These final eight games of the season are likely to be the last we'll see of Isiah Thomas on the Knicks bench. A person with knowledge of the situation told Newsday that Donnie Walsh, who is going to be introduced today as the new leader of the franchise, is well aware that change needs to be made on the bench as well as in many areas of the organization.
But that doesn't mean Thomas will be completely removed from the team. With three years and around $18 million left on that contract extension James Dolan gave him last year, it remains to be seen if Dolan is willing to lay out more millions to remove yet another highly-paid employee. Larry Brown is still counting his money after his windfall settlement after just one year of coaching.
We've been telling you that Thomas' situation has been a big part of the negotiations between the Garden and Walsh. It's unclear if Walsh today will announce any plan with Thomas beyond this season, but it will be the most critical question of the day.
As for now, we know that Isiah was on the team charter from Milwaukee to Memphis, where the team plays the Grizzlies tonight.
Stay tuned . . . .
Comments (13)
If Isiah remains in any capacity, this is just another dog and pony show. MSG specializes in them.
Blessed are the children/future-Knicks fans born into the Walsh era. At what point does a parent teach their child about the bad-contract-eating Zeke-Monster that haunted the Knicks before Donnie Walsh saved the day? Or the scowling-towel-headed beast that lured vulnerable MSG workers into his truck-o-infidelity? Stuff for fairy tales but unfortunately this is based on a true story.
The first thing they have to change is this stupid media policy which makes this team so fake and hide it's true intentions. Donnie is out spoken and will state what he is thinking. Dolan is probably going to give him his go ahead to speak his mind. He can come out and say "we stink" and won't get fired for it - good. Isiah is a puppet and says only what Camp Cablevision wants him to say.
Interesting timing with this press conference. I wonder if it was a coincidence that it falls right with the start of the baseball season, when stories about the Mets and Yanks and the final games at the Stadium and Shea are taking up a lot of the back pages and drowning out anything Knicks. After all, there's obviously a lot more immediate hope for NY's baseball teams, and the Knicks story has dragged out for so long.
With the media-conscious Garden setting it all up, they must've taken it into account.
This worries me. I'm afraid that they're going to try and pull a fast one when no one's really noticing, and keep Isiah on in some capacity.
My guess - they'll tout his "great" track record in the draft, keep him on as GM, and say that with Isiah's eye for raw talent and Walsh's experience, the two will make a great team.
I *really* hope I'm wrong.
Mr. Dolan, it's him or your season ticket holders. One of us isn't coming back to the Garden next season...
Alan,
Good luck & Congrats with the new member of the Hahn team.
I read everyday, but don't always have a chance to contribute...I do appreciate this blog and it's participants.
This press conference should be interesting...
I second everything Old School said.
Anyone else see Hahn get yelled at by Walsh? I was checking out the press conference on my computer at work.
Way to stick to your guns, Alan. That was definitely a fair question.
I kinda like the guy (though I wish he would've just come out and immediately cleaned house). He seems like he's not going to take any s ht from anyone, though.
Let the "Fire Isiah" chants resume. Loud enough for Donnie to hear 'em.
Today is a step in the right direction, but it won't mean much if anything unless Isiah is completely removed from the organization. Isiah obviously should not be the coach and I don't want him in a scouting or consulting role either (which is what Dolan probably wants, I think).
Bring in Mark Jackson now as the coach and Ewing back as well.
"Gimme Shelter" - Jagger/Richards
"Give Peace a Chance" - John Lennon
"Give me Love, give me Peace on Earth" - George Harrison
"Give me liberty or give me death" - Patrick Henry
"Give me my money" - Isiah Thomas
If the Knicks really wanted to boost fan morale: set up a draw where fans who have suffered through the season get a chance for each ticket bought (might as well reward the people who shelled out for season tickets and got this "product"). The winner gets to publicly announce the firing of Isiah. Call it "GM for a Day" or something.
It would be incredibly popular - you could even sell extra tickets to raise money towards the buy-out. I'd probably pay 100 bucks for a chance to can Isiah.
i am excited about donnie walsh taking
over the reigns for the knicks!
a little nervous about the isiah situation...but i think walsh will not tarnish his legacy by keeping I.T. as coach...at least i hope so.
thank god.
If its up to Donnie Walsh and knowing him and what kind of players and a team he wants then the only players he will want to stick around are
Fred Jones
Quintin Richardson
Wilson Chandler
Renaldo Balkman
Jerrid Jeffries
Mardy Collins
Because these are the players who can play defense and if you look at the team he built all there main players where very good on defense being
Jeff Foster
Jermain O'Neal
Ron Artest
Stephen Jackson
Jamaal Tinsley
Al Harrington
Fred Jones
One thing Zeke has is right and thats defense wins games and he brought in a lot of defensive players but he only gives playing time mainly to his offensive players in
Eddy Curry
Zach Randolph
Jamaal Crawford
Nate Robinson
Stephon Marbury
David Lee
The thing that is bother some is that our defensive players have offensive skills it just we dont notice it because Zeke doesnt give them the green light like he does to his main core but when a player has gone down or is sitting out we see they have it in like Jeffries scoring like mad that one game or Fred Jones showing sign he can take over if you let him or Q dropping 3 after 3 or Chandler doing better with more playing time. Sorry but I dont know why a coach likes a player to give him the green light because hes flashy like Crawford who has shown his whole career that he cant shot over 40% and doesnt make wise decisions down the stretch of a game I bet if you gave another player the freedom he gets they would produce more