Knick Knacks

Steam from the Garden? Or a Maverick replacement?

Back before Isiah Thomas started loading up on big men, then doing a 180 and proclaiming that NBA basketball had become a "small man's game," he vowed during his first training camp with the Knicks to build a team that would make "steam [come] off the Garden."

He intended to build an East Coast version of the Phoenix Suns _ before deciding to build a '70s-'80s throwback team loaded with big bodies.

Well now, in the wake of Phoenix's five-game first-round meltdown against San Antonio and an SI.com report that Mike D'Antoni will pay for it with his job, Donnie Walsh could have a chance to do what Isiah originally wanted to by jumping on D'Antoni first chance he gets, if his Suns' counterpart Steve Kerr gives his coach the Isiah treatment and eats the two years and $8.5 million left on D'Antoni's contract.

Or Walsh could give Avery Johnson a go, after Dallas' second straight one-and-done postseason cost him his job Wednesday afternoon.

Larry vs. his Evil Empire

Tuesday's official appointment of Larry Brown as Charlotte's new coach (that's now nine of the NBA's 30 to employ him, plus Kansas and UCLA, and the ABA's Carolina Cougars) got us thinking about next season's playoff race and whether it, at some point, might come down to Larry's team vs. Mark Jackson's team.

Or maybe Tom Thibodeau's team. Or Herb Williams'. Or the team of someone Donnie Walsh snatches from this year's playoff scrap heap.

Anyhow, when you're talking playoff possibilities for teams that didn't make it the season before, there's a standard formula: Which team in the current playoffs are the teams that are watching at home going to replace?

A spinning carousel _ and Riles is getting off

Donnie Walsh's quest for a new head coach grows curioser and curioser by the day in the Knicks' Wonderland, with a variety of possible developments potentially creating a domino effect that could either draw the process to a quick close or drag it out.

Let's first note that Pat Riley announced he's done coaching the Heat at a Monday afternoon news conference _ not via fax.

That's big of him.

He named 37-yeard-old Erik Spoelstra as his replacement _ and, no, he isn't coming back to New York. Why would he when he can still play team president with a healthy Dwyane Wade (let's hope the talk about D-Wade dating Star Jones, who's 20 years older, is just tabloid pap before we wretch), plus Shawn Marion, Udonis Haslem and a lottery pick to get the Heat back in the postseason next year?

Now, Mark Jackson.

Hello, Larry

While we wait to see what's up with Mark Jackson and Donnie Walsh, two pieces of news that shouldn't be surprising.

According to the San Jose Mercury News, Stanford has put out feelers to Larry Brown about its head-coaching vacancy.

This came before the 76ers officially announced Brown's resignation Thursday as their executive vice president _ with a statement from general manager Ed Stefanski suggesting Brown is after a coaching job again.

Brown, remember, was hired by the GM Stefanski replaced, Billy King, so this parting was only a matter of time.

Herb, no Peaches

To those who've asked for an assessment of Herb Williams' candidacy to get the Knicks' coaching job for real (instead of pictures of Marky Maypo), we'll oblige with things on hold until Mark Jackson sits down with Donnie Walsh.

Let's just say, for starters, Herb's in the mix, but not a main ingredient at this point, pending what happens with Jackson when he interviews.

In retrospect, he should've gotten the job when Isiah instead fell in love with Larry Brown, then should have gotten it again when Isiah fell in hate with Larry.

Those probably were his best chances.

Let it go

Isiah Thomas isn't the Knicks' president or coach any more.

Jeff Van Gundy isn't coming.

Let's move on.

There's this incredible ... it isn't even worth calling a "debate" about what Thomas' role will be, whether he can call and talk to players, whether he'll have to decide between brown and yellow mustard when he's sent out for sandwiches.

And in the inetrest of full disclosure, we actually engaged Isiah in a mustard-ketchup debate not long ago.

Hail the Ketchup Advisory Board.

To which we refer you to: http://prairiehome.publicradio.org/programs/2007/05/12/scripts/ketchup.shtml

Slow down the coaching carousel

Monday, Herb Williams interviewed for the job he probably should've gotten before the Knicks hired Larry Brown. Or after they fired him.

Later this week, Mark Jackson should get his chance to keep from talking himself out of a job that seems his to lose.

Scott Skiles, meanwhile, is headed for Milwaukee _ and somewhere, Eddy Curry is heaving a sigh of relief. And for the Knicks' sake, hopefully not carbo-loading.

Donnie Walsh may also talk to some other folks about Replacing Isiah, (e.g. Boston assistant and former Knicks aide Tom Thibodeau, whom Celtics coach Doc Rivers says he'll allow to interview, although not take a job until the C's finish the postseason).

But since this is a place where those of us who think we know it all pass along some of all we think we know to people who are actually paid to know it all, we'd like to offer the Knicks' president some free advice.

Jackson interested _ as is Van Gundy in him

Mark Jackson, now that the Knicks no longer have a head coach, is interested in the job. Surprise, surprise.

Jeff Van Gundy, the former Knicks coach whose interest in returning Donnie Walsh said he planned to gauge, is simply interested in seeing Jackson get the job.

That's what the two said while broadcasting Saturday's Suns-Spurs playoff game for ABC alongside play-by-play man (and Knicks broadcaster) Mike Breen.

Isiah out ... and about JVG

Get out a hose, turn on the water, but don't push the button quite yet.

Isiah Thomas is out as Knicks coach, Donnie Walsh announced Friday afternoon. Death and taxes finished place and show in the inevitability race for one day.

And, albeit with prompting from some reporters, he's putting Jeff Van Gundy's name on his candidates' list.

OK, point the hose toward yourself and press the button. Lacking a hose, go take a cold shower.

Bad team, good guys

The thing about a sports season, even one as horrific as the Knicks' just-concluded one, is that there's always a feeling of emptiness when it's over.

There's a rhythm, a pace to a season that's gone when the games are over and everyone goes their separate ways.

You also lose contact with the players, coaches, officials and other writers with whom you're around for almost seven months (more if the team makes the playoffs). In some cases, that's a good thing.