NBA

FALLING STAR

Isiah Thomas often referred to Eddy Curry last season as an All-Star even though he fell short of making the Eastern squad. Yesterday, Thomas not only said Curry wasn’t an All-Star, but maybe not their starting center any longer.

Thomas waffled on whether Curry will be benched for the second straight game when the nightmare continues and the 8-21 Knicks host the Kings tonight at the Garden.

When asked about the drop in Curry’s status from All-Star caliber to reserve, Thomas said, “Simply put, we’re 8-21 and he’s not having an All-Star year.”

Two weeks ago in Chicago, Thomas demeaned Curry, saying he’ll never be the rebounder and defender needed to become an all around player. Two games ago in Orlando, Curry was fuming at Thomas after sitting 33 straight minutes, then being inserted stone-cold to start the fourth quarter of a close game. Curry’s stiffness led to Orlando pulling away.

Following the latest loss to Chicago on Sunday in which Curry didn’t start, the Knicks center raised eyebrows by saying that Thomas’ job status is definitely on his teammates’ minds. Curry did not make himself available to speak yesterday and has been in a rotten mood lately, fueling speculation he’d like to be traded.

Thomas said tonight’s mysterious starting lineup would be determined by whether Jamal Crawford (sore hand) and Stephon Marbury (conditioning) are available. Both are likely to suit up.

“It depends upon the health of our players,” Thomas said. “Let’s see who’s healthy and who’s playing. Then we make up a lineup in terms of whose going to start, whose going to finish, depending on the guards we have.”

Huh? Thomas is losing faith of his players because he can’t make up his mind on anything. A coach needs to believe in his principles and now Thomas is just throwing stuff against the wall with his lineups. Curry was said to be angered at Thomas over the summer for the trade that brought in Zach Randolph and changed Curry’s role to second option.

“He’s frustrated because Eddy puts more pressure on himself that any other person,” said Crawford, Curry’s best friend. “He expects great things from himself.”

Thomas claims he’s still not willing to trade Curry or anybody for that matter. In another bizarre remark yesterday, Thomas said he plans no deals at Feb. 19’s trading deadline, even though Team Titanic II is on pace for 22.6 wins – a shade below Larry Brown’s original disaster crew that posted a 23-59 fiasco.

“We got a young group,” Thomas said. “We got good players. We got good talent. We got to get them to play together.”

Does Thomas really still believe he’s assembled “good talent.” Over the summer, Thomas longed for on-the-block Ron Artest, thinking the ferocious defensive stopper could be the final piece to a championship team. That idea seems ridiculous now. Artest won’t play tonight as he’s out with a chipped elbow.

Thomas continues to defend his personnel acquisitions. Thomas gave up two lottery picks for Curry.

“I still firmly believe they’re good players,” Thomas said. “We do have the nucleus of a good team. We just got to get them playing well, getting them to play well together not just individually.”

It’s impossible to defend the Curry trade now that he’s slipped so badly. And his second most important acquisition, Randolph, is also in danger of being benched, like last week in Orlando. Is it any wonder Randolph’s former team, the Blazers, with ex-Knick Channing Frye in the rotation, recently won 13 straight games with the same roster from last season, switching Frye for Randolph?

After they reach the 30-game mark tonight, the Knicks finish the season with 29 of their final 52 games on the road, beginning with a rough three-game trip to San Antonio-Houston Chicago. The Knicks haven’t won a legit road game this season.

After Sunday’s Chicago loss, Curry admitted it was tough to see the light at the end of the tunnel. Indeed, a runaway freight train is coming right at the franchise.

“You definitely don’t give them sympathy,” Thomas said. “Hopefully you can rattle enough emotions, stir up enough anger. You get a fire lit and you blow a lot of air on it and try to keep it [burning].”

marc.berman@nypost.com