I really am starting to feel bad for Knicks fans. Donnie Walsh was almost done untying all the knots Isiah Thomas created in New York only to run up against a stone wall in James Dolan, so he left. Now with some hope of having a good team with Carmelo Anthony and Amar’e Stoudemire on the same floor, Dolan and Zeke are once again (reportedly) doing all they can to screw it up.
Plus, Isiah continues to share a close relationship with some of the league’s top players. That would include Carmelo Anthony, Amare and more importantly, Chris Paul.
This is the reason James Dolan continues to lean on Isiah for advice, even though Isiah doesn’t have an of
ficial position with the Knicks. If he did, Isiah would be in violation of NBA bylaws for having contact with players during the lockout.
Isiah played a role in the Knicks signing Amare two summers ago and he played a role in the Melo trade. He’s now working behind the scenes to help the Knicks land Chris Paul.
Can we please cut the crap and call this what it is? Isiah Thomas works for the Knicks. Everyone in the world knows he’s working for the Knicks. The man does more recruiting for the Knicks than he does for FIU (which would explain his 18-44 record). He’s got Knicks working out with him at the school. The only thing he’s not doing is drawing an official paycheck for the Knicks.
But let’s be clear about this. If Isiah Thomas is doing any work behind the scenes to recruit Chris Paul, he’s doing so in violation of every contact rule in place right now regardless of whatever technicalities you want to throw out there. I continue to be amazed at how much FIU will tolerate when it comes to Isiah and his obvious dreams of returning to the NBA.
You know, JA Adande wrote yesterday about how this lockout was all about Rashard Lewis because his bloated contract is indicative of the kind of deals owners want to eliminate. But I respectfully disagree. This lockout is all about Isiah Thomas, because he’s the kind of idiot that dishes out those kinds of contracts. Our favorite target, Eddy Curry, is Exhibit A (required fat joke: “Only A? A guy that size is Exhibit A through Z”). I’ll never understand Dolan’s obsession with him.
I know posts like this make Knicks fans break out in hives. I would feel the same if it was my team determined to undermine any sense of progress the team has made over the past few years. But it just goes to show that owners are their own worst enemies. You put your faith in the wrong guy, and you’ll get yourselves into a whole lot of trouble. There are hundreds of brilliant basketball minds out there. Why the Knicks continue to risk it all and put their faith behind this idiot is just mind boggling.
Photo: NY Daily News
