New York Knicks

[TomShane]

Grade at the mid-point

F

Management:

Everyone wants to point the finger at Isiah Thomas, and he is accountable for much of the Knicks problems, but not because of the talent he put on the floor.

Thomas takes the hit because he came into this season and allowed Lenny Wilkens to remain as his coach. Wilkens has been in semi-retirement for the last decade, and everybody knew it but Isiah. But that's Isiah's problem--he wanted a coach there that wouldn't over-shadow him. His ego has always been Isiah's downfall, and the same is true here.

The Knicks would have been well-served by cutting ties with the very finished Wilkens and bringing in a tough young coach like Eric Musselman who was available at the time. No, Mussleman isn't a genius, but he was better--and tougher--than Wilkens. Herb Williams inherited a team with no guts, no brains and no direction and he hasn't changed a damn thing.

Players:

The curse of Stephon Marbury is legitimate. He's a guy who may be the most physically gifted PG in the league, but he has zero sense of how to win a game. He passes it when he should shoot, and he shoots when he should pass it. His defense is laughable, considering his strength and quickness, and he is the primary reason why Madison Square Garden has become a lay-up line for opponents. Consistently beaten off the dribble, Marbury kills his team offensively and defensively.

Everything they warned us about Jamal Crawford is true: He's a ballhog with an embarrassing shot selection, plays zero defense, and is so mentally soft that he disappears anytime someone throws an elbow at him. Just awful.

Allan Houston is the most despicable piece of human garbage to ever wear a Knick uniform. Giving him the max was stupid when they did it (bidding against themselves!), and it's even stupider now. While Houston coddles his ouchy knee, he cashes checks and laughs all the way to the bank. The sooner he retires, the sooner we can spit on his grave.

Penny Hardaway, Moochie Norris and Jamison Brewer dress for most games.

Nazr Mohammed is a good center who is too soft and needs to step up and play tough. The rap on him was that he was an underachiever. The good news is that he no longer underachieves, the bad news is that he isn't all that great when he realizes that potential. Playing in the decrepit Atlantic Conference, he should average 20 pts. and 10 rbs. Of course, in order to score itm he has to pry it out of Marbury's hands, which is nearly impossible. If Kevin Garnett had trouble getting passes from Marbury, what chance does Nazr stand?

Mike Sweetney and Trevor Ariza are decent young players who are limited, but play hard. Sweetney gets too many stupid fouls, and Ariza is a developmental project with some decent upside. In 5 years, both players will be very solid contributors. Right now, they're better off deep on somebody's bench.

Tim Thomas needs to re-evaluate what he wants to do for a living when he grows up. He's a guy who can do it all--shoot, defend, post up--but chooses to do nothing. Absolutely nothing.

Moving forward, Isiah probably won't be with the Knicks (thanks for the severance package, Dolan), but they should pray for a high lottery pick and entertain offers for Marbury, even if they have to eat much of his contract. They desperately have to bring in a coach who can deal with NY, deal with difficult players, and do what they can to get Houston off the books.

Forget Phil Jackson--he only goes where he has the two best players in the league. He won't come withing 5 miles of the Garden. Flip Saunders may be the guy, but he's going to get a ton of offers, and he may consider the Dolan-factor, as well as the Marbury-factor and decide to coach in the Ukraine.

[faba]

Houston could be the biggest wimp in all of New York sports-he still is not ready to play again-when he is ever ready to play any game. The biggest albotross of a contract to suffocate a team -until Knicks can get out of that Houston contract they are not going anywhere.

[124]

And Stephon Marbury the so called by himself "best point guard in the NBA" didn't even make the All-Star game.