The Knicks’ Malik Rose was quoted in yesterday’s New York Post as saying James Dolan’s pregame address to the team got him “pumped up”. Given that a 2 point loss to the Grizzlies represents an actual improvement for New York these days (any game where the Knicks enter the third quarter trailing by fewer than 15 is a rare occasion), perhaps the author of “Shoot That Dog” might want to consider making a regular appearance in the locker room?

The Journal-News’ Mike Doughty has the following quote from Stephon Marbury :

“Do I think I’ll be here?” he said with eyes wide-open, repeating the query. ‘My contract says that I am'”,

This is a comment that if nothing else, provides some strange insight as to why so many millionaire haters think there’s something just about the way NFL players can be so earily discarded compared to the protections guaranteed by NBA pacts.

The Post’s Marc Berman quotes Eddy Curry as claiming that he’s worth more to the Knicks than than the likely no. 1 overall draft pick the Bulls received in exchange. A little confidence can go a long way, but perhaps Curry should’ve just changed the subject.

While hardly lining up to defend Isiah Thomas, the New York Post’s Peter Vescey hops in the time machine to retrace the missteps of the Knicks’ ownership and management.

Revisionists claim the Knicks haven’t been the same since Dolan (above) flexed his good fortune to be his father’s son and weeded Dave Checketts from the Garden. Oh, really? Who do these numbskulls think coordinated Patrick Ewing’s trade that activated the franchise’s free fall?

Who do they think was responsible for capsizing the salary cap with contaminated commitments to fringe (Travis Knight) or washed-up talent (Glen Rice, Luc Longley, Vernon Maxwell), a feeding frenzy picked up unproven successors (Rice turned into ludicrous long-term pledges to Shandon Anderson and Howard Eisley, compliments of Scott Layden) that continues to this day?

Who do they think promised Allan Houston a $99M go-away present before going away himself?

Who do they think reached out to Scott Layden in Salt Lake City and elevated him to a personnel position of authority and then left him over his head, in mid-lurch and solely accountable under an owner who doesn’t mind squandering money daddy dearest made – and if it doesn’t bother James Dolan, imagine how little those below care about judicious spending?

It’s a testament to the up-to-date abject failure of Isiah that the misguided media distorts Checketts’ departure as a tragedy when, in fact, he was the Architect of Armageddon. He bought the burial plot on his way out of the building and his two successors, to their eternal credit (I defy you to brand one “better” than the other), developed his design by digging their own graves while Ernie Grunfeld rebuilt the Bucks and Wizards into playoff teams.