Ten Things I’m Sick of…

Dwyane Wade finally got in Chuck’s “Fave 5″… Yesssss!!

1. David Lee – I know he’s white. I know he plays in New York. I know everyone else on the Knicks sucks. But enough already Knick fans, he’s not the next “Great White Hope”. He’s not untradeable. He’s just flat out not that good. So just stop telling me how great David Lee is. He’s a decent role player, nothing more. I’m sorry that he is the only bright spot in New York (actually, I’m not).
2. Hubie Brown – Hubie jumped the shark years ago when he traded his perm-fro for the Caesar dew. Nowadays, I can barely watch a game that Hubie is broadcasting. Even worse than his talking in different persons and tenses is his 100% agreement with the referees on every call. Maybe I’m just used to Tommy Heinsohn, but don’t insult my intelligence by defending clearly awful calls with bullshit explanations and then telling me it was an “easy call”. Why is Hubie Brown still around… where is Bill Walton these days? At least give me Tom Tolbert.
3. Dwyane Wade getting in Charles Barkley’s “Fave 5” – Enough already! Its not even a bad advertising campaign, but stop beating me over the head with this. I can’t even get T-Mobile service in my area and I live right outside Boston. D-Wade should just concentrate on helping the Heat reach the 15 win mark.
4. Lebron talking about being a Global Icon – Dude, just play basketball. Why don’t you win a championship first, then worry about being the first billionaire athlete. I don’t need to see you hosting the ESPYs (actually I didn’t) or talking to Jay-Z during games. Just play basketball, appear in basketball commercials and maybe host SNL if you really feel the need to force your non-basketball life on the public.
5. Carmelo Anthony not playing defense – ‘Melo just makes no effort at all on defense and if there is a worse defensive player in the league than Carmelo, I haven’t seen him. The Nuggets could be so good… but not until Anthony either starts giving much more effort or learns how to defend.
6. Jose Calderon – Sure, he has low turnovers and he did an unexpectedly great job filling in for TJ Ford, but Calderon is not an MVP candidate. I actually saw seemingly legitimate sources put Calderon on the All-Star team over Paul Pierce! His adjusted +/- is +0.3. Calderon is not a difference maker.
7. PER (Player Efficiency Rating) – With all apologies to John Hollinger, this is just a garbage statistic that means very little. Current players in the top 50 include: Carl Landry, Leon Powe and Amir Johnson. Adjusted plus/minus is a much better indicator of player performance. For those truly interested in basketball stats, steer clear of PER and check out the stats on these sites: 82Games and BasketballValue.
8. Joakim Noah – I just hate you, Joakim. Please go away.
9. Manu Ginobili flopping – Ginobili is having a outstanding year, playing at a near-MVP level. But the non-stop flopping and flailing makes it very difficult to like this guy. He must have grown up watching the diving Argentina national futbol team (aka the Argencheaters), but this is the US and fans here don’t appreciate it.
10. Terrible teams on nationally televised games – The NBA has an inflexible schedule they make before the season that they won’t change no matter what. For this reason, we have been subjected to the Miami Heat over and over again this season. Plus, we have six more national Heat games to go… they’re on pace to be the first NBA team ever to have a greater number of games on national TV than total wins for the season. On the plus side, the country gets to watch the 24-36 Bulls play three times over the next four nights. Sweet!

Isiah Thomas’ Top 10 Worst Moments on the Knicks

Another basketball season… more negative press for everyone’s least favorite former superstar, Isiah Thomas. If this offseason’s sexual harassment trial wasn’t enough, Zeke was all over the media again this week, his latest episode a public feud with PG Stephon Marbury. It’s absolutely astonishing that Thomas still has a job in the NBA at this point. This guy has to be the most incompetent GM in the history of professional sports, possibly in the history of all business.

Today, I am going to break down Isiah’s ten worst trades, signings, lawsuits, feuds, etc. over his almost four year reign of terror as GM of the Knicks. Since I don’t have all day, we will not be discussing his previous mistakes and failures, which include: the jealous “freezeout” of then-rookie Michael Jordan in 1985 all-star game; remarking that “If Larry Bird were black, he’d be just another good guy”; the classless walkoff after being swept in the 1991 Eastern Conference Finals; his ineptitude at both Toronto and Indiana; his running the CBA into bankruptcy causing the league to fold; and the embarrassment that was his short-lived career as an NBA broadcaster.

Anyway, on to the list…

10. Oct. 31, 2006 – Jalen Rose Waived

Isiah trades for a washed up Jalen Rose and his monster contract only to cut Rose eight months later to save a mere $3 million of Jalen’s $16.9 salary. Rose’s expiring contract would have been an attractive trade chip if Isiah just held onto him for three more months. Just a totally illogical sequence of events.

9. Oct. 4, 2005 – Eddy Curry Trade

Isiah trades for Eddy Curry, a one dimensional overweight player with a heart condition, and gives up 2006 first round pick and the right to switch picks in the loaded 2007 draft. Chicago ends up with the #2 pick in the 2006 draft and the #9 pick in 2007.

8. Jun. 23, 2006 – Larry Brown Fired

Hall of Fame head coach Brown reached rock bottom in New York under Isiah Thomas. In typical Isiah fashion, the Knicks disastrous season played out like a soap opera in the media, culminating in Brown’s firing. The Knicks, with the highest payroll in the history of the NBA, finished with 24 wins and the second worst record in the league.

7. Aug. 6, 2004 – Jamal Crawford Trade

Isiah trades four expiring contracts for Jamal Crawford and Jerome Williams. Crawford and Williams had a combined $81 million remaining on their contracts while the four expiring contracts provided the Bulls with over $18 million in cap relief.

6. Jan. 6, 2004 – Stephon Marbury/Penny Hardaway Trade

In what would set the tone for his tenure, Isiah trades Antonio McDyess, 2 first round picks, cash and some players (to make the trade work under the cap) to the Suns for Stephon Marbury, Penny Hardaway and their bloated contracts. Phoenix becomes the third team to trade Starbury and the third team to make a dramatic improvement in the year after he leaves the team. Of course, with Isiah in control, Starbury is still in NY and he is still an albatross around the neck of the Knicks organization.

5. Feb. 22, 2006 – Steve Francis Trade

Two years after trading for Penny Hardaway, Isiah decided to trade his (now valuable) expiring contract for another past his prime oft-injured guard with a HUGE contract in Steve Francis. Isiah takes on another bloated contract and provides major cap relief for another franchise, this time the Magic. Isiah’s laughable backcourt now includes three shoot-first PGs in Francis, Marbury and Nate Robinson, in addition to SG Jamal Crawford. At time of the trade, the Knicks had the following salaries on their books for 2006-2007: Allen Houston (retired): $20M, Marbury: $18M, Jalen Rose: $16M, Francis: $15M and Crawford: $7M. Wow, that is an expensive backcourt for 33 wins!

4. Dec. 16, 2006 – Knicks-Nuggets Brawl

What now seems forgotten about last seasons’ Nuggets-Knicks brawl that got numerous players suspended, including Carmelo Anthony for 15 games, is that Isiah Thomas threatened Anthony just prior to the fight. Isiah warned ‘Melo “not to go near the basket” right before Knick Mardy Collins clotheslined JR Smith, setting off the fight.

3. Jul. 14, 2005 – Jerome James Signs

After two weeks of spirited play in the 04-05 playoffs for Seattle, Jerome James signed a 5-year, $30 million contract with Isiah and the Knicks. James has averaged 3.0 points and 1.9 points over the past two years, respectively.

2. Oct. 2, 2007 – Anucha Browne Sanders Trial

A jury found that Isiah had sexually harassed Browne Sanders, “Subjecting her to unwanted advances and a barrage of verbal insults”. Due to Isiah’s inappropriate actions, the Knicks and owner James Dolan were forced to pay Browne-Sanders $11.6 million in damages. Anyone who followed the trial got a glimpse at just what kind of guy Isiah is. One minute he is professing his love for her and inappropriately touching her, the next he is calling her a ‘Bitch’ and a ‘Ho’ and threatening to start rumors of an affair if she doesn’t keep her mouth shut.

1. Jun. 23, 2006 – Hiring Himself as Coach

‘Nuff said.