A little more fan reaction
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- April
- 2
Here’s what I like about Donnie Walsh, he is completely unrehearsed.
And so I just spent a solid hour transcribing each and every word uttered at today’s proceedings. I didn’t want to overlook anything. There’s no way all 6,000 words are going to fit into the paper.
My favorite quote came when Walsh was asked about coming home to accept what seems to be an impossible job.
“I’ll be honest,” he said. “I don’t know why I did it, but I really want to do it.”
Second thoughts? Nah. He seems genuinely excited to have his hands on the pulse of an NBA franchise. There are no marketing or community relations issues to deal with. It’s just basketball now.
Walsh is hoping to have that conversation with Isiah Thomas in the coming days, but indicated there is no timetable for a decision. And he’s not afraid to make an unpopular decision. Don’t forget, he drafted Reggie Miller over Steve Alford, which is akin to stabbing a Hoosier in the heart.
Anyway, here’s a couple of reactions from around the league:
“I am pleased for both the Knicks and Donnie Walsh. In Donnie, the Knicks have secured the services of a seasoned basketball professional who is held in high regard throughout the league and to whom I have often turned for input on basketball matters over the years. Donnie, in turn, is joining one of our storied franchises, whose team and arena are rich in NBA tradition, and he gets to return to his hometown and a metropolitan area that many of his family members call home.”—NBA commissioner David Stern
“The Indiana Pacers offer Donnie Walsh congratulations and wish him good luck in his new position. The Knicks have a good man whose dedication to his job is unmatched. I have learned a great deal from Donnie and he’s not only a role model but a great friend. Given time, there’s no doubt in my mind Donnie will bring success to the Knicks much like he did with the Pacers. On behalf of the entire Pacers organization, we wish him the best of luck.”—Pacers team president Larry Bird
This entry was posted
on Wednesday, April 2nd, 2008 at 5:53 pm by Mike Dougherty.
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Classy words from Bird. I wonder how this is going to go. I was genuinely excited when Thomas was hired to take over for Layden. I look back on that and laugh a little.
So far so good, but there is still a lot of work to be done. I’m happy with this move and I’ll give him his fair shot as I would anyone else, but naturally, I’m going to be a bit defensive/critical of each move he makes because I was foolishly ecstatic with each move Isiah made.
Save us, Donnie Walsh.
In Stern we trust.
So far so good. I’m giving this guy at least a year and see what he does. It would be cool if he can start a true rebuilding program and it would be even cooler if the fans can actually buy into a rebuilding program. I know we’ll all say we’re fine with a rebuilding program but it’ll be interesting to see if that turns out to actually be true. If the record is the same this time next year, but the knicks have gotten rid of some of the dead wood, will fans be patient or will they be screaming for Walsh’s head?
I really hope we get D Rose.
P.S. for those who read multiple blogs, sorry for the cross post.
I’m not so excitied about the hire. I think something clearly needed to done in terms of a move but I am not sure if D-Walsh is the answer. Time will tell though.
I have been a Zeke supporter from day one and will always be a fan of Isiah. Better to fail then not try at all, I guess.
Something needed to be done with the NYK, but I reserve judgement on this particular move as I still think that Walsh is too old for the task at hand. If he brings in a younger GM, runs a tight ship, providing a LOT of input at first, with the goal of insuring that the NYK are on the road to recovery in 2-3 years, he can retire and turn the reins over in a few years. There are many good assistant front office people who could come under Walsh’s wing, but we will se how that goes. There will be much to discuss as time goes on. We have a long way to go.
As for Isiah. I think that it is pathetic for him to say that he wants to continue to work for the NYK in any capacity. I was also a big fan of his when he first came here. He has been a complete disappointment. I now see that he was in WAY over his head. Because of that the NYK have become a complete train wreck that will take years to fix. If this was 4 years ago, Isiah would have been a good candiate to work under a Walsh and learn how to be a GM. Too late for that now. At this point the best thing that he could do for the NYK is to be working on his resignation letter. Goodbye and good luck to him. Perhaps he can give the college ranks a try.
A lot of folks I know never liked the Isiah hire. My brother said, prophetically, “He’s got an eye for finding players, he just puts together ***tty teams”. I was excited about Isiah and I defended him. His quick trigger was an answer to the stagnation of the Layden years. I supported him through Steve Francis and Zach Randolph, though, I was slow to understand the cap ramifications. I became livid when the sexual harassment suit came to light. I realized that under that smile was not necessarily a person capable of leading an organization. His deteriorating relationship with Marbury and his alienation of the rest of the team this fall sealed the deal in my eyes. So here I am writing a post mordem, however, he’s still here. His toxic presence will hurt the franchise if he is allowed to remain. Walsh seems like a patient, thoughtful person. How he handles the Isiah situation going forward will be his first major test.