It was a little more than a year ago that New York coach Don Chaney was kicked to the curb in favor of Hall Of Famer Lenny Wilkens. CSTB was enthused at the time, pointing to Lenny’s NYC playground pedigree, his title in Seattle, and uh, well, not much else.
Other observers (Tommy Hoops for one) cited Wilkens’ ugly exit in Toronto and predicted dark days ahead for the Knicks. Tommy Hoops 1, CSTB 0.
The following are highlights from Peter Vescey’s column in Friday’s NY Post. Note the last item, clearly aimed at the Daily News’ Frank Isola.
So much for the Age of Aquarius, where Jupiter aligns with Mars, it’s high time for the Knicks to align with a division they can win. Dead Team Walking, which begins a four-game home stand tonight against the Rockettes before embarking on a six-game roadie, is a lock to get the better of no one . . . except, of course, ticket holders.
They don’t make the key shot or, at the very least, the key stop, once a franchise trademark. I don’t want to suggest Lenny Wilkens may be on borrowed time, but Dick Helm is no longer taking his calls.
If nothing else, the setting of the Suns since Steve Nash (averaging 15.2 points, a league-leading 10.9 assists and 51.6 percent from the floor) was sidelined (thigh, back injuries) has permitted me to cast my MVP vote months earlier than usual. The Suns have lost five in a row while playing without their guide dog for essentially the last four and gone from putting up ABA-like numbers scoring 83, 80 and 79 in three of those four. Hosting the Spurs tonight they’re hoping either Nash gets healthy in a hurry or San Antonio gets Stephon Marbury.
It’s amusing to read how David Falk could impact Jalen Rose’s possible trade to the Knicks because of the agent’s established feud with Isiah Thomas. Not only does Arn Tellem now represent Rose, but also sources disclose he’s been intimately involved in negotiations with the Raptors in an effort to get his client moved, New York being a prime objective.