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Knicks owner James Dolan tells head coach Mike Woodson (l.) and rookie Tim Hardaway Jr. that he isn’t planning on making any changes.
James Dolan approached Tim Hardaway Jr. recently and assured the Knicks rookie that he is part if the team’s future and that he should ignore any trade rumors he hears.
According to a team source, Hardaway was surprised yet comforted by Dolan’s unsolicited endorsement. As it turns out, Hardaway shouldn’t feel all thst special because Dolan feels the same way about the rest of the players and the coaching staff as well.
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Mark Bonifacio/New York Daily News
James Dolan, who sees his team start 9-19, claims to be a patient man when it comes to the Knicks.
A source confirms an ESPN report that Dolan, the Chairman of Madison Square Garden, informed the team on Thursday that he had no plans on making any changes despite the Knicks owning a 9-19 record and coming off an embarrassing 29-point Christmas Day home loss to Oklahoma City.
It is classic Dolan; a contrarian to a fault. While fans and media call for change, Dolan is promoting the status quo as the Knicks suffer through a potentially epic nightmarish season.
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Kathy Kmonicek/AP
A rash of injuries and poor play leave Mike Woodson scratching his head for answers.
It’s also worth noting that Dolan in many ways painted himself into a corner during his staged, and now infamous, Q&A when he bragged about being a patient owner.
Of course, he characterized himself as patient just weeks after firing general manager Glen Grunwald just before the start of training camp. Also, the interview took place when the Knicks record was somewhat respectable.
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It’s also interesting that Dolan would claim that no changes are imminent despite the Knicks front office actively pursuing trades. Moreover, the front office is making contingency plans in the event that Mike Woodson is fired.
In all likelihood, Dolan felt obligated to speak to the team because he fears the constant talk of a coaching change and trade rumors had unnerved the team as well as Woodson.
