CHARLESTON, S.C -- If it's such a great honor to wear a New York uniform, as Isiah Thomas preached to Shandon Anderson last Friday through the media, how come he decided to retire when the Pistons traded him to the Knicks rather than try it on for size?
Through full fault of his own, Anderson couldn't be less coveted coming into this season. His concrete contract ($24 million for the next three years) and inconsequential contribution since arriving in New York virtually render him unadoptable. Yet Thomas, by publicizing Anderson's insubordination (blowing off an end-of-the-year meeting with his boss) has managed to devalue him further.
As we all know, players disrespect executives and coaches all the time, but for the good of the franchise it's critical to keep such effrontery in house and deal with it accordingly.