Wanted: Egotistical and gullible individual to manage a multi-million dollar entertainment company in a big market. Stubbornness, poor eye for talent, and short-sightedness a must. History of past failures a plus.
This must have been the ad Knicks owner Jim Dolan posted when he was looking for a new general manager almost two years ago. Because the man chosen to pull the Knicks from the Scott Layden Dark Ages was not a whiz kid from Harvard or a GM with proven success over the years. The messiah, instead, came in the form of Isaiah Thomas. What, they couldn't pry Elgin Baylor from the Clippers?
Now I know that Isiah-bashing has been done before. And I also understand that coddling Larry Brown from the Pistons, getting Nate Robinson from the Suns, and stealing Eddy Curry from the Bulls are three potentially great moves, provided that Curry's health is okay. Believe me, as a Knicks fan, I, more than anyone, want to pretend the last five years of professional basketball never happened.
But I still can't help shaking the feeling that if Isiah Thomas is still the general manager, things are bound to go wrong. First off, how long will it take before Larry Brown and Isiah are at each others' throats? If Larry Brown was so difficult that Pistons general manager Joe Dumars, widely acknowledged as one of the nicest men in the world, couldn't stand him, then how will Isiah? Thomas has always had to be the center of attention everywhere he has gone, often at the downfall of those around him.
Back in the '80s and early '90s, Thomas was a truly great competitor and one of the best point guards ever to lace them up. But as Michael Jordan can attest, success on the court does not necessarily translate to success in the business aspect of the game.
Isiah single-handedly destroyed the CBA by attempting to buy out every team like some kind of megalomaniac. As in most of his ventures, Isiah's goal was self-notoriety instead of success. And he got it after the CBA went bankrupt, leaving Europe as the only option for the Sleepy Floyds and Donnie Marshall's of the world to go between their 10 day contracts.
And don't even tell me the CBA didn't matter to the NBA. The Nets haven't been the same since Donnie Marshall and his towel waving left the bench. As far as team cheerleaders go, he makes Mark Madsen look like that senior girl still stuck on the Jayvee cheer squad. Sad.
Then Isiah went the safe route, returning to Indiana with his tail between his legs. However as general manger he brought the chaos with him. This is a man who, while general manager of the Indiana Pacers, ran coach Larry Bird out of town. Forget the fact that Bird had guided the Pacers to the NBA finals. Isaiah kicked Larry Bird out of the state!
Bird is the patron saint to the religion that is basketball in Indiana. French Lick, Indiana, Bird's hometown, is less of a "town" and more of a point of pilgrimage for many aspiring Jimmy Chitwoods every year. Can you imagine Hoosiers without Bird?
And then after being himself pushed out of Indiana when the prodigal son returned, he gets picked up by the Knicks. I guess after the Knicks gave Isiah his third chance he was also feeling generous, because he gave pretty much every underachieving NBA player a flyer. First it was the big splash, acquiring Stephon Marbury. If Isiah had given a call to Jerry Colangelo or Rod Thorn he might have realized that Marbury and "winner" are not exactly synonyms. But it was the kind of headline-grabbing trade that he was looking for to prove he belonged.
Then it was the trade of the "Great White Nope" for the worst No. 7 draft pick prior to Charlie Villanueva. That would be Keith Van Horn for Tim Thomas. Thomas's inconsistency has landed him on the bench of every stop he's made. Let's just say things didn't change in New York. And finally this summer, to cap things off, Isiah locked up Jerome James for four years. James is your typical "I'm only in the NBA because I am seven feet tall" type of player. He has infuriated every coach he has played under with his lackluster work ethic.
But both of the last two bonehead moves could be swept under the table if Eddy Curry reaches his potential. In that move Isiah got rid of Tim Thomas by packaging him in the trade, and saved Knicks fans 82 cringes upon hearing, "and now, at center, at seven feet from Florida A&M, Jerome James."
Curry had a breakout year in the 2004-2005 campaign and now finds himself in a division with a group of, at best, mediocre centers. If he can stay healthy, Curry has a good chance of putting up 20 points a game and becoming king of New York. But the "if" is huge. Last year, an irregular heartbeat forced him to sit out the end of the season and the playoffs. Although he got cleared to play by doctors prior to this year, heart problems and basketball have never gone hand in hand.
If there is a problem, and hopefully it is only a minor one that prevents Curry from playing basketball, the blame should be placed on Isiah. Bulls GM John Paxson knew the risks of playing Curry and decided to pass, like most other GMs. You can't blame Eddy Curry. It was NBA or bust for him since he was 10 years old. I just hope for Curry's sake, and Isiah's for that matter, that Thomas wasn't, for once, looking to make a big splash without analyzing the long term problems. But no matter what happens, the greatest stage in the greatest city will again matter, which is always the way it should be.
