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heres an additional article
Marbury, Brown Moving On Together By Tom Kertes
GREENBURGH, NY, March 16, 2006 -- Considering everything that’s been happening -- last night’s pulsating double OT victory, the extracurricular goings-on between Stephon Marbury and Larry Brown -- practice at the Knicks Madison Square Garden Training Center felt almost shocking in its every-day ordinariness. Brown practicing post moves with center Eddy Curry on one end. Marbury, who missed six out of ten from charity stripe against Atlanta, fixing his freebies with assistant George Glymph on the other. No, there’s nothing new or different there -- until there is. “We spoke this morning,” says Marbury, looking remarkably cheerful. “Coach pulled me out of film and basically told me he can do whatever he wants with this franchise -- and that he didn’t want to trade me, that he wanted me to be here. And that everything that went on the last week is over with.”
“I’m in a very good place,” added Marbury. "I’m happy. Did I NEED him to say that? Nah. But if we are going to forward with the future, this is the only way it’s going to work.”
“As far as everything’s been going on, he has pretty much just killed it,” said Marbury. “He told me to play the way he wants me to play -- and if I don’t think it’s the right way just bear with it. And I didn’t say yes and I didn’t say no.”
“But, basically, I can do that and be happy -- with some tweaks. I feel like I can do anything I want to do on the basketball court. That’s the way the young kids played last night and I was very proud of them.”
“They played great. That’s the style we have to play,” stressed Marbury. “If you play great defense for Coach, he’ll allow you to do whatever you want to do as far as running and pushing the ball. But if we’re not playing defense, he doesn’t want you to just outscore the opponent.”
“That’s his priority. That’s his approach. And I’m down for what’s right. And I’m still committed to do exactly what he’s been asking.”
“Coach flexed the real hard juice card, I know that,” smiled Marbury. “He definitely made me aware of what he can do. But that doesn’t scare me at all. This can all turn around. We can make the adjustment. Anything is possible.”
It would appear so: when the starters were benched for the last quarter plus the two overtimes against Atlanta, and the “young kids” were winning the game, “I noticed that two guys, in particular, were up and cheering like crazy every minute, Quentin (Richardson) and Stephon,” Brown said. “And I told Steph I really appreciated that.”
The entire meeting was “maybe thirty seconds,” said an understated Brown. “Anyway, it was not very long. I told him I just wanted him to let us coach him the rest of the year. He’s not going anywhere and let’s move on.”
“I don’t remember enjoying another game more this year than last night,” said Brown. “And I enjoyed it even more on film. The young kids, the way they played together, their enthusiasm…I don’t think I have rewarded the guys that have come to work every day. But some of those kids are real young and you hope they understand. Look at Qyntel (Woods), the way his career’s been going. He starts against Memphis, played great -- then he sits the next five games. And look what he did last night (8-8 from the field). Jackie Butler, Nate (Robinson)... Jamal (Crawford) has bought in from day one… he’s probably sacrificed more than anyone, him and Quentin. Hopefully, we’ll get more and more guys thinking like that.”
“I’ve got fifteen guys,” added Brown. “And I guarantee you, no coach communicates more than me. I don’t buy the ‘fact’ that people don’t know what I expect. The bottom line is, I’ve got 19 games. Yesterday was as much fun as I’ve had. And hopefully, we’ll move forward.”
“I want Stephon here, this year and next,” said Brown. “Sure, if he’ll buy into what we try to do. I don’t think that impacts him in a negative way at all. I think it’ll help him. There’s no doubt in my mind he can do the things I ask him to do.”
“We’ve got to start to reward guys not based on big names or big contracts, but if they do what we ask them to do,“ said Brown. “Last night the difference in attitude, as far as playing together and enthusiasm, was pretty dramatic. So there was no way I was going to change the lineup. If I had gone back to the first group after the way those guys played, that would been the worst thing a coach could do.”
“This was our Summer League team out there -- think about that. They’re playing better and better. When you get that kind of effort and enthusiasm, good things will happen. Effort overcomes a lot. That’s the team of the future.”
''We don't have the luxury to take anybody lightly,'' New York's Quentin Richardson said. ''We're not that good.''
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