Isiah: College Coach AND Consultant for NY Knicks

[BD80]

I saw this article about the Knicks hiring Isiah Thomas as a consultant:

http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news?slug=ap-knicks-thomas

I didn't see anything about him resigning as coach at FIU.

He hasn't:

http://hangtime.blogs.nba.com/2010/08/06/nba-looking-into-isiah-ny-deal/

For some reason, it is the NBA investigating instead of the NCAA!

[johnb]

Having endured longstanding Knick ineptitude, I find it amazing that they have apparently rehired Thomas, who has shown himself to be a dud professionally and an embarrassment personally. And the fact that he would take a side job--presumably to woo more free agents to New york--while he has a coaching job in Florida, strikes me as sorta pathetic all round. I just hope that they are paying Thomas to be window dressing and that they don't use him to judge talent.

[El_Diablo]

I just hope that they are paying Thomas to be window dressing and that they don't use him to judge talent.

I'm not too sure about his ability to motivate his players or keep them under control, act professionally, or win ball games. But he's a pretty good judge of talent.

[Brian913]

I'm not too sure about his ability to motivate his players or keep them under control, act professionally, or win ball games. But he's a pretty good judge of talent.

You are joking aren't you? The guy who gave away the franchise to get Jerome James, Stephon Marbury, Eddy Curry?

[El_Diablo]

You are joking aren't you? The guy who gave away the franchise to get Jerome James, Stephon Marbury, Eddy Curry?

Yep, the guy who drafted Damon Stoudamire (Rookie of the Year), Marcus Camby, and Tracy McGrady in Toronto. The guy who drafted Ariza in the middle of the second round. The guy who drafted David Lee with the #30 pick and who has found other various contributors who were undervalued on draft day (like Wilson Chandler with the #23 pick, who has averaged 15 and 5 for the last two years). Those are some solid moves.

Regarding your other examples, you also have to consider that the franchise was already doomed in the short term when he took over. So while he made some questionable moves, he wasn't exactly dealt a strong hand to begin with so he didn't really "give away" the franchise. Jerome James was actually pretty talented...but he showed up to NY out of shape after signing as a free agent. He never really played to his potential (which may be more due to poor attitude or motivation rather than actual talent). Regardless, he earned less than $6 million per year on that deal--hardly a bank-breaker. Marbury was acquired for Charlie Ward, Howard Eisley, and an injured McDyess. Talent-wise, I don't think you can really argue that Thomas made the right call on that, but that experiment absolutely imploded for reasons other than Marbury's talent level. Same with Curry--a talented player who also lacked motivation and somehow showed up every season out of shape. Acquiring Curry for Mike Sweetney, Tim Thomas, and Jermaine Jackson may have turned out badly in the long run, but it wasn't because Isiah couldn't figure out who was more talented at the time. He clearly failed in making the pieces fit though.

Again, I feel Isiah may have been a disaster in other areas of coaching and management, but he has a relatively good eye for identifying talent. And I think his draft-day decisions support that hypothesis more than his inability to coach undermines it.

[smvalkyries]

Whatever talents Isaih has in identifying raw talent he more than obviscates by his inabilility to recognize any intabgible including desire, work ethic, character, unselfishness or the ability to win or even to want to win. Hope he never "consults" for Duke or the US National team.
On second thought Isaih is just following in the exalted tradition of Marcia Clark and Oliver Darden and countless others who recently have been excessively rewarded for jobs very poorly done. I congratulate him on that accomplishment.

[weezie]

Always mixed emotions towards Isiah for me, as a Detroiter. Playing on that broken ankle
during the NBA playoffs, one of the old school guys, one of the few to stand up to Knight and triumph....hhhhmmm. Balance that against the megalomania, the sexual arrogance and stupidity, the moronic treatment of his first wife, all so revolting. Geez, what a sad case he is.

But the headline of the NY Post, "Are they KNUTS?!?" was pretty good.

[theAlaskanBear]

Isiah has photos of James Dolan in his skivvies?
Or maybe its Donnie Walsh in a compromising position?

Really thats all that makes sense.

[El_Diablo]

Isiah has photos of James Dolan in his skivvies?
Or maybe its Donnie Walsh in a compromising position?

Really thats all that makes sense.

Yeah, I still don't understand the decision to bring him back in any capacity. There are other people out there who can deliver a similar product but without the mountain of baggage.

Anyway, I wonder how the NCAA feels about this...

[-jk]

Doesn't Pat Summit consult for a wnba team? I think there's precedent.

-jk

[JBDuke]

Doesn't Pat Summit consult for a wnba team? I think there's precedent.

-jk

She used to consult for the Washington Mystics, but that relationship was ended just a couple of years after it began.