We wonder about Stephon Marbury, in case you haven't figured that out already, but Thursday, he made us do it again.

Besides not playing or dressing, he now isn't scrimmaging with the Knicks. His choice, Mike D'Antoni said, and Marbury chooses not to because he's not playing and he wants to let those who are get their run during practice.

Instead, during the portions of recent practices reporters have seen, he's spent some of his time pedaling a stationary bike as if he were Lance Armstrong, after Sheryl Crow just broke up with him (as opposed to Eddy Curry, who pedals like he's delivering newspapers). He's also done some stretching and individual work on the side.

But what made us wonder where Steph is at was when he declared he called his old high school in Brooklyn (Lincoln) about scrimmaging with its team. Yes, $21.9 million-man Stephon Marbury, scrimmaging with high school kids.

"Seriously," he insisted _ and Lincoln's coach, Dwayne Morton, confirmed to another reporter that the two have talked about it.

Besides the fact that this might not be kosher with his contract (neither the Knicks nor the Players Association had commented as this was written), what exactly was the point of saying this?

Is this Steph trying to throw more wood on the fire that's been his story _ because at some point, Steph sitting at the end of the bench becomes a tree falling in a forest with no one to care about it.

Is this Steph simply screwing with reporters, knowing that one or more tabloid might run with it hook, line and sinker?

We're thinking the latter _ although we've made mention of his remarks in what will run in Friday's print version of The Record.
Because with Steph, you always have to wonder. Truth or dare.

Posted by BlueSeats:

Posted by oohah:

Sure, Coach D'Antoni...this story is going to get real boring and disappear just like you thought. Good call, you're not naive at all!

Every coach and GM should be forced to take "New York Lessons" before coming here.

oohah

Marbury will always be a lightning rod for attention here regardless of his role or minutes. The coach either allows himself and the franchise to be held hostage by that or he doesn't. Not sure why you would advise that he should?

I don't see what how your comment relates to what I am saying. I am talking about D'Antoni's naive comments that the story is going to get boring to the press, and, in his mind it seems, the story will fade when it won't. There are way to many angles, and too many people who want to talk to the media who can say what they want to. Anyone who has a clue about New York knows this, and this is why he needs to take New York classes.

Seriously, you don't his notion to be naive?

In regard to the "hostage situation", this is another thing he doesn't have control over -- anymore. When he did have control he played it entirely the wrong way. And I doubt you'll agree with me on this, but it isn't Marbury's fault this time. Basically the only thing he is doing is breathing. As DJ posted in a timeline recently, this season he has done only what has been asked of him, and said all the right things.

The "lightning rod" situation is more of a media contruct, and D'Antoni created this particular storm. Walsh stood by and did nothing.

I think D'Antoni and Walsh are in fact on the same page, unfortunately the book is: "The Dumbest Way to Deal New York Media".

The honeymoon is officially over. The only way to get the media to start talking about something else is for the Knicks to win consistently. And even then they will try to find the controversy. Part of the coaches' and GM's job in NYC is to avoid controversy, at least when the team is bad.

oohah

Posted by BlueSeats:

ooha, i'm on my way out so can't get into the nitty gritty right now, but really, you're arguing out of both sides of your mouth at once. Which is the problem, Mikes "naive comments" that the story isn't going to change, or that he doesn't want to play Marbury and that you feel he should allow the media attention pressure him to?

Posted by Michael6835:

this whole problem is happening simply because steph does not have an agent. So all of the executives have to deal with the knuckle head, there's no buffer and his head is so big that he can't see that. If he doesn't be careful he could be odd man out like spreewell became after the feed his family bit.

Posted by JrZyHuStLa:

If I was coaching Lincoln High, I wouldn't dare let this clown poison my young star, Lance Stephenson.

But I hope you understand that doing things differently on his part would have been a capitulation to pressure, or allowing himself to be held hostage by the situation.

My mistake, but I was trying to find a relevance for your nitpick over D's statement. It was just a line to let them know the situation has been decided and it's not going to change in the foreseeable future. Do you really think the scenario would be significantly different if he said it in a different way? I don't.