<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'>Stephon Marbury watches during the fourth quarter of last night's loss. David Lee grabs a rebound last night. Isiah Thomas' patience with Stephon Marbury and Steve Francis ran out 65 seconds into the third quarter last night. Before most fans had returned to their seats at the Garden to watch the second half, Marbury and Francis were on the bench and the great backcourt experiment was - at least for one game - over."No, I didn't understand that," said Marbury, who was visibly upset. "We were in the game for two minutes."The more Marbury talked, the more it sounded as if his archnemesis, Larry Brown, was calling the shots and not Thomas, his strongest advocate. But whether the events from the Knicks' 97-90 loss to Jeff Van Gundy's Houston Rockets represented the first signs of the Marbury-Thomas relationship cracking or was nothing more than a one-game aberration, will be proven in due time.But there clearly is a problem when the most expensive backcourt in the NBA becomes nothing more than a costly bench ornament. Marbury played three minutes and 38 seconds in the second half and Francis two minutes and 28 seconds."I was just digging in the tool shed tonight just trying to come up with the right tool to hang around," Thomas said after the Knicks fell to 4-8."We came out and we made two quick turnovers. (The backups) had been playing well. So before we got down 15, I wanted to try to get some pace back into the game. Jamal (Crawford) and Nate (Robinson) were playing well. It wasn't anything personal. I was just trying to reach and grab for anything I could to stay in the game."The Knicks were trailing 48-45 to start the second half before Houston converted two straight turnovers - a shot clock violation and Marbury's bad pass - into four quick points. The deficit was only eight points but Thomas called timeout and decided to make a move that seemed to surprise Marbury and Francis, two former All-Stars."The message is loud and clear," said Marbury, who stood by his locker and calmly answered reporters' questions. "I'm not going to go on the court and play like that anymore. I got a turnover. I'm going to be more conscious about not getting a turnover."Francis, playing against his former team, did not seem as upset. However, Francis was angry at Brown last season after Francis played 11 minutes against Orlando, just weeks after being traded by the Magic."That was a tough thing to deal with," Francis said of last night's benching. "But it was a decision that was made by the coach and I can't do anything about."Asked if he feels he is on a short leash, Marbury smiled and said: "If I had to go on tonight, I would say yeah."Thus far, the Marbury-Francis backcourt has been a bust. They don't seem comfortable or productive on the floor. During the first half of Saturday's loss to Boston, Marbury became agitated when he ran around a screen and Francis failed to pass him the ball. Marbury walked away and rolled his eyes. Although they are the regular starting backcourt, Marbury and Francis rarely play together once Thomas makes his first substitutions. In fact, Marbury made his second-half cameo as a replacement for Robinson. Three minutes later, Francis replaced Marbury."If we're out there playing the way he thinks we should be playing, our leash should be a little longer," Marbury said.Francis finished with seven points and two turnovers while Marbury wound up with three points, three assists and four turnovers. He took two shots - one fewer than both Jerome James and Kelvin Cato - in 20 minutes and dismissed the theory that he is playing tight at the Garden."I only took two shots," he said. "When you are pressing, usually you are just trying to score. I am doing what is being asked of me. That's all."Still, the Knicks' second unit continues to provide most of the scoring and energy. Crawford scored 25 points, David Lee added 15 points and 12 rebounds and the 5-9 Robinson had the defensive highlight of the season when he rejected 7-5 Yao Ming's shot in the third quarter. Channing Frye (22 points) was the lone starter to reach double figures and Eddy Curry had a rough outing against Yao again, being outscored 26-8. Tracy McGrady scored 24, including the three-pointer with 7:46 left that put Houston in the lead for good at 73-70. Queens product Rafter Alston added 17 points as Van Gundy improved to 7-1 against his former team.Two years ago, Lenny Wilkens was fired after Houston beat the Knicks. Last night, Van Gundy left more wreckage in his wake. Thomas said that Marbury and Francis will remain in the starting lineup but other than that, neither is guaranteed minutes."We definitely can all see he's not playing around," Curry said. "If guys are not producing he's going to yank them."</div>Marbury's acting like a little girl. If he wants to get minutes, then he has to be productive. He didnt play because Nate and Jamal outplayed he and Francis. That's all there is to it.Will the Knicks trade him?
bye bye marbury. I should burn his jersey I bought when he first came to the team when I thought he was our savior. he's a bi*ch and I know this team will improve when he leaves. look at ever other team he's left. I want them to win.
during that whole comeback tonight he just sat there w/ the towel draped over his head not even standing and cheering....what needs to be done is 1st-take all the towels away from "starbury", 2nd-play him a maximum of 15minutes a game until he shows some desire out there...didnt even attempt a shot though thats not a bad thing he needs to drive more, him and Francis both, but Steve's play has been that of inspired the last few games....cept he needs to keep his mouth shut and just play. Getting thrown out is unacceptable.So-called Starbury shouldnt even start next game go w/ Nate/Francis/Crawford/Lee/Curry or Balkman instead of nate....just because Q and Frye got hurt tonight otherwise Francis/Craw/Q/Frye/CurryIf he actually showed some desire and stood there w/ his teamates I wouldnt mind but the fact that he just sat there looking straight ahead w/ the towel over his head tells me enough....BENCH HIM until he shows that will to win
Yeah I know it was funny seeing nate jumping up and down when a timeout was called giving his teammates some love for showing some effort then seeing marbury just sit there on the bench with the towel on his head. he NEEDS to go. francis is really showing me that he wants to takeover the team as the leader. he's playing well. marbury just is being a baby. his career is sh*t and him being a baby isn't helping. I don't understand how a talented player like him can't win. he's a cancer and I finally believe everything people have said about him because I'm experiencing it first hand. the team plays better with francis running things and marbury being benched. he didn't play the entire 2nd half of the bulls game and I don't think that was by accident. peace marbury.I'm selling marbury's jersey on ebay......... anyone interested?
I dont think marbury would ever go to the D league lol, I think he would retire before he went to the Dleague
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Dmoney @ Nov 25 2006, 10:51 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>I dont think marbury would ever go to the D league lol, I think he would retire before he went to the Dleague</div>well that's he deserves to be. he's a bi*ch and can't play like a man.
What a bi*ch. You want playing time you got to earn instead of just crying on the bench. You haven't done sh*t for us this season and only had one game when you played good for us.
See Stephon, you shouldn't have opened your big mouth and proclaimed yourself to be the best point guard in the NBA two years ago... that is when everything turned sour for you and the Knicks.This guy needs to be shipped out of town, but unfortunately for the Knicks I don't think there is a team out there that would want him.
Marbury, who was benched to start the second half of the game, was held scoreless and did not take a single shot the entire game. Afterward, Thomas said Marbury had not been feeling well, adding that he had missed the team's morning shootaround.Marbury, however, said after the game he was feeling just fine. "I had enough 'I, me,'" Marbury said. "I wanted to play."When asked if he was happy, Marbury said, "Nope." -----------------------------------------------------Marbury is just plain stupid here....Thomas gave him a way out saying he was sick, thus justifying his sitting when the rest of the team was up cheering and his poor play, but instead he says he's fine.let's get him out of here now or bench him to start and have him try and be the igniter if he wishes to be if not than simply dont play him
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (nykfan4life @ Nov 26 2006, 09:41 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>I know it's a lot but is it possible to buy out his contract?</div>It is always possible, but the question then becomes how much would the Knicks be willing to pay him and how much would he be willing to accept.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (nykfan4life @ Nov 25 2006, 11:55 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>well that's he deserves to be. he's a bi*ch and can't play like a man.</div>why would he deserve to go down to the d-league? please. If you were a good basketball player, and one of the better players on your team, AND a starter, you would be pissed about not playing in the 4th quarter of a close game(if it was close). He is reacting like alot of NBA players would react.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (ballerman2112 @ Nov 26 2006, 03:48 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>why would he deserve to go down to the d-league? please. If you were a good basketball player, and one of the better players on your team, AND a starter, you would be pissed about not playing in the 4th quarter of a close game(if it was close). He is reacting like alot of NBA players would react.</div>Yeah you're right but do you know anything about stephon marbury? probably not. the guys history is he makes every team worse and then he leaves and the team gets better. I didn't actually mean send him to the d league. I'm just frustrated with the fact that he is so talented and he just can't win. he needs to get his head in check. he says the stupidest things to the media. if he shut his mouth and played basketball no one would scrutinize him as much. he's being benched because he's not affective anymore and they play better without him.
