Conseco
Fieldhouse with a 132-123 loss to Donnie Walsh's former
team. Unlike last year's regular season finale that
ended with an Eddy Curry three-pointer at the buzzer
for a road win, the 2007-08 Knicks capped off a second
59 loss season in three years by sending Pacers fans
home happy. For Walsh, a season-ending loss to Indiana
must have
either motivated the former Pacers CEO to begin a
clean sweep of Thomas' mess or question his decision
to take on such a massive project. Knicks fans can
only hope Walsh focuses his attention on the former
and starts by giving Thomas a severance package and
a one-way, American Airlines ticket back to Detroit.
Should
Walsh retain Thomas in any capacity, Jim Dolan's comments
about giving him complete autonomy over the basketball
operation was vintage Dolan double-talk. Thomas' run
as Knicks President, GM & Head Coach will go down
as a case study on "how not" to run a sports
franchise. The book on Thomas will read an overall
record of 141-241 since replacing Scott Layden on
December 22nd, 2003. As coach, Thomas posted an inconceivable
56-108 record in two seasons. His fiscal irresponsibility
and willingness to take on the mistakes of other general
managers has led to the team being on the hook for
$177.5MM in contracts for the next 3 seasons.
If
Walsh truly has the green light to clean house, he
needs to show Thomas the 33rd St. exit immediately
and devote his attention to hiring a new GM &
coach before the draft lottery. As teams like Milwaukee
Bucks & Chicago Bulls begin to interview coaching
candidates, prospects like Rick Carlisle & Scott
Skiles may not be on the market long. Mark Jackson's
decision to resign from the YES Network have led many
to believe that his hiring is a forgone conclusion,
but rarely do fans get their choice of head coach.
Former Knicks assistant coach Tom Thibodeau is a hot
prospect, but his Boston Celtics appear poised for
a long playoff run.
As
for the talent Walsh inherited, he will find it difficult
to move players which makes selecting the right player
in the draft all the more important. The 3 game winning
streak may have offered a few cheap thrills for the
Garden faithful, but cost the team valuable draft
position. Unless Walsh can stir up some of Dave Debusschere's
luck, the Knick will pick 5th or 6th. Thanks to Thomas'
willingness to trade away draft choices, Walsh only
has one pick in the upcoming draft as the Portland
Trailblazers own the team's second round selection.
Derrick Rose is sure to go in the top two selections,
which may lead to OJ Mayo as a consolation prize.
While Rose should have the same impact as Chris Paul
& Deron Williams, Mayo could be as good as Brandon
Roy. Clearly the Knicks are in desperate need for
a point guard, but must select the best pro prospect
available. Mayo is more of a combo guard, a la Dewayne
Wade, which could lead to the possibility of trading
leading scorer Jamal Crawford. If Walsh doesn't draft
a pure point guard, he could make a play for unrestricted
free agent Carlos Arroyo.
Much
will be made about the Madison Square Garden renovation
project in the months to come. Regardless of where the
new luxury boxes are placed or the number of new concession
stands built, the Knicks need to put a better product
on the court. Donnie Walsh has his work cut out for
him, but he has the universal support of fans looking
for change. Should he retain Thomas in any capacity,
that support will quickly turn into critique.
AND
1
Despite
a 23-59 record, the Knicks finished 9th in overall
attendance. Dolan's free food offer was a kind gesture
to fans who suffered through a 7th consecutive losing
season. If Dolan is intent on keeping Thomas within
the organization, he could demote him to Director
of Concessions. Thomas is part owner of the Times
Square eatery, Dale & Thomas Gourmet Popcorn.
Questions
or comments about this article can be e-mailed to
gardengrasp@gmail.com
-Greg
Hutchins
