While Stephon Marbury’s imminent future with the Knicks has garnered national attention, it has not necessarily made the front headlines here on TKB.  Sure we have made mention of it, but we have tried not to harp on it quite like ESPN, Fox Sports, and some of the local newspapers have.  Although I have no problem with those media outlets covering the Marbury ordeal, I am one that almost considers it a moot subject.  Until something actual happens, it is almost not even worth talking about anymore.

But before tomorrow’s well publicized meeting between Marbury and Walsh, I figured that I might as well say a few words.

Regardless of who is in the wrong, there was never any question as to how this situation would escalate.  As I wrote once before, if Walsh and D’Antoni thought that they could simply sweep this Marbury saga under the proverbial rug, they grossly underestimated the power of the New York media, the national media’s fixation with the Knicks’ off-court issues, and most importantly, they underestimated the power of Stephon Marbury.  Walsh and D’Antoni tried to play off this situation, hoping that it would either disappear or could be handled under the radar.  Now, just about everybody in America knows about tomorrow’s big meeting.

I would rather not sit here and begin to speculate on what actually happened when Marbury reportedly refused to play against the Bucks.  From what I understand, there was a conversation between Marbury and D’Antoni about the possibility of Marbury suiting up to play his first minutes of the young season.  Regardless of what was said, the bottom line is that Marbury has yet to play a single minute for the Knicks thus far.

But I will say this.  If Marbury did in fact refuse to play when he was asked to, then shame on him.  He not only disgraced his coach and his current teammates, but more importantly he disgraced the Knick uniform, he disgraced Madison Square Garden, he disgraced the fans that pour their hearts into this team, and he disgraced the game of basketball, a game he has said he loves.  As a college student, I have been known to forego studying for exams in order to play in meaningless intramural basketball games.  In fact, I can’t think of a reason off the top of my head as to why I would skip any game.  Similarly, I would bet that most of you out there would have a tough time as well.  Go to any park in the tri-state area, and there would not be one accountant, lawyer, sanitation worker, teacher, magazine editor, or policeman that would turn down the opportunity to play for the undermanned Knicks in their time of dire need.  No one would have to be asked twice to play in MSG, the Mecca of Basketball, the famous House of Hoops.  The bottom line is that Marbury should not have to be asked to play; he should be foaming at the mouth for a chance to do so.  Marbury supposedly loves the game and loves the Knicks.  Based on recent reports, I have a tough time believing that. 

If the faces of the Knick immortals could be attached to their retired numbers hanging in MSG’s rafters, you can bet that they would be frowning down on Marbury, New York’s prodigal point guard that was supposed to come home and lead this franchise to the next level. 

From an outsider’s perspective, Marbury came into this season with an open mind and handled himself fairly well.  He was asked to come into camp in shape. He did.  He was promised a clean slate like the rest of the incumbent Knicks.  He was in fact not granted that clean slate. So in this situation, Marbury should not take all of the blame.  Both sides could have handled this situation better.  But if Marbury and the Knicks divorce soon, it will result from Marbury’s accumulation of missteps in New York, not only his most recent one. 

Again, we here at TKB have not harped on the Marbury soap opera because we care more about reality.  We care more about the team’s record and who their next opponent is more than the “he said, she said” battles between a coach and his cast-away fallen star.  Quite frankly, I, much like many of you, have grown tired of this off-court ordeal.  When push comes to shove, what happens on the court is what really matters.  Hopefully tomorrow we here at TKB can offer you fans some closure on this situation.  Until then, try thinking about Tuesday night’s game against the Blazers.

In case you were curious who will fill out the free agent class of 2009 and the class of 2010 (beyond James, Wade, Bosh, etc.), ESPN offers a list the free agents and potential free agents.

You can pretty much let your imagination run wild with ideas for potential steals that Walsh can use to build a team around his 2010 star.  I don’t think that the Knicks will have any room under the cap, but they will be able to use parts of the mid-level exception to fill out the roster.

When Donnie Walsh made the trade for Al Harrington, and getting the chance to watch him play over the past few games, I hope that love for Harrington’s potential doesn’t blind me in a similar way that it did with former Knick Charles Smith.

Allow me to explain.

When the Knicks moved Mark Jackson to the Clippers for Smith, I felt that at the time playing the 3, Smith gave them such a great advantage, and recalling his career with U of Pitt, I concluded the Knicks got a steal of a deal. And in many ways they did, yet Smith never assumed the role of the team’s third piece behind Patrick Ewing and John Starks. No way do they get to the top of the mountain with Jackson, and Smith, despite playing out of position, combined with Anthony Mason and of course Ewing and Oakley to form one of the best front lines in the NBA.

But Smith never asserted himself in the way that he should of, and that idea was made painfully aware under the basket against the Bulls. Frankly, I think that play is overrated in the minds of Knick fans, Smith had no angle and was trying to get to the backboard with three people on his back. The Bulls interrupted the Starks/Ewing “pick and slip” causing Ewing to have to handle the ball way too far from the hoop. “It’s was layup” is a notion that doesn’t tell the whole story. In essence, Smith’s career with the Knicks was summed up with that play: wrong place at the wrong time. Think about the fact that Smith never averaged 6 rebounds in a season, nor did he ever have a campaign where he took more than 9 shots on average per game for the Knicks. And Smith’s greatest moment was being dealt to the Spurs along with Monty Williams in a cap saving move that brought back JR Reid and Brad Lohaus. The trade allowed the Knicks to rebuild on the fly and add Chris Childs and Allan Houston the next season.

Harrington has a ton of talent, and the reason I lobbied for this trade in July was because of his talent, but more because of his contract. I have a feeling that he’ll be a great 3rd piece come 2010 and that he’ll stay for the rest of his career. I wonder just how many shots that allows him per game. In D’Antoni’s system it should provide plenty, but when teams become championship contenders that 3rd piece often becomes very important, just ask Lebron or ask the Lakers about James Posey or Rajon Rondo when Ray Allen struggled. I just hope that he fits here in a way that Smith didn’t. Make no mistake, they are two different players, Harrington can play on the perimeter and on the block, but for some reason I may be overrating Al in the same fashion I overrated Smith.

Because I wanted them both to be good, maybe to a fault. But in seeing what Al did last night, with a fire lit under his butt, it makes you hope that he doesn’t tease you and disappear some nights. But you can see the Garden can inspire players, and playing against your former team doesn’t hurt, but I really think Al will bring it every night here, and not hide from the lights, which Smith often did.

The point being that the Knicks will garner one, maybe two free agents in 2010, but the most important piece to the puzzle may have been put into place last Friday.

First of all, I hope that the Knicks are getting their rest right now because they looked exhausted at the end of last night’s game. What a gutsy performance by our hometown Knicks and what a huge victory.

Clearly, David Lee, Al Harrington, and Chris Duhon stole the show, with all of them filling up the boxscore in an absolutely gaudy fashion. But I do not want to let another player go unnoticed for his strong performance. Tim Thomas, I think you showed plenty of Knick fans last night why Walsh and D’Antoni would want you here. I am not going to lie, I have been extremely critical of you in the past, dating back to your first stint with the Knicks. Twice in your career you have been traded to the Knicks for one of my favorite Knick players, so you have to excuse me for any unwarranted criticisms that I have made in the past.

But last night against the Warriors you opened up my eyes to a part of your game that I never knew existed. Previously I viewed you as a soft player, a player with beastly physical attributes but with a soft mentality, a player that could dominate on the block but always resorted to camping out beyond the arc. Last night you showed that you can be a force in the paint. Off the bench, you grabbed 9 rebounds, 3 of which on the offensive glass. You used your height and length to your advantage as you exploited smaller players attempting to guard you. Of the 15 shots you attempted, only 3 were from the 3-point line. And when you facialized the rookie Anthony Randolph, my jaw dropped. Again, I did not think that you had it in you.

So when you read the papers tomorrow, you probably won’t find much on Tim Thomas. But I recognized the strong game that you had. The Knicks have been in dire need of a player with some length for the entire season. Until Jeffries is back, Tim Thomas must provide the Knicks with that length. Last night he played like a forward, and not an oversized shooting guard. He mixed it up in the paint and made his presence felt with some thunderous slams.

Also, while I have been critical of Q Rich’s game in the past, I also want to take this opportunity to recognize his strong play thus far this season. You wear the Knick jersey with pride, and I appreciate that. Keep up the good work.

BOX SCORE
SHOT CHART

This may have been Al Harrington‘s coming out party, but two other Knicks overshadowed an utterly dominant performance with incredible performances of their own.

In an offensive explosion not seen around these parts, maybe ever, the Knicks lit the Warriors up for 82 first half points, wait, can I say that again?, 82 first half points and never looked back on route to a 138-125 win at the Garden.

Walt Frazier and Mark Jackson please step aside as the new record holder for assists in a game is Chris Duhon who dished out 22 dimes (3 turnovers) setting up Harrington 36 points and David Lee 37 points and 21 rebounds all night long.

The Knicks as a team netted 13 threes for the game but managed 10 in the first half.

Wow.

Not much more to say other than the team clicked and it gives you an idea of what they are capable of offensively.

Corey Maggette led the Warriors with 32 and Jamal Crawford finished with 21 points on just 6-20 shooting and added 10 rebounds and 5 assists, but was overshadowed by Harrington who made his presence felt in NY.

The Knicks 8-8 face the Portland Trailblazers on Tuesday night.

(AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

When: 7:30 P.M.

Where:MSG

Watch: MSG

Starting Lineups:

Warriors (5-11)

SG: Jamal Crawford (14 ppg, 36% FG, since the trade)

SG- Stephen Jackson (21.4ppg, 40%, 3.95 TOs)

SF- Corey Maggette (17.9 ppg, 40%, 4.8 rpg)

PF- Brandan Wright (7 ppg, 4 rpg 17 minutes)

C- Andris Biedrins (15.6ppg, 12.6 rpg )

Rest of rotation: Kelenna Azubuike, C.J. Watson, Ronny Turiaf, Anthony Randolph,

Knicks (7-7)

PG: Chris Duhon

SG: Quentin Richardson

SF: Wilson Chandler

PF: Al Harrington

C: David Lee

Rest of Rotation: Anthony Roberson, Malik Rose, Tim Thomas

Injuries:

Warriors: None

Knicks: OUT: Eddy Curry (conditioning); Danilo Gallinari (back); Jared Jeffries (leg); Nate Robinson (groin); Cuttino Mobley (heart condition) QUEST: Quentin Richardson (forearm)

Keep an eye on: Nellie Ball

If nothing else this game should be entertaining and you know both Jamal Crawford and Al Harrington will have extra motivation. Defense will not be the focus here, getting the ball back out of the hoop and up the floor as fast as possible will. Both teams rank 1st and 2nd in most points scored and allowed in the NBA. The Knicks need a win and Golden State has lost 4 games since the trade.

The Other Blog’s Take: From sfgate.com

Full story coming about the Al Harrington for Jamal Crawford swap, but in case this gets lost in the shuffle, here’s what Al said on the phone earlier about the trade.

(As an aside, he obviously had issues with coach Don Nelson and wasn’t giving the Warriors much on the court. But Al’s going to be severely missed as a teammate, starting with Stephen Jackson. It was Al and Jack that really encouraged the young guys behind-the-scenes in that locker room).

On the end:
“Obviously, you’re sitting there and you’re trying to wait and see what happens, wishing something would happen. I’m happy that Chris was able to make a deal they were comfortable with.

My highs and lows, ups and down, was obviously my dealings with Coach. As far as the city, fans, they were a big plus. I’m really going to miss them. Up to that point in my career, they’re definitely the best fans I’ve been around. I’m going to miss all the guys, the organization, Mr. Cohan, Bobby, Mully.”

On the Knicks:
“They’re in a rebuilding stage, but it’s something I’m excited about being a part of. Growing up there, I’ve seen what the Knicks mean when they’re a winning team, They’re on top of the world. And I’m looking forward to bringing that back. It’s probably my favorite arena to play in, and I’m going to be playing there 41 nights a year.”

On playing for coach Mike D’Antoni:
“You look at his coaching career, obviously, his system is a lot like Golden State’s. At the end of the day, his run-and-gun style allows people to be who they are. It’s a great system where you can get a lot of things done, so I’m just excited to get there and learn it as fast as possible.”

(AP Photo/Michael Dwyer)

First 3 games with the Warriors:

14 ppg
15-41 FG (36.6%)
5-19 3s (26%)
19 assists
10 turnovers

Crawford has played in 3 games with the Warriors and since the trade the Warriors are 0-4.

(AP Photo/Mark Duncan)

Several reports state that Stephon Marbury has been suspended for tomorrows game and has been told by the Knicks to stay away from the team.

Marbury’s communication gap with Mike D’Antoni has again been highlighted as Marbury has denied ever being told or asked to play Wednesday in Detroit. The team is shorthanded in the back court with Nate Robinson shelved with a sore groin and Quentin Richardson, who had some choice words for Marbury, expected to both miss the game tomorrow against Jamal Crawford and the Warriors with a sore forearm.

All this drama gives credence to Frank Isola’s report that the team will wait until 2009 to fully buyout the disgruntled guard. It makes sense that Jim Dolan wouldn’t want the loss to show on his financial records until Quarter 1 of next year.

This could be James Dolan payback, for lack of a better term, too. The more this drags on the more Marbury exposes himself as the villain. Despite other reports to the contrary, based on what Lebron James said about D’Antoni, there is little reason to speculate that his treatment of Marbury is making its rounds and that players around the league would not want to play for him.

And thanks to everyone for checking out TheKnicksBlog

The undermanned Knicks gave a good effort tonight but fell short to a deeper, more efficient Pistons squad. Al Harrington led the team with 25 points despite going 8-24 from the field. But, a balanced Pistons attack was too much for the 7-man rotation that Mike D’Antoni had to work with tonight.

There were several post-game reports that Stephon Marbury once again told Coach D’Antoni that he would not be playing tonight, prompting Quentin Richardson to say the following:

“I don’t consider him my teammate, so I mean, whatever. Regardless of what you have going on with the organization or what you have going on with your coach or whatever, you’re not going to allow your teammates to be left out there the way they were left out there.”

Yikes.

Box Score

Recap

Gian does a great job of breaking down Allen Iverson‘s poor defense and the Pistons lack of interior defense. ESPN’s John Hollinger has the Pistons at 22nd in team defensive efficiency.

When: 8:00 P.M.

Where: Palace of Auburn Hills

Watch: MSG

Starting Lineups:

Pistons (8-5)

PG: Allen Iverson (18.8 ppg, 40% FG, 87% FT)

SG- Rip Hamilton (16.2, 39%, 91%)

SF- Tayshaun Prince (15.5, 45%, 86%)

PF- Rasheed Wallace (13.5, 45%, 68%)

C- Amir Johnson (4.5, 57%, 67%)

Rest of rotation: Aaron Afflalo, Kwame Brown, Will Bynum, Jason Maxiell, Rodney Stuckey

Knicks (7-7)

PG: Chris Duhon (10.6 ppg, 42% FG, 78% FT)

SG: Quentin Richardson (12.4, 43%, 86%)

SF: Wilson Chandler (14.8, 44%, 76%)

PF: Al Harrington (13.0, 31%, 100%)

C: David Lee (12.2, 55%, 66%)

Rest of Rotation: Anthony Roberson, Malik Rose, Tim Thomas

Injuries:

Pistons: PROBABLE: Rodney Stuckey (wrist)

Knicks: OUT: Eddy Curry (conditioning); Danilo Gallinari (back); Jared Jeffries (leg); Nate Robinson (groin); Cuttino Mobley (heart condition)

Keep an eye on: Defensive Effort

Earlier in the season we saw the Knicks give up points, but you could see an improvement in intensity on the defensive end. Over the last few games, we have not seen that. Now, with a shorter bench and a Pistons’ offense that thrives on continuity and screens, the Knicks must increase their effort level on defense. (Especially on consecutive nights). Iverson, Hamilton, and Stuckey all have non-stop motors on offense and Duhon and Richardson will have to work that much harder without Robinson for tonight’s game.

Michael Curry

Under the first-year head coach, the Pistons 8-5 record is pretty disappointing considering the depth and talent on this roster. We now know that the team disconnected from Flip Saunders last season, but we also know that Flip Saunders didn’t lose games to Minnesota and New Jersey. Their last three losses (Phoenix, Boston, and Minnesota) are by an average of 21 points per loss. So, if the Knicks can hit their shots early and jump out to a lead, let’s see if the Pistons respond like the title contenders that many feel they are.

The Other Blog’s Take: From truebluepistons.blogspot.com

The Pistons still have no idea what their ceiling is with Allen Iverson, but they at least now know where their floor must be. They’d better hope it doesn’t get any lower than Sunday, when the woebegone Minnesota Timberwolves thumped them by 26 at The Palace.

What we’ve learned in the three weeks since the Allen Iverson trade is that right now it’s not about who lines up against the Pistons, it’s about the Pistons. In their first home game since scoring 58 points in the second half to beat one of the league’s most rugged defensive teams, Cleveland, the Pistons scored 34 points in the first half against one of the league’s flimsier defenses, Minnesota’s.

The offense was bad Sunday and the defense might have been worse. And the tendency will be to blame a letdown, the bugaboo that marked the Flip Saunders era, the whole “flip the switch” conversation that drove him crazy.

But you know what it really is? Disorientation. A team that could find its way around with the lights off before has suddenly been plunked down in a new house, blindfolded, and is groping to find its way from the bedroom to the kitchen for something as simple as pouring a glass of water.

AP Photo/Duane Burleson

Although I never saw him play, any NBA historian who’s opinion I value tells me that Oscar Robertson was one of the best players to ever play the game. Not as good as Jordan, but as good, if not better, than Magic Johnson is what they tell me.

Woah hold on a second. Better than Magic? The greatest playmaker in NBA history who could rebound, lead the break and make a sick pass leading to a highlight dunk?

It’s hard for me to fathom but it’s a point rarely dispelled by those who’ve seen both play. How could I argue? I never saw the Big O play. I know this about him he averaged a triple double for a season and is a Top 50 Player of All-Time. Wait, did I just say he averaged a triple double? I knew he did, but why am I so quick to overlook it?

Why do the memories and epitaph of retired players get clouded over the years? I’m a sports nut who grew up with a room full of plastered Sports Illustrated covers as wall paper. I pride myself on trying to learn more about sports on a day-to-day basis.

So i got to thinking back to all the old NBA footage I’ve seen. I’ve been told that Robertson won an NBA title but have no idea who it was against or even what year. I vaguely remember Dave Cowen’s diving on the floor for a loose ball like a red-faced maniac thus identifying for the NBA what it means to give everything up for a title, and the Celtics beating Kareem and Robertson, but I had to look up that in 1971 the Big O’s Bucks beat the Baltimore Bullets.

Not exactly Lakers/Celtics.

My point is that the NBA has been built on such rivalries, and out of those rivalries come legends who are supplanted in the minds of fans forever.

We know about Magic and Bird, but why does Jerry West, the silhouette of the NBA logo for crying out loud, stand out in my mind as a better player than Robertson? John Havlicek didn’t even start and for a long time I valued him in the same class as Robertson before someone told me to compare them is idiotic.

I conclude that my skewed and clouded take is because Oscar played in Milwaukee.

Fast forward to today and thanks to TV and new media there are plenty of opportunity to see the game’s greatest players, but when we talk about Lebron James we’re talking about a generation-defining player. He’s what Robertson was: versatility personified in a big and gifted guard.

Lebron’s gift is that he is a champion without rings, and it has to bother him that both Kobe Bryant and Dwayne Wade were fortunate enough to have the perfect post compliment to help them to theirs.

Lebron wants rings, but make no mistake, he wants to be the best ever and he can be. He’s the total package. Sure Kobe is unreal, but there’s only one way to settle it and that’s in June. Lebron has been to a final and may get back there this year. We’ll see. But could you imagine a fledgling league marketing Lebron verses Kobe, LA-NY in 2010 for the next 5 years? It would be Magic-Bird, Ali-Frasier, Nicklaus-Palmer, Hogan-Andre the Giant all wrapped into seven games each June.

People would talk about it for generations and it would elevate these two warriors into the stratosphere of legendary status.

Why can’t a Knick fan plead for it? It makes sense, no? It’s logical and dammit if we haven’t felt the wrath of “The Jordan Rules” as in playing 5-8 against a stacked deck of refs during MJ’s run. Now it’s our turn.

This isn’t about money for Lebron, this is about greatness and Lebron is not afraid to be great, which is why he’s not afraid to leave Cleveland. This is about joining the All-Time Great conversation. Kobe has LA, Lebron needs NY.

But this year, I guess we can settle for the possibility of Lakers-Cavs.

Woo hoo.

BOX SCORE
SHOT CHART

The last really hyped press conference I went to was in 2006 when Tiger Woods returned to golf after losing his father, which was at the U.S. Open at Winged Foot. There must have been 200 people there and media from all over the world. Tiger is a crafty athlete and as guarded as it gets so he makes sure that when he answers questions he doesn’t leave much room for misinterpretation. Sitting in a room with Tiger, making eye contact is an experience no one forgets.

Lebron James has more fun with the media.

Between making us wait some 30 minutes for his arrival and calling Mike D’Antoni an “offensive mastermind,”  to saying that 2010 will be a historic day, James has been clear on some things and very vague on others.

He wants to win a championship and will make sure to put himself in the best position to do so, and obviously after last night the Knicks do not exactly portray a team on that path. I’m not going to overreact, this was a team that was just assembled for the most part and had to endure the loss of Nate Robinson to a groin injury something that will probably keep him out for an extended period. D’Antoni said after the game that there was a “pop” and that’s never a good sign.

But getting back to James, on the court his game is just so complete, obviously. His assists were down but he did show the crowd once again he can knock down threes. His block shot that led to the fast break was ridiculous and he made sure to wow the crowd with that second half dunk where it looked like his head was a foot higher than the rim. He also made sure he got to the line. But it was his turn-around fadeaway on the baseline against Quentin Richardson that impressed me the most. Kobe takes and makes the hardest shots of any player I’ve seen, including Jordan (not comparing them, Kobe just has high degree of difficulty points for his shot selection) but if Lebron, who make no mistake is the combination of Magic AND  Jordan, can master the low post he will win multiple championships. He very well could go down has the best ever.  Like Tiger, who has reinvented his golf swing twice, James has molded his game for the long haul, often sacrificing athleticism and wild shots, like Tiger did with jaw-dropping legth, for consistency. It’s a great model to follow. Lebron can cruise at a high level and turn it up when he needs to. Tiger is the same way. Two athletes who can still dominate when they are far from their best and who use those experiences to motivate them to improve.

I firmly believe Donnie Walsh looks at his team now as the group he’s building from scratch. He’ll make more moves at some point and if the team misses the playoffs they will be lottery bound. The future is bright despite failing to meet curiously high expectations last night. The Cavs are playoff tested, the Knicks are rebuilding, finally. Lebron knows what the future holds here.

I was listening to a few reporters talk last night who believed they didn’t think Lebron has any idea where he’s going to be in 2010. I agree.

But believe this, the Knicks are in the mix.

************************************

I asked D’Antoni about picking up another techincal foul last night, his third this season and he noted that it’s his way of trying to give his team some “energy” and that he “would have felt bad if we lost by one.” Fans have to love D’Antoni’s fire versus Isiah Thomas’ laid-back (aloof) style. This team will get the respect of calls when they win despite bad calls.