Steph: I'll be Larry's No. 2
BY FRANK ISOLA
August 4, 2005

The self-proclaimed best point guard in the NBA is ready for a career change.

Stephon Marbury revealed yesterday that he is prepared to move to shooting guard under new coach Larry Brown, a switch that Marbury believes is a "scary" proposition for the rest of the league.

"He told me a long time ago if I ever coach you I'll put you at the two because you're a two-guard," Marbury said during his camp at Basketball City in Manhattan. "To me, it don't matter. As long as I'm on the court playing, it don't matter who's the one or two.

"But if I play the two, it's going to be scary. It's going to be kind of scary because I can shoot whenever I want to shoot. I won't even have to think about it. I think I'll be more of a playmaker because I'll be playing behind the defense."

Brown switched Allen Iverson from a point guard to a shooting guard and Iverson eventually became the league's MVP. But Iverson also played alongside a classic point guard in Eric Snow, and if Brown is intent on making Marbury a two guard, the Knicks could be in the market for a starting point guard.

A league source claims that the Knicks have expressed interest in Snow, who is with the Cleveland Cavaliers. The Knicks may also be interested in Kevin Ollie, who played for both Brown and Isiah Thomas. Another possibility is Memphis free agent Earl Watson, whom the Grizzlies are willing to move in a sign-and-trade.

The Knicks could take a chance on rookie Nate Robinson and try him at point guard. But considering his inexperience, it is unlikely that Robinson would be given the job out of training camp. Likewise, Brown probably doesn't feel comfortable with Jamal Crawford at point guard.

Marbury at times sounded optimistic, defiant and somewhat arrogant when he talked about several changes the Knicks have made. He feels that he and Brown can coexist even though Brown attempted to have him removed from the Olympic team before the Games began last summer.

As for the rumors that the Knicks explored trading him, Marbury seemed to suggest that the media invented the rumors because "when things get good they want me to leave now."

Last month, several player agents said that Thomas did call about trading Marbury, a claim that Thomas vehemently denied. And he seems to have a believer in Marbury.

"They want me to go on a bad team so they continue to drag me," Marbury said. "But it's cool. I'm still here. I'm not going nowhere. I'm going to still play the same way I play.

"I got somebody on my side now. I think people can't deal with that knowing that Isiah and I are close. We're too close and we talk too much. It's a bad thing that Isiah and I have a relationship. It makes it difficult for people to talk to us. It makes it difficult for you to go and talk to another player. But we're real. It's easy for all of the fake people to hang out with each other. It's hard to stand by yourself and be real."

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Marbury reportedly thrilled about Brown
Knicks star thinks new coach will move him to shooting guard
Updated: 9:46 a.m. ET Aug. 4, 2005

New York Knicks guard Stephon Marbury is excited about playing for Larry Brown because Brown may want to switch him to shooting guard, the New York Times reported.

As a point guard, Marbury has always been fond of shooting anyway. But when approached with the idea of a switch to shooting guard, his "eyes lit up" according to the Times.

"It's going to be kind of scary because now I can shoot whenever I want to shoot," Marbury told the newspaper.

Marbury told the Times that Brown told him to shoot more during the Olympics. "Son, you got to shoot. It's like you're out there passing the ball acting like you're scared to shoot."

If Marbury was moved to shooting guard, however, the Knicks might be hard-pressed to find a replacement at the point. Jamal Crawford is also fond of shooting, and Nate Robinson is a rookie.

Marbury told the Times he would do whatever Brown asked. "I can adjust," he said. "When I get on the basketball court, there's not too many things I can't do."

He also dismissed the idea that he and Brown would have a hard time getting along.

"It was a great experience for me, going to the Olympics and playing under him," Marbury said. "And I'm happy that I did get a chance to play for him, because I know how his practices are. So I know pretty much everything about him."

"Larry Brown, he's a great coach," Marbury said. "Hands down. He's just a proven winner. We have to adjust to him."

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Marbury Trying to Find His Game
By HOWARD BECK

DENVER, Nov. 17 - Stephon Marbury does not have a championship ring, an N.B.A. finals appearance or, for that matter, a simple playoff series victory. For 10 pro seasons, Marbury's greatness has instead been defined by the box scores.

He has averaged better than 20 points and 8 assists a game in his career, numbers matched in league annals only by the Hall of Famer Oscar Robertson.

But for the first time in Marbury's career, his defining trait has been stripped away, and what remains is a confused, frustrated player struggling to retain his identity and still please his demanding new coach.

That kind of tension figured to be a subtext to the Knicks' season since the day Larry Brown was hired in July, and it has come to a head.

After Wednesday night's 97-92 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers, Marbury asked Brown to move him to shooting guard. Brown said he could not do so because the Knicks have no other reliable point guards.

The conflict could push the Knicks to trade for a veteran point guard and is sure to fuel trade rumors involving Marbury. In the meantime, it will be a daily point of concern for the Knicks, who have lost six of their first eight games while trying to sort out roles.

Brown and Marbury are not entirely at odds, but they are not entirely on the same page, either. That much is already clear.

In Wednesday's loss, Marbury had 10 assists but just 4 points. He was precisely the facilitator that Brown wanted, but Marbury was deflated by his scoring total, coupled with the loss.

"I'm not playing the way how I normally play," Marbury, sounding exasperated, said Thursday. "And I know that I could do way more than what I'm doing. I know last night I got 10 assists, and it felt like that was the hardest 10 assists I ever got."

In a clear indication of how differently they view the matter, Brown praised Marbury's performance as a play-maker in that game. He sounded incredulous at Marbury's remark that he was O.K. with the new role as long as the Knicks were winning.

"When have we won here? Did we win the other way?" Brown said, referring to Marbury's record as a scoring-first point guard. "So let's get real here. We're trying to get better. We're trying to figure out a way to win games.

"I talked to him last night, he told me he wanted to play off-guard. It's not that easy right now. What, are we going to invent a point guard? I'm just trying to figure out ways to help guys. But this is a work in progress."

The Knicks' only other options at point guard are Jamal Crawford and Nate Robinson, both of whom are regarded as hybrid guards with limited play-making abilities. So Brown's challenge is to keep Marbury happy and productive and willing to adapt his game.

It has been the priority since Brown was hired. Brown likes his point guards in the traditional role - running the offense, calling plays on the court and helping teammates get easy baskets. Marbury is accustomed to having more freedom to score.

Penny Hardaway, who has played with Marbury for four-plus seasons in Phoenix and New York, said Brown was asking Marbury to do things that no coach had asked of him.

"Coach Brown might want us to run a play every time down, and with Steph's creativity, he probably thinks that, 'Hey, I want to go and blow by this guy whenever he pressures me,' " Hardaway said last week. "And then Coach Brown wants him to stand there like a point guard and run the play and make everybody else around be involved. That's probably more difficult for him, because in the past, pretty much the offense was done through Stephon."

Now, Marbury is often expected to pass the ball early in the halfcourt set and score only when the ball happens to return to him. Still, Brown recognizes how critical Marbury's scoring is to the Knicks. Asked if they could win with Marbury scoring just 4 points, Brown said, "I doubt it."

"I'm not discouraged at all," Brown said. "I'm going to get this thing worked out."

Brown said Marbury had ample scoring opportunities Wednesday.

"We ran 25 pick-and-rolls. How many more can you run?" Brown said. "You go 2 for 9 and you're a scorer, you figure out ways to get more shots."

Brown said he wanted Marbury to take "15 to 20 good shots a game," and he expected him to score at the foul line.

"How many free throws did he shoot last night? Zero," Brown said. He also faulted Marbury for not being aggressive late in the game, a product perhaps of Marbury's attempt to be a pass-first guard.

"I shouldn't have to go on the court and decide where I'm going to be aggressive," Marbury said. "I should be able to be aggressive the whole time I'm on the court."

A clash in styles and priorities is almost a given with Brown and his point guards. He clashed with Allen Iverson in Philadelphia and ultimately moved him to shooting guard. He wrestled at times with Chauncey Billups in Detroit. But Brown forged an understanding with both players, taking Iverson to the finals in 2001 and Billups to the championship in 2004.

Fundamentally, Marbury has a difficult task. He must get teammates involved first, but he also is the team's best scorer. It is a delicate balancing act, one that Kobe Bryant of the Lakers has been trying to master during his 10 years in the league.

"I think he's playing a more structured game right now," Bryant said Wednesday night. "I think he's trying to understand the flow of the game, instead of just going out there and being a gunslinger, which is something that he was very good at. It's a process, where Larry's trying to elevate his game and get it to the next level. Because you can be just as effective scoring points, but also you can pick your spots. It's tough, though, man."

While Marbury tries to find a comfort zone, his numbers are sinking. His scoring average, 15.3 points, is 5 below his career mark, and his assists average of 5.8 a game is also down, from 8.2.

"I think it's important for the city of New York to be patient, because it's going to pay off," Bryant said.

Teammates are encouraged by Marbury's willingness so far to bend to Brown's style. Marbury, the 28-year-old point guard, and Brown, the 65-year-old coach, are said to have a good rapport in practices and huddles.

"It's encouraging to see him and Larry, they talk," Malik Rose said.

Isiah Thomas, the team president, praised Marbury's steady growth before Wednesday's game. He cited Marbury's play in victories over Sacramento and Utah, calling them "probably the two best games that I've seen him play, in terms of understanding the position."

Thomas later added, "Finding the right time to score the 25 or score the 10 is really probably the most difficult thing that a guy who has talent has to do. I fought that battle throughout my whole career."

Despite his dejected tone and his frustration, Marbury said he was committed to adapting to Brown's way - as long as victories are attached.

"If we lose, of course I'm not going to be happy playing like that," Marbury said. But if he scores 4 points and the Knicks win? "Oh, I wouldn't think twice about it," he said. "Not at all. If we can go to the N.B.A. finals and I play like that, I can deal with that. All day."

I think some of this has been blown way outta proportion, but with that being said, I think we have to move in a different direction.

"As for the rumors that the Knicks explored trading him, Marbury seemed to suggest that the media invented the rumors because "when things get good they want me to leave now."

"Things get good"-Friggin hilarious

Posted by crzymdups:

You have to read the parts DJ didn't bold.

"How many free throws did he shoot last night? Zero," Brown said. He also faulted Marbury for not being aggressive late in the game, a product perhaps of Marbury's attempt to be a pass-first guard.

also, I seem to remember Brown embarassing Marbury after the Orlando game in late December and then later ridiculing Marbury's college and out right saying Marbury "wasn't very bright."

But, no, Fish, you're right. He's a great motivator. I'm so glad we got rid of that delusional cancer Trevor Ariza.

Yeah, what a douche Brown is for being upset when Marbury blatantly dogged it in that game versus Orlando. You have got to be kidding! Anyone who watched that game could see that Marbury was playing half-assed. He was doing it on purpose. It's part of his diva act. He wanted to show Brown up.

What's your point? The Knicks suck less when Marbury is in the lineup? Wow!! Brilliant...

You can point to as many of the blemishes on Brown's record as you want. The fact is, he's won more than he's lost. And he's won everywhere he's been. Marbury's whole record is a blemish. He's got no cred.

When Marbury was traded to the Knicks, like Larry Brown, he came in with some baggage. Some people hated him on the spot. Some people praised him for his talent (mainly for his stats). I gave Marbury the benefit of the doubt and defended him a lot. Like Marbury, I'm giving Brown the benefit of the doubt. He's got another season to lose my support. Bash Brown as much as you can. I guess it's a knee-jerk reaction at this point to consider Brown-bashing as Marbury-supporting. Now I get where you're coming from. You just have a way lower tolerance for Brown than I do. Try me again next year if we still have a losing record.

Posted by crzymdups:

I've never been a huge Brown fan. I've tried to convince myself that he's a great coach this season and that he's asking the right things of his players, but I always go back to what Bill Walton said on ESPN one night during the six game winning streak, "Larry Brown breaks down his teams and then builds them back up again...he does a great job, but personally I ask - do you have to break them down first?"

My question to Walton would be, who the f cares? My team hasn't won since the 70's if a coach comes in here and breaks them down and it ultimately leads to winning I will be ecstatic. I will only complain if it ultimately does not.

Yeah I loved the 90's. The good old days of role players that didnt' give themsleves nicknames and listened to their coach even if he was a guy that never played in the NBA and was 5-1 and loved smelling Alonzo's sneakers. Never coached a lick. No experience and yet one of the greatest centers of all time came to his aid and forced his team to listen. You can't buy that type of leadership.

Could you imagine this team under JVG his first year? He wouldn't be able to say one thing to them. It's a sad state of affairs that these guys are being defended.

There's one thing that Steph just can't get a break on and that's his defense. He actually DID play much improved D this year. In fact he has Excellent stats against SG's, which I might add he had to guard a LOT this year back when Q wasn't worth a damn and Jamal couldn't hold his own. He DID make an attempt to change his game and when that didn't work, he asked for more freedom and LB gave it to him, not cuz he thought it would work, but he wanted to embarrass Steph, but it backfired, cuz the team went on a win streak and Steph was at his best. You have to ask yourself why LB never went back to that style after it was clear that Steph was healthy again. Cuz LB NEVER wanted that to actually work. It undermined what he was trying to do and he wasn't man enough to admit that the team looked WAY better playing that way. Turnovers were down and assists and scoring were up. LB is overrated and a big phoney. He's successfully gotten NY to turn on Steph, cuz he's smarter and knows how to set up the media and Steph just fell for it. Why else would LB keep feuding in the press. It was only to keep making it seem like he was all about team while STeph was all about himself. Which is HIGHLY overstated. Most top players are a bit selfish. That's part of what makes them great. Its also true that no one on the team can create as many scoring opportunites for his teammates as Steph can. Every year he's one of the best at doing that. So both things can't be true. IF he's helping his team to score, then he's not selfish.

Here's the funny thing about Marbs. He doesn't want to change he wants to be the same old player he's been. Yet he asked to become a SG. But how could he become a SG without changing? Personallly I don't think he knows what he wants or really how to play the game. He just knows that when things go bad always fall back on what you've always done, even if that doesn't result in wins.

Posted by Bippity10:

Posted by crzymdups:

I was thinking more of the Riles era, but JVG was fun, too. Hey, it's weird but Riley rarely calls out his players - even with Antoine Walker and Jason Williams on board this year. somehow he motivates them without belittling them publicly...

I think every coach has a different style. Riley is definitely one of the all time greats and I think he's better than LB but again you don't need an all-time great to win a title. You just need a good coach and championship players. We have one of those. Any team that quits on ANYONE is not worth keeping together even if Riley or Red Auerbach is coach.

This years examples of "motivation"

Phil Jackson called Kwame Brown a girl in the press earlier this year. Kwame eventually responded.

Doc Rivers said Gerald Green needed to go down to the Development league to get time and learn to play the game like a professional. Taht he wasn't going to sit back and watch him make mistakes while they were going for the playoffs. He could have cried and said coach hates me. Instead he went down to the DL and responded and improved his game drastically. He used that as motivation, not Doc Rivers.

Listen it's clear to all of us that LB mishandled the team. He said many things he shouldn't have said. No one disputes that. BUT, the players still owed it to the team as professionals to give it their all despite the coach. They did not. Instead they quit. You are not ever going to win anything with anyone like that. And noone is motivating them to great heights.

lastly if you watch Miami they play uninspired many nights. They just happen to have two blessings that we don't ahve. You can figure those out.

I agree that Riles is by far the best coach I have ever seen....His us vs the world rap is the greatest...His book "The Winner Within" was a good book and had some cool stories about forming the 92-95 Knicks. I said it before and I'll say it again, if Steph ever played for Riles, he would've been one of the best players Riles ever had because Steph has the same us vs the world philosophy, but I also think it wouldn't have been easy. Some of Riles ploys are deep on several levels, and sort of blunt, BUT the guys Riles coaches don't bite back and buy into the system either. With Riles it's my way or the highway, or get out. Steph is the exact same wasy, so there would be a huge clash there.

As a comparison, LB is more of a teacher than a coach and Riley is the exact opposite. LB wants to make his players better where as Riley works with what he has.