There is a lot of Pacers stuff from back when isiah coached the Pacers
http://www.nypost.com/php/pfriendly/...ter_vecsey.htm
GRUNWALD HIRING CHANGE FOR ISIAH
By PETER VECSEY
October 6, 2006 -- ALOT was said and written about Isiah Thomas' generally well received recruitment of Glen Grunwald to help run the Knicks' front office so El Presidente can fixate on working to resuscitate the franchise, rescue what remains of his reputation, and save his supervisory career from vanishing into oblivion.
Their trusty relationship goes back to Indiana University's '81 championship season, a working reunion that was renewed when Thomas hired Grunwald, his eventual successor (shades of things to come in New York), as a Toronto junior executive.
Though it makes perfect sense to reconnect with someone who shares so much history and conformity when picking coaches, players and an administrative support system, Grunwald's appointment, nonetheless, is an unadorned deviation for Thomas.
Normally (not a descriptive word typically used in the same sentence with Isiah), he only hires (Butch Carter), re-hires (Brendan Suhr) or reacquires (Jalen Rose) former teammates out to undermine him (Raptors), ex-associates who've deserted him (Pacers), or traded players (Rose) whose integrity he assassinated before and after being dealt to the Bulls.
Doctors maintain experimental medication had to be used to snap me out of stunned disbelief late last January when it first surfaced Thomas was contemplating re-joining forces with Rose, whom he now indicates will finish a season weeks away from even being launched.
A decision-maker and a once-accused insurgent, coupled on the same endangered list, make strange bedfellows.
Not so very long ago ('00-'01), Thomas desperately needed Rose's complete endorsement before the Simon Brothers and Donnie Walsh would approve his signing a three-year Pacers coaching deal. Rose had just re-signed a maximum contract that ends ($16,901,500), fascinatingly, at the conclusion of this season - so, obviously, he possessed gobs of sway with ownership and Indy's CEO.
Less than 11/2 years later, Thomas was badgering Walsh to deport his benefactor. In his experienced view, Rose was "not a basketball player, not a point, not a three, strictly a scorer," meaning he should exclusively play two-guard.
That was his positive outlook. Thomas had far harsher things to say about Rose, who'd been told to defer offensively to Jermaine O'Neal and Al Harrington.
When those marching orders weren't followed, Thomas accused Rose of damaging the team in practice by not competing and sabotaging it in games by passing to teammates out of position or with time winding down on the 24-second clock, or not passing to them when they were in their sweet spots.
Things got so ugly, at least from Thomas' vantage point, he covertly charged Rose with losing on purpose. The demand for a trade became deafeningly adamant. Finally, on Feb. 29, 2002, Walsh relented, having found a willing taker in Chicago, going through its own problems with Ron Artest. Rose, Travis Best, Nolan Richardson and a contingent No. 2 pick were exchanged for Tru Warier, Brad Miller, Ron Mercer and Kevin Ollie.
Artest and Mercer (along with numerous others) quickly fell out of disfavor. The following season, Thomas petitioned Walsh to leave off the aforementioned two from the Pacers playoff roster.
Four years later, much to my shock and dread, Thomas imported Rose to New York - expecting him to man a position he insisted Rose was incapable of playing - on an expressively unstable and skillfully unbalanced team, for a coach who detested him to such a degree the one year they were together in Indiana that Brown once tried to pick a fight with Rose during a time out.
It was obvious Thomas hoped to provoke Brown into conduct unbecoming a Hall of Famer, especially after Isiah notified Larry he had no intention of trading Rose during the offseason, as initially promised.
Who says Thomas isn't competent enough to formulate an effective plan? Particularly now that Thomas is back collaborating with his old playmate and business buddy; bringing us full segue to Grunwald, who couldn't be more in tune with his boss. Both get infatuated with mediocre talent and habitually squander fortunes on it.
Guess who obscenely overpaid Antonio Davis, Alvin Williams and Jerome Williams, reasoning their long-term re-signings would elevate the Raptors and appease Vince Carter?
Guess whom the Knicks still owe $6.425M this season and $7.050M for '07-'08? That's right, Junk Yard Dog. Isn't that illuminating! Grunwald signs him and Thomas renounces him (the team's lone luxury-tax exemption) three years before his contract is up.
Here's another interesting morsel that might've been erased from your memory bank: Grunwald and Thomas have something else in common; both employed Lenny Wilkens long after the rest of the NBA comprehended he was obsolete, and terminated him long before his $5M per-year agreements had been fulfilled.
http://www.nypost.com/php/pfriendly/...ter_vecsey.htm
GRUNWALD HIRING CHANGE FOR ISIAH
By PETER VECSEY
October 6, 2006 -- ALOT was said and written about Isiah Thomas' generally well received recruitment of Glen Grunwald to help run the Knicks' front office so El Presidente can fixate on working to resuscitate the franchise, rescue what remains of his reputation, and save his supervisory career from vanishing into oblivion.
Their trusty relationship goes back to Indiana University's '81 championship season, a working reunion that was renewed when Thomas hired Grunwald, his eventual successor (shades of things to come in New York), as a Toronto junior executive.
Though it makes perfect sense to reconnect with someone who shares so much history and conformity when picking coaches, players and an administrative support system, Grunwald's appointment, nonetheless, is an unadorned deviation for Thomas.
Normally (not a descriptive word typically used in the same sentence with Isiah), he only hires (Butch Carter), re-hires (Brendan Suhr) or reacquires (Jalen Rose) former teammates out to undermine him (Raptors), ex-associates who've deserted him (Pacers), or traded players (Rose) whose integrity he assassinated before and after being dealt to the Bulls.
Doctors maintain experimental medication had to be used to snap me out of stunned disbelief late last January when it first surfaced Thomas was contemplating re-joining forces with Rose, whom he now indicates will finish a season weeks away from even being launched.
A decision-maker and a once-accused insurgent, coupled on the same endangered list, make strange bedfellows.
Not so very long ago ('00-'01), Thomas desperately needed Rose's complete endorsement before the Simon Brothers and Donnie Walsh would approve his signing a three-year Pacers coaching deal. Rose had just re-signed a maximum contract that ends ($16,901,500), fascinatingly, at the conclusion of this season - so, obviously, he possessed gobs of sway with ownership and Indy's CEO.
Less than 11/2 years later, Thomas was badgering Walsh to deport his benefactor. In his experienced view, Rose was "not a basketball player, not a point, not a three, strictly a scorer," meaning he should exclusively play two-guard.
That was his positive outlook. Thomas had far harsher things to say about Rose, who'd been told to defer offensively to Jermaine O'Neal and Al Harrington.
When those marching orders weren't followed, Thomas accused Rose of damaging the team in practice by not competing and sabotaging it in games by passing to teammates out of position or with time winding down on the 24-second clock, or not passing to them when they were in their sweet spots.
Things got so ugly, at least from Thomas' vantage point, he covertly charged Rose with losing on purpose. The demand for a trade became deafeningly adamant. Finally, on Feb. 29, 2002, Walsh relented, having found a willing taker in Chicago, going through its own problems with Ron Artest. Rose, Travis Best, Nolan Richardson and a contingent No. 2 pick were exchanged for Tru Warier, Brad Miller, Ron Mercer and Kevin Ollie.
Artest and Mercer (along with numerous others) quickly fell out of disfavor. The following season, Thomas petitioned Walsh to leave off the aforementioned two from the Pacers playoff roster.
Four years later, much to my shock and dread, Thomas imported Rose to New York - expecting him to man a position he insisted Rose was incapable of playing - on an expressively unstable and skillfully unbalanced team, for a coach who detested him to such a degree the one year they were together in Indiana that Brown once tried to pick a fight with Rose during a time out.
It was obvious Thomas hoped to provoke Brown into conduct unbecoming a Hall of Famer, especially after Isiah notified Larry he had no intention of trading Rose during the offseason, as initially promised.
Who says Thomas isn't competent enough to formulate an effective plan? Particularly now that Thomas is back collaborating with his old playmate and business buddy; bringing us full segue to Grunwald, who couldn't be more in tune with his boss. Both get infatuated with mediocre talent and habitually squander fortunes on it.
Guess who obscenely overpaid Antonio Davis, Alvin Williams and Jerome Williams, reasoning their long-term re-signings would elevate the Raptors and appease Vince Carter?
Guess whom the Knicks still owe $6.425M this season and $7.050M for '07-'08? That's right, Junk Yard Dog. Isn't that illuminating! Grunwald signs him and Thomas renounces him (the team's lone luxury-tax exemption) three years before his contract is up.
Here's another interesting morsel that might've been erased from your memory bank: Grunwald and Thomas have something else in common; both employed Lenny Wilkens long after the rest of the NBA comprehended he was obsolete, and terminated him long before his $5M per-year agreements had been fulfilled.
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