Tag: Stephon Marbury (Page 4 of 4)

      Stephon Marbury is an idiot

      December 1, 2008 /

      I realize that most of us already knew this, but Stephon Marbury confirmed on Monday that he is an utter moron.

      “When things got bad and then worse, guys like Quentin Richardson say, ‘I don’t consider him a teammate. He let his teammates out to dry.’ He didn’t care I was his teammate when I was banished. They left me out for dead. It’s like we’re in a foxhole and I’m facing the other way. If I got shot in the head, at least you want to get shot by the enemy. I got shot in the head by my own guys in my foxhole. And they didn’t even give me an honorable death.”

      I am not going to criticize Marbury for lashing out as his teammates or the organization. The Knicks are as culpable in this situation as Starbury is. (After all, they were the one that signed him in the first place.) But it’s completely inappropriate for Marbury to invoke images of soldiers shooting each other in a foxhole when this country is fighting two wars.

      This might be worse than Kellen Winslow’s ‘I am a soldier’ tirade. Correct me if I’m wrong, but Marbury hasn’t spent any time in the armed forces. Thus far, he has earned $130,275,320 in his career and stands to make another $21,937,500 this season. In fact, the Knicks are considering giving him most of that salary just to go away.

      Conversely, the salary range for enlisted soldiers is $15,276 to $67,104.

      Athletes, please stop comparing yourselves to soldiers. You aren’t soldiers. There aren’t any bullets whizzing by your heads and you aren’t putting your lives on the line. You get paid an enormous amount of money to play a game, and you should show our veterans the proper respect. That starts with not using homicidal military comparisons when your teammates say something that you don’t like.

      I’m sorry, Stephon, but you, sir, are an idiot.

      NBA

      Does anyone really care about Stephon Marbury anymore?

      November 28, 2008 /

      The Knicks have suspended Stephon Marbury for two games for refusing to play.

      In addition, the Knicks have clarified that Marbury actually will lose two games’ pay — or almost $400,000. Besides the one-game suspension without pay for refusing to play at Detroit on Wednesday night, Marbury also has been fined another game check for refusing to play last Friday at Milwaukee.

      Clearly, Marbury knows his run with the Knicks is over. He broke his relative silence in an exclusive interview with a New York Post reporter whose coverage has been favorable to the Coney Island native. In an article published today, Marbury said of D’Antoni, “I wouldn’t trust him to walk my dog across the street.”

      This makes me sick, but not for the reasons you might think. I’m sick because Marbury’s pay for two games is $400,000.

      I don’t really care about which side treated the other with more disrespect. The Knicks say that Starbury refused to play and he says that he never said that he wouldn’t. There is a rumor that Mike D’Antoni offered the starting shooting guard slot — for the rest of the season, no less — which would obviously be a plan to showcase him before the trade deadline. But the Knicks won’t really gain anything in a trade unless they can get a draft pick or a cheap prospect. They don’t want to take on additional salary because it will jeopardize their chances to land LeBron in two years.

      The two sides need to negotiate a buyout deal and end the relationship. The main hurdle there is that Marbury is acting as his own agent, so there isn’t a level-headed lawyer giving him advice. So let me step in…

      The best thing for both parties is a buyout, but Marbury needs to be willing to back off his “not a penny less” demands. He’s not going to get much of a contract next summer if he doesn’t play this year, and he’s not going to play this year unless he signs with another team. He should take a buyout of $10-$12 million, and sign a one-year deal with a team that could use him. If he plays well, he’d be in a position to sign a 2-3 year deal for decent money ($4-$5 million per season?). If he stands his ground and demands the full salary, the Knicks could punish him for his unwillingness to compromise by continuing to pay him for the season, but banishing him from the team, like the Tampa Bay Buccaneers did with Keyshawn Johnson a few years back. If they went that route, the decision would be made and it may (I repeat, “may”) cease to be a story. (After all, this is the NY media we’re talking about.)

      What a mess.

      Fantasy Basketball, NBA, Rumors & Gossip

      What is going on with Stephon Marbury?

      November 14, 2008 /

      Mike D’Antoni refuses to play Stephon Marbury, but says that he’s been “great.” Now it looks like the Knicks might buy out Marbury’s contract, which would allow him to play elsewhere this season.

      Marbury, 30, has been adamant that he will not take a penny less than the $21.9 million he is owed this season. He is in the last year of his contract and has said he doesn’t expect this to be his final season. If he doesn’t play at all, it would be more difficult for Marbury, who does not have an agent, to negotiate a new contract.

      Though Marbury is widely considered to be a cancer, he did average 8+ assists in seven of his 11 years in the league, so conceivably he could fit into D’Antoni’s up-tempo system if he were willing to buy into the pass-first philosophy. But the Knicks are 5-3 without him, so the chances of Marbury getting any playing time in a Knicks uni appear to be gone as there is just too much history between Marbury and the franchise to make the relationship work. From the Knicks perspective, it’s not worth trying to showcase him for a trade, because no one is going to want to take on his salary. (And quite frankly, the Knicks don’t want to take on equal salary in a trade. They’re trying to get under the cap by 2010 to make a run at LeBron.)

      The best thing for both parties is a buyout, but Marbury needs to be willing to back off his “not a penny less” demands. He’s not going to get much of a contract next summer if he doesn’t play this year, and he’s not going to play this year unless he signs with another team. He should take a buyout of $10-$12 million, and sign a one-year deal with a team that could use him. If he plays well, he’d be in a position to sign a 2-3 year deal for decent money ($4-$5 million per season?). If he stands his ground and demands the full salary, the Knicks could punish him for his unwillingness to compromise by continuing to pay him for the season, but banishing him from the team, like the Tampa Bay Buccaneers did with Keyshawn Johnson a few years back. If they went that route, the decision would be made and it may (I repeat, “may”) cease to be a story. (After all, this is the NY media we’re talking about.)

      Fantasy Basketball, NBA, Rumors & Gossip

      Mike D’Antoni curses Knicks fans

      October 31, 2008 /

      Mike D’Antoni got a taste of New York while he was coaching his first game Wednesday night.

      With some in the Garden crowd surprisingly chanting “We Want Steph” with 11:10 remaining in the fourth (others booed the chant), a stewing D’Antoni was caught on MSG Network cameras Wednesday in a tirade, mouthing:

      “You’ve got to be (bleeping) kidding me. You’ve got to be (bleeping) kidding me. What a bunch of (bleep) holes.”

      Welcome to the Big Apple, Mike.

      Starbury has been a major distraction the last few seasons, and it’s going to be interesting to see how the Knicks deal with the final year remaining on his contract. If the chants keep up, they could just buy him out and send him home. They’re probably trying to move him, but who wants to take on his monster contract ($22 million)? Besides, whatever deal the Knicks could conceivably swing needs to include contracts that expire this season or next, as they are trying to clear cap space for the summer of 2010, when the LeBron James Sweepstakes could begin.

      Fantasy Basketball, NBA

      2008 NBA Preview: #28 New York Knicks

      October 14, 2008 /

      Offseason Movement: New head coach Mike D’Antoni needed a point guard to run his up-tempo attack, so the Knicks signed Chris Duhon to fill the role. They probably would have liked to do better, but when you’re $40 million over the cap and have a roster full of players that nobody wants, you’re options are limited. However, Duhon is a pass-first floor general who could surprise.
      Keep Your Eye On: Mike D’Antoni’s blood pressure
      With Zach Randolph and Eddy Curry still on the roster (and penciled into the starting lineup) it’s not clear how D’Antoni will be able to effectively run his frenetic style of offense. Both players are slow-footed and neither guy is known to be a willing passer, two huge no-no’s in D’Antoni’s system. One player who should thrive is forward David Lee, who might be able to work his way into the starting lineup sooner rather than later.
      The Big Question: Is this a lost cause?
      Even with Stephon Marbury’s monster contract ($22 million) coming off the books next summer, the team is still in salary cap hell until the summer of 2010 unless they can rid themselves of Randolph ($14.7 million) or Curry ($9.7 million) before then. D’Antoni will bring energy to New York, but how patient will Knick fans be? It’s going to take a while to remake this roster, so will D’Antoni live to see it happen?
      Outlook: The Knicks do have some talent on this roster. The aforementioned Lee and Duhon are unselfish players that are a good fit for what D’Antoni is trying to do. Jamal Crawford is a terrific scorer, and if he buys into the system (by passing up questionable shots to create opportunities for his teammates), he could have a nice season. Nate Robinson and Quentin Richardson have the potential to thrive as well. The wildcard is rookie SF Danilo Gallinari. As the first pick of the D’Antoni era, it’s crucial that he’s not a bust. The Knicks best lineup might consist of Duhon and Crawford in the backcourt, Richardson and Gallnari in the frontcourt, and Lee at center. They’d be undersized, but if everyone bought in, that might be a fun lineup to watch.

      Check out our NBA Preview page for a look at every team. We’ll be posting three previews per business day, which will take us up to the start of the season on Tuesday, October 28th.

      Fantasy Basketball, NBA

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