Marbury Meltdown - A chance for Pat?

[The Stig]

sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=3736322

To paraphrase the legendary Murray Walker, Marbury's hopes of playing with the Knicks again, which were nil before, are absolutely zero now.

The important thing though is that he's meeting with Walsh about a buyout, which would open up a roster spot. Would that elevate Pat to the Knicks' roster?

[RBHoya]

Yes. It has always just been a matter of time. Marbury and management have been at an impasse since the season started. The team is trying to buy him out by paying some percentage of his contract and then letting him go elsewhere. Marbury says he wants the full 20 million he's owed, and he's not going to accept less. They have been deadlocked for weeks now, and I'm still not sure how they will get past it.

But whenever they do, the spot is Pat's. He's been practicing with them and everybody knows it's just a matter of time. Pat may be able to dress as well, since Jeffries is still hurt, Gallinari is out for the foreseeable future and Curry is out/inactive.

[The Stig]

From what I've read, the Knicks might have to go over Pat's head if they buy out Marbury. They only have one healthy guard, so they'll likely use the roster spot to sign another guard.

[HeartAttackHoya]

Duhon, Roberson, Cuttino all can play the point. Considering the trading away of talent, I think brining back Pat would be a good P.R. move. Not sure which point guards are available on the waiver wire who could either improve the team or get fans fired up..

[vcjack]

Between Marbury and Plaxico its been a tough week for overrated NY primadonas

[daytonahoya31]

I gotta say this. I feel for Stephon and I'm totally on his side in this. I know that Steph's an unbelivably selfish guy and not a good teammate. That said, Walsh and D-Antoni knew this and preyed upon that. He busted his butt this summer to get ready to play. He came to grips that he would be coming off the bench. He played hard and did everything they asked of him. And watched as they absolutely humiliated him at the beginning of the season. They sat him down, de-activated him and made him look foolish when all they had to do if they felt that way about him was release him and give him his money.

Under those circumstances, and knowing that you're still the best player on the team, who wouldn't eventually lash out? It's clear to me that Walsh and D'Antoni knew this and were just waiting for the blowup so they could have a reason not to pay him. They also knew that Marbury's past would automatically give them a pass in the media, which it has.

What walsh and D'Antoni did here disgusts me. This is not how you treat human beings. Buisness is buisness. If they didn't want him, don't make him go through hoops to be a part of the team. If they didn't want him, give him his money, his walking papers and move on. Doing what they did here makes me, a lifelong Knicks fan, not want to root for them as long as those two are in charge. You just don't treat people like that. This is marbury's livelihood here and now they may have ruined his career.

[tashoya]

daytona... I'm with you that the Knicks have handled the situation poorly to say the very least. However, D'Antoni was told before he accepted the job that Steph would already have been dealt. D'Antoni never had any intention of playing Steph (just like when he shipped him out after like 11 games years ago) and Walsh knew it. It was Walsh's job to get rid of Steph and he didn't. D'Antoni is just going about his business like he said he would which includes not playing Steph. He may still be there but D'Antoni is conducting business as if he wasn't. While that's not "nice," it's what Walsh knew would happen.

[turbohoya]

Totally 100% disagree Daytona - guy gets paid near $22mm a year... I want you to sit 10 games you sit 10 games and say thank you - I ask you to play you say "yes sir will do anything to help the team out"... You don't like it? YOU walk and leave money on the table, not the team... Are you afraid that your next contract will be compromised? Do something about it. Why should the Knicks be worried about how much money you might or might not make next year with another team? Marbury should have done his numbers and come to his own conclusions about how much of a discount he would take on his salary to get a chance at earning a new contract by playing this season with another team. He wants to be employed by the Knicks, he follows Knicks mgmt rules. Did Walsh, D'Antoni and everyone in NY (including myself) know that it would take Marbury a second to blow up? Of course they did, but cutting him doesn nothing for them and if Marbury had a brain (or an agent - which he doesn't) he would have put his pride aside and acted as a $22mm a year professional and come in to play when asked, scored 40 (which I think he still can) and then in the post game interview given everyone his phone number and said: call me.... You don't think ESPN would have had a front page article about the 'New " Marbury if he came in after being 'disrespected' and hepled his team in time of need? Do you not think that GMs around the league who need a talent like Marbury would be more inclined to pay the Knicks something to get him if he acted like a pro? He didn't want to be 'asked' if he wanted to play - he wanted to be told 'we need you, please come back' - Give me a break...

[royski]

He should absolutely be coming off the bench as a sixth man if they don't want to start him. Like it or not, Steph is still the most talented guard on the team, and nobody is really close. He's also basically perfect for D'Antoni's offense, it will be just like old times on Coney Island.

[SFHoya99]

I would be more inclined to give Marbury the benefit of the doubt if the guy was a winner.

But he's not. He's never won anywhere. He asked out of Minnesota because he couldn't stand being second fiddle to Kevin Garnett -- a player who wasn't even taking most of the shots, just the press!

He's not ill-suited to D'Antoni's offense, but he's hardly a pass first guy, and he's hardly a good decision maker, which is when the offense works best.

Of course, he's better than Chris Duhon. But no one but them really knows how Marbury and the Knicks have acted behind the scenes. It's not hard to believe Steph hasn't been the model player in terms of listening to the coach.

There are lots of players who are villified by the media -- Ron Artest, Stephen Jackson, Allen Iverson, etc. But notice those guys don't get sold out by their teammates. The Knicks couldn't wait to sell out Marbury.

[RBHoya]

As a lifelong Knicks fan, not wild about the way this whole thing has gone down either. Steph said and did all the right things this offseason and came into the season ready to play... but since then they have basically tried to humiliate him by making him sit on the end of the bench in a suit in his hometown rather than playing him. It's idiotic, they are basically trying to embarrass him to the point where he is willing to take less money on a buyout so he can go somewhere else to try to prove him wrong. It just strikes me as kind of silly, and I don't really believe D'Antoni's end of the story. It's a lot of he said/he said type stuff and it just shouldn't be happening. They should have just released him/bought him out early on if they had no intention of playing him.

Is he a career loser? Yes, a point that cannot be argued. But it isn't his fault that some sucker paid him a ton of money a few years back. The current regime is clearly trying to vilify him and make him out as the bad guy.... for the last several years he has been the scapegoat for a lot of what's been wrong with the team, when really the biggest mistakes were made by owner James Dolan (who I HATE) and GMs Scott Layden and Isiah Thomas... For the most part, Steph has just played hard and taken a ton of blame for the fact that the team stinks. Not his fault that they were trading 2 first round picks for Fat Eddy Curry, trading for Steve Francis, signing Clarence Weatherspoon or Jerome James or Jared Jeffries to huge deals, and on down the line (we all know the list). I just think the organization and the media have tried to make him out to be the main problem when really the problems have been much bigger than him for over a decade.

[SFHoya99]

Fair enough, RB. Marbury certainly isn't responsible at all for the Knicks sucking. And sports teams pull this negative PR stuff all the time. So I can believe that.

What I can't believe is that Marbury is totally blameless here.

[turbohoya]

He has a choice in the matter, no? $22mm on one side vs. happyness, no more humiliation, playing time, new contract, etc... He has something to gain from leaving money on the table, Knick mgmt/ownership has zero incentive... I actually think that as a Knick fan this is the best thing my team can do - the days of paying millions then cutting or waiving are over... Did he want to show he was ready to play? He got 2 chances and cried about the fact that the team didn't ask him nice enough - there are too many people who would run through walls (to use a JTIII expression) to get a shot at impressing an NBA GM...

[02hoya]

www.nypost.com/seven/12052008/sports/knicks/cuttino_meets_with_heart_specialist_curr_142710.htm

Posted on Friday:

"With Walsh trying to buy out Stephon Marbury's contract and Mobley's situation up in the air, the Knicks president said he already is investigating free agents. Obviously Patrick Ewing Jr. is high on Walsh's list, but he is looking more for a shooting guard. Former USC shooting guard Desmon Farmer, recently cut by San Antonio, will be considered.

"I'm looking at a lot of things around the league," Walsh said."

[strummer8526]

I'm basically of the mindset: Pat gets on that team, or I will never have a shred of interest in it again.

[youngjeezy]

Dec 7, 2008 10:12:30 GMT -5 strummer8526 said:

I'm basically of the mindset: Pat gets on that team, or I will never have a shred of interest in it again.

i was that way too... until they put up 120 through 3 quarters against golden state (i think?) d'antoni is the perfect coach for a terrible team... why teach defense when you can teach a hyperactive offense instead?

with that said, pat on a d'antoni team would be BEAUTIFUL.