Now You Want To Focus On Defense?

So Zeke alleviated our fears that he would not be able to focus on the going-to-be-awesome New York Knicks after the train wreck that was his trial. Zeke is back on the court after being in one for the past few weeks. I bet he has never been so happy to hear grown men whine and complain in his life. Said the NY Times of his training camp practice in South Carolina:

[Isiah] forced a chuckle now and then, and suppressed a sigh when asked about the “too familiar” sight of [Knicks' player Jerome] James, a $30 million investment, watching from the sideline.

“Is it too familiar or very familiar?” Thomas said. It was noted that very familiar was an observation of fact, whereas too familiar was more of an editorial comment.

“Well, let’s stick with the facts,” Thomas said with a laugh, echoing the words he used to defend himself against the harassment charges.

Wow Zeke. Nothing says "I'm a winner" like making a joke about a sexual harassment trial that you lost prior to having your appeal heard. The Times article continues:

His expressions and words were more constrained when it came to specific questions about the trial, and its effects. Asked about potential distractions, he said: “We won’t be distracted. No.” Asked if he was worried about his job, he answered simply, “No.” Asked if the case had any effect on the team, Thomas said, “None at all.” He referred a question about the possibility of a backlash from fans to a Knicks public-relations person, standing to his right.

I don't know how he knows if the trial had any effect on the team. I mean, at the least, they just might stop calling people names when they can't get tickets for their friends and family. More:

Thomas said he chose not to discuss his ordeal with the team, preferring to focus on the work at hand. That has been a difficult task because Thomas spent much of the summer preparing for the trial.

He huddled with lawyers during the day, but said he “worked a lot of nights” to prepare for the season and came to camp “extremely focused.”

“Honestly, my head never left basketball,” Thomas said. “This is what I’ve done and this is what I do. And this is what I think about the majority of the time.”

Thomas spoke earnestly of “trying to make some noise in the N.B.A.” and of putting the Knicks, who have not won a playoff game since 2001, in position to compete for a championship.

Because that's what his lawyers want to hear, that all he thought about was basketball. Maybe that explains his opinions on the word b*tch, and his lack of awareness of how the jury would perceive him. And good luck trying to make some noise in the NBA, Zeke. This could mean a) the Knicks will be a good team this year, or b) that NBA Commissioner David Stern is going to fine you and/or the Knicks for harassing your employees. Neither scenario is likely, but the former is darn near an impossibility. From the last lines of the article:

But what was Thomas’s main focus as he returned to the court?

“Defense,” [Knicks center Eddie] Curry said. “Defense.”

Well, if you can't succeed in one court, try another! On the bright side, there really is nowhere to go but up from here.