Much-needed change on the horizon for Knicks

If you are a New York Knicks fan, the past several seasons have been a stagger through the NBA wilderness with no shortage of potential embarrassments. Pity the poor Manhattan college student in another state, trying to defend his team’s honor against a list of transgressions that has been long and ridiculous.

Start with the humiliating courtroom loss in the sexual harassment trial and subsequent large settlement paid by the organization, because of the bad behavior by coach/president/spendthrift Isiah Thomas and management indifference by James Dolan. That’s bad but not enough to overcome good play on the floor.

Trouble is, there hasn’t been any of that. The Knicks have stunk, often spectacularly, for several years. Thomas has not only been a menace to the club’s female employees; he has proven to be unbelievably inept at assembling a winning team. Further, he has shown little ability to translate the talent he has accrued into a cohesive unit as coach. One might deem that latter charge impossible, given the selfish nature of his roster, but his coaching acumen is decidedly lacking. If it weren’t for the Heat’s obvious tank job (Paging Mr. Riley), the Knicks would have the worst record in the Eastern Conference. As it is, their 19 wins are hardly reason for slaps on the back.

But good news is on the horizon, or at least change is. Dolan is speaking with quasi-retired Pacers CEO Donnie Walsh about wresting away the team’s presidency from Thomas. Other names have been mentioned, including former Lakers/Grizzlies GM Jerry West, Kiki Vandeweghe, late of the Nuggets, former Suns prez Jerry Colangelo and Red Auerbach (just kidding).

Dolan is sending a simple message to Thomas: your time is up. Even if Thomas remains as coach under a new regime, he isn’t going to stick around for too long. It’s a perfect plan, really. Dolan gets to jettison the man who has made his franchise a laughingstock – okay, with help from the new Big Boss himself – without doing the actual hatchet job himself. Whether Walsh, Vandeweghe, Colangelo or Dr. James Naismith is running the show, each will likely want to have his own man on the bench. It’s hard to imagine any scenario in which Thomas survives under any of those men, especially Walsh, who already had a distasteful experience with Thomas in Indy.

That Dolan finally understands the need for a change is a big step, since he has stubbornly remained tethered to Thomas throughout the franchise’s demise. And once the verdict came down on the harassment suit, Dolan was tied even tighter to his man, thanks to the organization’s decision to stand strong against the accusations. To cut Thomas loose would have been an admission of guilt, since Dolan would be impugning himself by firing his ally. Now, however, the penalty has been determined, and Dolan can move ahead. If he cans Thomas now, he can point to legitimate basketball concerns, not some sort of malfeasance.

Whoever inherits the job of running the Knicks will have plenty of work to do, thanks to some of the ugliest contracts around. New York will owe porcine point guard Stephon Marbury a shade under $22 million next year. Zach Randolph gets $48 mil over the next three, while Eddy Curry gets $31.5 over the same period. Other hideous “highlights” include $19.4 owed to Jamal Crawford over the next two seasons and a $9.35 million charge for Quentin Richardson next year. Oh, and don’t forget the $21.3 that goes to Jared Jeffries over the next three seasons. There are some player and team options in there, but you get the picture. And you thought your team had problems.

If the next Knicks president can somehow make a contender out of that mess, he will deserve far more than the league’s Executive of the Year award. Send him directly to Oslo for some Nobel love.

In other words, don’t expect some sort of Boston-style renaissance in MSG in the next season or so. But it’s important to take small steps first. If Dolan does hire somebody – anybody – else to run the team, it marks an opening gambit in the quest to make the Knicks relevant again. It will be then up to that newcomer to decide what should be done with Thomas. Should he lack for ideas, there are plenty of season-ticket holders willing to offer some suggestions. Once freed of Thomas’ crushing influence, the Knicks can start moving forward. There won’t be overnight success, but a relatively quick transition is possible, provided the new man in charge can find some saps to take a few gruesome contracts off his hands.

The wheels of progress have begun to turn in New York, but with the machine mired in gooey slog, there can’t be any expectation of a quick escape. For the first time, though, there is some hope.

GAMES OF THE WEEK:

Talk about your gauntlets. The Celtics began this week with a win over San Antonio but still must play road games against scorching Houston (Tuesday), Dallas (Thursday) and New Orleans (Saturday). If Boston even goes 3-1 during that stretch, it would be remarkable. Post a 4-0 mark, and the Celts will convince more people that they are truly the team to beat in the NBA.

IN THE PAINT:

Sixers GM Ed Stefanski says the team has no special plans for Allen Iverson’s Wednesday return to Philadelphia, so don’t expect any video tributes, fireworks, schmaltzy speeches or histrionic introductions. Iverson will get his love after he retires, not in the wake of last year’s acrimonious break-up.

With about 15 games remaining, the race for the final playoff spot in the East is getting interesting. Atlanta and Jersey are tied, with Chicago 1 ½ games back, and Indiana 1 ½ behind the Bulls. The pick here is the Nets.

Now, about the Lakers’ quest for world domination. Pau Gasol’s sprained ankle could keep him out 2-3 weeks, which means both he and Andrew Bynum (knee) will be trying to work their way back into shape right before the playoffs start. That’s no way to begin the tough navigation of Western waters.

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