http://www.nypost.com/sports/knicks/isiah_could_coach_knicks_in_sin_city_knicks_marc_berman.htm

Funny, because the winning streak was when marbs was being starbury and lee was in the starting lineup.

ISIAH COULD COACH KNICKS IN SIN CITY


By MARC BERMAN


June 16, 2006 -- If Larry Brown's dismissal occurs before the June 28 draft as expected, there's a chance coach-in-waiting Isiah Thomas will run the bench for at least a couple of games during the Las Vegas summer league in July.
The Knicks' summer-league team begins play July 7 vs. Cleveland and finishes July 13. The team will hold practices beginning July 2 in Sin City. Though free agency will be underway, the Knicks' president may want to shake off the coaching rust.

All three of his 2005-06 rookies - Channing Frye, Nate Robinson and David Lee - are expected, as well as his two first-round picks from this draft. There are strong signals Knicks brass will not want the feuding Brown and Thomas in the war room June 28, as the Knicks would become an even bigger national joke than they already are.

***

Brown was a disaster last season, treating the Knicks' 23-59 campaign as extended training camp. Some players didn't believe making the playoffs was his top priority, and that his agenda was changing the roster and experimenting.

The Post has learned some players sensed Brown appeared "angrier" at them during the six-game winning streak in January - which struck them as bizarre.

Brown is also unhappy he can't speak informally to the media, as he knows the Knicks' brass will hold it against him for violating team policy. Yesterday, Brown blew out of the facility moments after the pre-draft workout, avoiding the ritual media stakeout.

Also interesting...Briggy, care to comment?

Pittsburgh sophomore 7-foot C Aaron Gray is on the Knicks' radar at either pick 20 or 29 if he stays in the draft. During his workout, Gray was extremely physical, a witness said. Gray was concerned because the Knicks have three centers. Gray has until Sunday to pull out, calling it "50-50." "They said they wouldn't waste my money or time." Gray said. "They said they were very serious in drafting me."

"sensed Brown appeared angrier?"

lol

were they using the Force

perception is more powerful than the force.

if that's how his actions were percieved, then it will manifest in the players.

All LB has to do is snap out of it and COACH!

I'm sure of it...but it's looking like there is no turning back on him leaving now.

Posted by McK1:

"sensed Brown appeared angrier?"

lol

were they using the Force

If he were sabotaging the team why was the lineup the most stable during the win streak? Only after we started losing again did he start tinkering.

All the while he was looking for units that would catch lightning in a bottle.

Was it a coincidence that our win streak coincided with the one stretch where Marbury played with heart? Where might we have been if he played 82 games like that?

Posted by rvhoss:

Come on BS, you can't have it both ways...marbury playing with heart is STARBURY!!

You know, that cancer you hate...and it's extremly interesting that you finally give props to Marbury for being the catalyst on that streak (don't forget DLEE was there for each game as well).

BTW...before brown, he did play 82 games like that, but just like everyother player on the team, he was thinking more than playing.

I think brown was trying to get Marbury used to playing with anybody at any given time.

IMHO, brown's lessons of last season were felt by all involved.

We will be a better team for the year of LB.

Soon we'll be giving LB props for turning the franchise around.

DLee was still starting during the 5 game losing streak that followed

and Steph hasn't played 82 games with heart since his contract year in 02. too bad in Steph's eyes playing with heart meant hogging the ball limiting Amare and taking the majority of the team's shot or he might still be a Sun

Posted by Bippity10:

Do you think LB was trying to lose? Or was he trying to figure out a way to a title a few years from now and who he wanted to keep around for that?

I have not answered this question so don't say what my opinion is. I am just asking.

I know I've been saying that since the day Brown was hired. People have tunnel vision though.

Marbury lands with fourth team of career - espn news services


NEW YORK -- Stephon Marbury is returning to his hometown as part of a blockbuster trade between the New York Knicks and Phoenix Suns on Monday.

The Knicks acquired Marbury, Penny Hardaway and Cezary Trybanski from Phoenix for Antonio McDyess, Howard Eisley, Charlie Ward, Maciej Lampe, the rights to Milos Vujanic, two first-round draft picks and cash.

"Our goal is to win an NBA championship, and our goal is to put together a team that can do that," Knicks president Isiah Thomas said after making his first major move in his new job.

"If you're going to win a championship, you need talent, you need players," Thomas said. "You're not going to beat the best teams with just one or two players."

The trade is the fourth of Marbury's career. The Brooklyn native was drafted by Milwaukee and immediately dealt to Minnesota, where he subsequently forced a trade to New Jersey. The Nets sent him to Phoenix for Jason Kidd, and he's now headed to the Knicks in the first major move made by new team president Isiah Thomas.

"I think we got the best deal," Knicks center Dikembe Mutombo said. "He's among the best point guards in the league, he's an All-Star player."

The trade represents a major shakeup for both teams. In exchange for its best player, Phoenix will go under the salary cap next summer and will have at least $8 million to offer to a free agent class that includes Kobe Bryant.

Suns owner Jerry Colangelo confirmed said the Suns will save $20 million to $25 million in salary and luxury tax costs through the 2004-05 season. That will allow the Suns to rebuild a team that was eliminated in the first round of the playoffs last season after missing the postseason the year before.

"This is a big picture kind of move, and a bold move," Colangelo said. "We didn't have flexibility under the cap, and we were hamstrung by some contracts. This allows us to be a player in free agency if we choose to. This is not a talent-for-talent deal."

Marbury, one of the league's best point guards, is averaging a team-high 20.8 points for the Suns, who are in last place in the Pacific Division. He signed a four-year extension, worth approximately $76 million, earlier this season that kicks in with the 2005-06 season and runs through 2008-09. Counting this season, he has six years on his contract and will make $14.625 million next season, then a yet-to-be-determined figure in the first year of the extension.

Hardaway, a former All-Star, has been coming off the bench for the Suns. He has three years left on a deal that will pay him $13.5 million this season, $14.625 million in 2004-05 and $15.75 million in 2005-06.

In a statement released by the Suns, in which Suns coach Mike D'Antoni expressed his appreciation for Marbury's work ethic, he also said: "Are we probably going to take a little step backwards? Yeah, in the beginning. But with the cap room that we now have and with the draft picks we are going to have, along with the core of young players that will get a lot of playing time, we're excited about it. I think that in the long run this is the way to get to a higher level of play. In the short term a little pain, but in the long term we hope there's a big gain."

The contracts of McDyess and Ward expire at the end of this season, and Ward has a buyout clause that can be exercised before Jan. 10. Eisley is under contract for three more seasons. Vujanic, the starting point guard on the Yugoslavian team that won the 2002 World Championship, is playing in Europe.

McDyess, who played for the Suns in 1997-98, returned to action last month after missing more than a year because of knee surgery. McDyess took over a spot in the Knicks' starting lineup from Kurt Thomas, then lost it -- thereby becoming expendable.

Referring to McDyess and his return from injury, D'Antoni said, "He had 14 points and 11 rebounds (Sunday) night, and I don't see that from a whole lot of our big guys. So is he going to help us? God, I hope so. I'm planning on him helping. Is he the old Antonio McDyess? I don't know that."

Eisley, who recently lost his starting job to Frank Williams, did not play in the Knicks' 95-85 loss to New Jersey on Sunday night.

Ward has been with the Knicks for 10 seasons, the second-longest current tenure of any player who spent his career with one NBA team. He is expected to be waived by the Suns later this week.

Isiah Thomas has already turned over about half the Knicks' roster in the two weeks since he replaced team president Scott Layden.

"It's definitely a home run hit by Isiah in terms of getting this deal done," Knicks coach Don Chaney said.

The Knicks will give Phoenix their first-round pick in the 2004 draft and an additional first-round pick.

"I knew right after we got a new sheriff in town that we were in for a shakeup. One of the reasons he was brought here was to shake up the team and get us to the playoffs," Mutombo said.

Marbury will be reunited with Keith Van Horn, his teammate in New Jersey. Last summer, Marbury said the Nets didn't win when he was there because he was surrounded with untalented players, lumping Van Horn in with Gheorghe Muresan and Jim McIlvaine.

"No matter how long you play in this league, there's still things that come up that are surprising, and this is definitely one of them," Van Horn said. "Personally we never had any problems. On the court we didn't win, and I think that was the biggest problem that Stephon and I had."

At 14-21, the Knicks are fifth in a weak Atlantic Division. But with a starting lineup of Marbury, Allan Houston, Van Horn, Thomas and Mutombo, they should have enough talent to snap their two-year streak of missing the playoffs.

"On paper, talentwise, this puts us right up there at the top," Van Horn said. "But that's just paper."

Marbury and Hardaway were expected to join the Knicks in Cleveland and play Tuesday night against the Cavaliers, Chaney said. All the players in the deal must pass physicals before the trade is official.

Thomas, who already traded Clarence Weatherspoon to Houston for Moochie Norris and John Amaechi (who was waived Monday), indicated he'll continue to pursue trades.

"I still think we need to get a little more athletic and a little better," Thomas said.

So after 02-03 he was eligible for an extension and got it. thats the contract he is on now.

[Edited by - McK1 on 06-16-2006 12:06 PM]

The best thing about Gray is he doesn't need a system in order to play hard. Guys like him and Hilton Armstrong are what we need. Too bad gray doesn't block shots.

What exactly is "relevant credibility"?

IMO, that's an excuse for Larry's histrionics.

The one without relevant credibility is Marc Berman and I still can't believe people are taking his word in each and every article. I don't even read his articles anymore, b/c they are what they are. Bulls**t.