While Isiah Thomas suggested to the New York Daily News’ Frank Isola with a straight face that Stephon Marbury ought to get the same benefit of the doubt from the officials as Kobe, LeBron or D-Wade, Newsday’s Alan Hahn documented the Knicks coach/prez losing patience with Nate Robinson during week’s loss in Dallas (a night before an exasperated Zeke was seen grumbling over numerous missed assignments during the OT loss in Oklahoma City).
Several times in the first half Thomas was visibly angry with Robinson™s inability to go hard through screens. On one occasion, Thomas called a 20 second timeout just to rip into Robinson for not getting through a screen that allowed Josh Howard to hit consecutive threes. On another, Robinson had just checked into the game and fouled Devin Harris, who scored off a curl. Thomas immediately yanked Robinson.
He continually was in Robinson™s ear, but by the second half the tone turned from punishment to encouragement. Thomas kept slapping Robinson on the backside as he barked at him. Bottom line, Isiah knows with all of the injuries, he needs Nate right now. So no more kid gloves treatment. No more looking away during his antics.
While Jordan Farmar Superstar’s UCLA buddies spent their Sunday recovering from a Gator beatdown, the Laker rookie (above, left) starred for the D-League’s Defenders and the Los Angeles parent club on the same day.
Suns owner Robert Sarver — who comes off like a world class tool in “:07 Seconds Or Less” —- tried to convince Mike D’Antoni that Steve Nash would be unavailable for yesterday’s game with Dallas, after a DUI arrest (y’know, partying with His Dirkness, etc.)
Not bad, but as April Fool’s gags are concerned, I’ll take this one.