Changes needed for Knicks, but nothing with Thomas yet

4/17/2008 7:56 PM

By BRIAN MAHONEY
AP Basketball Writer

NEW YORK (AP) -Changes already started in the front office, are expected soon with the coach and are sorely needed among the players.

Donnie Walsh has plenty to do in his first offseason running the New York Knicks.

Walsh replaced Isiah Thomas as team president two weeks ago, and could fire him as coach shortly. Then he'll begin trying to figure out how to upgrade the roster of a team that went 23-59, matching the franchise record for losses.

Walsh met with players Thursday, but wasn't ready yet to announce a decision on the coaching situation. He wants it resolved before the draft and said he hasn't talked to any potential candidates, but surely will act before long.

``I don't want a timetable because I don't want phone calls every day,'' he said Wednesday. ``But now when the season gets over with, I've got to look at what we want to do.''

The Knicks dropped 59 games two years ago and fired Larry Brown. Most of the players who remain from that team expect another change.

``We already made one, and whenever you make one on the high up like that, that's the beginning of something that you don't know what's to come in the future,'' forward Jared Jeffries said. ``So hopefully we'll get an idea early in the summer and it won't be too late.''

Walsh should already know where to start. Stephon Marbury and Eddy Curry were on the bench at the end of the season, and the Knicks will want both either on the floor or out of the organization entirely.

Marbury sent the season spiraling out of control when he clashed with his coach after Thomas wanted to remove the point guard from the starting lineup after five games. The Knicks lost their next six games and never recovered, with Marbury ending the season on the sideline after undergoing ankle surgery that possibly could have been delayed.

Curry had season-ending knee surgery, but his year was a waste long before that. The center struggled to play alongside Zach Randolph and averaged only 13.2 points, a six-point drop from last season.

Marbury has a year left on his contract for more than $21 million and a terrible reputation, so could be tough to move. Walsh is aware the Curry-Randolph pairing didn't work, so may look to deal one of them.

``Mr. Walsh has a tough job coming here and trying to turn this thing around and trying to do right by the fans and to do what is best for the organization,'' Curry said. ``It's up to him to try and balance that. Tough job. I wouldn't want to be in that situation.''

The Knicks have had seven straight losing seasons, a horrendous stretch that may last a little longer. Walsh's goal is to free salary cap space in the summer of 2010, when LeBron James and Dwyane Wade could be free agents, and admits there is no quick fix in the meantime.

At least New York will have its lottery pick this season after giving the last two to Chicago as payment for the Curry trade in the summer of 2005. The Knicks would have picked second in 2006 and ninth last year.

The Knicks thought they could compete for a playoff spot this season. They were in position for one last year before injuries set in, and believed they improved even more when they acquired Randolph from Portland on draft night.

The optimism was gone by Thanksgiving, and hopes of a postseason berth were dashed soon after. The Knicks always seemed to play hard for Thomas last season, but that wasn't the case this time, when they twice lost by 40 points.

The Knicks won only eight times on the road and often had one of the league's worst home-court advantages, where angry fans booed Thomas during introductions and usually followed with ``Fire Isiah!'' chants when New York fell behind.

Walsh has said he's got a tough rebuilding task. At least he should know things can't get any worse.

``During the course of the season, you always have your ups and downs,'' Thomas said. ``With the exception of this season, I think we've been able to pull out of our down times. But this year, the down times hit early and often and they continued.''

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AP Sports Writer Mike Marot in Indianapolis contributed to this report.