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Knicks need to do many things to right the ship

Shaun Powell

March 27, 2008

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Forget what you've heard about the man. There are thousands, if not millions, of people who want James Dolan for a boss.

Seriously, this is true. First of all, he pays well. No, actually, he pays obscenely. Just ask Jerome James, backup center, who hasn't played a meaningful minute in a Knicks uniform but does have multiple TVs in one of his luxury SUVs, thanks to Sugar Daddy Dolan's $6 million a year. Also, Dolan will keep you employed, no matter how much you screw up. Uh, do we really have enough space to list those names here? They know who they are. And you know who they are.

Finally, Dolan won't pace by your cubicle, or check what time you punched in, or worry about the length of your lunch break, because he's hardly around. When's the last time anyone heard from the guy?

But those aren't reasons why legions want to work for Dolan. They want to work under him because they want to advise him, tell him what he needs to hear and how to fix what's broke. Those millions of folks are Knicks fans and disgruntled armchair general managers, simmering by the phone, waiting for Dolan to call and offer the job. They want to be in Donnie Walsh's position.

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Walsh may be debating whether to accept the most challenging assignment in the NBA, but we all know what must be done to restore the Knicks, don't we? We all want to have Dolan's ear, which evidently has been closed all these years, and command of Dolan's checkbook, which is always open.

Well, here's some free advice for whomever Dolan hires to patch the Titanic.

The first task is the easiest: Fire Isiah Thomas. Now, understand this: It makes sense on one level to keep Isiah around as coach for another season. The Knicks aren't going anywhere anytime soon, and Isiah is under contract for three more years. Why bring in someone who will only struggle during a painful, frustrating rebuilding process? And if that person is Mark Jackson, who's never coached anywhere on any level, is this the right atmosphere for someone like him? Shouldn't he be the coach you hire next time, when the situation has stabilized and the team's ready to win?

But keeping Isiah around as an obvious lame duck will do nothing for morale or image. It's time for the Knicks to write another big check and cut their losses, something they lead the league in doing.

The next order is to dump as much dead weight as possible, but not at the risk of jeopardizing long-term growth. Under no circumstances should the Knicks sacrifice potential lottery picks in any deal, or bring back bad contracts in return. The Knicks need to go young and lean rather than old and bloated. If they adopted this plan four years ago, when Isiah took the job, they wouldn't be in this position. Instead, Isiah traded for Stephon Marbury and agreed to take Penny Hardaway's insane contract as part of the deal, and a deadly philosophy was born.

Next, they should stop all this nonsense about the danger of rebuilding in New York. Actually, New York basketball fans will buy a rebuilding plan that makes sense. They're not stupid. They know the difference between a team that's spinning its wheels and one with an eye toward winning a championship in three to five years. They know about grooming the right youngsters and adding the right role players and maintaining the right payroll, all of which are necessary in any solid blueprint. The Knicks need assets, either to keep for themselves or to trade. They don't have any. That's why they're terrible.

Finally, and this is where Dolan must sign off, the next general manager must work at rebuilding the public's trust. That's done with savvy public relations, good communication and by bringing in players with solid character and strong work ethic. After suffering mightily during the Isiah Era, the fans need to feel a drastic difference, even if they won't see it anytime soon on the floor. They need to get the impression the organization is remorseful and isn't taking the fans' faith for granted.

If Dolan were my boss, that's how I'd lay it out for him. The organization needs to change its mind-set, and by extension, so does he. The truth may hurt him, but can it really be more painful than what he's feeling right now?

That's assuming he cares.