There’s a reason why a wide majority of NBA teams have one guy to buy the groceries and one guy to cook the meal.

Did you watch the Knicks fall apart? Isiah Thomas only used an eight-man rotation in what’s essentially a meaningless game. He is playing to win every single game. Are you OK with that game plan?

Renaldo Balkman sat. Wilson Chandler sat. Randolph Morris sat.

We keep hearing about the promise these players hold, but they never seem to get off the bench. So how do they grow? It can’t be easy to evaluate their value based on practice time.

Does anybody see this being a conflict of interest?

Thomas is talking like he’ll survive this disaster, but he’s not coaching like he’ll stick around past April.

I don’t know whether the effort translated on television, but Eddy Curry was playing with a real agenda in the opening minutes last night against Charlotte.

He was clearly mad.

Did you see Curry go up and over Zach Randolph for the first rebound of the game? They were laughing about it at the other end. Did you see him block a couple of shots?

He was doing the dirty work.

And we all sat there wondering out loud why Curry isn’t playing like that every single minute he’s on the court. Then we remembered Curry isn’t exactly in top physical condition and he’s not likely to get there playing inconsistent minutes.

Shouldn’t anybody who’s considered part of the future be playing now?

“I want to find a rhythm before it’s over,” Curry said. “I want to find my rhythm and go into the summer having something to build on.”

So after shoot-around yesterday morning, he stayed behind and worked on fundamental post moves with Mark Aguirre and Herb Williams. It was a refresher course of sorts. They all spent a lot of time doing those drills last season, and the extra attention paid off.

“We’re trying to get back to the basics,” said Curry, who also took home a DVD containing some of his better days. “Coach has been working with me a lot, getting some reps and working on the fundamentals. I’m just trying to get comfortable.”

On the court, it’s been very difficult to find a rhythm. He only got three shots against the Bobcats and missed them all.

Until he gets righted, Curry is likely to face more pointed comments from the fans who still lament the loss of two lottery picks. Of course, the deal hasn’t exactly vaulted Chicago into the playoff race. It’s obvious the season has taken a toll on Curry.

“I only pay attention to what my teammates and coaches tell me,” he said. “So in that regard, I don’t get a lot of negativity from them. It keeps me focused. It keeps me grounded and it keeps me sane, really.”

Thomas gave the Knicks a day off. No practice. They flew to Atlanta this afternoon.

Mark Aguirre received permission to stay behind and watch his daughter, Angelei, play tonight in what could be her final high school game. I’ve watched her run a number of times. Very good player. Very nice person.

We’ve got some catching up to do.

The silent treatment is the result of me switching over to help cover the Section 1 high school basketball tournament in Westchester for a couple of days. I’m back in the loop, tonight, however.

It’s where players like Elton Brand, Ben Gordon, Mark Blount and Hilton Armstrong first stepped into the spotlight.

For some reason most of the people I’ve spoken with up there felt compelled to inform me they could no longer bring themselves to watch the Knicks.

I suppose that explains the declining MSG ratings.

Anyway, there was plenty of pregame entertainment here tonight when Isiah Thomas responded to a question about what he’s hoping to get from Nate Robinson going forward into a less-than-cryptic message.

“Going into next season, we’re still going to need another guard,” he said. “There’s certain things that Nate and Jamal are extremely good at, but to have them do it for 48 minutes a night, you still need a third guard to kind of come in and help with some ball-handling and do some other things. And Fred has done a good job. But we need to get better back there.â€?

Um, what about Stephon Marbury?

“Let’s talk about the Bobcats,” a nervous Thomas said. “Can I get a question about the Bobcats.”

Too late.

So, what about Marbury?

“Let’s discuss next year when this year is over,” Thomas said. “In the summer, all of you guys will be here and there’ll be plenty of time to talk about it. I’ll be around. You can ask and answer all those questions about next year. But right now, this year isn’t over for us by a long shot.â€?

Don’t get me started.

Since the Knicks are fast becoming head cases, I’m starting to believe a complete teardown will be necessary over the summer if they don’t rattle off a bunch of wins to close the season.

There won’t be anything left to believe in.

After last season, the Knicks went home thinking untimely injuries to Jamal Crawford, David Lee and Stephon Marbury derailed a playoff run. It doesn’t matter how realistic they were being, NBA players work harder in the summer when they are convinced a team is on the verge.

What have they got to go on this summer?

I mean, other than hope they might eventually be dealt to a team that is contending for a playoff spot.

Did anybody else take attendance?
I noticed Toronto was running with a guy from Italy,  a guy from Spain, a guy from Argentina, a guy from Slovenia, and the only American in the bunch spent six years playing overseas.

Let’s not accuse anyone of being narrow minded.

This is the organization that once provided opportunities for the likes of Mirsad Turkan, Fred Weis and Maciej Lampe, so it’s hard to blame anyone in this regime for staying a little closer to home. I just like the way most of the internationals up in Toronto play the game.

Isiah Thomas could use more players who pass and catch, and less players who dribble and shoot.

Not much about tonight’s game we haven’t been over before.

Jamal Crawford is beginning to find out what it’s like to be Stephon Marbury. He’s getting swarmed, which is why it’s not good when your leading scoring is your point guard. It makes the poor guy easier to defend. And you’ll notice Crawford is setting up shop behind the arc because it’s just easier. He’s 16 for 48 from long range over the last four games.

And if you’re wondering just how this rebuilding project can take so long, check out the photo of Knicks owner James Dolan on the homepage, helping out in New Orleans last weekend. Notice the little paint brush? Notice the big wall? Use a roller for crying out loud.

I’m not sure Isiah Thomas is being honest with Eddy Curry right now.

There’s a strong possibility the former centerpiece of the Knicks is no longer part of the game plan. Seriously. All of this talk about bad matchups comes up a little short.

It’s a convenient excuse.

“He’s definitely in our plans,” Thomas said after last night’s win over Toronto. “He’s a big part of our plans, but right now the matchups aren’t there.”

And we’re all supposed to believe there’s an issue with the quickness of the Raptors.

Here’s a little something to consider, Curry averaged 20 points and 7.3 rebounds over 35.7 minutes last season in four games against that lineup, which is not drastically different. The numbers would’ve been even more impressive except he did get into foul trouble in one game.

It’s more than matchups.

Curry is a little fragile. He’s got all kinds of potential, but needs to play a lot of minutes to maintain confidence and stamina. The short leash is only highlighting the flaws.

Based on the rotation, Thomas needs to win right now.

If the future really was a primary concern, he would be letting Curry work through some of these issues on the court. Wilson Chandler and Randolph Morris would also be getting a look.

Amazingly, the frustrated middleman still has a sense of humor about the situation.

Curry laughed when asked whether he was regretting not being dealt on Thursday, but it’s a topic he might want to revisit at some point in the future.

“You know what? No. I love it here,” Curry said. “They kept me here for a reason, and I’m going to keep playing hard and just do what I can to stay on the court.”

Curry is by no means faultless. He knows all of his shortcomings.

Maybe there are fences that need mending. I noticed last night when the Knicks came back out after halftime, it was Herb Williams pulling Curry aside to inform him of the lineup switch. It wasn’t a long discussion. Williams also spoke with David Lee.

I’m not sure how to interpret that scene.

Curry seemed incredulous for a moment, and went right back into the lay up line. Maybe there’s no room in this lineup for him anymore. At least that’s a valid arugment.

(AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

So for several minutes before the game, Isiah Thomas fielded all kinds of questions about what went on in the hours leading up to yesterday’s trade deadline.

It gets weirder and weirder.

Seriously. These are the kinds of comments that are difficult to follow up with an intelligent question because you’re so absolutely stunned at the words you’re scribbling into the notebook.

“I think the most important thing is we didn’t take a step back,” Thomas said. “We didn’t try to save the day with that one savior, bad contract that goes on for a lifetime. It’s a tough position that we’re in right now, but I still believe that we’re headed in the right direction.â€?

Swear to God.

Thomas is well known in this league for overpaying. Of course, he believes the Knicks only have one bad contract on the books right now—Stephon Marbury.

Really. I have that on my digital recorder, too.

“We only have one big contract,” Thomas said. “That’s Marbury’s contract. Zach’s contract for the way he produces, is justified and he’s played well for us. Other than that, mostly everyone else is in the $5 to $8 million range. And the players that are performing for us on a nightly basis, some of them aren’t even making $2 or $3 million.”

There’s a couple more, but that would be like piling on.

In case you were getting worried, Malik Rose made it up the driveway this morning.

And if you know what I’m talking about, you deserve some kind of award for paying close attention during a forgettable season. It sounds like everybody made it to shoot-around this morning. We’re not counting the writers, though.

I’m staying put for a couple of hours, then hopping a train down to MSG.

The comments yesterday were outstanding, every single one. What did we do before they invented blogs? I’m kind of interested to see how the Knicks respond now that they are past another trade deadline.

Will they play harder to save Isiah Thomas? They did just that early on last season before everybody broke down.

Will they give up the fight? Some of these guys are well beyond frustration. Some of these guys are getting angry.

Stay tuned.

And for the record, I’m not convinced Zach Randolph is the locker room cancer so many people who commented over the last couple of days believe he is.  I kind of like visiting with the guy. So do a majority of his teammates.  Heck, they still let him borrow hand lotion, so Randolph can’t be all bad.

On the court, they would like to slap him in the head at times.

It’s the same response they have when Jamal Crawford or Nate Robinson or Quentin Richardson put on the blinders and fire at will.

Zach Randolph can unpack those last few boxes, he’s stuck here.

They were definitely on the phone, but Knicks did not make a move before this afternoon’s deadline. I’m pretty sure the news will be met with mixed emotions in the locker room.

Now they can play out the string.

It sounds like Randolph was being shopped the hardest. The reports are all over cyberspace already. Milwaukee declined. Denver passed. The players coming back didn’t match the points and rebounds that Randolph contributes, and there was no significant cap relief involved, so it’s probably just as well.

So are you relieved Thomas was unable to pull something off? Maybe you are upset things will stay the same?

Keep the conversation going.

Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock.

With a couple of hours left to make a move, Isiah Thomas does not appear to be on the verge of another shakeup. It only takes one phone call to change everything, though. It’s hard to confirm any rumors at this point in the day since most team officials are busy talking with each other. Agents keep the phone close, too, monitoring proposals that relocate clients.

I’m going to be in front my computer all day, so if you’ve got a question, fire away.

Anybody who’s thinking 2010-11 is going to be a great season here in New York should be keeping an eye on what Cleveland does. LeBron James is getting impatient. Will the Cavaliers make something happen to pacify the anxious superstar? They might have to accept some bad contracts in that kind of a deal, which everyone here knows damages long-term prospects.

To help pass the hours and minutes, let’s have some fun.

Since we all know you can’t fire the team, let’s trade the coach. You can have any living coach for Thomas, who do you want?