Greenburgh, N.Y. – I made the trip to the MSG Training Center today hoping to find some balanced reasoning in the hurricane of speculation about Isiah Thomas’ job.
I finally found some while listening to the radio on the way home.
Jeff Van Gundy was on 1050 ESPN Radio a while ago and brought some sanity to the topic. His thoughts are particularly relevant given that he coached the Knicks and his name is being floated as a possible replacement for Isiah if he gets fired. (While we’re at it, how about we float Larry Brown’s name, too?)
“You’ve been around New York long enough to know when the rumors start flying that they have very little validity,” Van Gundy said to co-host Patrick McEnroe.
“I do believe right now that everybody around the Knicks and New York have to just calm down and see where they can go from here,” Van Gundy said. “When they were 2-1, everybody was beating the drum that they’ve turned the corner. An NBA season is so fragile.
“They lose at home to Orlando, and lose a game they’d like to have back to Miami, and they’re 2-3 and that’s where the Marbury fiasco started. They lost to two tough teams, to the Clippers and the Kings. It’s just such a fragile existence, the NBA is, and they’ve got to right the ship. They’ve got to do it soon, but I think it would be very hasty to pull the plug on the season so soon into the season.”
Asked if he would consider coming back to the Knicks if Isiah is getting fired, Van Gundy said, “I don’t think he is, contrary to popular belief. What they need to do is win a game. If they can find a way to win a game against Chicago tomorrow, everything will settle down a little bit.”
Van Gundy, now an NBA analyst for ESPN, criticized Thomas for poorly handling Stephon Marbury’s benching. But he also said something I agree wholeheartedly with: Thomas isn’t getting the public support he should be getting from his boss, James Dolan.
“When I was in New York, what I really liked was that my bosses were Dave Checketts and Ernie Grunfeld,” Van Gundy said. “They made changes. They traded players and they fired coaches. But you always had their wholehearted support until they were ready to make a change.
“Right now, I think it’s important that whoever’s in that position gets the same support,” he said. “It’s Isiah now. Before that it was Lenny Wilkens, Don Chaney, Larry Brown. And I just think at times that support for that position has not been as strong as it needs to be, to let everyone know who’s in charge and that we’re riding along with that coach.”
Great point. Where was Dolan today when Thomas stood in front of the media horde again and expressed his opinion that he doesn’t expect to be fired this season? Why would Dolan leave Thomas by himself to make the case that he shouldn’t be fired; isn’t that Dolan’s job?
Another interesting point from the Van Gundy interview. I loved how he took Pistons reserve Flip Murray to task for piling on the Knicks with his quote the other night that they “looked like they didn’t want to compete.”
“Let me start with Flip Murray,” Van Gundy said. “How about this? Don’t hide behind Tayshaun Prince, Chauncey Billups and those guys that led them to a blowout and then you come out and kill the Knicks. Now if Chauncey Billups wants to kill the Knicks, if Tayshaun Prince, if Rasheed Wallace, Rip Hamilton, if they want to kill the Knicks, that’s one thing, But for Flip Murray to take that pot shot at other NBA players, I think is uncalled for.”
Comments (10)
Sorry, man, you're way out of touch. Isiah is 6-24 as a coach in his last 30, he's a womanizing, foul-mouthed, mealy-mouthed sexual harasser, he's lost his team, and his idea of coaching is to let an unruly player run roughshod over his team. Flip Murray was absolutely right: the team has given up, and their body language shows it. Stop being an Isiah apologist and wake up: the Knicks are a franchsie rotting from the boardroom on down, and they need to be blown up. The longer the farce goes on, the more long-term damage this cancer will leave on a once-proud, now-drowning franchise.
* Flip Murray offered an opinion. Whether you are a bench warmer or a starter, you are entitled to your own observations;
* Where was good ol' Zeke when Don Chaney, Lenny Wilkens, and Larry Brown were in the line of fire? Oops, I forgot, El Presidente Isiah put them there.
Looks like Van Gundy might have an ax to Grind with James Dolan. Perhaps this stems back from his days at the Garden. His complaints that Dolan isn't publicly supporting Isaiah is hilarious - would you if your top dog just cost you $12 million in an incredibly embarassing sexual and public harassment case? Today's world is too fickle but Isaiah has done far more than his share to get the boot, even from the most loyal of owners. He must have embarassing pictures somewhere...
I'm happy to finally hear someone speaking from a level head. It's too early in the season to say its over. Dragging down the NY Knicks is just the thing to do right now, so everyone is jumping on that bandwagon. Now when we start winning the same people who were dogging us will hate a little less, but still try to find something to complain about.
I absolutely agree with Van Gundy taking "Flip" Murray to task. Who the hell is he exactly? Everyone has a right to their opinion, I agree, but he could save that crap for his blog. If his Piston teammates had enough class to take the high road, why couldn't he? Since when are 2nd/3rd tier players/bench warmers opinions "quotable"? I could respect this feedback more coming from a bench player from the KNICKS.
Ken,
I have a question for you about your proposed 3 team trade netting us Artest. In your scenario, the Cavs get Bibby and Sac gets Marbury. Where does that leave us for a starting point ??? Nate ? Mardy ? I can't see us getting better this way. When the Nets traded Steph they got Kidd. When the Suns traded Steph they had enough cap space to get Nash. If we trade Steph, who are we getting to take his place ? I think we'd be a worse team over all.
Looking forward to your response. Thanks in advance.
Spoken like a true Knick! Van Gundy is a CLASS Act!
Tony / MAK, here's a GREAT idea, why don't you become ex-Knicks fans!!!!!!!!
You guys spew the same garbage day after day, year after year!
GO KNICKS
I like Van Gundy- great coach and he's pretty hilarious too- but the comment about Flip Murray is just wrong. Just because the guy doesn't start he doesn't know anything and his opinion counts for nothing? By that token should Van Gundy's opinion count for much less? After all Flip Murray is a much better player than Van Gundy ever was. Flip is probably right, and Van Gundy was pissed about that and tried to label him as a scrub in return.
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