WHAT?  Really?  No way!  Did anyone see this coming?

Okay, everyone saw this coming - it was just a matter of time before it happened.  While a 23-59 record certainly justifies Larry Brown being fired, should he be the only one to take the fall for this sad showing of basketball ineptitude?  Most New York Knicks fans (and I’m one) would tell you - Are you kidding?  No, the blame for the Knicks 2005-2006 performance, or lack of it, can be spread around all over the organization.

And if you ask me, it starts from the top on down.

Knicks owner James Dolan doesn’t really say much and isn’t as high profile of an owner as he could be.  I mean, he is in New York and could be as annoying/admired as Dallas Mavericks owner, Mark Cuban.  But, he basically sits back and let’s his underlings make the moves.  Hey, that’s fine, especially if you have zero basketball acumen and a ton of money to waste.  But, he needs to have his golden feet held to fire just as much as anyone because he makes the ultimate decisions, regardless of the fact that he just doesn’t know basketball.

Next up is the GM, Isaiah Thomas.  I loved the guy as a player as he was as competitive as they came.  Thomas’s competitiveness was on the level of Michael Jordan’s, who is widely held as the most “I want to beat you so bad, it hurts” basketball player ever to play the game.  However, while that competitiveness was matched with comparable skill and charisma for Thomas during his playing days, common sense and a sense of direction are obviously lacking in his general managing career.  Jerome James, anyone?  And did we really need another version of Stephon Marbury in Steve Francis?

Now the coach.  I will admit that Brown is partly to blame… he just can’t escape it.  He did not establish a rotation quick enough, putting a carosel of players out there on the floor from night-to-night. Granted, there were reasons for that, all of which cannot fall on Brown’s shoulders alone, but also his players.  Unfortunately, Brown did not truly connect with the players.  On top of being one of the best coaches ever to lead a team, he is also one of the great teachers of the game.  “Coaches coach” as the saying goes, followed by “Players play.”  Only, this season’s past Knicks squad did not play.  At least not for Brown.

Generally speaking, the players did not buy into Brown’s philosophy and teachings with the exceptions of Jamal Crawford, Channing Frye, and Quentin Richardson.  Unfortunately, those players did not dictate the vibe that was going on in the locker room.  That fell squarely on the shoulders of Marbury, the self-proclaimed best point guard in the league.  It’s been noted that Brown doesn’t always get along with his point guards at the beginning of his tenure with a team, but eventually, that animosity to whatever degree turns into love and respect for each other - ask Chauncey Billups and, more importantly, Allen Iverson. 

Why is it more important to ask AI? 

Because he and Marbury are similar - scoring point guards that can score and pass on the court and have a street-vibe to them off the court.  However, the difference is that Iverson is a winner, having taken his Sixers to an NBA Finals in 2001.  Thanks in part (and if you asked Iverson, in large part) to Larry Brown.  Who can forget Iverson winning the All-Star MVP during that year, ignoring the reporter who wanted to interview the newly christened MVP live for an international audience and Iverson asking for Larry Brown?  “Where is my coach at?”

If Marbury didn’t have a such an ego, maybe he could have been part of a team (yes, this is a team game) that went deep into the playoffs.  Instead, he’ll forever be known as a point guard that when he left a team after one season, that team instantly improved the following season.  The New Jersey Nets and the Phoenix Suns, in particular.

But, this isn’t about one player not being able to coexist with his coach.  This is about a lack of communication from every direction in the Knicks hiearchy.  Nobody was hearing each other.  Or maybe they heard, but certainly, no one was listening.

Larry Brown is a championship coach.  He was paid like one last offseason and was unceremoniously dumped this offseason.  Ever since Thomas’ arrival to the Knicks, it all seems whimsical to me.  Soon after he came on board in December of 2003, Thomas fired Don Chaney and hired Lenny Wilkens as Chaney’s replacement.  The Knicks made the playoffs with an sub-.500 record (39-43) during that 2003-2004 season.  The following season, Wilkens resigned and the Knicks made Herb Williams the interim coach.  Many felt that Williams should have been given a chance to come back for the 2005-2006 season with the “interim” tag taken off as he coached well given all of the factors involved.  But, Deep Pockets Dolan threw a ton of cash at Larry Brown and Brown took it.  I’m sure money was a main factor, but Brown had his “dream job” and he sincerely wanted to succeed with his hometown Knicks.

Obviously, it didn’t happen.

Now Thomas will pull double-duty and become the head coach of this sad sack of a team.  Finally, he will be held accountable.  Thomas put the team together, now let’s see if he can coach them.  If he pulls something from his bag of tricks and succeeds, I’ll give him all the credit in the world for doing so.  But, in all likelihood, Thomas won’t succeed.  Ever since he took off a Pistons uniform, Thomas never has.

As for Brown, don’t feel bad for him.  There’s always a team looking for a championship caliber coach and are ready to show him the money.  But, this time, I’m sure Brown will be more meticulous in researching the personnel and organization as a whole, not letting something like money or a “dream” sway him.

As he now knows, it can all turn into a nightmare.