James Dolan and a Plan That Never Works
ESPN recently ran a story about how James Dolan has given Isiah Thomas one year to turn his team around.
There are few plans in sports worse than telling a GM that he has one year to succeed. It makes even less sense when the team is rebuilding and has young talent that probably needs time to learn the game. Did James Dolan not realize that this is pretty much the same thing that ruined the Knicks before? Scott Layden knew his time was up so he made a risky trade, giving up a lotto pick for the injured Antonio McDyess. It's moves like these that make GM's do insane go-for-broke moves like trading for Vin Baker. Do you really think that if the Knicks are struggling at the midseason point that Zeke won't mortgage the little future he has available to deal in order to get someone he hopes could help immediately?
While Dolan can fire Isiah after the season (although, I do think there is a good chance the Knicks could improve under Isiah), what are the odds that he actually hires a competent general manager? Zeke and Larry Brown may have been in the spotlight this season, but it was Dolan who put them on center stage. If Zeke fails, it will not only be a mark on his record but it also has to push Dolan to Donald Sterling levels in terms of poor ownership. On the bright side, John Nash has got to like his chance of landing another NBA job in a year. It would be nice having him around to keep the Knicks ship on the floor of the Atlantic.
But he has to do that and he has one year, one season to do that. At this time next year, Isiah will be with us if we can all sit here and say that this team has made significant progress towards its goal of eventually becoming an NBA championship team. If we can't say that, then Isiah will not be here."
Thomas assembled the roster that went 23-59, tying the franchise record for losses in a season. And though Dolan said the Knicks are still rebuilding, he wants to see results next season.
Dolan wouldn't say how many wins the Knicks would need, only that he wanted "evident progress, not just debatable progress."
And if he doesn't, he said Thomas would not only be replaced as coach, but he also would lose all his roles within the Cablevision-owned organization.
"It's his ship to steer," Dolan said, "his ship to make go fast, his ship to crash. His ship."
There are few plans in sports worse than telling a GM that he has one year to succeed. It makes even less sense when the team is rebuilding and has young talent that probably needs time to learn the game. Did James Dolan not realize that this is pretty much the same thing that ruined the Knicks before? Scott Layden knew his time was up so he made a risky trade, giving up a lotto pick for the injured Antonio McDyess. It's moves like these that make GM's do insane go-for-broke moves like trading for Vin Baker. Do you really think that if the Knicks are struggling at the midseason point that Zeke won't mortgage the little future he has available to deal in order to get someone he hopes could help immediately?
While Dolan can fire Isiah after the season (although, I do think there is a good chance the Knicks could improve under Isiah), what are the odds that he actually hires a competent general manager? Zeke and Larry Brown may have been in the spotlight this season, but it was Dolan who put them on center stage. If Zeke fails, it will not only be a mark on his record but it also has to push Dolan to Donald Sterling levels in terms of poor ownership. On the bright side, John Nash has got to like his chance of landing another NBA job in a year. It would be nice having him around to keep the Knicks ship on the floor of the Atlantic.
