New York Knicks Still a Disaster Despite New Regime

(Photo by Nick Laham/Getty Images)

Isiah who?

Almost a year after the dismissal of the former head coach and President of Basketball Operations, the New York Knicks franchise hasn't been able to escape the depths of apathy Thomas helped the team reach during his tenure (which amazingly hasn't officially ended yet).

Last night, the Knicks honored a number of the greatest players ever to don the once storied orange and blue, providing fans a momentary escape from the mundane the current group of underachievers has subjected them to once again.

(Not surprisingly, the team lost after blowing a late lead.)

With the Orlando Magic in town, Madison Square Garden once again had its nose rubbed in the fact that franchise great Patrick Ewing continues to be treated like royalty by the Knicks fan base.

Yet Ewing is treated with an equal level of disrespect by management, who inexcusably never seriously considered him for a coaching position.

You may have heard Magic coach Stan Van Gundy criticize the Knicks for "pretending to care" about Patrick. Van Gundy (brother of Jeff, a big supporter of Pat when he coached in New York) added fuel to the fire of how pathetic the Knicks franchise continues to be both on and off the court.

The fact that Ewing isn't sitting on the Knicks bench helping develop a kid like Eddy Curry is a shame. Although, many Knicks' fans would likely agree there isn't a person, place or thing that is capable of motivating Curry to fulfill the potential he showed two seasons ago.

While the team has missed out on a wonderful opportunity to connect it's successful past with its woefully unsuccessful present, the future can't come soon enough.

At 28-42, the team has eliminated itself from the playoff race with the help of unwatchable losses—at home to New Jersey (playing without their best play Devin Harris) and Sacramento (who had yet to win a game versus an Eastern Conference team in their first 28 tries).

Fans can no longer point their fingers at Thomas, who has been reduced to scouting, and must face the reality that things may still get worse before they get better. 

With another season standing in the way of the summer of 2010, it gives the Knicks more time to make themselves that much less of a desirable destination for the top talent that will be available to them following the end of next season.

Making matters worse. The Knicks can't get out of their own way, while their savior, LeBron James, continues to win out in Cleveland and appears to be leading a team that not only is favored to win it's conference, but perhaps finally win its first title

While there was considerable progress made after the hiring of Donnie Walsh to run the team and Mike D'Antoni to coach it, the team finds itself having won only five more times than it did last season with just twelve more to play.

Walsh was able to improve the catastrophic cap situation by shedding the contracts of Jamal Crawford and Zach Randolph early in the season in exchange for Al Harrington, Tim Thomas, and Cuttino Mobley (who has since retired due to a heart condition) and seemingly improved the roster with the additions of Larry Hughes and Chris Wilcox

Dealing Thomas, Jerome James, Malik Rose, and Anthony Roberson aided in the latter.

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