NY Knicks: Predicting the 5 Next Disastrous Decisions James Dolan May Make

As a New York Knicks fan, one is no stranger to frustration.  For the past decade, the team has fallen, briefly risen, fallen hard, only to recently rise again.  Trips to the playoffs have ended in disappointment and some seasons have been over well before the All-Star break.  To put it bluntly, rooting for the team is an emotional roller coaster.

Much of this frustration can be attributed to team owner James L. Dolan, who more often than not becomes way too involved in team decisions that should instead be left to someone who has experience running a front office.

Seriously, Dolan is so involved in running the Knicks that the late George Steinbrenner, former owner of the New York Yankees, would probably say, "Dude...bring it down a notch."

In his tenure as owner, some bone-headed contracts have been signed, bad hires have been made, and more bad trades than I care to remember.  It's so bad that some fans are unable to enjoy a season and find themselves asking, "What bad decision is Dolan going to make next?"

Here are five potential disastrous decisions that Dolan could make in the very near future.  If any of these come true, fans should seriously consider finding a new team for which to root.

No. 5: Make Himself the Official National Anthem Singer

For those who attend Knicks games regularly, you'll know that one of the more endearing aspects of the game experience is the singing of the National Anthem.  More often than not, a singer from a local elementary, middle or high school, a local celebrity, or sometimes big-name celebrities will kick off the game by singing the anthem to the delight of the fans.  Yet, this treasured tradition definitely has a shot at being ruined by Dolan.

Not many people know this, but Dolan actually sings in a blues rock band called JD and the Straight Shot.  This group sometimes plays bars and to put it bluntly, THEY ARE SO FRIGGIN' BAD!!!

Seriously, it's as though the band only gets chances to play because of who Dolan is.  Were he anyone else, venue bookers and managers wouldn't give him a second look

Given the size of Dolan's ego, I wouldn't be shocked if he brought his band in on multiple occasions to perform a long and drawn-out rendition of the anthem.  At that point, instead of standing to honor America, the fans will designate that moment as "beer break."

No. 4: Trading Amare Stoudemire

Last year, long before the Carmelo Anthony trade, the Knicks had a great lineup going for them.  Amare Stoudemire was living up to his $100 million contract and the team was playing together well.  Danilo Gallinari was proving to be a solid defender as well as a deadly three-point threat and Raymond Felton was averaging double figures in both scoring and assists.  Simply put, for the first time in years, the Knicks looked like a TEAM.

Then, the Anthony trade happened.

In a deal that just reeked of Dolan getting too involved, the Knicks sent Felton, Gallinari, center Timofey Mozgov, forward/guard Wilson Chandler and draft picks.  In return, the Denver Nuggets sent over Anthony, veteran point guard Chauncey Billups and a handful of bench players.  Long story short, the Knicks gave up way too much.

After the trade, the team just did not look the same.  They slumped on the court and it was clear the chemistry was gone.  That being said, it wouldn't surprise me to see Dolan dangle Stoudemire for someone like Dwight Howard or Andrew Bynum.

In reality, this would be the worst possible trade the Knicks could make.  Stoudemire and Anthony provide a deadly 1-2 punch, one that hurts even more if Billups is on top of his game.  To break up that marriage would not only send the Knicks back into the Dark Ages, but also completely alienate the fans.

No. 3: Keeping Glen Grunwald on as General Manager

After Donnie Walsh was basically forced out as team president, Glen Grunwald was named interim general manager.  The man has front office experience, as he was the GM of the Toronto Raptors from 1998-2004, but that doesn't mean he is the right man to run the Knicks.  Why?

Well, Grunwald is a disciple of quite possibly the most hated individual in Knicks' history, former coach and GM Isiah Thomas.  Grunwald came on board as Thomas's assistant in 2006 and though Thomas himself seems to be gone, his philosophies and business practices haunt the offices of Madison Square Garden through people like Grunwald.

This man already made a colossal mistake in defending the drafting of Iman Shumpert in the first round.  If he really thinks that Shumpert is going to be a solid contributor to the team, is he really the man that should be making decisions on which the Knicks' future is reliant?  I sure don't.

No. 2: Firing Mike D'Antoni

Once Donnie Walsh came in as team president back in 2008 and fired Isiah Thomas, one of the first moves he made was to bring in a proper head coach.  For this job, he chose former Phoenix Suns coach Mike D'Antoni and signed him to a four-year deal worth $24 million.  After struggling his first two years, D'Antoni finally had a team to work with last season as the Knicks made the playoffs as the No. 6 seed.

Yet, Walsh is gone now and D'Antoni's future in New York looks cloudy.  Dolan refused to give his coach a simple one-year extension at the end of the season, more or less signaling his lack of confidence in the man who took the Suns to the Western Conference finals two years in a row.

The fact of the matter is that for now, Mike D'Antoni is the right man to coach the Knicks.  The players love him and respond well to his system, and this past year showed a genuine team chemistry that had been lacking on past squads.  To fire him following a fine season and break up the band, for lack of better word, would be catastrophic.

Yet, more often than not, Dolan's stubbornness tends to win out in this department.

No. 1: Hire Isiah Thomas for Any Position

As I mentioned before, the most hated man in Knicks' history is almost definitely Isiah Thomas.  He first came to the team in December 2003 when he was hired as director of basketball operations and made an immediate impact when he traded for All-Star point guard and hometown hero Stephon Marbury.  It proved to be a good move at first blush as the Knicks made the playoffs, losing in the first round to the New Jersey Nets.

After that year, everything went downhill.  Thomas traded mutiple first-round picks for underachievers like Eddy Curry and Tim Thomas as well as signed flat-out bad players to long-term contracts for way too much money.  These deals put the team in salary cap hell.

Even worse, Marbury became a clubhouse cancer and not even bringing in the legendary Larry Brown as head coach helped.  Brown was dismissed after one season and Thomas took over, posting a .341 winning percentage in two years at the helm before Donnie Walsh came in and fired him.

Though Thomas seems to be gone, rumors of him being involved in major decisions continue to circle.  After Carmelo Anthony became a Knick, it was rumored that Walsh had next to no involvement in making the deal and that it was all done by Dolan and Thomas.

Given the strong friendship between the two, it is perfectly realistic to believe that Thomas will find his way back to the Knicks in some way, shape or form.  For the sake of all Knicks fans, I seriously hope this does not happen.  If it does, it could seriously mean the end of a great and historical franchise.