D'Antoni's Catch-22: benching hurts trade value
Dare I go a little Marianne Faithful on you, Fixers? This haunting song rang in my ears as I walked to the Knicks shoot-around among the revelers preparing for the Phillies parade at the Wachovia Sports Complex.
Burn the towns,
Burn the backstreet bars,
Burn your boardwalk basement trade.
Feel the flame,
Feel the curve of the sword,
Your living flesh reeks of compromise, babe.
And in the face of barbarian hordes
An honest defeat is your only reward.
The love that you would not defend with your life
You cannot befriend always tears in your eyes.
Ma ni dem, gone with the wind,
Ma ni dem in search of a new king....
Now that we're done stringing up the new coach for saying something most of us also said when that rabble-rousing group of Starburians tried to crash the opening-night Party for the New Era at the Garden, can we put the torches and pitchforks away?
Ah, not yet. Perhaps more outrage tonight if Stephon does not enter the game against the Sixers.
Mike D'Antoni gave no promises. He also explained why:
"I don’t think it’s fair to Steph to play him just five minutes and then take him out," D'Antoni said. "It’s either he gets a big piece of the pie or – it’s somewhat disrespectful to say, ‘Yeah, go ahead and make one turnover and I’m taking you out.’ I’m not going to do that to him. There’s either a nice role for him where he’s comfortabl to perform like he has, or there isn’t that role. And right now, how we’re set up, I just don’t think there’s that role where I can say, ‘Hey this is your role.’ I don’t know what the role is for a guy who has been an all-star and has been around the league, I’m not just going to say, ‘I don’t know where you’ll fit in, but I’m going to throw you out there, but don’t get too comfortable because I’m going to take you out’ . . . I don’t want to get into that.
"But guys like Gallo I can throw out for four minutes. Guys like Mardy I can throw out for four minutes and take them out. But I want to make sure that it’s Nate, Duhon and Crawford, who have the bulk of the minutes and are really comfortable with their roles. That’s where it kind of led to this. I was stewing with it all preseason, what am I going to do, because I’m not going to mess those three guys up right now. Now, they’re going to have to perform and play well and everything; that’s why I said the door is never closed. But those are my thoughts."
I asked him if there is the chance his rotation might eventually be compromised by the potential to have to "showcase" a player like him or Eddy Curry to teams that might be interested in a trade.
"That really screws you up . . . that’s tough," he said. "I know that’s how it should be talked about and it’s kind of the business, but you know what, a lot of fans come in and they want to watch the Knicks play . . . You know, I’m sensitive to that . . . In the back of my mind, I want to win every game, go deep in the playoffs and win a championship. So it’s tough to play games, it’s tough to play the political games."
But he may have to.
* *
* - As we reported today, an initial inquiry with the Golden State Warriors regading disgruntled Al Harrington did not result in anything substantial or even promising. The Warriors really have no interest in Eddy Curry, though that would be the best contract match for the Knicks. Obviously with Monta Ellis out for a bulk of the season, the Warriors could take a flier on Marbury's expiring contract, but the Knicks don't have the roster space to handle a one-for-two trade, unless they made a complicated three-team deal.
But Curry may play tonight, especially with Elton Brand to contend with. D'Antoni said Curry looked good this morning and came early to the shoot-around to get extra work in. I'll keep attendance records on the scouts at the game.
* - Danilo Gallinari could get more minutes tonight if the game allows it.
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Comments (17)
you pay steph.
he will go to the cletics and win a title.
oh how what a dreamy situation!
cut steph. kill the drama.
This may sound crazy, but benching Marbury may actually increase his trade value. If you play him spot minutes, he looks like a washed up, disgruntled role player. If you sit him, people can remember his all-star moments, and ponder the possibilities of the comeback, the redemption, all that stuff.
Plus, wherever Steph ends up, he's going to be pathologically driven to succeed. I think benching him now helps Donnie's desire to move him. If that makes any sense.
Saying sitting Stephon Marbury hurts his trade value makes no sense. He has no trade value. No team is trading for a $22M contract. It's not possible. i don't understand why Donnie Walsh keeps believing that some team will come calling. It's not going to happen.
I will puke if #34 aka Rasputia plays tonight.
walsh should have
made a decision on Marbury
before training camp
either waive him
or play him
all this controversy is not good for a
young team trying to find its way
it is an unnecessary distraction
that could have been avoided
also
what the hell is wrong with these fans?
chanting for marbury after he
destroyed the knicks season last year
WTF
I disagree. It doesn't have to be a distraction. D'Antoni makes sense, and Marbury's handling it well (seems to understand that if he wants to play again or get a big time contract again, he has to be on his best behavior).
You can't waive him, because you're then paying for him to contribute on another team.
You can't play him because you want to develop guys who will actually be here in the future.
So it is what it is.
Well Spoken by Coach D
Alan asked the tough questions.
If the NotAPennyLessBury wants a buyout all he has to do is come to the table with a comprimise, would be my guess. This is the first time he isnt "ActingOut" and getting his way.
The SplinterBury will be a better man for it.
NY fans LOVE our players. A homegrown like the Splinter had a get out of jai free card...its amazing to see how MeBury has aliented the fans in his hometown, N Y C
What exactlly did Steph do that was asked of him?
Showing up in shape should be a given like breathing.
I believe Marbury's DNP-CD that will continue into the
future was Self inflicted with his " I WON'T COME OFF
THE BENCH IN NEW YORK." Surely You remember that recent
quote as all Fixers do. That statement alone is suffient
enough to show that he does have to man up and he does
have to know who's running this team! Do you think that
Marbury is not intelligent enough to know where he stands
as he mostly played with the second unit in Preseason
and Practice? Do you think that Marbury was really caught
by surprize that he did not play the first game?
The only thing that is humbleing Marb's is that any outburst
or conduct detrimental to the team would result in a suspension
and Dolan not having to pay him. I believe any fine goes to the NBA
but I think Dolan would be happy to pay the NBA rather than Steph.
Let me reitterate my position. If Marbury can take this demotion
for a considerable time and cheer his team on and bust his azz
in practice ( YOU MEAN PRACTICE) then Marbury may be an
important X-factor if this team is in the playoff hunt.
Plus, why let him go when you have a talented insurance
piece on the bench? Marbury can win back his lost credibility
but it's going to take more than a few games of DNP'S.
D'Antoni doesn't owe anyone one on this team "courtesy"
especially Marbury! Quite frankly the "Courtesy" is in his
22 million dollar pay check!
"When Marbury's k finally expires or is bought out, I picture Berman standing on a dark street, a tear running down his chubby cheek and a wilted flower in his hand, watching the truck drive away into the distance."
Too funny Pete, and probably true.
i dont like the dark.
why does everyone say waive him or play him? that's ridiculous. he has a job. a job that pays well.
the coach also has a job. and he's doing it. he decides if you play or not. just because the guy gets 21 mil that means he gets special treatment? no one is lamenting anthony roberson languishing at the end of the bench. i don't see anyone saying we need to waive him or play him.
all this talk is ridiculous. and because you all feed off of it, the ny media does too. it's simple. he gets paid to come to work. if his job is starting, coming off the bench or the most expensive practice player in NBA history, it doesn't matter. he gets paid to do a job, and the coach decides his job description. this is not rocket science and is sure as sh*t not charity. shut up and eaarn your pay check, no matter what it's for.
ditto for eddy.
Deep Thoughts:
1) Chanting for Stephon at the end of the game is the same thing as when we used to chant for Greg Butler.
2) Nobody in the league wants Stephon, why would we want Stephon?
File under He Can Shop for the Groceries but Can't Cook:
http://realgm.com/src_wiretap_archives/55183/20081031/warriors_exercise_options_on_belinelli_wright_decline_on_williams/
"The Golden State Warriors have exercised the third-year contract options on guard Marco Belinelli and forward Brandan Wright, and declined the fourth-year contract option on guard Marcus Williams, Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations Chris Mullin announced today."
Balkman's option was picked up by Denver, Williams' wasn't and the Warriors don't have a point guard!
The Sleeping Lord smiles gently at the bottom of the ocean.
So far, not impress with Danilo Gallinari. It looks as if he's an ankle breaking waiting to happen. No foot work for the NBA.
If D'Antoni had no intention to play Marburry why did he play him so much in preseason? Remember what goes around comes around. Maybe Marburry deserve to be treaded unfairly for his past but D'Antoni better get ready for his time to be treaded unfairly. Because if it has nothing to do with the past he's in the best shape of his life and you can't tell me he doesn't deserve play over them to knuckle heads in Jamal and Nate.
Walsh needs to change his policy (cutting contracts) or this as last years phoenix crab is going to screw up the season.
You people can't be serious. All you Marbury lovers need to get a life. Dantoni doesn't have to play him if he doesn't want to. I love how their handling the situation. They are putting Marbury on the bench and their waitiing to see if he acts up. If he does, then we have a reason to cut him or dock his salary if not void it all together. I say we keep Steph and Curry on the bench as long as possible. Like Alan said, we may need to play Curry tonight because of the size of the Sixers front line. If we don't have to, I say we let him stay on the bench. How childish is it that he wouldn't even come out the locker room after half time? He was icing his knees? Come on now....I'm a politician so I know a spin when I hear it. What was he icing his knees for?
Should be very interesting to see what happens tonight. I hope we can go 2-0.
Also, the media should be ashamed of themselves for making this Dantoni cursing the fans a bigger story than it is. My brother works is a writer for the Daily News and he agrees. He said the media will never treat the Knicks fair. Even if we were to win tonight against Philly, the story tomorrow will still be about Marbury and whether or not he plays or not.
I'm thinking of starting a blog so us real Knick fans can have a place to get together on game nights and have real conversations. You guys won't have to worry about any of these trolls that pollute this blog.
Let's go Knicks!!!!
2-0 hopefully.
Trade Curry for Darko. Memphis doesnt want him with Darrell Arthur doing well. Steph for Harrington. Find an expiring that we can cut and forget about 2010.
Possible MVP that NY could of had CHEAP