Eddy Curry is aware he owes a great deal of his success this season to Isiah Thomas, so there is little surprise he would come out and say he wants Thomas back as the coach next season. Two newspapers quote Curry saying if Thomas is fired by owner James Dolan at the end of the season, "I'll be trying to get out of here."
Knowing my luck -- and awful judgment about when to leave a scrum -- this had to have happened seconds after I walked away from Curry and headed over to Stephon Marbury, who also suggested the Knicks would be better off with Thomas at the helm next season.
"Next season, it's going to be so much easier to pick up where we leave off from this year," Marbury said. "We'll be able to run our own games by ourselves. Training camp will be easier because we'll have the same system in place. We won't have to learn a new system."
The Knicks are still six games under .500 and 2.5 games behind Miami for the final playoff spot in the East. Evident progress -- Dolan's demand for this season no matter what Curry or Marbury say -- is still up for debate.
With that in mind, Marbury doesn't think Dolan should come out now and proclaim Thomas' job as safe. "He should stick to what he said and what he believes in," Marbury said, "and that is to make his assessment at the end of the season."
But while Thomas the executive draws plenty of criticism, Thomas the coach has done a good job in breaking down and building back up. It started with Marbury, who handed the ball over to Curry and transformed himself into a traditional point guard who runs the offense, thinks pass-first and plays defense.
Marbury is the example on a team that went from misfit to malleable.
"The way we've grown this year, we've refocused all that negative energy into positive energy," Marbury said. "Everyone is getting along. No bull---. You don't have the coach trying to poison one player so that he won't like the other player. It's a lot easier to go out and play. Last year you had guys like, 'He ain't passing the ball.' Selfish [stuff]. We don't have that now. Everyone just wants to win."
Comments (10)
All the posturing and campaigning are moot. Thomas is back next year. The team will easily surpass last year's win total and while that can be attributed to a terrible division featuring two teams tanking in hopes of winning the lottery (Celtics, 76ers) one team with serious injury issues (Nets) and even the team leading the conference not being that good, the fact is that the product on the floor has been exciting this year.
Basically, I just read the post where you said you werent sure if people read the blog. People read it! I love it. I love the inside info and I love the daily Knicks talk. Its the down seasons where true fans are starved for team coverage (everyone reports on teams that do well) and you supply it! Keep up the great work!
I was afraid this was going to happen. A little success and we'll have to be happy with mediocrity?
Eddy Curry comes out and says if the Dolans fire Thomas, he wants to leave too? What about being a real Knick, with loyalty to your team?
The only thing that real Knicks fan can do, is hope they lose and build around (a more mature) Curry, Lee, and Frye.
One last thing: What does David Lee have to do to start on this mediocre team?!
Andrew said "The only thing that real Knicks fan can do, is hope they lose and build around (a more mature) Curry, Lee, and Frye." Sorry I must not be a 'real' Knick Fan because I NEVER hope they lose. Why?? To get the coach fired or to get a lottery pick? ! If Lee didn't have the same perm as the dad on the Brady Bunch, he would just be another player with limited skills that plays hard.
I think Thomas has done a superior job, the real question mark i have remaining is what will happen with Francis if Thomas is serious about no trades? everyone is starting to gel, as evidenced in total defensive hustle vs. LA. I would hate to go back to another bad, sulking attitude. It already seems like a long time ago with those pics of Steph with thetowel on his head. Go NYK!
WHY IS IT that Isiah and the Knicks have had to deal with so much negativity? Anybody ever heard of a team called the Celtics? A guy called Danny Ainge??
Why does the media want to try and assassinate the Knicks all the time? Anything negative that can be said about the Knicks can be said doubly so about the Celts and that MORON, Ainge.
Paul Pierce is hurt? SO WHAT?? On a decent squad, one guy goes down - even your best guy - and your season should NOT be in the toilet! Even tho it's all about the NYK for me, it's just sad to see a classic team like the Celtics run thru the crapper.
...that said: GO KNICKS!!
I couldn’t help but laugh when I saw Curry’s comments regarding Isiah and his future. First of all, Curry doesn’t have anything to worry about because Isiah is staying (and I wouldn’t be surprised if he gets an extension during the All Star Break). What bothers me is when a player like Curry, who as we all know is making significant strides in his development this season and is a borderline All Star now, is making ultimatums and threats. Curry hasn’t done nearly enough in his career to be making those comments. He’s never played on a winning team and up until this season, you would have to consider him a big disappointment considering the hype he got when he got drafted. Curry, shut up and let your game do the talking, and improve your rebounding and defense!
Knicks are playing pretty good ball lately and I expect us to finish with 35-38 wins this season, which will be the improvement Dolan wants. Our team is pretty talented and I do think some stability is desperately needed, so as much as I have bashed Isiah in the past, he’s done a good enough job to stay.
We need to come up with a shot blocker and a shooter during the trading deadline or the offseason. Let’s build around Curry, Lee, Balkman, Frye, Richardson, Marbury, Crawford, and Collins.
Francis, James (take him out of the starting lineup!), Robinson, Jeffries, and Rose all either need to be bought out or traded. These players either are bad, out of control, or have no place on this team.
Where do I start ... I been a Knicks fan for a long time I'm not a New paper guy trying to sell papers ... I remember Mr. Layden ... I remember Shannon Anderson , and crew ... I remember who Traded Ewing and signed Houston ,I remember what made Jeff VanGundy quit I remember what the team was like before Mr Thomas at least now there's youth and promise where there was 12 retreads old bench players from the days of Mr Layden but you guys liked him so he got a ride ... You writers at like the cap wasn't a mess with Layden and the GM before him and they got a ride ... How do you trade your history..ie Patrick Ewing for nothing in return but you writers with short memories say ok let it ride. No Mr. Thomas has not been a world beater but I put this motley crew against the pass GM's team any given night. Yes Mr. Thomas had to take bad contracts to get better talent but with each wave the talent is getting better the product at the garden is getting better ... if your boss tell you not use the words rebuild and to win on the fly what do you do ...
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