As you read this story, a lot of you will be testing out the mute button on your remote (something I tend to reserve for the Spurs broadcast team). But hear me out, this may not be a bad thing.
Isiah Thomas is going to be back on your television as a studio analyst for NBA TV, the station (run by Turner Sports) announced Wednesday. He will make his debut Friday night as NBA TV shows the Bulls vs. Knicks.
First off, it’s better than giving him a Knicks front office job again.
Thomas had a stint as a television analyst before, working for NBC from 1998-2000, before returning to the coaching ranks. I’ll be honest, I have little to no memory of how he did in that role.
But he has the potential to be good in studio. What are the requirements for that job? First, have good basketball knowledge. And no matter what you want to say about Thomas front office guy he is a Hall of Fame player who coached in the NBA and knows the game. Next, he’s charismatic (well, James Dolan thinks so). The question is can he pass that knowledge along — can he watch Joakim Noah’s play Friday night, see something and turn it into an insightful comment that helps us understand what is going on? We shall see.
Thomas has a bad rap online because he was a horrific GM for the Knicks. And ran the CBA into the ground. And was a mess as a college coach. And a few other things. All well deserved, we have certainly had our fun with Isiah here over the years. And will again.
But so long as he isn’t given personnel control over studio hosts, he should be fine. I’m willing to give him a chance.
