Knicks Linsanity Ends In Disaster

Jeremy Lin was one of the feel good stories of the last NBA season. He came out of nowhere to be starting guard for the New York Knicks after injuries felled the starters. He managed more than respectable statistics in his 1/3 of a season's worth of starts, but then was felled with an injury that kept him out of the playoffs.

Despite the injury, Lin had a good chance of being the starter for the Knicks in the 2012-2013 season had the Knicks sought to keep him on the team. The Knicks thought it was a good idea to let Lin shop his skills around. That was the first of many bad moves the Knicks made this offseason.

Lin got a great deal from the Houston Rockets (the very team that had released Lin on waivers in 2011 when the Knicks picked him up). The Knicks claimed that they would match the offer; Lin apparently went back to the Rockets and reworked the deal with a third year that seemingly would have imposed huge salary cap considerations for the Knicks. The Knicks dithered, then picked up a boatload of over-the-hill, has-beens or never-weres and then ultimately refused to resign Lin.

Lin is now on the Rockets, and the Knicks are inspiring the ire of Knick fans who knew the value that Lin brought to the Garden - not only on the court but with the huge impact he made off the court. Linsanity will play out in Houston, but it didn't have to be that way.

The new CBA included a provision to make it much easier for teams to release players with bad contracts. It’s called the stretch provision. Here it is right out of Larry Coon’s invaluable CBA FAQ that can be found here: cbafaq.com.

Otherwise (if the contract or extension was signed under the current CBA), the remaining guaranteed salary is paid over twice the number of remaining years, plus one, per the Stretch provision:

If the player’s salary payments are spread-out using the Stretch provision, the team may elect to stretch the salary cap charge to match2. For example, if two seasons remain on the player’s contract when he is waived, and the payment is spread-out over five years per the Stretch provision, then the team may elect to spread-out the salary cap hit over those same five years.
In other words, the Knicks will have the option after the 2013-2014 season to waive Jeremy Lin, take his third-year $15 million salary and spread it out with its cap hit over the following three seasons. In each of those three seasons, the Knicks would have $5 million of dead money on the cap. Doing that would all but eliminate the insane luxury tax payment the Knicks would have to endure in 2014-2015, which is supposedly stopping them from re-signing Lin.

Obviously, this isn’t an ideal plan or scenario. The Knicks wouldn’t be resigning Lin with the idea of waiving him after 2013. Instead, this is simply a way out if Lin turns out to be nothing more than a backup quality point guard. Having dead money on the cap for three seasons is obviously a bad thing, but it’s nothing the franchise couldn’t survive.

Lin could have turned out to be above average as a point guard over full seasons, but he would be at least as good as his replacements (Felton and Kidd - both of which are not the draw Lin was, and in Kidd's case, without the worry of a DUI in waiting). Indeed, Kidd was barely named to the team when he was arrested on DUI.

The toxic locker room situation is nothing to sneeze at either. The pieces that the Dolans have assembled over the past couple of years was self-centered so that Lin's selfless play was freshening and worth watching. Now? It's anybody's guess, but I doubt the team will be nearly as fun to watch.

Knick fans are already indicating that they're going to consider the Nets over the Knicks, which is money to Jay-Z's ears.

After the Lin-Sanity Fades; Knicks Coach Mike D'Antoni Resigns

Let the blame game commence. Mike D'Antoni, the coach for the New York Knicks has resigned in a mutual agreement with the Knicks organization. The team is coming off a 2-8 stretch following the return of Carmelo Anthony after the All-Star break. That follows a striking run when Jeremy Lin ascended as an everyday starter in Anthony's absence.

The Knicks have not replied to requests for confirmation yet. The news comes just hours after D’Antoni spoke at the morning shoot around and said that he had spoken with frustrated star Carmelo Anthony before the workout.

Asked if he believed he had the support of the players, D’Antoni said he was confident.

“I am,” he said. “But you have to ask them that. I’m confident. I think they’re great and have been great and we’ll battle through this.

Anthony insisted that he was in the coach’s corner, contrary to whispers from the locker room.

“I support Mike 100 percent,” Anthony said. “Regardless of what is going on as far as us losing basketball games we all need each other right now and this is the best time to come together and stick with one another because There’s a lot of things being said out there about Mike, about myself and it’s just a bunch of nonsense right now. So we’ve got to stick together. We’re not going to do it without one another.

D'Antoni hasn't been able to get the team to play on the same page, and that has as much to do with the flawed nature of the team as it does his coaching abilities. Anthony can't seem to gel with Lin and the offense comes to a standstill when it flows through Anthony. That's the exact opposite of what was happening when Lin was directing traffic on the floor.

The assistant coach will take over in the interim. The team needs to do more than replace the coach; it needs to deal with the fact that the offense is a muddled mess when Anthony is on the floor.

Monumental Mistakes at the Garden

Isiah Thomas must know where James Dolan has buried dead bodies or has video showing team executives in compromising positions, because there is absolutely no reason in the world that anyone with the Knicks should want to have anything to do with one of the worst team executives and coaches in the team's history.

In fact, no one who has a functioning neuron should want Thomas to have anything to do with coaching because of his gross irresponsibility and culpability for creating a hostile work environment and engaging in sexual harassment with female executives with the Knick organization.

Yet, what does Dolan do over the weekend? He names Thomas a consultant and claims that Thomas was instrumental in landing the Knicks' sole major player in the offseason.

Thomas, fired by the Knicks in 2008 after embarrassments on and off the court, was cited during last month's Amar'e Stoudemire press conference for helping in the recruitment of the free-agent forward. Thomas also was dispatched on the eve of LeBron James' decision to meet with one of the members of his entourage whom he knew.

“I’m excited to once again be a part of the New York Knicks organization. I was honored to have been asked to help during the recent free-agent recruiting process, and believe that this new role takes full advantage of my skill set as an evaluator of basketball talent," Thomas said in a statement released by the team.

"While I will of course continue in my role as FIU’s coach, I look forward to working with Donnie (Walsh), Coach (Mike) D’Antoni and all of the Knicks staff to help bring a championship back to New York.”

The team's statement says Thomas "will assist the team’s senior management in various capacities, including player recruitment."

However, The Associated Press reports the hire could violate NBA rules that forbid college coaches from having jobs with its teams, which aren’t allowed to have contact with players who aren’t yet eligible for the draft.

“We are reviewing the agreement, in consultation with the Knicks, for compliance with league rules,” NBA spokesman Tim Frank said.

Since he left the organization as a consultant to team president Walsh to head the FIU program two years ago, Thomas has remained close with owner James Dolan and kept a house in Westchester. Thomas' involvement with recruiting Stoudemire led to speculation he could return to the Knicks as GM, a job which is vacant.

Thomas was a Hall of Fame player, but has been absolutely atrocious as a team executive and coach. He's destroyed more teams than helped, and yet the Knick owner thinks that the time's right to bring Thomas back?

What is current team executives Donnie Walsh supposed to think about this? Walsh is picking up the pieces left behind by Thomas' ignominious departure after losing season after losing season and the team and Thomas were forced to cough up $11.5 million in a sexual harassment suit.

Knick fans have every right to be pissed off about this and it once again shows just how poorly run the organization is - starting at the top.

Tiger is Back, and Other Sports News

Yesterday gave us a reminder that the world is not all consumed with budgets and deficits and unemployment figures and politics. Yesterday was also about sports. In the world of golf, Tiger Woods made his season debut at the Accenture WGC Match Play Championship. Tiger has been out since his 91 hole victory over Rocco Mediate in the 2008 U.S. Open (considered by some – myself included – to be one of the greatest U.S. Opens since probably Bobby Jones played.) After the U.S. Open, Tiger announced that he needed season ending knee surgery, and that he played the Open, against doctor’s orders, while requiring anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) surgery on his left knee. Woods also revealed that he had been playing for at least 10 months with a torn ligament in his left knee, and sustained a double stress fracture in his left tibia while rehabbing after previous surgery. The fact that he was walking, let alone playing golf that week was incredible.

Tiger was not Tiger-like yesterday, but still easily dispatched Australian Brendan Jones 3 and 2. In other match play news, world number 2, Sergio Garcia lost 1dn to Charl Schwartzel, as Sergio completely blew 17 and 18. Anthony Kim easily dispatched Wen-Tang Lin 7 and 5 and my personal favorite, Boo Weekley, defeated Justin Rose 1up. As Boo approaches the weekend look for the crowds to get wild, as Arizona golf crowds are not known for their subdued nature (see, TPC Scottsdale, 16th hole)

In baseball news, the Mets and Yankees both played their first spring training games, with the Mets defeating the Orioles 9-3. Second Basemen Luis Castillo had 4 RBIs and Left Fielder Ryan Church drove in 3. The Yankees defeated Toronto 6-1, with Alex “Steroid” Rodriquez smacking a home run.

Lastly, the Knicks reached agreement with Coney Island native Stephon Marbury on a buyout of his contract. Marbury has not played for the Knicks since refusing to play a November game. It is rumored that Marbury will sign with the World Champion Celtics this week.

Now wasn’t that sports round-up a welcome break from the economy?

Knick Fans Nightmares Finally Over

The Isiah Thomas nightmare is finally over. Reports indicate that Thomas will not return as coach for the team next year.

He should be fired from the team completely because of his ongoing failures and complicity in the sexual harassment of employees at the Garden. He, along with the Dolans, have ruined the once-proud franchise.

It's now up to Donnie Walsh to clean up Thomas' mess.

Not Quite A Fitting End

As I remarked when the verdict was delivered against MSG, James Dolan, and Isiah Thomas in the Anucha Brown Saunders sexual harassment case, this should have never gone to trial.

It was nothing but bad news for the Garden and all the defendants from the outset and yet they not only went to trial, but were intent upon appealing despite having no grounds to do so. All the mud that was exposed by the trial would be reheard again, and the Garden would be further sullied in the process.

Thomas maintained is innocence, but that rings hollow as the two sides settled the case for $11.5 million and Saunders will drop the appeal and demand for attorney fees. The jury had found against Thomas, Dolan, and the Garden for creating an atmosphere of sexual harassment.

The Garden management is a mess, and apparently the NBA told James Dolan, the owner of the Garden and the Knicks to settle this matter because it simply wouldn't end well for the Knicks.

The situation is far from over, however, as all the individuals involved in the sexual harassment are still working at the Garden, and Thomas continues to claim he's done nothing wrong.

A jury found otherwise.

None of this has anything to do with the wretched play of the team on the court, but Thomas has got to go. Period.

The team must be purged those involved in the sexual harassment claims. It's an embarrassment and Dolan appears immune to the criticism. Thomas has taken to attacking the fans for booing, despite the horrid play of the team on the court, and the organization's courtroom antics.

Stay classy MSG.

The Garden Media Mess Continues

The Knicks and Cablevision continue to heap dishonor on their brands with the latest sad chapter of the Isiah Thomas era. Fans must be scratching their head wondering what insanity will come down from Garden Management next.

Yesterday, Stephon Marbury left the team and text messaged that he had the permission of team coach and GM Thomas to do so.

Today, we find that Marbury has been fined $182,000+ for leaving the team.

According to the NBA’s collective bargaining agreement, players are docked 1/110th of their salaries for a missed game. With Marbury scheduled to earn $20.1 million this season, that would be about $182,800.

Marbury told the New York Post on Tuesday he had permission from Thomas, also the Knicks president, to leave the team, but Thomas would not confirm that. He did say the team would welcome back Marbury.

Thomas refused to discuss any potential penalties against Marbury before the game on Tuesday, saying the matter would be kept “in-house.”

If he had permission, why did he get fined? Did Marbury lie? And didn't he and Thomas and the Garden know that someone would find out that someone wasn't telling the truth?

More to the point, why are Thomas and the Garden screwing with the media on a daily basis over what is going on? They couldn't give a straight story and instead lied about what was going on. No comment would have been more suitable than the clown act that passes as Garden Management these days.

Someone isn't telling the truth and someone at the Garden really ought to learn how to deal with the media better. Cablevision is a media company, and yet it doing everything imaginable to destroy its branding. Knick fans have to scratch their heads over what is happening to the team less than two weeks into the season. They're waiting for the other shoe to drop.

MSG; Isiah Thomas Found Liable In Sexual Harassment Trial

This case should have never gone to trial because it was a PR nightmare from the outset and the trial only extended and exposed the mess for all the world to see. MSG and Isiah Thomas should have settled this thing out of court. Their failure to do so will cost them dearly.

Both were found liable for sexually harassing Anucha Browne Sanders. Thomas got a victory of sorts since the jury could not agree on whether punitive damages should be imposed against Thomas. The judge ruled that count a mistrial.

MSG wasn't so lucky. The jury found that they could be liable for punitive damages in addition to compensatory damages.

The jury will hear brief arguments on punitive damages before deliberating on what it will cost MSG and James Dolan.

For video reactions, see here.

UPDATE:
$11.6 million. Ouch.

The jury, in federal district court in Manhattan, also ruled that the former executive, Anucha Browne Sanders, is entitled to $11.6 million in punitive damages from the Garden and James L. Dolan, the chairman of Cablevision, the parent company of the Garden and the Knicks.

Of that figure, $6 million was awarded because of the hostile work environment Mr. Thomas was found to have created, and $5.6 million because Browne Sanders was fired for complaining about it. Mr. Dolan’s share is $3 million; the Garden is liable for the rest.

The judge will decide on compensatory damages, covering actual economic harm suffered by Browne Sanders, like back pay and benefits.

Keep in mind that this is the minimum. Sanders is going to get more as a result of the compensatory damages for back pay and benefits.

So, the next question is whether MSG should fire Thomas because of what had transpired. Considering that the team has performed so poorly under his watch, MSG would be justified to give him the boot on those grounds alone. The sexual harassment case and the hostile work environment should be cause for concern for the NBA as well, since the Knicks are in the largest media market and it harms the league's branding opportunities if the team suffers as a result.

Thomas should go.