Marbury: Knicks are work in progress
By MARC BERMAN
Last Updated: 2:28 AM, April 1, 2011

Stephon Marbury returned from China on Monday, having missed the playoffs, but is ready to enjoy the Knicks' first postseason berth since he ran the show in 2003-2004 in his first season.

Marbury, who played for the Foshan Dragon Lions in an industrial city near Hong Kong, said he likes what he sees from the post-trade Knicks, is trying to buy Garden floor seats for the playoffs. But Marbury knows there's a lot more building to do around Carmelo Anthony, Amar'e Stoudemire and his buddy Chauncey Billups.

"When Amar'e and Carmelo realize it's not about who, they're going to be dangerous," Marbury told The Post from his Westchester home.

"What everybody in New York has to realize it's a team game and Carmelo is one player," the Coney Islander added. "You have to have a lot of good players to win a championship. You have to have good players at "every" position. You can't win with two, three guys. Carmelo? He's a piece. Chauncey is a piece. Amar'e. You know you can win with those guys if you put other guys around those pieces.

"It's a chess match," he said. "You can't win the chess match if you don't have enough pieces. They have to add a big man first. It would change everything."

By the same token, Marbury said he believes the Heat aren't ready to win the NBA title.

"You give Dwyane [Wade] and LeBron James a few more nice players, it will be hard to beat those guys," Marbury said. "I think in the future you're going to see about that [Knicks] trade. And Miami is going to be so good next year, they'll win 70 games."

Marbury plans on being back in China next season, where he has become an adored figure. In fact, he wants to play five more years in China to build his Starbury sneaker brand. In his first season in Foshan, the club went 11-21 after winning four games last season. He averaged 25 points, six assists and four rebounds. Marbury, who now speaks some Chinese, is working on becoming an assistant coach for the Chinese National team.

Marbury played with Anthony on the 2004 Olympic Team and has known Billups since they were 13 years old, playing AAU ball. They are the same age -- 34.

"Chauncey has always been the same player -- nice," Marbury said. "With Amar'e and Carmelo, two guys who need the ball, Chauncey is the perfect dude to do that."

Marbury said he's pulling for the Knicks no matter his messy breakup.

"I'm so behind it," Marbury said. "I'm a real Knick fan, not a fake fan."

But he still does not believe they have the right coach in Mike D'Antoni, who banished him when he took over.

"New York basketball is about defense,' Marbury said. "You got to know New York to coach in New York. That's why they should've hired Mark Jackson. Mike doesn't adjust. Great coaches adjust. Phil Jackson adjusts. He will tell you I don't coach basketball, I coach people."

Read more: http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/knicks/marbury_knicks_are_work_in_progress_2s9aRKfX7yJBaHWRKUxgmL#ixzz1IHVVPgU7

y2zipper wrote:Marbury for backup PG! lololololol.

Marbury would be an excellent backup pg but Stern would probably block it. lol.

Seems being away from the sttes and the NBA has matured him. He's gonna make so much money over there promoting those sneakers. its a suprisingly smart business move.

Killa4luv wrote:

y2zipper wrote:Marbury for backup PG! lololololol.

Marbury would be an excellent backup pg but Stern would probably block it. lol.

Seems being away from the sttes and the NBA has matured him. He's gonna make so much money over there promoting those sneakers. its a suprisingly smart business move.

Was that before or after his previous Chinese team released him due to his unreasonable demands, like them re-signing Maurice Taylor?

Papabear wrote:Papabear Says

Marbury: Knicks are work in progress
By MARC BERMAN
Last Updated: 2:28 AM, April 1, 2011

Stephon Marbury returned from China on Monday, having missed the playoffs, but is ready to enjoy the Knicks' first postseason berth since he ran the show in 2003-2004 in his first season.

Marbury, who played for the Foshan Dragon Lions in an industrial city near Hong Kong, said he likes what he sees from the post-trade Knicks, is trying to buy Garden floor seats for the playoffs. But Marbury knows there's a lot more building to do around Carmelo Anthony, Amar'e Stoudemire and his buddy Chauncey Billups.

"When Amar'e and Carmelo realize it's not about who, they're going to be dangerous," Marbury told The Post from his Westchester home.

"What everybody in New York has to realize it's a team game and Carmelo is one player," the Coney Islander added. "You have to have a lot of good players to win a championship. You have to have good players at "every" position. You can't win with two, three guys. Carmelo? He's a piece. Chauncey is a piece. Amar'e. You know you can win with those guys if you put other guys around those pieces.

"It's a chess match," he said. "You can't win the chess match if you don't have enough pieces. They have to add a big man first. It would change everything."

By the same token, Marbury said he believes the Heat aren't ready to win the NBA title.

"You give Dwyane [Wade] and LeBron James a few more nice players, it will be hard to beat those guys," Marbury said. "I think in the future you're going to see about that [Knicks] trade. And Miami is going to be so good next year, they'll win 70 games."

Marbury plans on being back in China next season, where he has become an adored figure. In fact, he wants to play five more years in China to build his Starbury sneaker brand. In his first season in Foshan, the club went 11-21 after winning four games last season. He averaged 25 points, six assists and four rebounds. Marbury, who now speaks some Chinese, is working on becoming an assistant coach for the Chinese National team.

Marbury played with Anthony on the 2004 Olympic Team and has known Billups since they were 13 years old, playing AAU ball. They are the same age -- 34.

"Chauncey has always been the same player -- nice," Marbury said. "With Amar'e and Carmelo, two guys who need the ball, Chauncey is the perfect dude to do that."

Marbury said he's pulling for the Knicks no matter his messy breakup.

"I'm so behind it," Marbury said. "I'm a real Knick fan, not a fake fan."

But he still does not believe they have the right coach in Mike D'Antoni, who banished him when he took over.

"New York basketball is about defense,' Marbury said. "You got to know New York to coach in New York. That's why they should've hired Mark Jackson. Mike doesn't adjust. Great coaches adjust. Phil Jackson adjusts. He will tell you I don't coach basketball, I coach people."

Read more: http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/knicks/marbury_knicks_are_work_in_progress_2s9aRKfX7yJBaHWRKUxgmL#ixzz1IHVVPgU7

You usually cannot win a chess match if the other guy is better. Which would result him taking your pieces, you having positional disadvantage and/or lost tempo. You don't lose because you don't have enough pieces. When you don't have enough pieces to try to find the pieces that are missing before starting the match, you know, you look under the couch for the missing pieces and such. Man, I'd hate to play chess with Marbury without enough pieces. . .