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Lupicas, Thomsens and Bermans: Oh My!
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What The Pros are Writing About the Knicks Today
Isola giveth and Isola taketh away. After yesterday's story about Kiki Vandeweghe being in-waiting to replace Isiah Thomas as GM got my heart all aflutter, Frank Isola (of the Daily News) rained on my one-man, one-post Kiki parade by revealing that Dolan's plan involves bringing in Kiki AND keeping Isiah. In this twisted world Isiah would be relieved of his GM duties, which Kiki would assume. But, Thomas would be retained as head coach. Gulp. My heart is no longer aflutter. But my stomach is. Is Dolan arrogant and stubborn enough to handcuff whomever comes in to clean up this mess with the albatross that is Isiah Thomas? Probably. If this is the case then I don't want Kiki for the gig if he is the sort of guy who would except those conditions. In a Woody Allen-esque way, I wouldn't want any coach that would except us as an organization if Isiah were part of the deal.
Shaun Powell over at Newsday, the paper that I too often don't make it to, quite succinctly sums up the two straightforward reasons that Isiah's demise is inevitable. The first is Stephon Marbury. And, the second is Eddy Curry. Without the rending of garments and the wringing of hands (that keep the rest of us Knicks-watchers busy) Powell states with even tones and measured words that Thomas is as good as done because his two biggest moves have been his two biggest failures. And, that's it. Isiah did have a plan: get a great point guard and a get a powerful seven-footer. It's not a bad plan at all, but the Knicks just went after the wrong two guys. That's what gets a GM fired. And, yes, the losing gets the coach fired.
Marc Berman of the Post is off and running with a pre-game slip by Isiah in which he referenced the offseason need for another point guard to play with Nate and Jamal. Astutely, Berman reads between the lines to see that Steph is not in Isiah's plans for next season. I'd like to think that Isiah's plans are a moot point, though.
