Isiah Thomas came marching into New York four years ago with a big smile and even bigger plans for the Knicks. What he found was a team in disarray and without much of a future.

To many, nothing has really changed during the Thomas regime. Even after Thomas has remade the roster a half-dozen times, the Knicks are still viewed as a team struggling to find its way. Thomas, however, doesn't share that opinion.

"I like the direction we're headed," Thomas said Friday, before his team lost to the Bobcats. "I've said this before: our future is definitely much brighter than it was when I got here four years ago. Cost-wise we're down. Talent-wise we're up. We did a good job of putting people in the seats. I think we're pretty close this year to getting back on track again."