I debated whether this needed its own thread - I realize there are 4 or 5 threads discussing Rick and his coaching. Maybe I'm just trying to convince some of you that Rick is gone - I don't know why so many of you are slow to believe that.
If you believe Vescey it looks as though we'll lose out on both Sam Mitchell and Marc Iavoroni
http://www.nypost.com/php/pfriendly/...ter_vecsey.htm
Sources tell me Sam Mitchell may decide to leave Toronto when his contract expires at season's end and sign on with the Bobcats. He was briefly a Charlotte assistant under Bernie Bickerstaff, leaving when the Raptors' head coaching job was offered. Now I'm told Mitchell is the leading candidate to replace Bickerstaff, on tap to become Michael Jordan's front office consigliore. Should that transfer occur it's all but certain Bryan Colangelo would deputize Suns assistant Mark Iavaroni to run the Raptors sidelines.
There figures to be a whirl of coaching changes once the season ends for certain. Despite getting an extension last summer Rick Carlisle is the prohibitive co-favorite to be fired by the Pacers along with the Kings' Eric Musselman. Tony Barone, filling in for the long-departed Mike Fratello, also will be replaced. Logic dictates (granted, it's an uneven scale) Bob Hill, Mike Woodson, Brian Hill, Doc Rivers and Lawrence Frank also are in job jeopardy. And then, of course, Pat Riley can be here today and gone later today.
Next to Iavaroni the most prominently mentioned potential reinforcement (other than assistant Eric Spoelstra being in line to succeed Riley) is Mark Jackson. Del Harris, Lionel Hollins, Jim Boylan, Terry Porter, Brian Shaw, Scott Brooks and Mario Elie are other names I'm hearing as candidates.
__________________________________________________ ______
OK, here is the whole column
ISIAH'S Q-RATING
By PETER VECSEY
April 1, 2007 -- IT'S Isiah Thomas' con tention the Knicks knew Quentin Richardson would need surgery some day for a herniated disc when they acquired him prior to last season from the Suns (along with a No. 1 pick; Nate Robinson) for Kurt Thomas?
Considering Richardson's then $40 million, five-year guarantee was uninsurable relating to that specific problem, why would Thomas admit to taking such a radical risk "knowing" James Dolan would be locked into picking up the whole tab as well as medical expenses?
Gambling on Eddy Curry's fluttering heart is hopelessness I appreciated and, in fact, endorsed. Teams (excluding the Bulls, obviously) are liable to go to almost any extent nowadays to win a custody battle for a low docks dominatrix.
Taking a chance on Stephon Marbury's aching ankles - which supposedly didn't allow him to practice in Phoenix - was another desperate measure I understood and supported; at the time, more than anything, the team needed a shot of courage.
But I'm having trouble grasping Thomas' claim he knew all along Richardson had a back so bummed, in due course, he'd need surgery. If Q's off-shore drilling, rebounding and defense are that desirable, why were the Suns so eager to flush those indispensable skills out of a Mike D'Antoni's made-to-order system?
Was Kurt Thomas really that insufferable, or was Isiah Thomas that nervous about his threat to maim Marbury?
Evidently, the False Prophet's credo is this: Say whatever you want about me, but don't dare suggest anyone can put something over on me. Evidently, he prefers to be ridiculed for recklessly dipping into Cablevision's slush fund than being portrayed as ignorant pertaining to the health of his players.
The question is, if Isiah was positive Richardson was going to require back surgery why didn't his staff of doctors recommend it last week, or two weeks or last summer?
With all due disrespect to the team doctors, who, by the way, are paid by the team - thus a player's interest comes a distant second - from what I've read, seems as if the first person to recognize the seriousness of Q's affliction was the Miami physician who immediately ordered him under the knife.
Then again, what do I know about injured Knicks-other than that David Lee is feeling frisky again and plans to give it another try Wednesday at home against the 76ers - from where I'm second guessing, I'm in no position to quibble.
So, it's settled. Isiah Thomas knows everything about everything! No one can pull the Woolridge over Buffalo Bob Smith's eyes, no siree!
*
How great is that, a human leg washing up on Dolan's Long Island estate! In keeping with team policy, he immediately signed it to a long-term, no-medical-questions max contract.
Based on how much better shape it was in compared with the previous severed leg that rolled in with the tide, Isiah was given another extension. In light of the Knicks' multitude of ailments, Isiah has petitioned the league for a trade exemption and is offering the leg, an amputated arm and the team's first rounder in '08 for an overpaid shoot-first pointless guard.
In typical Cablevision fashion, the leg was scheduled to be on the shoreline between 7 a.m. and 4 p.m. Tuesday, reports column contributor Gregg Siegel. "But it didn't show up until the next day when nobody was home."
*
Sources tell me Sam Mitchell may decide to leave Toronto when his contract expires at season's end and sign on with the Bobcats. He was briefly a Charlotte assistant under Bernie Bickerstaff, leaving when the Raptors' head coaching job was offered. Now I'm told Mitchell is the leading candidate to replace Bickerstaff, on tap to become Michael Jordan's front office consigliore. Should that transfer occur it's all but certain Bryan Colangelo would deputize Suns assistant Mark Iavaroni to run the Raptors sidelines.
There figures to be a whirl of coaching changes once the season ends for certain. Despite getting an extension last summer Rick Carlisle is the prohibitive co-favorite to be fired by the Pacers along with the Kings' Eric Musselman. Tony Barone, filling in for the long-departed Mike Fratello, also will be replaced. Logic dictates (granted, it's an uneven scale) Bob Hill, Mike Woodson, Brian Hill, Doc Rivers and Lawrence Frank also are in job jeopardy. And then, of course, Pat Riley can be here today and gone later today.
Next to Iavaroni the most prominently mentioned potential reinforcement (other than assistant Eric Spoelstra being in line to succeed Riley) is Mark Jackson. Del Harris, Lionel Hollins, Jim Boylan, Terry Porter, Brian Shaw, Scott Brooks and Mario Elie are other names I'm hearing as candidates.
*
Having gone global - and looking to go inter-galactic next, no doubt - launched a women's professional league, established a minor league, instituted a pre-draft camp and pioneered seminars for incoming rookies and mentoring program for active players, is there anything left for David Stern's NBA to organize?
I'm glad I asked.
Two weeks ago, the league inaugurated its first discussion group for prospective coaches? Employing Doug Collins and Kevin O'Neill as voices of experience, 14 former players met in New York for a couple days under the auspices of Brandon Williams, already in charge of the league's community and player programs.
It's a multi-dimensional inspiration. Some of the points accentuated by Collins and O'Neill were how to prepare for job interviews (articulate what you have to offer concisely and zealously) and present themselves, critiquing Xs & Os, a practice plan and a walk-through.
Phase Two is hands-on. The Portsmouth Invitational runs April 4-7. Eight participants from the above seminar - Sean Rooks, Duane Causwell, Paul "Snoop" Graham, Chris Smith, Ira Bowen, Stephon Johnson, Greg Minor and Marques Liberty - will coach a team. The remaining six - Tony Campbell, Jay Humphries, Greg Graham, Terry Mills, Jeff Grayer, Eric Murdock - will coach a team in Orlando's pre-draft camp, May 28-June 4.
This just in: Patrick Ewing, in Atlanta to embrace his Hoyas and his son, found time to lobby hearty for the reopening of the Gold Club.
http://www.nypost.com/php/pfriendly/...ter_vecsey.htm
If you believe Vescey it looks as though we'll lose out on both Sam Mitchell and Marc Iavoroni
http://www.nypost.com/php/pfriendly/...ter_vecsey.htm
Sources tell me Sam Mitchell may decide to leave Toronto when his contract expires at season's end and sign on with the Bobcats. He was briefly a Charlotte assistant under Bernie Bickerstaff, leaving when the Raptors' head coaching job was offered. Now I'm told Mitchell is the leading candidate to replace Bickerstaff, on tap to become Michael Jordan's front office consigliore. Should that transfer occur it's all but certain Bryan Colangelo would deputize Suns assistant Mark Iavaroni to run the Raptors sidelines.
There figures to be a whirl of coaching changes once the season ends for certain. Despite getting an extension last summer Rick Carlisle is the prohibitive co-favorite to be fired by the Pacers along with the Kings' Eric Musselman. Tony Barone, filling in for the long-departed Mike Fratello, also will be replaced. Logic dictates (granted, it's an uneven scale) Bob Hill, Mike Woodson, Brian Hill, Doc Rivers and Lawrence Frank also are in job jeopardy. And then, of course, Pat Riley can be here today and gone later today.
Next to Iavaroni the most prominently mentioned potential reinforcement (other than assistant Eric Spoelstra being in line to succeed Riley) is Mark Jackson. Del Harris, Lionel Hollins, Jim Boylan, Terry Porter, Brian Shaw, Scott Brooks and Mario Elie are other names I'm hearing as candidates.
__________________________________________________ ______
OK, here is the whole column
ISIAH'S Q-RATING
By PETER VECSEY
April 1, 2007 -- IT'S Isiah Thomas' con tention the Knicks knew Quentin Richardson would need surgery some day for a herniated disc when they acquired him prior to last season from the Suns (along with a No. 1 pick; Nate Robinson) for Kurt Thomas?
Considering Richardson's then $40 million, five-year guarantee was uninsurable relating to that specific problem, why would Thomas admit to taking such a radical risk "knowing" James Dolan would be locked into picking up the whole tab as well as medical expenses?
Gambling on Eddy Curry's fluttering heart is hopelessness I appreciated and, in fact, endorsed. Teams (excluding the Bulls, obviously) are liable to go to almost any extent nowadays to win a custody battle for a low docks dominatrix.
Taking a chance on Stephon Marbury's aching ankles - which supposedly didn't allow him to practice in Phoenix - was another desperate measure I understood and supported; at the time, more than anything, the team needed a shot of courage.
But I'm having trouble grasping Thomas' claim he knew all along Richardson had a back so bummed, in due course, he'd need surgery. If Q's off-shore drilling, rebounding and defense are that desirable, why were the Suns so eager to flush those indispensable skills out of a Mike D'Antoni's made-to-order system?
Was Kurt Thomas really that insufferable, or was Isiah Thomas that nervous about his threat to maim Marbury?
Evidently, the False Prophet's credo is this: Say whatever you want about me, but don't dare suggest anyone can put something over on me. Evidently, he prefers to be ridiculed for recklessly dipping into Cablevision's slush fund than being portrayed as ignorant pertaining to the health of his players.
The question is, if Isiah was positive Richardson was going to require back surgery why didn't his staff of doctors recommend it last week, or two weeks or last summer?
With all due disrespect to the team doctors, who, by the way, are paid by the team - thus a player's interest comes a distant second - from what I've read, seems as if the first person to recognize the seriousness of Q's affliction was the Miami physician who immediately ordered him under the knife.
Then again, what do I know about injured Knicks-other than that David Lee is feeling frisky again and plans to give it another try Wednesday at home against the 76ers - from where I'm second guessing, I'm in no position to quibble.
So, it's settled. Isiah Thomas knows everything about everything! No one can pull the Woolridge over Buffalo Bob Smith's eyes, no siree!
*
How great is that, a human leg washing up on Dolan's Long Island estate! In keeping with team policy, he immediately signed it to a long-term, no-medical-questions max contract.
Based on how much better shape it was in compared with the previous severed leg that rolled in with the tide, Isiah was given another extension. In light of the Knicks' multitude of ailments, Isiah has petitioned the league for a trade exemption and is offering the leg, an amputated arm and the team's first rounder in '08 for an overpaid shoot-first pointless guard.
In typical Cablevision fashion, the leg was scheduled to be on the shoreline between 7 a.m. and 4 p.m. Tuesday, reports column contributor Gregg Siegel. "But it didn't show up until the next day when nobody was home."
*
Sources tell me Sam Mitchell may decide to leave Toronto when his contract expires at season's end and sign on with the Bobcats. He was briefly a Charlotte assistant under Bernie Bickerstaff, leaving when the Raptors' head coaching job was offered. Now I'm told Mitchell is the leading candidate to replace Bickerstaff, on tap to become Michael Jordan's front office consigliore. Should that transfer occur it's all but certain Bryan Colangelo would deputize Suns assistant Mark Iavaroni to run the Raptors sidelines.
There figures to be a whirl of coaching changes once the season ends for certain. Despite getting an extension last summer Rick Carlisle is the prohibitive co-favorite to be fired by the Pacers along with the Kings' Eric Musselman. Tony Barone, filling in for the long-departed Mike Fratello, also will be replaced. Logic dictates (granted, it's an uneven scale) Bob Hill, Mike Woodson, Brian Hill, Doc Rivers and Lawrence Frank also are in job jeopardy. And then, of course, Pat Riley can be here today and gone later today.
Next to Iavaroni the most prominently mentioned potential reinforcement (other than assistant Eric Spoelstra being in line to succeed Riley) is Mark Jackson. Del Harris, Lionel Hollins, Jim Boylan, Terry Porter, Brian Shaw, Scott Brooks and Mario Elie are other names I'm hearing as candidates.
*
Having gone global - and looking to go inter-galactic next, no doubt - launched a women's professional league, established a minor league, instituted a pre-draft camp and pioneered seminars for incoming rookies and mentoring program for active players, is there anything left for David Stern's NBA to organize?
I'm glad I asked.
Two weeks ago, the league inaugurated its first discussion group for prospective coaches? Employing Doug Collins and Kevin O'Neill as voices of experience, 14 former players met in New York for a couple days under the auspices of Brandon Williams, already in charge of the league's community and player programs.
It's a multi-dimensional inspiration. Some of the points accentuated by Collins and O'Neill were how to prepare for job interviews (articulate what you have to offer concisely and zealously) and present themselves, critiquing Xs & Os, a practice plan and a walk-through.
Phase Two is hands-on. The Portsmouth Invitational runs April 4-7. Eight participants from the above seminar - Sean Rooks, Duane Causwell, Paul "Snoop" Graham, Chris Smith, Ira Bowen, Stephon Johnson, Greg Minor and Marques Liberty - will coach a team. The remaining six - Tony Campbell, Jay Humphries, Greg Graham, Terry Mills, Jeff Grayer, Eric Murdock - will coach a team in Orlando's pre-draft camp, May 28-June 4.
This just in: Patrick Ewing, in Atlanta to embrace his Hoyas and his son, found time to lobby hearty for the reopening of the Gold Club.
http://www.nypost.com/php/pfriendly/...ter_vecsey.htm
Comment