Isiah Thomas Blames 'Smallball' for Eddy Curry's Regression

It's natural to expect Isiah Thomas to scramble any which way for excuses, especially during the All Star Break, when suddenly the daily game-to-game action slows down, everyone takes a deep breath, and suddenly starts really examining where teams stand heading into the "second half" of the season. And with that not-so-fun pressure vice closing in and the trading deadline glaring at an untradeable Knicks team ... well, don't act so shocked when you hear Eddy Curry land underneath the bus.

A year ago, Isiah Thomas thought Eddy Curry deserved to be an All-Star. A year later, as the NBA breaks for All-Star Weekend, Thomas suggested that Curry might already be a dinosaur.

'It is a slow phasing out of the big man is what's happening in this league,' Thomas said after he benched Curry for most of the second half in Wednesday's 111-103 loss to the Celtics in Boston. 'A lot of teams are playing really small and shooting the three-ball. And if you don't adjust and adjust quickly, you can find yourself down 12 to 15 points.'

Hmmmm. If this "phasing out" is so "slow", then why on Earth did Isiah trade for Zach Randolph heading into the season? And isn't it unreasonable to question a guy's quality of play when you're handing him nine minutes less playing time per game than last year? And why on Earth is Jerome James getting paid five million dollars? Those are mostly rhetorical (not really), but seriously, this just isn't believable.

First of all, dogging a guy publicly and unnecessarily is ... well, let's just say that "desperation is a stinky cologne." And more importantly, just because Isiah went out and got two "twin towers" that can't actually play defense and more adequately resemble the starting frontcourt for a a head-to-head points fantasy league (defense doesn't count) than any combo you'd want to see on an actual court doesn't mean he's allowed to tell us about historical NBA trends.

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

2-15-2008 @ 7:42AM

frank said...

knicks=sucks

2-15-2008 @ 7:46AM

Tha_Prowler said...

no shit frank..ur a real sherlock holmes over there. who's ur team biznitch ??

2-15-2008 @ 8:11AM

Here 1. Celtics 2.Hornets 3.Spurs 4.Cavs 5.Lakers

2-15-2008 @ 8:35AM

5 teams ?? i see ur a real diehard. figures. well i only have one ..NYK & i live n die w/ em thru thick & thin.

2-15-2008 @ 9:13AM

The knicks have the market ,location,finances,to put together the best team in the NBA today they do not lack of resources and fans that is for sure ; but to refuse ( research ) to dig down the best configuration of players ( and chemistry of such)puzzles me with patience and skills ( and scouting ) this can be accomplish ;
Look at the Spurs they got Duncan from St. Croix (Virgin Islands) and then Parker ( France) and then Manu Ginobili from Argentina ; Look at the trade from the Lakers acquiring Pau Gasol and by the way knicks let go of Bynum ,why???the Celtics putting together KG and Ray Allen and Posey and so on..?
What do the knicks do ? they give up Frye and get Randolph an average player with $$$$$ big contract or get curry with a big contract another average player as well ???? Now you tell me prowler who's to blame ?? if you do not put the pieces together it will not happen I can do a graph for you for free just because I do care, done.

2-15-2008 @ 9:33AM

Ryne Nelson said...

I think Isiah has this small ball situation completely opposite. Teams are valuing big men more with small ball's lack of playoff success. If Curry was any good, he'd be a very valuable piece for a successful team.

2-15-2008 @ 9:50AM

trust me frank rizzo i don't need u to explain the knicks' problems. i followed this team for more almost 2 decades. i won't even go w/ the regular nba fan who says isiah is the problem. REAL knicks fans know the problem is JIM DOLAN !!

and oh, what do u mean we gave up on andrew bynum. care to explain that one?? i'd luv to know.

2-15-2008 @ 10:29AM

Andrew Bynum was born in Plainsboro New Jersey in 1987 in high school he had some problems ( academics) he loved to play ball (he's got game)as soon as he finished H.S. he was drafted by the knicks but some one in the organization ( knicks)felt they were not going to baby- sit for this potential Star ( patient and dedication)I do not have an off info but the bottom line Bynum was traded to the Lakers and look him now.

2-15-2008 @ 12:39PM

Braves On The Warpath said...

Prowler says he nows about Tha Knicks, yet doesn't even know about Bynum. Nice.

2-15-2008 @ 1:19PM

black death said...

frank, As a long time celtics fan who suffered through the 2006-2007 season, and the draft lottery (rock bottom), I would like to invite you to STFU.

We don't want you, keep our name out yo mouf.

2-15-2008 @ 11:54PM

grover said...

Another question for Isiah...

If the league is moving toward small-ball, then as a GM, SHOULDN'T YOU FORESEE THIS?

Isn't that his damn job?

2-16-2008 @ 7:28AM

Hey black death you are entitled to your opinion so am I;
I got game and I go way back more then 20 years in fact watching the old Celtics Russell,( the best 11 rings) Bob C.( Celtics) and on the other hand Wilt ( Lakers) and the epic batles between them confirmed to me that this is the game that I love to play,watch and learn;
In reference to prowler (dye hard knicks fan)I watched Walt "Clyde" Frazier one of the best in my book in conjuction with Lucas,Earl the pearl,Willis R.,Bradley,De buschere,and many others excellent players( later Phil Jackson) beat the crap out Boston over and also over Jabbar and the big O. with the Bucks ; In fact this is the best team that the knicks ever assembled they played like no other with rhythm and class . So the game has been changing more then ever is International and I am aware of such so people like you( death and prowler) you are dhfof sht of Boston and Knicks respectivily you are full of crap I challenge you to put in paper who do you think the best 5 players in the NBA today and why ?? I can do that in fact in a graph ( scout) a complete team and why? No I am not in the Business of the game I just happen to LOVE the GAME and I am for real jerks!