Isiah's crazy new job

New York Knicks owner James Dolan fired Larry Brown Thursday and opted to replace him with quite possibly the world's worst executive, Isiah Thomas. After two-and-a-half seasons, a list of trades rivaling the most questionable in NBA history, a $125 million payroll and a 23 win season, it was clear what had to be done. Thomas had to be promoted. \nAnd why not? When you look at his track record, it's obvious that "Zeke" is headed for great things. As part-owner and general manager from 1994 to 1997, he took the Toronto Raptors from promising young franchise to league laughingstock, then from 1999 to 2000 he single-handedly bankrupted the Continental Basketball Association and finally, from 2000 to 2003 he led a talent-laden Pacers team to the depths of mediocrity. So when he was named president of the Knicks a few years ago, I was a little surprised. OK, to be fair, a UFO could have landed in my front yard and that would have been less shocking. \nBut in his two-and-a-half years leading the Knicks, Thomas has gone far beyond the worst we all thought possible. Since taking over he has consistently traded away promising prospects and draft picks for aging, disgruntled or mediocre players with astronomical contracts. Chances are, if you have a player who hates the press, his teammates, the water boy or freedom, Isiah will send a future lottery pick and salary cap relief to take him off your hands. I'm not kidding, if Lex Luthor played basketball Thomas would trade for him and sign him to a max contract.\nAnd to top it all off, the Knicks' payroll, by far the league's highest, won't get smaller anytime soon because Isiah keeps trading away expiring contracts. How can a guy who was so good on the court know nothing about basketball? I know he's an IU legend, but this is indefensible. \nThe two most questionable moves by Thomas occurred this season, with the acquisitions of Eddy Curry and Steve Francis. Curry came from Chicago for Mike Sweetney, Tim Thomas and four draft picks (two No. 1s and two No. 2s). So the Knicks basically got 13 ppg, 6 rpg and a guy who sulks and might have a genetic heart condition while giving up two productive players and any chance of landing Greg Oden in next year's lottery. They would have also had this year's No. 2 overall pick and a chance to get a young, talented guy to energize the franchise, but instead that pick belonged to Chicago.\nThat said, the Francis deal should have been the end of Thomas' association with professional basketball. He sent Penny Hardaway's expiring contract and promising project Trevor Ariza to Orlando for Francis who is owed $49 million over the next three seasons. When asked why he was putting Francis in the same backcourt with another shoot-first guard, Stephon Marbury, Thomas responded, "It's crazy enough that it just might work." That's it? You make one of the most ridiculous trades in the history of sports and that's all you can come up with? Anything would have been better than that. How about, "Well I had been up for three days straight sniffing glue, and I sure liked the way Steve filled out a uniform." Now that I would have understood. But now his team's two highest paid guards take more ill-advised shots than Stevie Wonder with a shotgun. \nAs it stands now, the Knicks roster is littered with more busts than an art museum, and Isiah is the worst executive since Kenneth Lay ... and Lay is going to prison for what he did. \nSo why let Isiah now coach a team he put together that only won 23 games this past season and doesn't stand to get any better this summer? It doesn't make any sense, what does this guy have to do to get fired? Dolan claims he's giving Thomas one year to turn the Knicks around, but does anyone really think that is remotely possible? The only franchises he's turned around are the ones he's traded with. \nThe only thing that would make this situation any worse is if he suited up and joined Marbury and Francis in the Knicks backcourt.\nHey, it's crazy enough that it just might work.