From:

http://knicks.lohudblogs.com/2006/12/14/marubury-gets-a-pat-on-the-back/

Marubury gets a pat on the back

December 14, 2006

I can’t decide whether it’s cool to like Stephon Marbury again.

Let’s take a poll.

I’m warming up to the idea of Marbury directing the offense again. He no longer needs a road map. Eddy Curry is the big man in the middle. He is getting the ball. I really think Marbury is catching on.

Stop booing, already.

At the very least, Marbury deserves a little credit for playing the right way on Wednesday in a seamless win over Atlanta. He wound up with 13 points and six assists in a 94-82 win at MSG.

It was a confident performance.

Marbury only took five shots from the field. He took eight shots from the line. And that’s how it needs to be. It seems like he knows it, too. Marbury is not fixated on maintaining those impressive career averages.

The fans are, though.
“Exactly,” Marbury said. “That’s exactly what it is. It’s crazy, because if I’m scoring the ball then I’m shooting too much. I understand and I accept it, for me, being like a no win. I just laugh at it. I’m at the point in my career where it’s not about scoring and getting assists. It’s about winning the game. We have a younger player who’s getting better by the day, Eddy Curry. He is dominating right now and he’s by far one of the best big men in the league. He’s having an All-Star year and we have to continue to ride that. We can ride that right into the playoffs.”

I’m starting to believe Marbury is longing to win games, but like Jim Dolan I am not committed to that thought.

touching really, write that after the next loss.

Easy to write that after we beat a Hawks team without Joe Johnson. Give me a break

Well, it is good to hear Marbury acknowledge that Curry needs to be the focal point.

Anji - what can you "accept"?

what are your standards that Marbury should meet?

Martin - didn't you like the way Isiah exiled Marbury to the bench faster than anyone else in the first?

He better learn.

Martin - I respectfully dis-agree

Telling the press "I didn't have a head out there" only gets spun into headlines, magnified and repeated by every beat writer to the point it turns the lemming-like fans against the player.

As a result the sensitive player retreats into a shell and does not learn the lesson. It avoids dealing with the players performance at the moment is occurs. It's a cheap shot.

On the other hand, there are what some people refer to as "in-game adjustments"

The enforcement of the prime directive, as demonstrated by Coach Thomas, is an instant response that sends a clear and present ("nothing personal, it's strictly business") message:

you suck

you sit

I like what Marbs said. Unfortunately it comes a couple weeks after he sat on the bench pouting when his team was making a furious come back. It's amazing that Marbs is still confused as to why fans give him a hard time. He still thinks it's idiot fans out to get him for no reason.

I personally hate the booing. I hate when fans scapegoat one player, but I at least understand where it is coming from. Shut your mouth Marbs. Stop giving out empty promises and play hard everynight and the rest will take care of itself.