NEW YORK -- Isiah Thomas needs to spend more of his free time cutting grass, petting animals or getting involved in any form of mindless relaxation that allows him to clear his attic of cobwebs.

Thomas' thought process desperately craves cleansing, purging or reprogramming; more likely, all of the above.

In the last week, the Knicks' coach has unfurled one obtuse viewpoint after another; first at the expense of television analyst Greg Anthony, and now in defense of the NBA, high ground he felt the urge to take following deathly situations involving gun-ho Stephen Jackson of the Pacersand the Celtics' Sebastian Telfair (who is being investigated in connection with the shooting of a rapper in New York last week.)

"This is a league that's survived a lot of things. It's always been a league on the forefront of social conscience and social change," Thomas sermonized; on the street his spiel is known as a 'hood dance.'

"These types of incidents won't affect the league, but they may affect the individual . . . I think people will see it as an isolated incident."

Well, yeah, if it weren't for a minor catch; when there's one such isolated incident followed closely by another and another, it becomes almost routinely serial.

It's not as if they're confined to players, either, as wretchedly evidenced by the sexual lawsuit against Thomas, Hawks owners attempting to disenfranchise each other in court, Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor and VP Kevin McHale being suspended a year for signing an illegal contract with Joe Smith, and Saturday morning's DUI arrest of Kings coach Eric Musselman . . . a pattern that has long since surpassed perception.

And guess what, Isiah?

Fans and advertisers are fed up; a truth that hasn't escaped David Stern, intent on winning back the red states. A reality they're frenetic to reverse.

Yet another fact of life Thomas clumsily cannot grasp.

How fortunate were the Kings that Bonzi Wells twice rejected five-year offers between $36 million and $38 million?

Since signing with the Rockets for two years for $5 million, the 196-cm forward, entering his ninth campaign of controversy, has been on the sidelines injured.

"It's been a wasted 18 days for him and the team," Jeff Van Gundy sighed. Wells is currently on extended leave due to a mysterious "personal problem."

Meanwhile, John Salmons, Wells' replacement, is demonstrating at both ends (his coverage on Andrei Kirilenko Friday elicited rave reviews from Musselman some seven hours before being pulled over Saturday morning by Sacramento police for alleged drunken driving) why the Kings were willing to over-pay the Sixer free agent.

Contrary to what was written in this space, LeBron James signed a three-year extension (a fourth is his option) in July for $57.7 million ($12.4 million/$13.7 million/$15 million/$16.4 million) that kicks in next season -- not a five-year deal.

That's what I get for relying on memory instead of taking the time to reach out to people in the know.

Chris Bosh and Dwayne Wade went for the same package, while Carmelo Anthony opted for five years.

So diseased his colon and rectum had to be removed a year ago, Dajuan Wager is a dead-bolt cinch to win the Most Improved Award.

Signed as a free agent to a minimum 1-year guarantee ($750,000) by the Warriors, the No. 6 pick of the 2002 draft (Cavaliers; 13.6 points per game as a rookie) has taken full advantage of Jason Richardson's injured absence and Don Nelson's pedal-pushing offense.

In five straight starts, the 23-year-old is averaging 13 points (despite getting skunked once in minor minutes) and shooting 51 percent from the field.

"Dajuan put it into overdrive a couple games ago," Golden State GM Chris Mullin recounts. "Nellie told him to tone it down, to rely more on his mid-range game, pullups in the paint, that kind of stuff. When he goes to the 10-foot floaters, a la Joe Dumars, he's unstoppable."

Back in 1968, the last time the Tigers and Cardinals met in the World Series, a Texan was in the White House and Americans were protesting an unpopular war.

Mercifully, we've moved on.