Tis the Season Preview: The Coach

Part two of the season preview brings us to el entrenador, Mr. Isiah Thomas. First of all, let me note that I may very well have been Larry Brown's biggest hater. He was pissy and capricious about lineups and playing time, and took every opportunity to dump on his players to the media. It was disrespectful, dishonorable, and egotistical. It feels good to have his ass gone. So, off the bat, there's one plus for Isiah. No matter his downfalls, I doubt he's dumb enough to do anything to piss off or criticize his team- a squad of guys completely composed by himself. Who knows. Moving on, there are both positive and negative aspects to this new bench administration. (Note: We're not here to talk about Isiah as a GM, just as a coach. I won't talk about his management for now, because it makes me turn into the Hulk. No seriously.)


Positives:
1. Respeck: Isiah commands more respect from the players. When push comes to shove, no one gave a shit about Larry Brown's championship ring. He had no respect for them- as mentioned previously- and, in return, they had no respect for him. If you've watched the preseason, you've seen the players chatting and smiling with Zeke on the sidelines. This may not seem like a big deal but it is. No fun, no try. Also, Thomas is the reason these cats are here (with the exception of Francis maybe), so why not show him some love. We'll see.

2. VAMOS: Brown was all about playing the right way or some shit. Apparently the Knicks were not. Isiah has said that he's about running and passing, with a little defense thrown in there. I'm skeptical on the defense part, but there's reason to believe that running and passing might add some wins to last year's total. (So that makes it....four?). There are numerous lineup possibilities that lend to a running game. Prepare to see 4 guards, 5 guards, or even 6 guards on the court, which isn't even possible. Frankly, the D can't get worse than it was last year, so we might as well cash in on the offense. If anything, it'll be more fun to watch. Nate got the opportunity to dunk like twice last year, which made me wanna kick Larry Brown in the trachea. Anyway.

3. If he sucks he's gone. Try and fuck around when you've got the man who pretty much owns the Tri-State Area peering over your shoulder. Love it.

Negatives:
1. Um, Isiah Thomas: His track record ain't exactly golden, and his time with the Knicks has been far from perfect. His ability to judge talent and character in an NBA veteran (he does fine drafting for some reason), has not proven effective so far. It's just hard to feel comfortable when he's pulling the strings of anyth-...shit. I'm turning green. Enough of that.

2. Lies, lies, lies: While Brown was painfully straightforward with his assessment of things, Isiah likes to shroud things in mystery and deception. When he addresses the media, and says everything's cool, you know he's got something insane up his sleeve, you just don't know what. Also his way of speaking: a creepy, smiling whisper, reminds me of Michael Jackson. I don't know if that's really a negative, but it freaks me out.


Anyway, I have one huuuuuge hope for this season. Either this shit somehow works out, we break .500, make the playoffs, whatever, or we fucking tank. The prospect of 30 to 40 wins gives me indigestion. The worst thing that could happen is that Isiah loses just enough that everyone still thinks the Knicks suck, but wins enough that Dolan keeps him around. That just might be apocalyptic for the next few decades of Knicks basketball. Pray. I might put up some stuff this weekend, but expect more preview action on Monday. Peace.