<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'>Isiah Thomas was so defensive, his bravado sounded like delusions of grandeur. Just 90 minutes before his New York Knicks dropped their fifth in a row Wednesday night, losing a 10-point decision to the Sacramento Kings (who were without Ron Artest, Kevin Martin and Mike Bibby) in a game that was never even close from the second quarter on, Thomas actually uttered the following statement: [+] Enlarge Isiah Thomas Nick Laham/Getty Images Isiah Thomas says he will right the ship in New York. "I believe one day we will win a championship here, and I believe a couple of these guys will be a part of that, and I believe I will be a part of that," Thomas said. "And as I sit here today, and people can laugh even more at me, but I'm hell-bent on getting this accomplished and making sure we get it done, and I'm not leaving until we get it done." So, this again reiterates our oft-repeated theory that you can never say the Knicks have hit rock bottom, because the floor keeps falling. They now have a coach admitting that while these are "dark days," he expects to remain at the helm until leading them to a title. ESPN.com had asked Thomas at the Wednesday morning shootaround to state how he felt he had changed as a person during his four-plus years with the Knicks, and he declined to answer by stating that he wasn't prepared to give a reply that required some reflection. But seven hours later he had apparently given the matter some thought and he gave what amounted to his most self-righteous defense in weeks. "I want to leave a legacy, I want to leave a tradition; I want to leave an imprint, a blueprint in terms of how people play and how they respond when they put on a Knicks uniform. I want to leave what I left in Detroit -- every person that walks through that door, when they put on a Pistons uniform, there's a certain pride they carry. I want to put that here and I want to leave that here in New York. I want to leave a championship legacy. This is a dark time for us, but I know there's a light at the end of the tunnel and I'm going to keep pushing and I'm not going to quit. And I'm going to do it here." In a way, it sounded almost like a pre-emptive farewell speech, just in case. But Thomas also sounded many of the same themes he brought up when he first arrived in New York, back when he predicted Madison Square Garden would become such a hotbed of success that "smoke will be coming out of the building." Well, there's steam coming out, and it's coming from the hotheaded, fed-up fans who are openly revolting. And absent of some kind of definitive statement from owner Jim Dolan that Thomas is safe for the season, one has to look at things logically and say that, at some point, a change at the helm is warranted. So despite what Thomas said Wednesday night about sticking around, we're going to make him the prohibitive favorite in our second installment of the Coaching Hot Seat List. (Thomas was a 5-1 co-favorite with Scott Skiles in our mid-November version.) We'd even go with shorter odds if not for the realization that expecting any kind of predictable, sensible activity involving Dolan, no matter how logical it may seem, is an exercise in risk-taking. Also, we've seen Thomas survive too many times and in too many ways to go any lower than the odds posted below: THE FAVORITE Isiah Thomas, Knicks Dolan did not appear to be a happy man as he took in the Sacramento defeat from his courtside seat but, strangely enough, he could be seen laughing as he exited Thomas' office following his customary postgame meeting with the coach and team president -- not exactly the body language you'd expect to see from an owner whose team's losing streak now sits at five games, with losses in 11 of their last 13. Asked before the Kings loss whether he felt he had the support of ownership, Thomas answered: "As long as I'm sitting on that bench and as long as I'm in my office working, that's what I'm committed to doing and that's what I'm worried about doing. And until someone turns the lights out, that's where I am." Odds: 1-1 THE CONTENDERS Randy Wittman, Timberwolves We are nearing the one-year anniversary of the firing of Dwane Casey, whose 20-20 record was deemed insufficient. In the 72 games since, Wittman is 16-57. Surely owner Glen Taylor does not want to fire Wittman and then have to pay another head coach, but at some point he'll have to address this embarrassment. On Wittman's side: When the Philadelphia 76ers put together the worst record in NBA history, 9-73 in 1972-73, they did not fire coach Roy Rubin until they were 4-47. The Wolves would need to lose their next 20 to keep that pace. Odds: 8-1 Mike Brown, Cavaliers When you put a few factors together -- he did not receive a contract extension after leading the team to the NBA Finals last season; he is one of the league's five lowest-paid coaches; his authority was publicly challenged by Damon Jones and Ira Newble when they refused to report in for the final minute last week -- he is one lukewarm statement from LeBron James or Dan Gilbert away from being a lame duck -- you can see how he'd make an easy fall guy should the Cavs' slow start extend into the third and fourth months of the season. Odds: 12-1 THE OUTSIDERS Larry Krystkowiak, Bucks Everything about the guy kind of screams "interim," and it'd be hard to argue with owner Sen. Herb Kohl if he decided his franchise had a better chance to make a push for the playoffs with a more experienced leader at the helm. And with a lot of big names currently unemployed (Rick Carlisle, Scott Skiles, Jeff Van Gundy, Larry Brown), you could see where there might be a desire on ownership's part to make what, on paper at least, would be an upgrade. Losing to Detroit by 45 points on New Year's Eve didn't help Coach K's cause, but Wednesday night's road victory in Miami was a nice bounce-back. Odds: 15-1 Pat Riley, Heat Yes, he's been the de facto head coach of the Heat since late in 2005, but do you realize when the last time was that he coached a full 82-game season? It was way back in 2002-03, the season the Heat finished 25-57 before drafting Dwyane Wade. (Riley took over for Stan Van Gundy after 21 games in '05-06, then missed six weeks last season while having knee and hip replacements.) Riley made a three-year public commitment last summer to continue as coach, but that was merely to quiet the topic. We question whether he has the physical and emotional wherewithal to continue losing three out of every four games. Odds: 18-1 Maurice Cheeks, 76ers It seems almost unfair to put Mo this high on this list with the Sixers actually having played above their heads in staying within reach of .500, but the fact remains that Cheeks is a lame duck in the final year of his contract and he'll eventually be judged by the progress youngsters Louis Williams, Jason Smith and Rodney Carney show this season. Seven of the 76ers' first nine games in January are on the road versus tough opponents, and Cheeks is one seven- or eight-game losing streak away from being perched firmly in Isiahland. Odds: 18-1 Lawrence Frank, Nets He has long had the support of both team president Rod Thorn and team leader Jason Kidd, which has kept him gainfully employed throughout the rougher stretches of the last two seasons. But with Kidd's future in Jersey shaky, and with the Nets showing a disturbingly consistent lack of effort in the first quarters of a majority of their games, it's fair to question whether management will hold off on dynamiting the roster and choose instead to see whether a new head coaching voice would make more of a positive difference. Things have taken a turn for the better lately (New Jersey has won five of six after losing six of seven) and a key stretch that could move Frank's odds above 20-1 will be their next four games -- all winnable ones against Charlotte (twice), Atlanta and Seattle. Odds: 18-1 THE FIELD Mike Dunleavy's Clippers have lost seven of eight, beating only Minnesota, but Donald Sterling would seem to be beyond his days of firing coaches and then refusing to pay them. If he's going to pay Dunleavy, he'll make him work for the dough. And no, we haven't entirely forgotten about Mike Woodson in Atlanta and Eddie Jordan in Washington, but you've got to cut both Coaching Hot Seat List perennials a break with their teams above .500. Also, you can never dismiss the volatility of any head coaching spot occupied by Don Nelson, and there's always the Leonard Hamilton factor (he was Michael Jordan's first coaching hire in Washington but lasted just one season) to remember when considering Sam Vincent's longevity prospects in Charlotte. Odds: 10-1</div> ESPN Insider Article (Free)
