Big Man Hunting

by Guichard Cadet

Isiah Thomas’ method of rebuilding the New York Knicks has established a certain amount of good will for the franchise. Whereas it is still hard for the team to simply sign free agents because of salary cap constraints, players are now positioning themselves to get traded to the team. This shift has occurred because Isiah seems to believe in players achieving their potential and not letting minor past transgressions cloud this belief.

Thomas could be seen as a high risk gambler who set the franchise back, more than his predecessor. Or, he can be deemed one of the shrewdest most patient GM’s around. Going into the off-season, the Knicks had two major needs: hiring a highly reputable coach, and acquiring 2 players to man the Center position. After the draft when the only big man he got was quickly slotted to play Power Forward by Thomas, it was evident there would be trades and free agents signed.

The first signing was Jerome James. Known as a career underachiever, acquiring James was more than suspect, in light of his age, length of contract and salary. Those who gave the move a passing grade did so because of James’ girth and his play in last season’s playoffs.

Though busy with the draft and analyzing the free agent market, Isiah was watching two soap operas unfold, ones that he had indirectly created.

It all started with a simple statement from Larry Brown this winter, when he stated coaching the NY Knicks would be his “dream job”. As this drama unfolded with everyone questioning Brown’s penchant for leaving teams at a whim, Thomas simply waited in the bushes while Brown and his former employers, the Pistons got into a pissing contest.

Ten days after he was fired by the Pistons, Brown would realize his “dream” and Thomas would have made his second biggest move since coming to New York. Hiring Brown brought up questions whether the new coach could coexist with Stephon Marbury, the All-Star Point Guard Isiah had acquired to be the face of the franchise.

No worry on anyone’s part, especially Thomas’ because another move he had put into play the previous off-season was working out to perfection.

I remember the first time I saw Jamal Crawford play. He was a freshman in a University of Michigan uniform. His ball-handling, speed and shooting confirmed that this guy was NBA material. Soon enough thereafter, Crawford had entered the draft and landed with the Chicago Bulls. The next year to further their youth movement, cleverly nicked “The Baby Bulls”, the team drafted high school early entry and Chicago native Eddy Curry.

Fast forward to the 2004 off-season and nearly everyone is lambasting Isiah for overpaying to acquire Jamal Crawford. On its own merit, the signing is not as bad as some have made it out; but coupled with getting Eddy Curry, the Crawford signing is simply pure genius.

The Eddy Curry signing can be broken down to this simple equation. If a close friend moves to a city and tells you life is lovely there, and you've been itching to move away from home – What do you do? You find a way to move there. I am not saying Bulls GM Paxson did not overplay his hand in dealing with Curry’s heart injury and contract negotiation. It’s just that he may have joined the card game a bit too late to know who was in cahoots with whom.

Thomas' moves are high risk, but at least he sees them developing for a long time and is not jumping into the fire without preparing himself. To further highlight his adeptness, he brings players and personnel who feel underappreciated; and want to play their hometown team, with their friends or for him, a Hall of Fame player who has won titles in college and the NBA.