stopped the tanking and is now really trying to win.
Yes, he's that stupid.
Repeated congrats Alan on the new addition to your family;children are alway blessings. If you had a Crunch membership I'd tell you to swing through there next time down, there's usually a lot of good runs there; a lot of old pros like Nick Anderson and Jason Caffey and even one of the great female ballers like Teresa Edwards often swing through there. I'm a basketball nut like you, so I wouldn't mind seeing what you got in the bag.
Knicks have no shot at the top 3. They will beat Milwaukee and Memphis the next 2 games.
actually, i just reviewed the remaining schedule, and it looks unlikely that the knicks will win another game. additionally, it looks quite likely that both memphis and minnesota will win at least one, if not two games each, which i believe would then put the knicks in the 3rd slot. anyway, it's a crap shoot with the lottery, you still need to get lucky with the balls.
more importantly, tomorrow is opening day for the yanks!
Regardless of how close to the bottom the Knicks finish this season, I guarantee you that they will get the #1 pick in this upcoming draft. So don't worry about our record at this point, just watch what happens May 20th.
^No. Knicks are not getting the #1 pick. End of story.
And the Knicks can beat the struggling Bucks(beat them twice before this year) and the Grizzlies.
With the way the season has gone, pessimism of future prospects is expect but wackier things have happened in the draft (like Orlando getting the #1 pick two years in a row).The fact that the Knicks won't finish with the worst record is actually better when you look at the draft history(I can't remember the last time the team with the worst record won the lottery). Also the fact that David Stern and the NBA is actually pulling for and in need of a resurgence from a franchise with the largest market makes believe that it is undoubtedly going to happen....Lets just wait and see what happens May 20th.
Knicks fan for life....no matter what...maybe I can marvel at the correct choice when I turn 63
Screw whatever fool got the 11th comment.
Interesting wrinkle in the Coaching Carousel floating around now. Dallas' recent troubles and reported dust ups between Cuban and Johnson are being touted as possible reasons for The Little General's dismissal.
I would love Avery Johnson here.
On the disturbing side, Billy King continues to get mentioned as GM under Walsh should Walsh take the job due to their "close relationship". Billy King, who actually signed Chris Webber to a multi year deal @ 19 million a year to play with Allen Iverson, the most delusional act of any GM other than our very own Zeke, yes, that Billy King. Somebody 'splain that. How can the guy even be trusted with the beer concession is beyond me.
I had a dream the other night that Isiah resigned. It was so realistic -- I was watching ESPN, and they broke live to the press conference. I woke up from my dream, 6 in the morning, and ran to my laptop to check the Knicks Fix. No such luck.
The life of a Knicks fan... Isiah's haunting us even as we sleep. I'm still holding out hope that it was a premonition, though.
Willis - Good point on Avery Johnson. I'd like him too. I think he'd be a really good fit for this team. Then maybe keep Malik on as a player/assistant coach to work with him, since they played together in S.A.?
ALAN,
I just realized that you are naming one of your kids after the Brazilian Jui-Jitsu masters (MMA). Look out.
* Tomorrow, April 1st, either Znake will announce his resignation or Dumbo Dolan will announce that he is "FIREING" Izuk Thomas.
Then they'll be a retraction saying........................ NOT!!!!!!
* Zneaky Thomas is busy, hard at work scouting the NCAA games. Looking for a gem...............looking for the next Balkman!!!
DAVID:
Great loss tonight! = LOL
We need only nine more to have a real shot at D Rose. = YES
And only nine games until we are freed of the Isiah Thomas nightmare. = FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART, I SURE HOPE THAT YOU ARE RIGHT.
Unfortunately, MAK, the Knicks have two "tough" games coming up against Milwaukee and Memphis. I fear they might win them!
I'd like the best possible pick, but I can't bring myself to cheerfully hope for Knicks' losses - doesn't sit right.
Willis - Billy King is a historically terrible GM - probably as inept as Isiah. The Webber trade is his showpiece. The cap-killing bloated contracts for the likes of Kyle Korver and Willie Green are reminiscent of the crap we've put up with here for the last few years. King was also slammed for Dalembert, but I don't have a problem with overpaying for rebounds and interior defense. Let's just say, at 10 million per, I'd trade him even up for Curry in a heartbeat.
Pete - I completely agree, the only thing worse than a Webber signing would be a Vince Carter signing. I'd proposed Dalembert for Curry straight up earlier in the year when Philly was really strugglling. Curry with Evans working the boards works, Randolph with Dalembert boarding and swatting shots REALLY works. Philly's weathered the storm (funny how trust and character coaching can overcome losing) and I don't think Dalembert is going anywhere. I like Dalembert alot.
They are winning now because Billy got to break the piggy bank and spend the Iverson treasure. Billy got to break the piggy bank because he put Philly in a death spiral from which only the trade of their superstar could save them.
Skiles is NOT New York He is California BS tough. He is mean and pushy and a big show, but his players hate him and half the Knicks hate him too. Please stop suggesting a guy who couldn't win with the bulls. Really pathetic Hahn.