![3D"Home](3D"http://www.newsday.com/images/components/subscribe-click.GIF")
=
=20
![3DEmail=20](3D"http://www.newsday.com/common/images/icons/atools-email.gif"){kind=icon}
![3DPrint=20](3D"http://www.newsday.com/common/images/icons/atools-printer.gif"){kind=icon}
![3DReprint=20](3D"http://www.newsday.com/common/images/icons/atools-reprints.gif"){kind=icon}
![3D"increase](3D"http://www.newsday.com/images/components/atools-uparrow.gif")
TORONTO - Isiah Thomas' return in any capacity next =
season may=20
not be a popular scenario among Knicks fans, but one player said it =
would be=20
welcome news in the locker room.
"Basically, there are some =
people who=20
are upset with the way things went this year and, yeah, some mistakes =
were=20
made," the player said. "But when it all comes down to it, we would have =
Isiah=20
over someone new."
The player agreed to speak under the condition =
of=20
anonymity because of the sensitivity of the situation and the Garden =
media=20
policy that forbids players from talking with members of the media =
without a=20
public-relations official present. The player, who admittedly has had =
issues=20
with .Thomas during his two seasons as coach, is concerned that .Thomas' =
standing among the players isn't being presented =
.accurately.
Amid the=20
speculation about Donnie Walsh's expected arrival after the season to =
take over=20
the franchise and the great unknown that is Thomas' future with the =
team, the=20
players know only what they read and hear in media reports. "I think we =
know=20
less than you do right now," David Lee said after Wednesday's win over =
the=20
Heat.
![3DNewsday=20](3D"http://www.newsday.com/images/branding/masthead_subpages.gif")
=
March 28, 2008
Knicks' players would welcome Isiah's return
Article tools
Related links
-
-
-
Championship dreams?
-
-
-
GIVE US YOUR BEST SHOT
Submit your photos and view pics taken by other=20 fans.
![3D"Knicks](3D"http://www.newsday.com/media/thumbnails/storylink/2008-02/25885494=)
![3D"Knicks](3D"http://www.newsday.com/media/thumbnails/storylink/2008-02/26743189=)
![3D"Berger's](3D"http://www.newsday.com/media/thumbnails/storylink/2007-11/27645549=)
Walsh remains employed by the Pacers, despite the =
announcement=20
Monday that he will leave the franchise after the season. Reports by =
ESPN and=20
Sports Illustrated suggested a deal is already in place with the Knicks, =
but the=20
Pacers denied it. The Garden has maintained a consistent no-comment =
stance on=20
the Walsh reports, but persons with knowledge of the situation have said =
the=20
Knicks plan to hand the reins over to him after the =
season.
Newsday=20
reported Thursday that Walsh's arrival doesn't quite mean Thomas is =
certain to=20
be fired. It is believed that Garden chairman James Dolan would prefer =
to keep=20
Thomas in some capacity, even as coach. Walsh would have to agree to it, =
and a=20
person close to Walsh said it is not a given he would be against Isiah's =
return.=20
Walsh hired Thomas to coach the Pacers from 2000-03 before Walsh's =
appointed=20
successor, Larry Bird, fired him in favor of Rick =
Carlisle.
Though it was=20
Bird's decision, Walsh was on board and told confidants at the time that =
he=20
.realized hiring Thomas was a mistake. But not everyone with the Pacers =
thought=20
so. Former All-Star Jermaine O'Neal regularly praises his former coach =
and said=20
Wednesday that he .believed Walsh could help .Thomas.
"Donnie =
understands=20
him as a person and as a coach," O'Neal said, "and it will give him an=20
opportunity to concentrate strictly on X's and O's, strictly on what =
happens on=20
the basketball court and not the business part of it."
Perhaps =
that has=20
emerged as this season's built-in excuse for Thomas. Last season the =
team failed=20
to make the playoffs because of key injuries down the stretch. This =
season it=20
was the distraction of the sexual harassment trial and then the public =
feud with=20
former prot=C3=A9g=C3=A9 Stephon Marbury that derailed the Knicks' =
season.
If=20
Thomas does return, it is unlikely Marbury will be with the team. "No," =
the=20
player said. "They can't be together again."
One of the major =
issues=20
surrounding Thomas and Marbury was the game after Marbury went AWOL in =
Phoenix=20
Nov. 12 after being told he was no longer starting. Marbury returned to =
play=20
against the Clippers in Los Angeles two nights later. Yahoo Sports =
reported that=20
Thomas played Marbury against the wishes of the team, which, according =
to the=20
report, voted against Marbury being allowed to play after=20
deserting.
"There wasn't a vote, honestly," the player told =
Newsday.=20
"People had their own thoughts, but it wasn't a vote straight up ... =
Some guys=20
talked; Isiah wasn't there."
There have been other issues, from =
verbal=20
altercations during games with Quentin Richardson and Zach Randolph to =
veterans=20
taking issue with what appears to be Thomas' intention to tank games. =
Thomas has=20
not worked the team hard in practice and has allowed a lackadaisical =
attitude to=20
take over the game preparation.
But apparently all of this might =
not be=20
enough to convince Dolan -- and some players -- that a change is=20
needed.
Copyright =C2=A9 2008, Newsday Inc.
![3DNo=20](3D"http://www.newsday.com/images/ratings/star_unselected.gif" "3DNo=20")
- Jobs=20
- Real=20 Estate=20
- Pets=20
- Place an = ad=20
- News=20
- Sports=20
- Scores=20
- High School=20 Sports=20
- Mets=20
- Jets=20
- More=20 Basketball
- College=20 Sports=20
- Golf=20
- Tennis=20
- Horse=20 Racing=20
- AP Sports=20 Wire
- High School=20 Sports=20
- Entertainment=20
- Explore Long = Island=20
- Business=20
- Travel=20
- Blogs=20
- am New = York=20
- Newspaper = Services=20
- Resources=20
- Newsday = archives=20
- News=20 Obituaries=20
- Death=20 Notices=20
- Site=20 Map
- Partners=20
- am New=20 York=20
- CW11=20
- Metromix =
- Parents & = Children=20
- Weddings=20
- Distinction Magazine=20
- Wellness=20
- Star Community = Publishing=20
![3D"local](3D"http://radar.wunderground.com/data/nids/OKX19_thumb_t.jpg")
Radar: snow alert
![3D"The](3D"http://www.newsday.com/media/photo/2008-02/35779776.jpg")