Isiah nixes Knicks? Not so fast

Basketball Betting Lines

08/12/2010 - Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Isiah Thomas' status in New York is all about semantics now.

Consultant or not, it's clear Thomas still has the ear of Madison Square Garden chairman James Dolan, a scary thought for Knicks fans who regard the former All-Star guard as a pariah who ruined their favorite franchise in the 4 1/2 years he was the team's basketball chief.

A controversial reunion between Thomas and the Knicks that stunned Gotham was spiked by NBA commissioner David Stern on Wednesday.

On the surface Stern was concerned about a possible conflict of interest since Zeke is still the head coach at Florida International University, but you can't help feeling the commish was throwing Dolan a life raft, trying to save the Knicks owner from himself.

Thomas was allowed to bow out gracefully, releasing a statement that he was declining the consultant position because of possible red tape. NBA bylaws state that league personnel are forbidden from having contact with players who aren't eligible for the draft.

"After speaking with commissioner (David) Stern and Knicks executives, it has become apparent that my new agreement violates certain NBA bylaws," Thomas said. "Because of this, I have decided to rescind my contract with the team."

Now let's be honest, FIU is not exactly Kentucky or Duke and with Thomas at the helm likely never will be. But, by pointing to his involvement with underclassman not eligible for the upcoming draft, Stern was able to nix the deal that the Knicks announced last Friday.

"We have been informed by the Knicks that Isiah Thomas has rescinded his consulting agreement with the team," Stern said in a statement. "As a result, it is not necessary for the league to take any formal action on the proposed arrangement. However, we have reminded the Knicks of NBA rules that prohibit team personnel, including consultants, from having contact with players not eligible for the draft."

New York fans are probably at the florist in droves today firing off thank you bouquets to Stern but they best be wary. This ruling only buys Dolan time to come to his senses, something he has shown no penchant for in the past.

In fact, Dolan has already informed us all that Isiah will always have "strong ties" to him.

"Although I'm disappointed that Isiah will not be working with the Knicks as a consultant, I continue to believe in his basketball knowledge, including his ability to judge talent," Dolan said. "He's a good friend of mine and of the organization and I will continue to solicit his views. He will always have strong ties to me and the team."

And let's be honest, Thomas had already been working as a consultant to the team. Remember, it was Thomas who "helped" the Knicks during free agency when he, not current president Donnie Walsh, was dispatched to Ohio to speak with LeBron James' camp, and Walsh was actually forced to single out Thomas during a press conference to announce the signing of Amare Stoudemire.

With Stern's blessing or not it's conceivable Dolan and Thomas have already agreed to a wink-wink deal and Isiah will put the wheels in motion to leave FIU, while Dolan figures out a way to gracefully push Walsh out the door.

It's certainly clear Thomas would like a second chance to clean up the mess he created when he was team president from December 2003 through April 2008.

"One of the biggest regrets of my life is that the Knicks didn't perform up to the standards the fans had every right to expect while I was in charge," Thomas said. "I take full responsibility for that."

"Consultant" is just a job title. With or without it, Dolan will find a way to keep Thomas involved with the Knicks. Stern simply can't legislate taking advice from a friend and he certainly can't force Dolan to make prudent decisions.

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In what should be an outstanding Saturday of March Madness betting action, the top four teams in the South and West Regions square off in what should be extremely close match-ups. Three of the four teams are coming off extremely close games on Thursday evening, only UCLA won semi comfortably over Pitt 64-55.

Ohio State is coming off their second game in a row where in all reality they should have lost. Of course that doesn’t matter now since the name of the game is “survive and advance” but as the tournament continues, they can’t afford to keep getting down to their opponents early. Kansas also avoided a scare by holding off a scrappy Southern Illinois squad. In the third thrilling game of the evening Memphis pulled off the minor upset (+3.5) despite being the higher seed to Texas A&M.

Although the spreads are fairly small for Saturday’s games, MySportsbook.com continue to bet against the underdogs. Despite OSU’s two scares, 86% of the “betting public” feels the Buckeyes (-1.5) have what it takes to make the Final Four. In fact, so much of the early money is on OSU that the line has already moved from -1 to -1.5. In the second game of the doubleheader, Kansas and their high-powered offense are 2 point favorites as they take on UCLA and their effective defense. About 63% of the early money thus far is once again backing the favorites. If those percentages stay that high, don’t be surprised if this line moves as well. If you like Kansas (-2) you might want to jump on it early.

Memphis vs. Ohio State

Both squads were involved in thrillers on Thursday evening and should come out fired up. OSU can ill afford to get behind early like they did versus their previous two opponents (Xavier, Tennessee). Greg Oden needs to stay out of foul trouble; the Buckeyes are a completely different team when he is on the court. Memphis definitely has the athleticism and length to match-up with OSU. Of Memphis’ five leading minute earners, the shortest of the bunch is 6’5”. Each team has a very effective defense; Memphis surrenders 62.3 PPG whereas the Buckeyes give up only 61 PPG. With those type of numbers, it isn’t surprising that Memphis covered the UNDER almost 69% of the time this season. As a favorite, OSU has covered the UNDER almost 66% of the time over the last three seasons. The major concern for Memphis which is magnifies this time of the year is their brutal foul shooting (62%). This season, OSU is 17-11 ATS versus teams with a winning record and 7-2 ATS in all tournament games. Memphis has been an extremely reliable cover in tournament play in recent years with a 23-8 ATS record over the last three seasons.

UCLA vs. Kansas

In the second game of Saturday’s doubleheader, UCLA will play in a role which they are very unfamiliar with that of the underdog. Only twice this season have they been getting points from the handicappers and both times they covered. Over the last three seasons UCLA is a reliable 23-7 ATS in this unfamiliar role. UCLA has not fared well against Big 12 opponents recently going 1-7 ATS since 1997. Giving up only 59.6 PPG, UCLA will definitely look to do what they do best: keep this game as low scoring as possible. Their defense has been especially tough during the tournament. UCLA opponents have been able to muster up only 48.7 PPG while shooting a combined 34.5% from the field. UCLA definitely has a challenge at hand with a Kansas team that is capable of putting points on the board in bunches. As a team, they average 79 PPG and shoot an impressive 49.6% from the field and 39.4% from beyond the arc. During the tournament Kansas has been “lights out” from the field having shot 56.2%.

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