NBA Insider with Ken Berger

I know many of you care more about Sunday's home opener than Isiah Thomas' news conference with Al Sharpton, so here are few observations to keep you going until tipoff:

As Alan pointed out in his story and blog, the Knicks got killed again Friday night by their inability to defend perimeter shooters, particularly in drive-and-kick situations. If they don't get this fixed, it is going to be their downfall again.

It barely took 3 1-2 quarters for Thomas to put Stephon Marbury on notice that he will go to the bench for long stretches if he doesn't get it together. On Friday night, Steph's lapses were at the defensive end. But the Knicks also need some intelligent guard play at the offensive end from him, and that means finding a way to balance when to drive, when to pass, and how to find high-percentage shots. One thing I like about how Isiah coaches is that, despite the controversy swirling around him, it doesn't affect who plays. He could easily force Marbury on the game because he brought him here, but Thomas has consistently sent the message that the best players will play, no matter who you are or where you came from.

Having said all that, I still don't see who is the best point guard to run the offense consistently. I love Nate in open-floor situations when the Knicks play small and try to run the floor. But I'm not convinced the little guy can make the right decisions and steady the team when it really needs a bucket in the halfcourt set. Jamal Crawford? He's not the answer in those situations, either.

As for Isiah, I'll have an interesting take on things in Sunday's paper. Suffice it to say that I believe Thomas shouldn't be the only one taking the heat over this harassment verdict. Will be back Sunday night with the pre-game buzz and anything else you need to know.