ISIAH: STEPH CAN’T AFFORD ANOTHER NASTY NOVEMBER

By MARC BERMAN

November 2, 2007 -- CLEVELAND - Responding to Stephon Marbury's jarring remark that he will look for his shot more this season, Isiah Thomas warned the Knicks point guard he'd better not have as dreary a November as last season.

Thomas admitted yesterday he's encouraged Marbury to be more aggressive, feeling he played like a dead-point-guard-walking last November after reporting to camp out of shape. Marbury spent one game failing to take a shot - a performance that sparked a brief feud between the two Purchase, N.Y., neighbors.

Marbury's remark was a departure from his stance last season when he focused on stuffing the ball inside to Eddy Curry. With Zach Randolph aboard, there figures to be less chances for Starbury to be Starbury - attack and freelance.

Not so say Marbury and Thomas, the Hall of Fame point guard.

“I don't know how it [meshes] with Zach and Eddy, but I know the player we saw last November, we better not see that player this November," Thomas said. “He's a great player. In order for us to be effective he has to take shots that are available when those shots are open. In preseason, he and Jamal [Crawford] passed up a lot of shots."

Keeping Curry and Randolph happy appeared to be Marbury's biggest task this season. But on Wednesday Marbury said, “I'm looking way more for my shot this year than last year. When I'm aggressive it just opens things up for other players as opposed to me last year, I was sitting back. Last year what happened was the development of Eddy and Jamal. Now this year we can put everything together."
Marbury shot just 36 percent in preseason.

“He's a player when things break down, there's got to be a portion of the game when he gives those three- to four-minute bursts where he can take over the game, make a couple of shots that turns the whole basketball game around," Thomas said. “He started doing that late in the season for us. We need that player coming out of the gate."

The coaching staff believes the offense is more dangerous if Marbury remains a big threat, even as a decoy to free up their star big men. But Marbury's decision making will be paramount in making it work.

If Ron Artest is still available the Knicks would likely have to come off their stance of David Lee and Renaldo Balkman as untouchables. The Kings nearly received Bulls star Ben Gordon in a three-team Artest/Kobe Bryant trade.

quote:If Ron Artest is still available the Knicks would likely have to come off their stance of David Lee and Renaldo Balkman as untouchables. The Kings nearly received Bulls star Ben Gordon in a three-team Artest/Kobe Bryant trade.

LOL! exactly when were the Kings "close" to getting Ben Gordon for Ron Artest? because some newspaper said that was the rumor? ridiculous... if the Bulls want to be stupid & give up Ben Gordon for a powderkeg like Ronnie, then let them be idiots... that doesn't mean the Knicks need to follow suit (please don't put any bright ideas in Isiah's head please)... if we can't get Ron Artest for expiring contracts + Nate, then to tell w/the Kings.

Posted by Bippity10:

10 years in the league and not a clue as to how to play the PG position. His past and current coaches should all be shot............Except for LB of course.

[Edited by - bippity10 on 02-11-2007 11:48 AM]

Posted by BlueSeats:

Posted by newyorknewyork:

IMO he should have never been a full time PG. Did Marbury ever have a pure PG to play along with to free him up to do what he does best?? If not why didn't any coach or gm do so?? The way Hinrich & Gordan have Chris Duhon, Gilbert Arenas has Antoinio Daniels, Barbosa has Steve Nash .

What's funny is that after bballjones pulled up that old thread yesterday I toured some threads when Steph was newly arrived and people were trying to make the case he was better than Stockton.

We were mixing the koolaid pretty strong back in the day.

Posted by BlueSeats:

Posted by newyorknewyork:

IMO he should have never been a full time PG. Did Marbury ever have a pure PG to play along with to free him up to do what he does best?? If not why didn't any coach or gm do so?? The way Hinrich & Gordan have Chris Duhon, Gilbert Arenas has Antoinio Daniels, Barbosa has Steve Nash .

What's funny is that after bballjones pulled up that old thread yesterday I toured some threads when Steph was newly arrived and people were trying to make the case he was better than Stockton.

We were mixing the koolaid pretty strong back in the day.

Posted by newyorknewyork:

I didn't know much about Marbury when we traded for him truthfully. Never really watched him play at the time. I was sad that we traded away Lampe as well. New we traded to much at the time but didn't try to dwell on it. I thought Marbury & Houston was going to be very good though. And I thought that a few yrs down the road we would have been able to build a contending team around Marbury & Houston.