Zach Randolph was the poster child for a dysfunctional team in Portland before he landed here. And the next piece of the puzzle has already been caught wide-eyed and open-mouthed a number of times.

What did he think of the fans calling for Isiah Thomas’ job last week?

“I ain’t never heard anything like that before,” Randolph said.

 And what about the 45-point loss in Boston?

“I ain’t never seen anything like it,” Randolph said. “Never in my career.”

That cannot be a good sign for this franchise, which is close to setting new lows in terms of credibility with the fans. I’m certain it was a restless night for everyone involved. There is no shoot-around this morning, which is standard in a back-to-back situation. We don’t get to speak with anyone face-to-face until the locker room opens at 6 p.m.

Isiah Thomas will be surrounded by reporters at that point, too.

So what happens next?

I know a lot of people want to see Thomas in the rear view mirror, but emotional decisions are rarely sound. Remember, the Knicks haven’t posted a winning record in any of the last six long seasons. Patience is understandably short. The roster has already been made over numerous times, and there is a fair amount of talent here.

But the players seem to be uncomfortable with the whole mess.

Here’s what I’m wondering, is now a good time for Wile E. Coyote to be summoned? He’s a demolition expert. For some reason, the powers that be at MSG have always been convinced that rebuilding will not work in New York, so I’d like to know whether you have the stomach for a five-year plan.

Thomas is not wrong. He’s noted several times in the last week any major changes to the roster or leadership of the Knicks will result in a longer wait for respectability.

Do you have any patience left? 

The players need a swift kick.

And there are some options here that will get everyone’s attention. James Dolan could fire Thomas and trade Stephon Marbury. He could also violate the media policy and state publicly Thomas is under contract for three more seasons regardless of what happens. At least it would put the locker room on alert.

Lastly, in case it wasn’t obvious, here’s what the Celtics have over the Knicks aside from actual talent.

“We don’t need to be motivated,” Paul Pierce said. “We’re a self-motivated team.”

I think Isiah Thomas is going to fire Dick Helm again.

Holy crap!

So the Knicks finally wind up on national television and they come down with a severe case of stage fright. It had to be killing James Dolan to hear exiled Knicks voice Marv Albert trumpeting a complete embarrassment.

Will it get a reaction?

“Patrick Ewing is rolling over in his grave,� Charles Barkley said at halftime.

I have never seen a broadcast where they ditched the play-by-play and let the studio talent lob one-liners.

“He’s about as safe as me in a room full of cookies,� Barkley said when the increasingly tenuous future of Isiah Thomas was introduced to the conversation. “If they lose tomorrow, I think he will get fired.�

Something needs to happen.

Even if the Knicks survive Milwaukee tomorrow at MSG, somebody needs to go. And it doesn’t have to be Thomas.

Pick a starter, and make any deal.

There is a serious problem when the only thing separating a group that includes five guys who are each capable of scoring 20 on a whim from the most futile game in franchise history is a half-court fling by Nate Robinson.

Eddy Curry and Zach Randolph were dead ends from the jump.

And it sure looks as though Stephon Marbury is back to working off a different game plan. I just don’t see the Knicks staying with the game plan more than a couple of minutes anymore when things get difficult.

Stay tuned. The downward spiral is again picking up momentum.

From a fan’s standpoint, I’m hoping the Knicks and Celtics duplicate the kind of intensity they showed in the preseason when they collided at Madison Square Garden.

And then I hope somebody gets knocked down.

It would be great to see a lot of jawing and pointing. No fists, please. Let the animosity build over three upcoming matchups, then bring it all together for a showdown in the playoffs.

How cool would that be?

There’s a lot of wishful thinking in there, but the NBA could use a rebirth of the Knicks-Celtics rivalry. And it takes more than geography to make it work. A solid rivalry needs a little postseason history, so the Knicks better pick up the pace.

I loved what Quentin Richardson threw out there yesterday after practice.

“We’re not in awe of them,” he said. “They ain’t won no championships.”

Now he’s got to chase Paul Pierce around tonight and make the words stick. I doubt Kevin Garnett or anybody in a Celtics uniform is quivering over the Knicks coming in for a visit with a two-game winning streak in tow.

This isn’t a team known for handling prosperity with care.

Here’s a couple of things I think need to happen if the Knicks are going to be close down the stretch:

1. Eddy Curry has to have a big game against Kendrick Perkins, who didn’t play in that final preseason game. It would also help if Curry blocked a couple of shots, because Rajon Rondo, Pierce and Garnett will get to the rim. Curry seems to have a little more interest defensively. “If that happens for us, then I think we take another step in this league,” Isiah Thomas said. “Particularly in the East, if he can control the paint the way he controlled it the other night defensively, that definitely puts us at another level.”


2. Ray Allen has to be met with brute force. I wouldn’t change the starting lineup, but I wouldn’t hesitate making a quick substitution to match up Richardson with Allen in the backcourt. Jared Jeffries and Renaldo Balkman can stay within a step of Pierce up front. The score has to stay in the 90s, and when Allen gets 20 points the Celtics are destined for triple digits.


3. Zach Randolph needs at least a dozen boards. He needs to spend the night boxing out Boston and preventing second chances. Add maybe 14 or 15 points and it’s a great night for him.


4. Jamal Crawford must fill in the blanks. If the Knicks are getting production elsewhere he needs to keep feeding the obvious sources to make sure the offense flows. If they are struggling, he needs to get involved first by attacking the basket and then by dropping in from long range. And it wouldn’t hurt to come up with a couple of steals to keep runs intact.

A couple of people here commented on The New York Observer article, which is a reasonable description of what it’s like to cover the beat.

No other team seeks to control the flow of news like the Knicks.

And that’s all on James Dolan, who’s got a small army of public relations officials at his disposal. It’s overkill for a man who goes to great lengths to make everyone believe he doesn’t care what’s in the papers.

Even so, I can’t believe a news organization would invest that much time and space on a story few people care about.

The writer never introduced himself to me, and quite frankly, I’m glad. Covering the Knicks for a decade has never made me miserable. Sleep deprived, maybe. Grumpy, yes. Cynical, without a doubt.

But if you want to know the absolute truth, nobody in this line of work should ever complain publicly about the job. I know all of the writers quoted were objecting to questionable treatment by an organization that barely meets league standards, but that’s not how anybody who punches a time clock reads it.

We go to basketball games, sit in the front row, and get paid. As one former colleague on this beat said to me via e-mail today, ”… maybe we ought to spend a month in Fallujah.”

Really, it’s not a bad gig.

Now some people out there believe it’s far more glamorous than it really is. The constant travel is physically and mentally draining. Finding new ways to describe the lunacy on and off the court is trying, as well. Our time with family and friends is often cut short because we’re on call 24/7. But do any of you really care?

I hope not.

As for the posts I’ve been reading all day knocking certain beat writers, know this, the guys quoted in the story are all top-shelf human beings. I’ve shared many meals with all of them and will happily continue to do so. Each of us on the Knicks beat employs a unique approach. We all have different styles, and our respective papers often dictate how a story is reported and written. The universal goal is to provide answers. When things aren’t going well, the questions are noticeably tougher.

We’re not picking on anybody. That’s how it works. When Isiah Thomas pours millions and millions of dollars into a team that hasn’t produced a winning season in four years, and people are spending hundreds upon hundreds to come and watch, or investing hours and hours of limited free time in front of the flatscreen, shouldn’t he be forced to explain?

Absolutely.

Nobody is here to fly a Knicks flag. And when somebody appears to promote any kind of agenda, the other beat writers are the first to voice an objection. It never fails.

And eventually, we move on.

So that’s my take. Pardon the rambling. Now get on with your lives. This issue really isn’t that important.

David Lee never complains on the record, so when a swarm of television cameras and radio mics jumped in after I started asking questions this afternoon, I knew where the interview was going.

He said all of the right things.

And really, even if the horde went elsewhere, I suspect Lee would’ve been just as positive. He knows it makes no sense to whine about playing time in the middle of a winning streak. Even if it is only two games long.

Here’s the interview …

Q: Are you affected by the reduced minutes?

DL: “Well, I mean, we’ve got two big guys in front of me who are playing real good ball right now. Zach is playing tremendous, and Eddy, of course, is going to be a centerpiece for us. It’s something I’ll have to accept. I’ll have my opportunities. We haven’t had any games where either of those guys have gotten into foul trouble or anything like that. Everybody has their off games. It’s not anything I’m too worried about. I just have to do the best I can while I’m in there.”

Q: Does it help that you’ve been dealing with this situation since you got here?

DL: “Yeah, it’s not like I’ve played 35 minutes since I’ve been here and all of the sudden my minutes have dropped this year and I’m wondering why. I feel like I’m playing good ball and I’m contributing when I’m out there. My numbers are only a little bit less than last year, like two points and two rebounds less. It’s something I’ve got to accept. We’ve won these last two games, and hopefully we’ll win a lot more as the season goes on.”

Q: What about your field goal percentage (.500)?

DL: “I guess right now it’s about 50 percent. Last year, it was higher. I had a couple I should’ve finished, but those things come and go. I might have a couple of games where I don’t miss a shot and a couple where you don’t finish as many as you want to. Like I said, it’s an adjustment I have to make right now playing a couple less minutes, and if it helps us win, fine.”

Q: How do you handle a limited window in terms of playing time? Do you try harder? Let the game come to you?

DL: “All I can really do is play the way I know how to play regardless of how many minutes I think I’m going to get. I haven’t thought too much about it. I just try to go out there and play my game.”

I forgot to inquire about the leg injury, but we haven’t seen any signs of a lingering issue. There’s no bucket of ice or huge ice wrap after games. He’s still pogo-stick fast off the floor. Sometimes, the hands seem to be a little clumsier.

As for slowing down to force a trade, that’s a backwards approach. He is an energy player. Those guys have to go full speed all of the time or they won’t find minutes on any team.

So there you have it.

We’ll do more on Boston tomorrow, but here’s my favorite quote of the day. I keep hearing about the Celtics having no depth. Heck, I’ve written it myself. So I asked Isiah Thomas whether it really matters whether Boston is weak 4 through 12.

“It’s funny, the Celtics have always had a lack of depth,” he said. “I remember when we were coming up you had to beat Parish, Bird, McHale and those guys. And you always said, ‘Boy, if we could ever get to Greg Kite, we’ll be OK,’ but we never managed to get to Greg Kite. You always saw those three guys.”

So the Knicks are getting taped up and stretched out right now, getting ready for practice following a day off.

It seems a little unusual that Isiah Thomas allowed the day of rest. He often practiced after back-to-back sets early on last season, but with the heavy minutes the starters are piling up right now, more time off is required.

Spent most of my down time being lazy except for a couple of chores around the house. I did happen to see half a dozen replays of Eddy Curry blocking Deron Williams.

Why is the knockdown such a surprise?

“I don’t know, man,” Curry said. “That’s not the first block of my career.”

Honestly, it’s because he was only a role player in the biggest win of the season. And here’s the good new on that front, the forever developing middleman was looking to make a little noise. Maybe he is no longer happy about being a shrinking violet.

“Definitely,” Curry said. “I wasn’t able to really leave my mark on the game on offense, so I just wanted to somehow, someway get something going on the defensive end. Plays like that really get me amped up and gets the team going and it feels good.”

More coming after practice. Check back.

I’m going back to bed as soon as the kids climb on the school bus this morning, so here’s a little something to get everybody started …

First of all, Utah was playing a back-to-back. Secondly, the Knicks were lucky Zach Randolph was standing in exactly the right place at exactly the right time. Calm down. I’m just kidding. There’s no way to water down this win.

It was a big deal all things considered.

“This is the Utah Jazz,” Zach Randolph said. “They’re going to be in the playoffs. They got All-Star players on that team, so it’s a good win. It’s one we gotta build on so we don’t take a step back.”

Can I get an Amen?

Stephon Marbury was living a flashback, cranking out some unbelievable RPMs on the way down the lane. He refused to draw a line between what happened two weeks ago in Phoenix and this outburst.

No surprise there.

“I just did what I normally do when I’m playing my game,” he said. “I have the ball more. That’s pretty much it. When I have the ball more I’m able to create and make plays and get into a nice flow.”

The best comment was a completely unsolicited remark from Jazz backup Jason Hart, who leaned over and spoke up with eight minutes to play.

“You have to respect him right now,” Hart said. “Every point guard in the NBA knows he’s still a (two-word expletive).”

Back later with more unless I get hot on Guitar Hero.

Or the blog goes down …

Jerome James was scheduled to be re-evaluated before the game. I know everyone is waiting anxiously to hear whether he’s on the way back. Or not.

We talked about turnovers with Zach Randolph for a minute. He’s committed 17 miscues in the last three games, and some of them look really careless.

“I’ve been turning the ball over a lot,” Randolph said. “It’s just (a matter of) being strong with it, taking care of it because I know they’re coming to double team. They’re looking to drop down on me, so I’ve got to make my move faster, just hold onto the ball and be precise about my passes.”

The lineup remains unchanged.

Stephon Marbury will be shadowing Deron Williams.

I suppose everybody can exhale.

Still, let’s not go jumping up and down until the Knicks beat a good team. The bucket of cold water comes with apologies, but Chicago is playing worse right now than any team I’ve seen all season. Neither team got any style points this afternoon. It was ugly.

But a win is a win. I know. So does Eddy Curry, who had more room to roam with Zach Randolph setting up nearby.

“Last year when we played them in Chicago, they were all over the place and wouldn’t even let me get touches,” Curry said. “Today, I was kind of expecting the same thing, but they weren’t able to do it. I think with the addition of Zach, they gotta pay attention to both of us, they can’t just shut one of us out of the game.”

Quentin Richardson latched onto a lot of big rebounds. Now you see why he’s starting. He’s still hurting because of the elbow, but does so many other things besides shoot, kind of like a crafty Larry Johnson did all those years ago when the Knicks were considered a winner.

It was strange to hear the crowd boo Stephon Marbury one minute and cheer him the next. This was his best game since the sudden departure in Phoenix.

David Lee had the best take on that situation.

“What happened a week or two ago, fans have an opinion on that, I guess,” he said. “But Steph’s done a good job of staying focused and he’s a tough-minded guy, a guy who’s been through a lot, so this isn’t his first rodeo when it comes to this stuff. I know he told us, don’t worry about it, I’m going to keep playing through it, and he’s done a great job for us.”

Jamal Crawford was awfully quiet, six points and four assists. It was his best defensive game of the season, though. He actually went around the top of several screens.

When these teams get together, the Knicks will always win if Marbury and Crawford outplay Ben Gordon and Kirk Hinrich. Look at the numbers. Marbury and Crawford teamed up for 25 points and eight assists while Gordon and Hinrich went for 24 points and five assists.

Now, with that done, allow me to obsess on something Thomas came up with during the pregame chat with the media. He needs to be careful about offending diehards in these parts who are up on their Knicks history.

Let me know how you read this quote …

“This is the toughest place to win and the toughest place to coach and the toughest place to play,” Thomas said. “This is the ultimate test of who you are and what you’re about. That’s why people come here to try to pass the test of winning in New York. A lot of people have failed. I think there’s only been one coach to win the championship here. There’s been a lot of failures, but this is where you come to get tested. So here we are and my job is to try to survive this test.”

So is he calling Pat Riley a failure? What about Jeff Van Gundy? They won in New York. And by those standards, is he labeling his own tenure at Indiana a failure?

It shouldn’t be a big deal, I know, but it sounded a little awkward.

I took a vacation day to hang out at home with the kids and put up the Christmas tree. Blogging about this team would have certainly ruined the mood.

But here we are.

The Knicks are catching another break this afternoon, no Luol Deng for the Bulls.

Or maybe that’s not a good sign. They were able to avoid Dwyane Wade, Elton Brand and Mike Bibby as well, but lost all three of those games.

Most of the pregame conversation with Isiah Thomas centered on whether a public vote of confidence from ownership would end the speculation about his future and send a message to the locker room about who’s in charge of this mess.

Here’s a sample of the circuitous answer …

“For us internally, we all understand exactly where we are, players and coaches and management and ownership,” Thomas said. “We can’t control the speculation that’s outside of the house. But inside of the house we all know where we’re at and know what we’re doing. It’s still early in the season and there’s a lot of
basketball left to be played. We can’t get distracted and lose focus on the opponent, and start trying to calm or answer questions that we shouldn’t necessarily have to answer right now.�

So is creating a problem?

“I don’t know if they’ve been distracted by it, but the noise is loud,” Thomas said. “But I don ‘t know if it’s a distraction.”

Can’t wait to see the fan reaction. With this being a matinee, there will be lots of kids here. So if the boos are loud and constant, there’s a big problem.