OFFICIAL NEW YORK KNICKS OFFSEASON THREAD: TRAINING CAMP

[h1]After leaving Pacers, appears Donnie Walsh set to join Knicks[/h1]
By FRANK ISOLA
DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER

In the end, Donnie Walsh didn't want to step on Larry Bird's toes. But who's to say he'd be willing to trample on Isiah Thomas'?

Walsh, the Indiana Pacers' CEO, announced Monday that he isleaving the organization at the end of the season, a development that could put him in line to join the Knicks. As recently as late Saturday night, Pacers officials had told the DailyNews that Walsh was leaning toward remaining with the franchise.

But Monday, Walsh attended a press conference in with Bird, the Pacers' president, and co-owner Herb Simon to essentially announce that he is a free agent.

After Monday night's 106-91 loss to the Nets, the Knicks wouldnot confirm reports that Walsh was expected to sign a three-year, $15 million contract with the club. A person close to Walsh said he expected a deal to befinalized soon. The source said Walsh was hoping that an announcement could be put off until the end of the season, but with the news leaking out, the Knickscould be forced to announce his hiring soon.

"As far as what I'm going to do (overall), I'm not sure," the 67-year-old Walsh said yesterday. "As a result, I'm not going tocomment on it until I have a better idea."

Walsh met with Knicks officials two weeks ago in Indianapolis and remainsthe only confirmed candidate to be contacted by Garden chairman James Dolan. IfWalsh is hired to replace Thomas as Knicks' president and brings in a new GM - former Sixer GM Billy King or the Nuggets' Mark Warkentien, forexample - logic dictates that Walsh also would want to hire a new coach. But Dolan has not always used logic when making major decisions, as evidenced by thefact Thomas is still working at the Garden. Also, Walsh has a good working relationship with Thomas, having given him his first head coaching job, with thePacers.

The Daily News reported last month that the Knicks had contacted KikiVandeweghe, currently in the Nets' front office, and that Dolan was hoping to have Vandeweghe run the front office and keep Thomas as coach. Both theKnicks and Vandeweghe have denied meeting.

The Knicks also have refused to discuss Thomas' future. Although the team has fallen apart under his watch, Thomas continues to talk as if he will beback with the club next season in some capacity, which would be unpopular with fans. It also would potentially undermine Walsh, because such an arrangementwould mean that Dolan was still calling the shots.

Monday night, Thomas praised Walsh as "one of the best who has ever done it," but would not address Walsh's future or his own.

"I don't have an answer to your inappropriate question," Thomas said. "I don't comment on my job status. And I'm sure not togoing to comment on anything Donnie chooses to do or not do."

Coincidentally, one of the coaching candidates, one with a long history with Walsh, was at the Garden last night. Mark Jackson, who currently is a broadcaster for the YES Network,expertly tip-toed around questions concerning his interest in guiding the Knicks. Jackson did say that Walsh and former Garden president Dave Checketts were the best basketball minds he has ever worked for. He alsoadmitted that as a former Knick, he was upset over the .current state of the franchise.

"It's disappointing to watch where they are right now," said Jackson, who witnessed the bizarre culture of the Garden firsthand as aKnicks' media official listened in on his interview.

Walsh was said to be pushing for Jackson to coach the Pacers before Larry Bird hired Jim O'Brien. Walsh eventually said he was stepping down from his position, only to drop hints that he was not prepared to retire.

Other possible Knick coaching candidates include former Bulls coachScott Skiles and current Celtics assistant Tom Thibodeau.

On Friday, Walsh met for eight hours with the Pacers' owners, Simon and his brother Mel. The Simons were trying to convince Walsh to stay, but the onestumbling block was the future of Bird, the Indiana icon who has taken much of the criticism for the Pacers failing on the court and .behaving badly offit.

Walsh, the Bronx product, eventually decided that it was only fair to give Birda real chance to prove himself rather than the two working in tandem.

"My real reason is, I think I've been here too long," Walsh, who has been in the Pacers' front office since 1986, said Monday."It's not healthy for the franchise. I started thinking that the last two or three years. But you also want to see things get better."
 
Originally Posted by HarlemToTheBronx

GR8, If you're reading this, we need one of your essays.
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iight man i just got back to this and im pretty tired so i will just make it short right now... or at least i will try to.
So ill start off with a ? itsays we will get him as head of bball operations, what exactly does that mean? is that like the GM? does this guarentee that Zeke will get the boot and if sowill he finish out the season?

ut either way if it is that he will replace Isiah it is a great move IMO, Walsh knows what he is doing and he is passionate about NY. He is a great drafter andhas always made the right moves in his career. Every time when it seems like he makes a risky moves it turns out good for them, just look bak at as much as ihate to say it but Drafting Reggie. He was supposed to go later and the dude that they were supposed to take was a huge bust, and trading longtime Pacer DaleDavis for JO was great as well. I mean i personally would rather Jerry West, and i have to admit that is not solely because i feel West is better bball wisebut mainly because i feel a little weird about our GM being the guy that ran the Pacers for the last 20 years and also the guy who drafted Reggie who i %@!%+%+hate with every ounce of my heart
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But this will surely be a upgrade over Isiah and i believe his 3 yr 15 mil is less $ and less years than that ******ed extension we gave Zeke, and the othergood news is that Walsh is tight with ma boi Mark Jackson being they are both NYC kids and Jackson played with the Pacers, and it was believed wherever Walshwent Jackson would be hired, so look out for my boi Mark Jackson to be our next HC
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Amyway outside of the big time Walsh move which i love, i am actually pissed we lost to NJ i wanted to sweep those *+%%%#@ this year. it is really pathetic,watching parts of the game the day after i have watched 4 straiight days of the NCAA tourny. it is weird because you always know the Knicks play with nopassion and whatever, but watching it after watching these college kids play their hearts out for 4 days straight was really like wow. i mean like reallypathetic, you can tell we were just half assing the whole %@!%+%+ day, really i only saw David Lee and Chandler going at full speed. Did anybody else get thatfeeling where youu were just like wow, are we always this bad?

and Derrick Rose needs to come to NY end of story. i have been a little iiffy on him in the past, not really but ive hd my doubts in him. but watching him playmore reccently just as me knowing he will be a franchise PG. i agree that the only other position we should take over him would be a franchise center but thereare none so lets go with the point guard. i think we are set at PF with David Lee and chandler can hold down the 3 (at least until we get Bron
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) but we need Rose. He has great size great athletisism, he play great D, andhe got skills. not onlywill he be one of the most athletic PGs for years to come (the quickest and most overall athletic for a pg), but because of that he willkeep up with everyone and it will be tough to keep up with him, he will be alockdown defender, and the man has got skills. His scoring will improve but itsgood already. im telling you this man will rack up tripple doubles. I mean he will be a great player, i am just truly seeing it now, but i am telling youderrick rose will be great. i mean i know its tough to turn down the obvious best player in the draft in Beasley if we get #1 and Beasley will be tremendous, ahuge scorer and rebounder and im not necessarily syaing we should turn him down, but derrick Rose will be a franchise guy and he would be great running thefloor with Bron and i can see him leading our future. He can play. Derrick rose should be our man right now. We NEED that #1 or #2 pick, just lie last yearitsall about 1 or 2. just like it was Oden/Durant we want Beasley/Rose, but Rose is that dude.
 
so i will just make it short right now... or at least i will try to.
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Yes, Derrick Rose is a franchise player. Glad yall see it
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He can be incredible.

Most athletic PG I have ever seen. And he gets it, he's unselfish, a play maker, his jumper will come.

If God made a Point Guard, his name would be Derrick Rose.
 
with the hiring of walsh...thomas better be out soon...ill only give him half a peace sign as he goes on his way
 
I still dont get it does this mean that Walsh is our new GM? Is Isiah automatically out at the end of the season? And if Isiah does leave will Walsh be the GMor will he hire a new one?

BRING IN MARK JACKSON DONNIE!!!!

dude will develop D Rose into superstardom in no time, but i think Donnie will bring him in. They are very tight and i kept hearing that if Walsh were to go tothe Knicks he would most likely take Jackson as his coach...

man if we get D Rose and Jackson i will actually be excited for our future. D rose is the TRUTH
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EDIT: i dont want to speak too soon but i have been wondering, if Rose comes will he be able to wear #23 cause i dont know if a guy with Q rich's ego willhand his number that he has worn for his whole career over to a rookie just like that, which is OK cause i would rather our franchise guy not wear Jordan's#, being on our team he should start a new legacy... unless its Bron rocking the 23.

And what about Beasley i mean King's #30 SHOULD be hung up... than again show should Starks #3 and Oak's #34... now our 2 most scrutinized players wearthem and with Marbury's lost passion he is the opposite of Stark's enormous passion for the game and our city in general, and fat !## rocking Oak's# disgraces all of Oak's husstle and hard work. Curry is truly the exact opposite of Oak.
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Originally Posted by allen3xis

If any team had Bron and Rose

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May lord have mercy on the rest of the league

If I was a defender and I saw them two coming down on a fastbreak....

I would just start walking the other way.....

Cause either of them will not hesistate to punch on you....
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Just thought i would post this quote from the NY post...

If Walsh comes in, former Knick and Pacer Mark Jackson and former Pacers coach Rick Carlisle could emerge as coaching candidates.
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As yall know Mark Jackson is ma boi and i would mostly want him to be our net coach. I dont care that he doesnt have experience, he is a smart guy and a lifetime NYer that will bring fire right away and his experience issues would be resolved in his first 2 seasons where we might not be as good.

But i would take Carsile in a heart beat as well. He followed up isiah in Indiana and did a great job and is a great coach. He led them to the NBA's bestrecord in 04, and in 05 even with all their supensions and $%!$ he still led them to the playoffs, and that team had less talent than the Knicks did. (I meanif i remember properly Fred Jones was their leading scorer in that span he is a bench player for us).
 
But wasn't Donnie Walsh the one who hired Isiah as a coach for the Pacers? I don't know but call me crazy but it seems like both Isiah and Dolan agreedon brining in Walsh, so that should tell you Isiah might be involved with the Knicks for awhile.
 
Originally Posted by THE GR8

EDIT: i dont want to speak too soon but i have been wondering, if Rose comes will he be able to wear #23 cause i dont know if a guy with Q rich's ego will hand his number that he has worn for his whole career over to a rookie just like that, which is OK cause i would rather our franchise guy not wear Jordan's #, being on our team he should start a new legacy... unless its Bron rocking the 23.

Rose would probably wear #25, since that's what he wore in high school, and has said the reason he wears #23 for Memphis is that it's the closestto #25, since both #24 (Keith Law) and #25 (Anfernee Hardaway) are both retired jerseys/numbers.
 
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