Larry Brown is undoubtedly one of the great basketball minds in the history of the game, but the situation in New York is out of his hands.
Brown is a Hall of Famer and fourth all-time in coaching victories. When he jumped ship in Detroit after an NBA title and consecutive Eastern conference championships, he was expected to be the Knicks' savior.
But New York, as it stands, is tied for the worst record in the NBA.
Look beyond Brown when evaluating the woeful Knicks. While he has had the Midas touch his entire career, turning around troubled franchises, New York general manager Isiah Thomas has a history of leaving them in ruins.
As an executive, he never improved Toronto. As a coach, he took Indiana from a title contender into mediocrity. And, as an owner, he ran the 55-year-old CBA into bankruptcy.
Larry Bird knew what he was doing when his first act as president of basketball operations for the Indiana Pacers was to fire Thomas.
Maybe it's time for the Knicks to follow suit. Thomas can't blame the coach this time. After all, Brown did take the Clippers to the playoffs.
