The Kiki Konundrum
Below is a repost of my story for the print edition, in case anyone missed it. K-Berg has the show tonight in ATL, so I'll catch up with the squad in Disney.
I can't get into the tabloid soap opera drama between Isiah and Starbury. I think most real Knick fans are beyond both of these characters at this point and only want to discuss matters going forward....let me know if I'm wrong and I'll jump into the Kleenex box.
*
Let the backdoor campaigning for the soon-to-be vacant Knicks throne begin. Jerry Colangelo said during the All-Star break that he'd welcome a call if and when Isiah Thomas is ousted. And one of the worst-kept secrets is Kiki Vandeweghe's interest.
But with the body still warm -- Thomas even suggested before Wednesday's win over the Charlotte Bobcats that he'll "be around" this summer -- speculation can lead to some implausible notions, such as a scenario reportedly in mind that would have Vandeweghe as the team president and Thomas remaining as head coach. That collective groan you hear came from the Knicks locker room.
Actually, the players are quite happy with Thomas these days. After a blowout loss in Toronto on Sunday, they were given Monday off and then after a blowout win on Wednesday had Thursday off. The team left at 1 p.m. for Atlanta, a favorite destination city for many NBA players and where they will play the Hawks Friday night.
So in seven days, the Knicks (18-39) will have held one practice, on Tuesday, and played four games. "It is definitely a group that is committed to working," Thomas said after Wednesday's win. "We haven't enjoyed or had the success we wanted to have this season but it is definitely not a lack of work."
Anyone who has closely watched this team run its offensive sets or attempt any semblance of defense might disagree, especially on those nights when effort stays back at the team hotel. But throughout Thomas' tenure as coach, extensive work has rarely been part of the game plan.
NBA scouts who have followed the Knicks are often amazed at how poorly prepared they are, not to mention the obvious lack of accountability that exists. So many people throughout the NBA are wondering what is going to happen at the end of this season, but no one can envision a scenario in which Thomas remains in any capacity, even in a demotion to just coach.
First and foremost, he would have to accept the demotion in order for it to not conflict with his contract, which was extended last year and includes him as president and head coach. There would also have to be an actual interview process to replace Thomas. Thus far, Vandeweghe says the report of he and Garden president Steve Mills sitting together and discussing the Knicks position at a movie screening on Monday was "totally false, that's all I can say."
But how far-fetched is the idea that Vandeweghe -- who is currently assisting Nets president Rod Thorn on a short-term basis, has personal ties to the Knicks and wants to get back into the GM business -- would accept the job even with Thomas in place? Those close to Vandeweghe say he has recently said that he believes Tho.mas is a pretty good coach and also mentioned that the willingness to spend makes James Dolan a great owner.
Perhaps such beauty is in the eye of the contract holder.
*
Will Ferrell's movie, SemiPro opens today. Our Neil Best -- who has one of the best blogs on Newsday.com this side of the Knicks Fix -- interviewed Ferrell for his Media Watch column in today's paper. Nate Robinson, as you all know, shot a segment with him and Woody Harrellson for the Today show earlier this week.
“It’s kind of weird because you don’t want to get caught up looking at him being all these characters that he plays, instead of looking at him as who he is," said N8 the Gr8, who probably gets the same reaction from people he meets. "It’s kind of funny, after I looked at him all I kept thinking of was him doing that Night at the Roxbury.”
N8 is a huge movie buff and loves to quote lines (which means he'd fit right in here at the Fix).
Let's compile a list. Best basketball movies of all-time. Hoosiers? Gotta be up there, but I don't know if it's No. 1. Glory Road left me impressed, but also wanting more.
White Men Can't Jump? Blue Chips? Space Jam?
OK, maybe not Space Jam.
Let me hear ya. And anyone who catches SemiPro, give us a critique so we know if it's worth our hard-earned bills or if we're better off taking the better half to see Atonement. Far more potential for residual rewards (nudge, nudge, wink, wink).
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Comments (38)
The movie Eddie has to be somewhere on this list. It's actually just the remedy the real Knicks need right now. We all saw Whoopi's basketball smarts on the View recently.
Fast Break. 1979. Bernard King, Gabe Kaplan. What more can you want?
Okay, old movies – now you’re talking. Unfortunately, for most of last century, most bad/great sports movies looked at baseball not basketball . . . everything from Pride of the Yankees and It Happens Every Spring (gotta see it, gotta love it) . . . to Eight Men Out.
Little known fact: Woody Allen shot a scene for Annie Hall with Clyde and Earl Monroe at MSG. I think he’s suited up and driving against the great Knick guards in a game. But it ended up on the cutting room floor. Too bad.
When I was a kid, I must have watched “Go, Man, Go,” about a hundred times – the movie about the formation of the Globetrotters. Classic old sports movie. Terrible . . . yet wonderful. A lotta heart, for all the clichés. Also cool that a lot of the original Globetrotters played themselves, I believe. And I’m weak on this point, but it was made during the blacklist – mid-fifties – and I believe the names of the writers are Fronts, for suspected communist black-listed writers.
Don’t forget the doc (Please): Hoop Dreams.
And if TV movies count, there was bad TV movie made about Hank Gathers: Final Shot. But it had its moments.
1. hoop dreams
2. basketball diaries
3. he got game
I saw a pre-screen of Semi Pro last night. It's not "over the top" Will Ferrell, so those who love or hate him depending, you will be OK with this one.
The Fixers will also appreciate his "post up" and free throws...I will say no more.
I will say Jackie Moon is more promoter than player.
I am weary of Kiki...
Is this "The Hills" (without the attractive women)? Marbury and Zeke need their own reality show...
About the perceived obsolescence of the bigs in the NBA…..
• it’s funny but back in the late 80s, Pat Riley talked about the same thing when Kareem was about to become extinct;
• He said back then that the game is changing. He said the game was changing to 6-9 guys (like Magic) who can rebound, run, score, defend, pass, etc….. He said that was the new winning formula and that the prototype centers who manned the paint were becoming obsolete;
• Since the 1990s, excluding the Jordan teams, Championship teams were anchored by centers who played prominently or led/willed their teams to the shiny stuff:
Olajuwon, Robinson/Duncan combo, Shaq, … even bigs like BWallace and Weed Wallace played pivotal roles in their championship.
Znake Thomas is 100% correct as usual. We can’t rely on Jerome James to save the day.
Kiki is not the right person for the job. However, if he is the best available one, I’ll take him. Another year with ThomASS is unacceptable. It’ll be deferring the rebuilding process. Enough is enough. ASSiah had his chance.
If it’s up to me, I’ll get Bryan Colangelo with his biological Jerry as a consultant. What a combo....
* Jabberwocky;
* Fastbreak w/ Bernard King, Kaplan, and Michael Warren (UCLA-Hill Street Blues) was a very entertaining movie.
* Fish that saved Pittsburg (with Dr. J) - a complete waste of time
I think we have a winner!
Posted by sec11rowH:
1. hoop dreams
2. basketball diaries
3. he got game
-----------------------------------
My honorable mentions:
Fast Break;
Hoosiers, and
Here Come the Co-eds
(the Abbott & Costello film where Costello keeps transforming into Daisy Dimple, the world's greatest female basketball player, when concussed).
Okay, the last might just be a personal fave.
You heard...of Through the Fire?
What? You got no love for my cousin? Well, I guess I better take him for a ride in the back of the truck!!
Yet, let's not ignore the terrible sports movies that also hold some small place in our hearts. (Again, you gotta check out "It Happens Every Spring" (1949) - Ray Milland plays a baseball obsessed chemistry professor who invents a formula that repels wood. Every sports cliche in the book. For one pennant drive, he becomes the greatest pitcher in the game for his beloved underdogs. The fact that he's cheating, of course, never comes up. Similarly, the original "Angels in the Outfield." (1951) )
So . . . bad basketball movies??? Teen Wolf? The Air Up There? Wasn't there a magic pair of sneakers in the 80s?
Watch out Trane, "The Air Up There" is a classic...haha.. "The Jimmy Dolan Shake and Bake" is devastating....
What about "Above The Rim" ? I swear when that movie came out, me and my brother were the only ones in the theatre who broke out in absurd laughter when that dude broke the backboard and fell off the roof...Who plays basketball on a roof? And why would you put the rim right on the edge? Hilarious.
Hey fellas I stay in the ATL and I went out last night and saw no Knicks players out on the town. I'm also cool with a couple club promoters and asked them if they saw any Knicks players and they said no. Thank goodness there's no more Gold Club...they do have Strokers (and a slew of other strip clubs) tho so Zach might have peeped his head in there for a little. Not saying our players not going out will transfer to better play, but it cant hurt.
I don’t know, Ben – maybe what this teams needs is a coupl’a nights of lap dancing at the Badda-Bing . . .
When I said Patrick should mentor Curry . . . my guess is that kid’s got a LOT to learn.
Wow, very tough question. I like the names I'm seeing so far, and I'd say the top 5 of all time are listed in the above quotes. For my personal favorites, which leaves out a lot of the candidates because I haven't seen them.
In no particular order:
Hoosiers (required to be in any top list by matter of principal)
White Men Can't Jump
Love and Basketball (laugh all you want, I liked this flik)
Blue Chips ("the SAT's are culturally bias")
Pistol Pete (amazing movie and must see)
Honorable mention: TEEN WOLF!!! and He Got Game
If anybody can get that clip from "Above the Rim" where he slaps the backboard and falls off the roof, I'd greatly appreciate it. I'm cracking up right now just thinking about it.
Oh, and if anybody has played on or ever seen a basketball hoop right by the edge of the roof, let me know because I've never heard of such a thing.
I found the "Above The Rim" clip for anybody who hasn't seen it or wants to see it. Let me know if anyone else finds this as hilarious as I do.
http://youtube.com/watch?v=pTV9ur3U3iY&feature=related
ENJOY!!
Hoosiers is by far the best hoops movie of all time. You can't even put anything else in the same category.
From the "Where are they now" file . . . from realgm.com:
"The Chicago Bulls announced today the team has assigned rookie forward Demetris Nichols to the Iowa Energy of the D-League. "
I may be wrong when I said it was up to Dolan whether Isiah stays or leaves. It's entirely possible this is what Stern had in mind when he said the Knicks will be different next year. He may have seen enough of the NBA's premier franchise in the toilet and may be willing to be more heavy-handed with the Dolans than he's been in the past if it appears that Jimmy Boy is planning on retaining Isiah's services. In other words, Dolan may have no choice. I wouldn't be surprised if Stern hasn't already put together a short-list of GM candidates he plans to present to Daddy Dolan, should little Jimmy decide the best and the brightest he can find to run the Knicks is to keep Isiah another year.
"Eddie" starring Whoopi
nuff said lol
how about coach carter you buncha old farts? we need to get every here a flat screen tv and disrupt your personal budgets. splurge on a dvd player and an account at netflix. get with the times because when you cough and a puffs of smoke pop out of your mouth...its time to buy yourself a lamborghini, find yourself a toupee to cover that bare spot and find yourself a young teenage girl too dumb and poor to care how wrinkled your bottom has become.
peaceman has left the building
Peaceman, don't hurt em too bad!
I got the one to end this conversation about the worst ones:
"Air Bud"
I'm out!
Alan, you're underrating Space Jam. Any movie that has MJ throwing alleys to Porky Pig is pretty damn good in my opinion.
I’m not sure which is a more depressing opinion: That Isiah Thomas might still be in charge of the Knicks next season. Or that old movies are only for old people.
Great, another player achieved career-high (T. Hortford) against Zhit Thomas' hand-picked untouchables.
That makes it 8 or 9 players accomplishing career highs against Team Isiah this season.
You gotta feel bad for the players who have the passion and the fire to win like DLee, N8, and rooks.
Bibby would've been really nice in NYK uniform. At least someone who has some b.ball IQ.
There you go, Willis -- for your list. I know it wasn't MSG. But another career-high against the Knicks.
And some more from the 70s:
One on One
Inside Moves (okay, that was 1980)
The Goat!
2 Seconds from Gold.
I believe bokonon named the best Hoop movie
"Fast break."
Policia,
Nice Bio.....Hope the glue holds on that "Rug."
Warning to the majority of this blog, Grab your tissues before proceeding:
Yeah, I'll be here," Thomas said Friday before the Knicks 99-93 loss to Atlanta.
When asked if he has been given any assurances that he is safe, Thomas said, "I have a contract that states that." [READ]
Larry Brown had a contract, too.
Did you read that Curry is now blaming the media for Knicks losses. The gutless wonder.
No self-respecting Knick from the 70s or 90s would be caught dead making lame-a$$ excuses like Eddy Curry’s. He should be ashamed of himself for trying to lay off his gutless play on the media. I suppose it’s also the media’s fault that he hasn’t played his way into shape by March 1. I suppose it’s also the media’s fault when Nate gets more rebounds than he does. It takes a particularly spineless big man to make lame excuses like that. We’re really learning what we gave up two unprotected lottery picks for . . .
Then again, maybe I’ve been wrong all along. Maybe Isiah Thomas IS getting through to these guys, and becoming more of role model than I thought. Nobody is better at making excuses and blaming someone else than Isiah.
The Knicks used to have enforcers. Now we have excusers. Thanks, Isiah . . .
Trane - if Isiah was going to be truthful in his public statements, it would be a pretty short list of comments. Basically: "I have no idea how to run or coach a team. I'm basically throwing darts in the dark. I don't give a rat's a$$ about the fans, and while I do care about winning, I have no idea how to do so as a coach. But bailing means I lose a fortune, so I'll keep stumbling and blundering around until my contract is up or I'm fired with full pay. I'm also a petty and vindictive creep, who will kiss up to and enable underachieving, unlikable players until I suddenly turn on them viciously, especially if it covers my own butt. Basically, I'm a no-class, no pride jerk who is way out of his depth, but I'm getting paid."
Let's see - the coach/GM in an underperforming liar who is loyal only to himself and will say anything to justify his mistakes. The owner actually got into the sports business with no concern for the point of the sports business - chasing a winning product. Not only have both of them failed to establish accountability, but perversely rewarded failure and dishonesty. Corporate culture comes from the top, and this steaming pile of refuse is what sits atop the Knicks. S--t floats - maybe Curry is just trying to move up in the organization.
Well said, Pete . . .
Fixers - I've been told the Newsday.com site will be down for most of the weekend. I'm in Orlando for the game tonight and will try to post the usual PreGame and postgame. But just in case you have trouble, you understand why.
Maybe I should guest blog at a rival newspaper that often invites guest bloggers to take over the blogsphere. Think it's a good idea?
Do it, Alan. Go to another paper’s site and write a paean to Isiah Thomas – sing his praises and tell Dolan he’s a fool if he fires Isiah. Maybe it’s time to try a little reverse psychology? Let Dolan believe that New York’s beat writers are 100% opposed to firing Isiah. In fact, you’re DEMANDING Isiah remain with the team through the entire term of his contract. You'll accept nothing less. He’ll be gone by Monday.
Also, I'd like to hear your reaction to Curry's reference to the press:
“The season could’ve gone very easily the other way if we stayed together a little bit and not let the media tear us apart,” Curry said. “I think we’re doing a good job right now of, keep fighting.”
Alan - can you do that? If you do, let us know where.
Trane - Just frustrated - this season has been like the death by 1000 cuts. (It could be worse though - we could be Seattle...)
True enough. Seattle is a drag. One of my first jobs was in Seattle. Had to spend 2 weeks there every month. It really does rain all the time. But I sure loved that championship team that beat the Bullets. That’s a team that got a lot out of every position without having the gaudy talent of the 80s Lakers or Celtics. They must have had a pretty good coach. Can’t remember his name . . .
yeah - I wonder who...
Curry is now blaming the media for the team's woes?
Wow, who did he learn that from?
Is Znake or the PR machine now programming Lazy Butt to say these things?
Zhit must havef "learned" him well.
ALAN HAHN;
I hope the 'value add cost efficiency initiative ' (or whatever they are calling it now) does not impact you or the Sports dept. When you get back, morale at your workplace I'm sure will not be at its peak.
Take care.
I also have to admit having a soft spot for Inside Moves. It was corny,but kinda cool.