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New York Knicks: Donnie Walsh's Resignation Looks Bad for James Dolan

Earlier this week, it was reported that Donnie Walsh and the New York Knicks were closing in on a multi-year extension that would keep the parties happily together for the foreseeable future.

That certainly seems like a long time ago now.

After Walsh's sudden resignation from his position as President of Basketball Operations on Friday morning, the Knicks will struggle to replace his brilliance in the front office, despite his agreement to stay on in a consulting role.

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The reason that Walsh decided to leave his post was owner James Dolan's inability to commit to the mastermind for multiple seasons, which simply makes no sense.

Furthermore, Dolan was insisting that Walsh, who helped to deliver his team out of financial ruins, take a substantial pay decrease if he sought to return.

It's just another poor display on the part of Dolan, who continues to look like one of the most out of touch owners in the game. 

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Glen Grunwald: Meet the New Man Replacing Donnie Walsh for New York Knicks

Grunwald has served as Senior Vice President of Basketball Operations for the New York Knicks, and now he'll be promoted to President in the wake of Donnie Walsh's resignation.

Grunwald, 58, is best known for his time that he served as General Manager of the Toronto Raptors from 1998-2004.

But here's the best part: guess who hired Grunwald into the Toronto organization? Out of ideas? You should've guessed it: the one and only Isiah Thomas.

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Should Knicks fans be worried? Yes and no. While he is close with Thomas, he also was GM of a Toronto franchise that saw its glory days lived under his direction.

Grunwald executed a trade for then-superstar Vince Carter, was responsible for drafting Tracy McGrady, and also made the playoffs three straight times from 2000-2002.

He's got plenty of credit and is a legitimate candidate for the post, but let's just hope that his friendship with Isiah Thomas doesn't make his time in charge one that Knicks fans are anxious to forget.

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New York Knicks: Team Announces Glen Grunwald Will Take Donnie Walsh's Place

Although Isiah Thomas has not officially been brought back into the fold as of yet, Knicks fans shouldn't take their finger off of the panic button.

With Glen Grunwald, former Senior Vice President of Basketball Operations, being elevated to President in the wake of Walsh's departure, the Knicks will have to remain very skeptical about their future with the people in the front office.

Grunwald, a known long time friend of Thomas, probably wouldn't hesitate to ask Isiah exactly what his thoughts were on any given situation.

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It's far from official that Thomas will have a role in the front office, but many are opining that it's just a matter of time before he gets involved.

For the sake of Knicks fans everywhere, I really hope that is not the case, as the team absolutely collapsed during his previous tenure with the club.

It'll be really interesting to see how this story unfolds over the next few weeks.

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James Dolan: Could His Meddlesome Ways Prevent a Good Hire?

James Dolan has long been viewed as one of the more meddling owners in the sport, and nobody likes to work under constant micromanagement.

There's a great possibility that no matter who takes over for Walsh that he'll play second fiddle. And when you're supposed to be the lead decision-maker and you can't have the final say, there is typically a problem.

The Knicks are definitely going to recruit multiple candidates in an attempt to fill the job, but they may receive a declined response from some of those people directly because of Dolan.

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There is no doubt that Walsh sought to stay in his post, but the inability to receive full autonomy from James Dolan was a major hurdle and always had been since he first came into the organization.

Any owner who refuses to cede control to the person who's supposed to have all of it is going to have a really tough time hiring a quality candidate.

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James Dolan: Will Dolan Bring Isiah Thomas Back into the Fold?

James Dolan and Isiah Thomas might have the biggest bromance in all of sports.

Now that Donnie Walsh has resigned, Dolan has a clear path to bringing his old buddy Isiah Thomas back into the franchise's front office and handing him the keys to the car.

It's pretty incredible how disillusioned Dolan appears to be toward the public perception of Thomas in an executive role, and I can't fathom how Dolan could possibly believe he's earned the right to potentially return to his former post.

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The scariest thing about Dolan's affinity for Thomas is that there were rumors floating around before Walsh's resignation that he might be on the hot seat in favor of Thomas. 

The sole reason that Dolan was chosen to replace Thomas was because the club thought he'd be most capable of fixing Isiah's mess, and now if an out of touch brings Thomas back in, there's going to be a revolt at Madison Square Garden.

It would be wise for Dolan and the Knicks to stray as far away as possible from Thomas considering his previous decisions have just stopped haunting the club.  

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New York Knicks: How Will Team Respond to Donnie Walsh's Resignation?

There are going to be a lot of unhappy people in the New York Knicks organization today with the news that Donnie Walsh has stepped down as President of Basketball Operations, and it's not going to take long for the team to start looking for his replacement.

Although Walsh will remain with the club in a consulting role, his voice won't resonate nearly as profoundly as it did during his time at lead decision-maker.

It should be really interesting to see how the team responds to the sudden news of the resignation, because the Knicks have been a team that have really improved under Walsh's leadership.

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If the team decides to re-adjust their strategy and pursue a different path than Walsh had previously drawn up, they're going to take a step backwards and in the wrong direction.

Walsh worked tirelessly to dig the Knicks out of a massive hole, and that hard work can definitely be undone easily with a couple of bone-headed moves.

The Knicks should rise up to the challenge rather than shrink from it, and the first season without Walsh at the helm of the controls should provide for a good test to see what the team is made of.

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New York Knicks: How Will Donnie Walsh's Departure Impact Draft Strategy?

With the NBA Draft just about three weeks from now and the Knicks holding the no. 17 overall pick, it's going to be interesting to see if their draft strategy is at all impacted by Donnie Walsh's resignation.

The two team's needs are rather obvious: a point guard of the future and a capable big man, so it astounds me that so many mock drafts have them rolling the dice on 'tweener guards like Darius Morris (Michigan) and Josh Selby (Kansas).

The Knicks would be wise to do their due diligence in looking at every possible prospect that could help them, but if they take another player who doesn't fit the blueprint of the team, it's not going to look good for the person that replaces Walsh as lead decision-maker.

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Regardless of who stands at the helm of controls for the Knicks after Walsh, the draft is going to have a major impact on their potential success next season.

They're not going to be a major player in the free agent market given the restrictions that they have with Billups, Anthony and Stoudemire all making major money this season, so any incoming prospect is going to have to be ready to contribute.

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Donnie Walsh: Can New York Knicks Survive Without Him in the Front Office?

Since Donnie Walsh took over as President of Basketball Operations, there has been much more optimism surrounding the team than in any of their previous seasons with Isiah Thomas in control.

It's taken a lot of careful, meticulous work to dig the Knicks out of the hole that Thomas put them in, and now that Walsh is stepping down from his position, the team needs to stay the course.

Hiring Thomas to take his previous spot in the front office would be a regressive move, one that wouldn't sit well with anyone associated with the franchise, and it just makes no sense from any vantage point for James Dolan to do that.

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The suddenness of the move is terrible timing for a team that desperately needs his leadership in the front office, as they made a ton of horrible decisions before his arrival.

When he joined the team, he was heralded as somewhat of a savior to the franchise, and now that he won't be there any longer, just how long will they be able to survive?

Whoever replaces Walsh will have a very tall task ahead of them, but if it's Thomas who gets the nod, it's going to be insurmountable.

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Donnie Walsh: Will Walsh's Resignation Lead to Mike D'Antoni's Departure?

Mike D'Antoni is certainly no lock to return as Knicks head coach after a really disappointing end to the regular season.

Despite the acquisitions of Chauncey Billups and Carmelo Anthony to play alongside Amar'e Stoudemire, the Knicks actually played worse after the trade than they did before it, and were swept out of the first round of the postseason by the Boston Celtics.

Granted that Billups was injured for the majority of the series, but frankly, his presence on the court would not have had a decisive impact on the outcome considering how greatly the Celtics outplayed them.

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D'Antoni was supposed to be one of the missing links in the New York chain after his successful tenure with the Phoenix Suns, but he's quickly learned that running a team without Steve Nash controlling the offense certainly has its challenges.

He's taken a lot of criticism for his lax approach on the defensive end, and toward the end of the campaign, really appeared to be disinterested in what was on the line.

The Knicks need a leader who isn't afraid to dig into his players on the bench, and D'Antoni hasn't proven capable of being that since he arrived at Madison Square Garden.

Could a divorce be in the best interest for both parties? 

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Donnie Walsh: Ex-President of Basketball Operations Suddenly Leaves Post

In a shocking twist of events, former President of Basketball Operations Donnie Walsh is leaving his post for the 2011-12 season. Walsh will remain with the team in a consulting role.

The move is pretty surprising considering all of the previous reports that suggested the two parties were close to agreeing on an extension that could have been announced as soon as this week, but apparently those were a bit pre-mature.

Walsh enjoyed remarkable success and turned around a franchise that was in the doldrums during his short tenure, so the sudden resignation is really unusual.

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Not only are the fans shocked by his sudden stepping down, but the organization as well. He gave every indication that he would return, only to resign today and he leaves the team in a very tough spot.

His resignation comes just three weeks before the draft, and the team will attempt to hire a decision-maker to replace Walsh, but they'll be hard pressed to find someone who did the job as well as he. 

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Isiah Thomas: Prolific Professionals Don't Make for Flawless Decision Makers

Memo to James Dolan: just because a guy had success during his tenure in the NBA as a player doesn't mean that he'd enjoy a seamless transition to a role as a front office executive.

If Dolan learned anything from Thomas' first go-around, it's that he made a lot of awful decisions that left the Knicks in a crippling position and out of the postseason on a very consistent basis.

I have no idea as to why Dolan would realistically consider bringing back a figure into the franchise who is so despised by the fan base, but perhaps he's prepared to give Isiah a second chance.

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If the Knicks hire Thomas to serve as the new President of Basketball Operations, not only will the fans likely revolt, the players probably aren't going to be too enthused, either.

During his previous tenure, the Knicks suffered through one of their most embarrassing stretches in franchise history, and that's not something that's simply going to be forgotten.

Perhaps Thomas has honed his skills during his time away from the team, but there's no doubt that most want him as far away from the team as humanly possible.

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Isiah Thomas: Will Former Knicks Executive Replace Donnie Walsh?

With the news that Donnie Walsh won't be returning as President of Basketball Operations for the New York Knicks, the speculation has already begun that Isiah Thomas will be taking his place.

Thomas, who was the decision maker in New York before Walsh was brought in, has a unique friendship with owner James Dolan that could make him the instant favorite for the job.

Although Knicks fans would rather see anyone except Thomas in the post, they may have to live with the reality that he's once again going to come back and be a part of the franchise.

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It's pretty incredible to fathom the fact that Thomas could get his old gig back considering that he drafted both Mardy Collins and Renaldo Balkman in the same year, but it's clear that he's on the inside track in New York.

If the Knicks have learned anything from the first Isiah Thomas era, it's that the fans didn't like a single decision he made, and Walsh served out his tenure with the team undoing many of the mistakes that Thomas got them into.

Should Thomas wind up landing the job, there should be no doubt that the Knicks are going to have to provide the best explanation of all time as to why he deserves to be back.

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