Three wise men?
by Eddie Johnson / January 6, 2006/Hoopshype


THE AUTHOR:
EDDIE JOHNSON

Played 17 years in the NBA for the Kings, Suns, SuperSonics, Hornets, Pacers, Nuggets and Rockets.
Won the 1988-89 NBA Sixth Man Award averaging 21.5 ppg.
NBA all-time leading scorer among players with no All-Star appearances.
He is in his sixth year as the color analyst for the Phoenix Suns broadcasts.
You can visit his website at www.jumpshotclub.com

The New York Knicks are a great example of bad chemistry. On paper, they
look quite impressive. Mixed together, they are just downright disgusting to watch. Just because a couple or a group look good together, it doesn't mean it will mix well. The perfect couple that gets divorced always surprises us. And we wonder why a team with the highest payroll in the NBA is among the worst in the league?

The Knicks do not have the luxury of hiding behind closed doors. We see their blemishes. And boy, do they have them. But let's limit it to the three principal players at the top – Isiah Thomas, Larry Brown and Stephon Marbury.

Isiah Thomas

I believe Thomas is getting a bum rap for the Knicks' misgivings. Critics are focusing on his mistakes more than his accomplishments. He has done an excellent job of moving bodies, which is very difficult to do with the NBA salary cap.

His draft class this season deserves an A+. Nate Robinson and David Lee have been very pleasant surprises, while Channing Frye will battle Chris Paul all season long for Rookie of the Year honors.

The trades for Jamal Crawford and Eddy Curry were excellent moves. These two young players are extremely talented. Ask the Bulls if they would take them back right now.

Calculating that Allan Houston would retire and then using the buyout clause on Jerome Williams saved the Knicks a lot of cash as well.

Three moves in my estimation have put the spotlight on Zeke, as I call him since our childhood days. Yes, we grew up together on the west side of Chicago.

I remember his uncle made Zeke play me one-on-one when he was about 13. I punished him, but he remembered it and made me pay for it in later years.

The reason I mention that is because Isiah has always been a risk-taker. For that, he has made three moves I am sure he would love to take back. Those three moves didn't help the chemistry of the team, in my opinion.

The Stephon Marbury trade was good for a public relations boost, but the mistake Isiah made was not recognizing that Stephon is a me-first player that does not understand leadership on the court, which is crucial at the point guard position.

The second deal was trading Keith Van Horn for the more athletic Tim Thomas.

The third move will probably go down as his worst, and that is signing Jerome James. I was on the record saying "I don't trust him" during the 2005 playoffs, when James was playing out of his mind for Seattle.

I have a problem with any player that takes off from nowhere in his free agent year and plays like an All-Star. Isiah should have noticed that the Sonics were not killing themselves to keep him. James makes Benoit Benjamin look like Kareem.

Larry Brown

I played for this great coach for two years in Indiana and what I found out early is that he is smart, moody and stubborn. With him, it was his way or the highway. Do I wish I had him at 22? Yes. Did he drive me nuts as a 36-year-old player? Yes.

What Brown does is break down your strengths and weaknesses and then focus on your weak points or the parts of your strong points that he wants to change. It is enough to drive you crazy at times.

He wants to take credit for improving what you have not shown as a player before so you can play his way. If you fight him and don't show a willingness to change, he will break down your confidence to rock bottom by berating you and playing you inconsistent minutes until you have no choice but to adhere to his wishes and try and change your game to the right way. If you continue to fight, he will try his best to get you off his team.

Now you know why Larry likes playing rookies this year. Rookies come in hungry and will listen and are taught his way. Veterans fight the urge.

One wonders why Brown wanted to leave the Pistons? Well, now you know. He likes the unstable life, but now it's at the expense of the New York Knicks. How else can you explain the inconsistent lineups and rotations that he employed early in the season?

Quite frankly, he has dug a hole with the confidence level of this team and now he is struggling to get it back.

Example: Stephon Marbury taking seven shots against Orlando last week. After the game, Marbury explained that he was concentrating on getting the ball to Eddy Curry and playing the way Brown wants him to, but Brown the next day said they can't win if Marbury doesn't shoot.

Welcome to the world of Larry!

Stephon Marbury

Since Stephon Marbury proclaimed he was the best point guard in the NBA one year ago, the Knicks are 25-57. Recently, when asked who were the toughest point guards to defend, he mentioned Baron Davis and Gilbert Arenas. Not Steve Nash.

The reason why Marbury made that statement is the same reason why he has struggled everywhere he has played with his teammates on the court. He can only relate to talented guards that take a lot of shots and have not made it past the second round of the playoffs.

Stephon should assess the hardest player to guard as the one that makes everybody on the court better. Marbury does not realize that supporting your teammates with constant leadership and getting them the ball in their range – like Nash does – are weak areas of his game.

The question is... Who will take the fall for the Knicks' struggles?

I expect Marbury will be moved again once the Knicks find a taker, which will be extremely difficult. Larry and Isiah should have a few more years to straighten out the mess that is the New York Knicks. And they will. This team will be a factor for years to come once they move Marbury– unless he changes his game like Chauncey Billups did in Detroit.

interesting read, it starts off like he is going to rip the knicks and then pretty much compliments them all the way around, with some criticism mixed in..

EJ doesn't say get rid of Marbury-he says get rid of him UNLESS. Also a healthy Q may be what we need a long range bomber. I don't know enough about him to say if he's a streak shooter or not but if he is-he has to spotted.

Eddie pulls no punches this article shows it, I like his style because unlike other sports writers he has been there and done that, so he reads people pretty well, that's why I like this article.

This team will be a factor for years to come once they move Marbury– unless he changes his game like Chauncey Billups did in Detroit.

I would like to believe that Stephon will be a better baller than Billups.

Posted by McK1:

Posted by efw:

This team will be a factor for years to come once they move Marbury– unless he changes his game like Chauncey Billups did in Detroit.

I would like to believe that Stephon will be a better baller than Billups.

you are missing the point.

biggest change Larry Brown and to an extent Rasheed had on Billups was his poise and decision making. It showed itself in the Finals vs LA. The old Cauncey would've mentally allowed a 36 yr old Payton contain him in that series.

Marbury has had many such similar experiences. There have been games where point guards whom he should dominate on talent alone get in his head and neutralize him. Names like Marcus Banks and Milt palacio come to mind from last season and this season Ridnour was able to neutralize him. All world shooting by Craw - 31 pts on 13 shots - saved that game.

He is learning there are other ways to win!

yep. hopefully he chucks the score all the points guard mind frame for good.

[Edited by - McK1 on 01-07-2006 11:04 PM]

Eddie Johnson is absolutely right; Zeke made some really good moves, and some really bad ones.