Posted by djsunyc:
per daugherty blog:
So is Marbury starting or coming off the bench tomorrow against Golden State?
“We’ll see,” Thomas said.
Given a second chance, would you handle the situation differently?
“No,” Thomas said.
He called it necessary, then seemingly dumped the whole thing in Marbury’s lap.
“Again, what we need and what we want from him is great leadership and great defense and those are two things he is capable of delivering,” Thomas said. “And when those things aren’t delivered, he’ll hear from me. But from that point guard position, that’s what we need and that’s what we demand and sometimes it may not sit well, but those are the things we need. And if those things are delivered, I’m sure we’ll have a good season.”
Read that last sentance a couple of times. Did you catch it?
wow...it's all on steph, huh?
I applauded LB for saying stuff like that so I guess I should do the same here (and do), but:
A) Even Brown didn't go so far as to hang our entire season on Marbury's head. He was much more even handed, and rightly so.
B) It was my understanding that as much as I was titillated by such talk Dolan was not and LB was fired for saying such things in public.
This is obviously causing confusion on the team and I have to wonder, to what end?
The only thing I can think of is Isiah's understanding that it takes dire consequences to get Marbury off his duff. Marbury only played hard for LB when he thought he might be traded. That's when we went on our january win streak. But come February, as soon as Francis arrived and the deadline passed Marbury went on the offensive, taking on LB in the press, swearing off all plays, ad wanting to play his way or not at all. Then last year some considered Marbury's best year, in spite of starting off poorly and ending weak. Why? because he and Isiah were on he hot seat, until Isiah got the extension that is.
So Isiah knows Marbury is a slacker with a really dense skull and is trying to pull the strings to get him, as McHale said, up from being a 25% good player to an 80% good player.
I think it's a fair assumption that Isiah has to win this year, and we probably wont with Mardy or Nate running the point. Maybe if they had full trust (and time) they would, but not while Steph is still here sucking the life out of the clubhouse and serving as a distraction.
So it's a high stakes gamble to get Marbury to play out of his mind just long enough to save Isiah's ass. Then with burned out knees and an expiring contract he can be set to sea this summer.
11/19/2007 4:27 PM
