FIGURE the Knicks will be up-tempo and creative offensively next season. At least that’s what the man who first gave Isiah Thomas an NBA head coaching job forecasts for the team that will have Thomas on the sidelines.
“He’s very good with Xs and Os, further along with that kind of thing than people think,” Pacers CEO/President Donnie Walsh told The Post. “He’s very creative with the way he approaches offense and defense.” Walsh hired Thomas, who compiled a threeseason record of 131-115 (.533) from 2000-2003.
“He had three years of experience and he went to the playoffs all three years and he probably learned what worked and what won’t,” said Walsh, who forecasts a decidedly up-tempo tenor for the Knicks. “He came up with a running offense in the second or third year. It was his thing, but he’s not Larry [Brown, experience-wise].
And he wasn’t a figurehead type of coach.” Reggie Miller, the Pacers’ greatest player, spoke glowingly of Thomas the coach recently in a national radio interview.
“My years playing with Isiah were fantastic,” said Miller, who did wonder about some of Thomas’ personnel moves with the Knicks. “He was an excellent coach. He was a fabulous Xs and Os coach. Is he the next best thing (to Brown)?
That remains to be seen.
“There were a lot of things that make you scratch your head.
But maybe there’s some light at the end of the rainbow that we’re not seeing,” Miller added, in a fractured figure of speech.
In three years on the Pacers’ bench, Thomas led Indy to a 5-10 playoff record, including three straight first-round defeats. In 2001, his eighth-seeded Pacers, a unit that contained three new starters, lost to the Finals-bound Sixers . The next year, after a major in-season upheaval deal that landed Ron Artest from Chicago, Thomas’ Pacers, again the eighth seed, lost to the Finals-bound Nets in a classic five-game series . In 2003, Indiana was upset by Boston.
Thomas was the Eastern All-Star coach in 2003.
Thomas was fired when Larry Bird, whom he succeeded as Pacers’ coach, became president of basketball operations and hired Rick Carlisle.
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10-step program
What Isiah Thomas must do to resurrect Team Titanic:
1. Stephon Marbury is a good neighbor of Thomas’ in Purchase. Now Thomas must turn Marbury into a good teammate and winning player.
2. Use the $5 million mid-level exception wisely for a change and bring in a defenseoriented backup point guard such as Speedy Claxton.
3. Come out of training camp with a set nine-man rotation, and refrain from Larry Brownlike lineup shuffling.
4. Reinstill confidence in the young players that was eroded under Brown. Channing Frye, David Lee and Nate Robinson need to play a lot.
5. If you can’t trade Steve Francis this summer, at least get him in the proper shape in training camp to deal him during the season.
6. With picks 20 and 29, try to fill the glaring need of a small forward and a backup center (Josh Boone). Memphis’ Shawne Williams would be nice at 20.
7. Jalen Rose’s expiring contract will create interest and could perhaps be packaged in a sign-and-trade for free agent small forward Al Harrington.
8. Put Eddy Curry and Jerome James on the treadmill all summer to prevent them reporting again well over 300 pounds.
9. Coach at least some of the Las Vegas summer league games to shake out the rust. Start developing bonds with the young players.
10. Fire himself.
– Marc Berman