Today In Isiah

Two quotes from the post-game (loss, inevitably) press conference that show just how insane this situation is.

Thomas said before the game that he read nothing into the absence of MSG chairman James Dolan at recent home games. "I think you guys pay more attention to that than I do," he said, adding he knew why Dolan hadn't been here but refused to elaborate.

and:

Thomas said during his postgame press conference that his team got impatient in the fourth quarter, but when asked why that happened, he paused for 10 seconds before saying, "I'll keep that thought to myself."

Now, I realize that playing bizarro mind games with the media and undermining your relationship with the players, along with odd ruminations on the motivations of your boss, is only about a 3 on the Isiah Scale of Sheer Insanity, with 1 being sending out goons to provoke a riot in a blowout, and 10 being sexually harassing your employees, then failing to settle the matter out of court to prevent yourself from having, oh, the very worst PR this side of FEMA during Hurricane Katrina.

But still, just because it doesn't compare to his past genius work, that doesn't mean we shouldn't appreciate these lesser hits from Isiah. It's like being a Bob Dylan fan, but not listening to anything after, say, "Blood on the Tracks"; you'll miss a lot of dross, but there's some great stuff on "Street Legal" and "Oh Mercy" and some other albums. And when you're as close to the theoretical end as Isiah is, cherish what he gives you. Because there is no way on God's green Earth that anyone in the NBA ever gives him this opportunity again.