This is Part 4 of an ongoing conversation between the Depressed Fan and Stop Mike Lupica.  Here are Part One, Part Two, and Part Three.

First off, let's get to some of Depressed Fan's comments on Isiah, which were kinda surprising to read.  When asked to name his chief complaints against Zeke's tenure as GM of the Knicks, he cited the failure to cut Allan Houston as Isiah's "worst move".  It appears Depressed Fan doesn't know alot of the backstory regarding the management of the Knicks in recent year, and has succumbed to the myths of the sports media.  Let me clarify a few things, if I may.

Knicks owner James Dolan is best friends with Mr. Houston.  His fondness for Allan is well known, and is so strong that, when giving the onetime opportunity by the NBA's new collective bargaining agreement to cut a player without having to pay luxury tax on him, he refused to cut Allan Houston despite the potential savings of 40 million dollars in luxury taxes.  Despite the fact that Allan Houston would not play again (for the record, he is still on the cap this season, which again goes back to the Layden era).  This is also the reason Allan Houston is the one Knick player that Isiah inherited from the Layden era that survived his first 18 months in charge; every other player was traded or cut.  And, just to emphasize the paucity of talent that Layden left behind, not a single one of those players, traded or released, is really missed.  That list included players who are out of the NBA totally just three years later (Shannon Anderson, Howard Eisley, Keith Van Horn, Charlie Ward, Clarence Weatherspoon), players not really very important/past their prime (Mutumbo, Sweetney, McDyess, Doleac, Kurt Thomas), and players who never amounted to anything (Maciej Lampe, Frank Williams, Slavko Vranes).  Check it out for yourselves.

I don't agree with calling Isiah a "horrible person" and "horrible executive" for giving Eddy Curry a chance to earn a living.  The horrible person accusasion may be true, but not because he's allowing Curry to play; Curry has a right to earn a living as an athlete, even if it effects his health.  We allow boxers to fight, despite the possibility of serious injury/death.  We allow football players to play, despite the possibility of a serious injury or permanent paralysis.  Eddy Curry should be afforded the same courtesy.  You can argue that paying a player who is uninsurable is a bad executive move (the Knicks have two of the rumored eight uninsurable player parts in the NBA - Curry's heart and Richardson's back), but rolling the dice is needed sometimes - ask the Orlando Magic about their uninsurable player part (Grant Hill's ankles).

Depressed Fan then had some very sound analysis on the youth on the Knicks.  I absolutely agree with description of Nate Robinson (shorter version of Marbury with less talent, and possibly with a worse attitude).  I think he was a little harsh on Frye - 15/7 might be his stats for this season, but he did average closer to 20 ppg last season when the Knicks ran alot of pick-and-rolls with Frye; this season they have moved away from that, partially because Frye has lost confidence in his jumper, partially because he's stopped taking it hard to the basket off the pick-and-roll, partially because Curry has been the focus down low, and partially because he just seems to be more interested in shooting further and further away from the hoop (like a SF or Rasheed Wallace).  He seems to have forgotten his bread and butter shot (the 10-18 footer).  

And the last bit of confusion: "Isiah's been rebuilding since he took over, and he still doesn't have the first building block."  Well, those young guys above aren't the building blocks; they are the supporting players - of that lot, only Frye is a starter.  The blocks are: Curry, who just turned 24, and hasn't reached his prime yet; gets better every year, averaging 19.4 ppg, and who garnered much All-Star consideration this season; Q-Rich (26 years old), and Crawford (also 26 years old).  So how do you say that the Knicks don't have any building blocks, Depressed Fan?!?

When asked about "who are the 76ers building around besides AI2", Depressed Fan answered Dalembert and Korver, "those are the three building blocks they have right now".  Dalembert is older than Curry (by a year), and though a better rebounder and defender, he is definitely inferior overall to Curry, right?  Curry was almost an All-Star this season, right?  So how is Dalembert a "building block", but not Curry?  And Korver, only a year younger than Q-Rich, is an inferior defender than Richardson. Q-Rich is considered the Knicks best defender, and is known through the league for his ability to lock up other team's best player, especially LeBron... he's a big reason why the Knicks have done well against James and the Cavs recently.  Quentin is also a better rebounder, passer, and more complete offensively, though Korver is a better long distant shooter (though not much better).  So, again, most teams would prefer Q-Rich to Korver.

Okay, final thoughts on your comments, before I get to your questions... I firmly believe that Isiah lured him (Larry Brown) to NY with lies, and once there when he realized he couldn't make the roster moves he wanted to make he gave up. He doesn't want that be the last memory people have of him as a coach.

I agree with that sentence completely (except I would replace "lies" with "money, lots and lots of money").  I will share my thoughts on Brown in a separate post, but I do agree with that - he was lured here, by the money, to coach the Knicks.  He wasn't happy, because he wanted to be GM, too.  I'll go into that some other time, including discussing whether they should have let him GM or not, but I think he will want revenge.  That much is clear from the manipulation of the media (using his contacts in the NYC sportsmedia to dial up a witch hunt of Isiah Thomas). But I also think he is too old and brittle to take over a young team like the 76ers and have any tremendous effect.  I think that even if you do get Oden or Durant (and I hope you do, because the fans of Philly deserve it), it doesn't make you an instant .500 team.  When the Cavs got LBJ, they only went 35-47 in his rookie year, despite it being one of the greatest rookie years ever.  And Oden or Durant, as good as their upside may seem, the reality is they will probably both perform akin to Chris Bosh in Toronto, not a Wade, Melo or James.  Bosh's first season was 11.4 ppg, 7.4 rpg.  His second season he jumped to 16.8/8.9, and so forth.  It is my belief that you are realistically staring at a last place record again next season (unless the Celtics self-destruct next season, too), and another lottery finish.  The main difference between the Raptors and the 76ers, aside from four years of experience from Bosh, is also that the Raptors have an GM who is top-5; you have Billy King.  It'll be at least another season of this before you can even think about being mediocre even.  On to your questions:

a) Do you think Isiah is capable of taking this team and turning them into a contender? He's got seemingly unlimited resources, given the time, can he get the job done (as GM)?

Tough question... The key to building a (championship) contender is getting a centerpiece to your team, the go to guy. With the exception of the 2004 Pistons, every championship team from the past 25 years had the centerpiece - the Shaq Lakers, the Robinson/Duncan Spurs, the Jordan Bulls. Even the near-champions - the Ewing Knicks, the Shaq Magic, the Iverson 76ers, the Malone Jazz - had a HoF centerpiece. How do you get a HoF centerpiece? Mostly the draft. Isiah's strength is unquestionably the draft. It's very hard to get a HoF otherwise - maybe via trade, but usually there are circumstances to why a HoF is getting traded (Shaq to Heat, Iverson to Nuggets); sometimes via free agency, but still very rare (Nash to Suns). Isiah has tried twice to acquire a centerpiece by trade - Marbury was a failure; the jury is still out on Curry (still young, still developing, and at an almost All-Star level now). My point is, if Isiah can get the centerpiece, I believe has an eye for talent that will allow him to pick up the role players to fill out the team. But acquiring a HoF centerpiece is really a once a generation type of thing, and until then you really aren't going to be able to build a true championship contender anyway.

b) In your opinion, who was the better player Iverson or Ewing? Barkley or Ewing?

Great question, deserves its own post. Watch for it soon. Really good question.

c) Outside of Tim McCarver, Is Clyde the worst color man in sports?

Ha, ha. People either love Clyde or hate him... I fall in the "love" category. He's great, very entertaining, which is the point of the color man. And he's not as much of a "homer" has alot of other NBA sportscasters are... I mean, have you heard the Boston guys? They are the worst. Or the Lakers guys?  Portland?  Chicago?  That's the thing about having LeaguePass - you really realize how awful these guys are. You know who is good, though? Mark Jackson over at SC (doing Nets games with Marv Albert).  That's the perfect sequeway to....

d) Are you going to jump ship when the Nets move to Brooklyn?

Tempting, really, but I'm a Knicks guy. If I can survive the Isiah age, the Layden age, the 80's Yankees, the Jets forever, then I can survive whatever comes down the line. But I do like the Nets, and Rod Thorn is a top-5 GM.

Okay, I'll give you the final word in this series... go for it, it's all yours.  Thanks again, and we'll have to do another five-part collaboration soon, sort of like one of those 5-part G.I. Joe mini-series I used to love as a kid....

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