Berman Boils Over

This was written four days ago, but I didn't see it until now. Apparently, after the starting lineup debacle on Wednesday in Orlando, Post beat writer Marc Berman just blew a fuse. The result? Several days of vacation and this world-weary comment on the Post's Knicks Blog:

"I've got a basketball hangover from last night - still trying to figure it out - more confusing than Shakespeare's 'Comedy of Errors.'' The only logical explanation is Isiah Thomas is pulling a Larry Brown and trying to get fired. By the end of the Orlando night, Eddy Curry was more peeved than Zach Randolph, who vented before the game after being yanked from the starting lineup. Of course 2/3 of that starting lineup was changed at halftime. Isiah truly is a man of convictions."

Pretty standard Knicks postgame nausea, right? But then Berman provides this interesting factoid:

"Last night, Orlando president Pat Williams gave me his new book, 'The Ultimate Coaches' Clinic.' The book contains hundreds of coaches giving their tips on coaching. Isiah Thomas' advice is on page 98 and is laughable. Thomas: 'There are two types of coaches. 1. Values-based caoches [sic] who are concerned with the lives of the players.' 2. 'Just-coach-the-game coaches and that's it.' You have to decide who you are and build your principles around that. You have to make up your mind to be one or the other. 'Yes, Isiah, time to make up your mind who you are. At 8-20, the Knicks are on pace for 24 wins, one head of Larry Brown's original Team Titanic. I'm staying out here in Florida the next few days to escape the madness."

Team Titanic? Another great nickname. So let's start calling the 2007-2008 Knicks Team Titanic 2.

And lets hope that the Knicks don't drive any more sportswriters to soul-numbing despair.

Incidentally, New York is now 8-21. That's on pace for 22.6 wins (normally I'd round that up to 23, but these are the Knicks). It's also the fourth-worst record in the league. Miami, Memphis and Minnesota are worse.

But things are worse than that. The Knicks have a league-leading 14 losses by 10 points or more.They also have five losses by at least 26 points. And of the team's eight victories, only one came against a winning team - Denver.