KNICKS: Walsh Leaving Should NOT Mean Isiah Returns

New York Knicks general manager Donnie Walsh is stepping down from his post.

That's bad news for the Knicks as Walsh has proven to be a quality basketball mind, and is well-respected in executive circles throughout the league.

But the bad news can get worse if owner James Dolan sees this vacancy as a way to bring Isiah Thomas back into a management role with the organization.

Dolan was apparently deaf when loud chants of Fire Isiah filled Madison Square Garden on a nightly basis.

Thomas, an excellent player at the University of Indiana, and with the Detroit Pistons, neither had ties to New York nor the Knicks when he was hired, and proved to be a terrible general manager and equally poor head coach.

The delusional reasoning for bringing Thomas to the team is the thought that he could lure potential free agent Chris Paul. Though the idea of Paul joining the Knicks through a trade, or a free agent signing, may require some coaxing, Thomas shouldn't be the one to do it.

First, Paul has no allegiance with Thomas whatsoever. There is no reason to believe that just because Thomas was a talented small guard in the NBA that he can forge a special bond with another small guard in Paul.

Second, Paul may view Thomas's presence as a distraction, much like other players and executives have viewed it. Paul is a rather low-maintenance player, and would want to avoid any off-the-court chatter that the merciless New York press likes to drum up to sell newspapers.

Third, there is more to being a general manager than just wooing one player. Thomas had a weak record in the trade and draft markets, and he can quickly undo the progress that Walsh made.

But those reasons may mean little to Dolan. The problematic owner has shown an undying affinity to Thomas despite the mistakes that Thomas has made in this tenure with the Knicks.

The Knicks have a perfect person to hire: Ronnie Lester.

The former assistant to Mitch Kupchak with the Los Angeles Lakers has been a brilliant scout for the organization, and has learned from perhaps the two best general managers over the past 20 years, Jerry West and Kupchak.

Lester was let go from the team due to budget cuts, and because of the increased role of Jim Buss, son of Lakers' owner Jerry Buss.

If the Knicks pass on Lester, there are plenty of other great candidates.

Just don't pick the worst available choice: Isiah Thomas.