Sep 24 2008
Donnie says Stephon goes to camp
My post I wrote yesterday about Starbury being gone may have been premature, according to Donnie Walsh. Mr Walsh stated that Marbury will be at camp, and that he has not even approached Marbury about buying out his lucrative contract. This year’s offseason seems to be mundane compared to those of recent years, especially last year with Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen moving to Boston, as well as Kobe Bryant’s comments about Laker management. So it’s understandable that Marbury’s relatively quiet offseason is making headlines and starting rumors.
On the plus side, Knicks fans can look forward to another spectacular season with their diva knowing that they haven’t had a winning season in New York since the 2000-2001 season when they lost to Toronto in the first round. In Stephon’s defense, he didn’t board ship until the 03-04 season, the only season since that 00-01 season that they made the playoffs (albeit they got swept by a decent New Jersey team… ouch).
I just don’t see the Knicks being a threat next year. If Marbury is on the starting roster, they definately need to find a point guard that is willing to pass. D’Antoni’s system worked for four reasons: Steve Nash, three point threats, fast break dunks, and unselfish play. The Knicks can only excel in making threes, and if D’Antoni can get Randolph and Curry to run half as much as Stoudemire or Boris Diaw, then my hat is off to the man.
In his run with the Knicks, Marbury averaged almost 20 points and nearly 8 assists, so we know the man can play. But when he is unhappy about anything, the man can stop offenses with his dribbling. Sure Steve Nash dribbled a lot, sometimes in circles, but he was pass first and a very unselfish player and ran like a race horse (pretty good for an old man).
Ok, I admit its not fair to compare D’Antoni’s old team to his current roster, so I’m pretty excited to see what they cook up and how their team chemistry develops. Still, I’d hate to be a Knicks fan knowing there’s a chance Marbury may still be on my team.
