Before training camp started, Knicks President Donnie Walsh stated that Stephon Marbury would have an opportunity to earn playing time on the Knicks. Marbury came to camp in great shape and played very well in the pre-season. Yet when the season started, Stephon didn't get any burn. When questioned about this decision, Knicks Coach Mike D'Antoni stated that he didn't want to play Marbury inconsistent minutes, and that he would rather not play Steph at all than give him spot playing time. Stephon eventually requested to be put on the inactive list, which caused even more media scrutiny over the issue.As Brett Edwards mentioned earlier, Marbury, Walsh and D'Antoni all met today to resolve Stephon's status with the team. As a result of the meeting, the Knicks have decided that they won't trade or waive Marbury and will just keep him on the inactive list the entire year. Walsh and D'Antoni both believe that the issue is closed, but I think they are being slightly naive about this.
Marbury will still be allowed to participate in practice and congregate with teammates. That means he will be available for the media to ask him questions and prod him about not playing everyday. As long as he is on the roster and collecting a pay check while less talented point guards are playing ahead of him, fans and the media are going to keep this issue alive. If D'Antoni was upset by those "We Want Steph" chants during the first game, he better get ready for worse. Especially if Chris Duhon keeps stinking it up the way he has. I mean, this is New York City! New York fans and the New York media are not going to let this die. That's just not the way things work there.
The smart move would be to either give Marbury a chance to play or cut him. It's obvious that the Knicks have no desire to play him, so that first option seems out. However, I've seen James Dolan eat tons of contracts, so I just don't understand why they have all of a sudden decided that they don't want to do that with Marbury. If he's not going to be inactive the entire season, you're basically paying him to not play. But isn't that basically what would happen if you waived him? At least with the waiving option the Marbury dark cloud hanging over the team would basically come to an end. Of course, the is is New York, so the media would probably find something else to try and damage the team with, but I think you get my point. I guess we'll just have to wait and see how this all plays out.
Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Everybody thinks the Iverson trade was to set up for lebron everyone knows why would Lebron want to take a step back to detriot instead of staying close to the top of the east?
The Knicks have to be working under the assumption that something is better than nothing. Though there's nobody willing to trade for Stephon Marbury now, who's to say he won't seem more desirable to a struggling team close enough to the playoffs to take the gamble. Golden State has been mentioned as a possibility by some bloggers, but the Clippers with Dunleavy at the helm may be more prone to make an in-season trade.
Obviously, Marbury feels differently. Assuming that he's capable of being a logical person, he must feel that whatever buyout is being hypothetically offered, he won't be able to recoup his losses someplace else.
If the Knicks are right, and somebody may want Stephon deeper into the season or at the trading deadline, it actually would've been in Marbury's best interest to have been bought out (he could have arranged to make more money and spend more time rebuilding his reputation in the new situation). But if Marbury's people are right and he's persona non grata across the league, it would have been in the Knicks full interest to buy him out and be done with Marbury and all the questions that come along with him.
If this is right, perhaps the likeliest scenario is that we will see Marbury bought out once the trade deadline passes.
Dave: Good comment. Although I don't think Marbury is persona non grata across the league. Have you see who the Knicks are starting? He's still better than half the pgs in the league.
Nate: Definitely -- he can still play for sure and I think that it's pretty clear at this point in his career what type of player he is. If you need a ball-dominating point guard who'll make himself the focal point of the offense but will still get others involved, he should be a no-brainer.
Regardless of his personal choices and demeanor, he also seems exceedingly well-intentioned, and may fit in better with a team after a change of scenery. It may only be a matter of some non-contenders realizing exactly where they stand before they're willing to take on a guy with Marbury's reputation.
All this, in addition to finding either a trading partner at least partially under the cap or someone willing to hand off $20 mil in expiring contracts and players Donnie Walsh actually wants, makes trading Marbury a little more difficult than your normal disgruntled starting-caliber guard. I, like you, definitely hope he ends up somewhere -- the NBA is the best league in the world, and it'd be preferable to have the best players on the court, actually playing.
I don't know what preseason you were looking at, but Marbury did not give any effort in his last two preseason games. The energy that the team was waiting for did not come and I believe that the coach decided that if your attitude is going be start me or this is the effort I am going to give you. Coach D decided you can play left bench. I like Marbury, but he can only do one thing at a time, if he defends, he does not score, if he scores he does not defend or pass. If he passes the ball and gets assist, he does not score. Marbury is over thirty and he still does not get it.