Will Knicks own Nets tonight?
Monday, March 24, 2008
BY DAVID WALDSTEIN
Star-Ledger Staff
The Knicks have only 19 victories this year, the fourth-lowest figure in the league, which is among the litany of reasons the team appears to be looking for a replacement for Isiah Thomas.
But almost one-sixth of the Knicks victories have come against one team -- the Nets, which is not something the Nets can be very happy about, especially because they used to enjoy such dominance over the Knicks during the Jason Kidd era.
The Nets, in fact, are the only team to lose to the Knicks three times this year, a season in which the Knicks have managed two victories against only four other teams -- Chicago, Milwaukee, Washington and Miami.
The cross-river rivals, each with distinctive problems, will play for the fourth time tonight at Madison Square Garden. But, this time, as the Nets try to secure the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference, the Knicks are firmly in tank mode, having lost their last four games and 11 of 12 as they seek a top lottery pick.
A healthy Zach Randolph didn't even play the last two games. But should he play tonight, it would only illustrate how much the Knicks would like to punish the Nets for all the misery they have caused them in recent years.
Imagine the Nets going 0-4 against this Knicks team?
While the Nets are desperate for a victory, the Knicks are clearly looking toward the draft and next year. The big question, of course, is who will be making the pick for the Knicks.
Thomas keeps talking as if he will be back, despite the fact the Knicks have reached out to Pacers CEO Donnie Walsh. The Daily News has reported, however, that Walsh is almost certainly going back to Indiana.
Pacers owner Herb Simon has said he will conduct a thorough review of the entire organization and that began on Friday when he met with Walsh, who has been with the Pacers since 1984.
It is not expected that Simon will keep both Walsh and team president Larry Bird. Some think Walsh will be retained; others think it will be Bird, who has two years and $10 million left on his contract.
What is not readily known to anyone but Knicks owner James Dolan -- and maybe his closest advisors -- is whether Walsh is even his top candidate, or even whether he (Dolan) definitely plans to replace Thomas. The owner hasn't spoken publicly on the matter in over a year.
Despite no public statement of support from his bosses, Thomas recently said he wasn't pessimistic about his future.
"I'm comfortable with the position I'm in," he said.