Links: Does This Make Steph Crazy?
Stephon Marbury apparently blew off the Knicks…but why are they dumping on him to begin with?
A couple of years ago, back when I was living and working in Atlanta, Hawks guard Isaiah “JR” Rider went missing one morning. The team was in Detroit, they’d had their shootaround, but Isaiah never showed.
Someone working for the Hawks at the time gave me a call. I’d been working on an Isaiah story for a while and had his phone numbers and talked to him pretty regularly. The Hawks employee called and said, “He missed our flight, and we don’t know where he is. Have you talked to him?”
It was right around Y2K, I remember, and Wifey and I were going to spend the New Year with a few friends in the mountains. I was pretty removed from everything up there, so no, I hadn’t heard from JR.
As soon as I hung up the phone with the guy from the Hawks, I called the number I had for JR’s cell phone. It rang…and he answered.
He chatted away like nothing was happening. I played it cool, asked him what he’d been up to, then asked where he was at the time. “Oh, I’m in Detroit,” he said. “Gotta game tonight against the Pistons.”
“Oh,” I said, “because I talked to some people and they didn’t know where you were..”
Suddenly, he became furious. “Maaan,” he said, his voice rising, “Why can’t you just…”
And then phone clicked off. He ended up showing up for the game that night in Detroit, but I can’t remember whether or not the Hawks let him play.
Today, Stephon Marbury left the Knicks, although these seem to be vastly different circumstances. JR went AWOL because he was JR, the man with consistent inconsistencies, with perfect imperfections.
As for Steph not showing up for shootaround this morning, well…
According to Frank “Italian Ice” Isola, the Knicks had a front office meeting late on Sunday night to talk about how they could diminish (or remove entirely) Steph’s presence. This meeting occurred just hours after the Knicks lost an eminently winnable game against Miami, with Steph’s man Jason Williams lighting up the Knicks throughout and then Steph making a bad turnover and forcing a shot down the stretch.
Before last weekend, the Knicks were looking like a good team. They’d beaten Denver, had established a semblance of a rotation, had the home fans cheering for them, and even temporarily halted the craziness that surrounded them all summer.
Well, welcome back, crazy! That didn’t take long.
Why did the Knicks decide to scale back Stephon’s role? Yes, he looked bad in the fourth quarter against the Heat, but he’s the best point guard they have on their roster, by far. The Post reported that Steph was going to be benched for his defensive shortcomings. Which means they’ll turn to their crack defender…Mardy Collins?
Benching Steph because he’s not an elite defender is like benching Ben Wallace because he’s a poor offensive player. You don’t have guys on your roster because of what they can’t do, you have them because of what they can do. And what does Steph do? He drives to the basket, he hits open guys around the perimeter, he makes open shots. Is he one of the top 5 point guards in the NBA? No, not anymore. But is he one of the bottom five? Not even close.
In any normal NBA organization, money would undoubtedly be at the root of all this. Steph has $42 million still due him, which is a lot of bingo for any team to be shelling out to a guy who’s not at the absolute top of his profession. But these are the Knicks, who spend Monopoly cash and throw money at any problem to make it go away. So I don’t think this is about the money.
It shouldn’t be about loyalty, either. Steph took the stand this summer in the Isiah Thomas sexual harassment trial and testified for the Knicks organization, even admitting under oath that he’d had an extra-marital affair. The girl he affaired with was promoted.
The Knicks are already making this sounds like it’s about basketball, that Steph’s a poor defender, that he’s a bad player. But he’s not. He’s not an All-Star, but he’s better than most of the point guards out there.
And now the Knicks are trying to kick Steph to the curb?
Crazy.
But then, we’re talking about the Knicks…
58 Responses to “Links: Does This Make Steph Crazy?”
Nov.13 at 5:11 pm
Silky Slim says:
Lang, there’s no such thing as loyalty in the business world. Also, why would they keep a guy they know can’t lead their team to the playoffs? I think the Knicks have finally realized that their marriage with Starbury isn’t working out, so it’s time for a divorce!
Nov.13 at 5:12 pm
Ryan Jones says:
Lang, you used to live in Atlanta?
Nov.13 at 5:16 pm
white hot eboy says:
Leave it to Lang to bring saneness to this mess. Good work, man.
Nov.13 at 5:18 pm
Bxballer says:
If he is going to bench Steph for not playing d, then he has to bench the entire starting 5. And it’s not like the Knicks don’t play defense, they just don’t know how. The guards are constantly doubling guys that don’t need it (i.e Haslem), thus leading to a bunch of open (3) shots that kill us. The guards also don’t fight hard enough to get over screens (Crawford). Plus it’s too early to make drastic changes, hell we’re only five games in.
Nov.13 at 5:18 pm
its just alex says:
Think about all the talent the Knicks could buy with the money they waste. It’s absurd.
Nov.13 at 5:23 pm
Toney Blare says:
Lang, you’re defending Steph?
Nov.13 at 5:24 pm
Emry says:
Lang, Mardy Collins wouldn’t be a bad look for the Knicks in my opinion. As a TU alum I might be bias but to me he is an upgraded John Salmons. That doesn’t make him better than Stephon but I do think he will be solid with some tick.
Nov.13 at 5:26 pm
Justin says:
COME TO THE LAKERS HONEY CAKES!
Nov.13 at 5:27 pm
Donn says:
I smell another Slam cover for Starbury….
Nov.13 at 5:34 pm
Russ Bengtson says:
I think the fact that you opened this piece with a J.R. Rider anecdote answers the initial question better than any analysis ever could.
Nov.13 at 5:37 pm
BETCATS says:
COME TO THE CATS STARBURY! WE NEED A NEW PG! or go to boston and win that ring you want then go to italy and live happily ever fu ckin after.
Nov.13 at 5:41 pm
Tarzan Cooper says:
to the knicks endless drama:zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
Nov.13 at 5:41 pm
BETCATS says:
zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz ya bastardz
Nov.13 at 5:42 pm
BETCATS says:
and to you Rick ‘Tarzan’ Kamla i say zzzz
Nov.13 at 5:58 pm
bakers' dozen (12-13) says:
I think Starbury would thrive in Charlotte. However, I’m wonderign if JR ever spoke to you again, Lang?
Nov.13 at 6:01 pm
BETCATS says:
12-13 you are one smart fu cker
Nov.13 at 6:09 pm
bakers' dozen (12-13) says:
Yeah…I’ve got crazy smarts…must be that grad school thing or something!
Nov.13 at 6:12 pm
BETCATS says:
get off my website now
Nov.13 at 6:13 pm
BETCATS says:
real smart people arent welcomed here.
Nov.13 at 6:13 pm
Sam Rubenstein says:
The Knicks might lose to Phoenix tonight by, let’s say 70 points to keep it conservative.
Nov.13 at 6:14 pm
Tariq says:
At least Steph didn’t drown any dogs. Although I still think Vick is better than Mardy Collins. But Mardy Collins is better than Joey Harrington. All of the above can’t hold a candle to The Isaiah. I need to go to bed.
Nov.13 at 6:16 pm
BETCATS says:
Tariq where is your link?
Nov.13 at 6:17 pm
Kiyan says:
Ahhhh … I remember the days when the Knicks had just fired Layden, hired Isiah and brought in Marbury … so much hope back then for Knicks fans …
Nov.13 at 6:18 pm
Tariq says:
There we go.
Nov.13 at 6:20 pm
Tariq says:
The Knicks should fire Isiah and hire The Isaiah. He has an extra “a” in his name and everything.
Nov.13 at 6:31 pm
stephfan says:
Let me begin by stating I have followed Stephan’s career from high school to current day NY Knicks. I am not defending his actions today, if you are the leader of a team is this how you lead a Knicks team which is need of sound leadership from top to bottom. I am sure his teammates have lost mad respect for him, imagine quitting on your temammate based on your own selfish desires/actions. Lets be real here, even though the Knicks are the fools for paying Steph his exorbitant salery, high salaries equal high expectations. Stephon has not delivered since he has been here in NY PERIOD, or anywhere else for that matter since high school. We have to stop making excuses for him. He is a mediocre NBA point guard look at his “empty” stats, you mentioned 19.5 scoring average over his career. Check out his shooting percentages, assist to turnover ratio, team records, and playoff appearances. I believe this is more indicative of his true overall contributions to his current and former teams. Point guard is the most important position on any NBA teams, all the good teams have good ones. If the Knicks decide to parts ways with Stephon, point guards who score irrelevant points, turnover the ball consistently at critical times, provide poor leadership, and play matador style defense are plentiful. I am glad it appears someone is finally waking up down there at MSG, its long OVERDUE.
Nov.13 at 6:41 pm
dblizzy! says:
Would the Celts be crazy to sign him if the Knicks were to buy him out? Does the good outweigh the bad?
Nov.13 at 6:46 pm
Chris Sorum says:
Lang defending Steph? We all saw that one coming..
Nov.13 at 7:04 pm
Nadav says:
You talk to JR ever since?
Nov.13 at 7:43 pm
Dyce says:
Steph has to be a better idea at the point than Nate Robinson. I dont get the whole buy out thing, if it saves money why dont they buy out Jerome James????
Nov.13 at 7:44 pm
FLUXLAND says:
Lang, I know the guy helped, basically, establish you mag and he stands for everything SLAM stands for (come to think of it, at this point, thats a scary statement) but, I swear, the guy could shoot your parents and you would still find a way to defend him. I am a loyal person, but you have no limits dude. I read that post twice and still can’t believe it. I’m starting to lose respect for you, man.
Nov.13 at 7:50 pm
d.Y. says:
This buyout thing has gotten out of hand. Imagine if Starbucks payed huge lump sums whenever they fired a lazy barista. By the by, this ruins my dream of seeing Steph, Ron Ron, Z-Bo, and Nasty Nate wilding out at an uptown strip club. Well… maybe not, but they won’t get to play together.
Nov.13 at 7:53 pm
Alan Paul says:
Hey Lang, remember that running argument we had a few yers back about whether or not the Nets were smart for trading Steph for Kidd? Just wondering if oyu still think that was a stupid move? BTW
Nov.13 at 8:23 pm
Captain America says:
JR Rider was a Twolf before twolf was cool. Now imagine (if you will) Marbles and the original JR on the same Twolves line-up.
Nov.13 at 8:24 pm
Captain America says:
Anyone with a brain larger than an acorn realizes that Marbles is the fall guy. This dates back to the theatrics that played out in the court house.
Nov.13 at 8:45 pm
Sam Mitchell's Conscience says:
Some words of truth: None of us know these players. We like to think we know them, but really we know their games only. None of us have any idea of really went on, so to call Marbury crazy is pushing it a bit I think, considering all we know of Marbury is what he says while he is bombarded with cameras. Same goes for any player in the league. Everyone has problems, and for some reason people always like to judge others and pretend they don’t have their own. That being said, both Marbury and Isiah have been acting unprofessionally, and Dolan needs to sort this out.
Nov.13 at 8:54 pm
Dyce says:
Dolan sorting it out? That will happen, as soon as jamal crawford passes the ball in crunch time instead of chucking a 3.
Nov.13 at 9:13 pm
Sam Mitchell's Conscience says:
didn’t that just happen a few nights ago?
Nov.13 at 9:54 pm
gelly says:
Lang, good points. I hope the Knick’s front office is reading this.
Nov.13 at 10:26 pm
Kareem says:
Wow, i hope steph gets traded, that way he’ll change the starbury’s color so it look like my teams jersey.
and i prefer nate a the point
Nov.13 at 10:26 pm
Kareem says:
*at
Nov.14 at 12:57 am
TC says:
Steph is not crazy, he’s just incredibly stupid. Wait for the Knicks to improve drastically after Steph had left and then see the whole SLAM crew come to his rescue again. Some things in life will never change.
Nov.14 at 1:16 am
TC says:
^^^except Russ
Nov.14 at 1:22 am
Danny says:
Steph to the Hawks after a Knick buyout. How would you feel about that, Lang?
Nov.14 at 2:41 am
dma says:
steph’s been crazy
Nov.14 at 2:49 am
Kevin says:
i just want to know why he said he was gonna take less than 10 shots a game to help base the flow of the offense around their two post monsters only to change his mind a couple weeks later and say he’s gonna be more aggressive in looking for his shot.. the remark has been made many times already, both on this site & in the media, but is this dude actually missing something upstairs?! that being said, i agree that he still remains a better PG than either Collins or Robinson could be at this point, so that leaves me wondering if something else transpired behind the scenes that led to this?
Nov.14 at 5:51 am
Rome says:
This means that Kobe’s coming somehow.
Nov.14 at 10:39 am
Jared says:
yea…the bobcats do need a point, i’ll take felton for steph…he’s all yours
Nov.14 at 11:46 am
Rubens says:
I think everyone was expecting Lang’s take on this Starbury issue
Nov.14 at 12:33 pm
Sesa says:
Marbury should play with Kobe.
Nov.14 at 12:42 pm
J says:
Knicks and “front office meeting” should never be used in the same sentence.
Nov.14 at 3:15 pm
Josh says:
I’d like to see Steph and KG reunite in Boston. How awesome would that be! Also when is Isiah going to get fired if we are actually judging these professionals based on performance. Isiah is like midas only everything he touches turns to crap.
Nov.14 at 3:45 pm
Souss says:
No objectivity whatsoever
Nov.14 at 4:17 pm
John D says:
LMAO at the amount of bias in this column. If it was Kobe who did this, he would be getting crucified. Since it’s Steph, it’s completely justified.
Nov.14 at 4:56 pm
Jonas says:
The Knicks should have BOUGHT OUT and CUT Marbury 3.5 years ago. Dude has been a loser his entire career. The Knicks also should have fired Isiah Thomas 3.5 years ago. I will never understand how he still has a job.
Nov.15 at 1:16 pm
pablo says:
Lang: I will always disagree with you about Steph. He left Garnett because he´s selfish and a looser! I don´t think I´ll ever see Manu Ginobili doing something like that.
Nov.15 at 5:36 pm
costas says:
Unbelievable. Lang, a great writer by the way, loses absolutely ALL of the objectivity while talking about the player called Stephon Marbury. I am just wondering what else this guy has to do to finally prove to you that he is a total, hundred per cent, idiot.
Nov.19 at 8:02 pm
Chief says:
I just want to say that Marbury is not crazy. Maybe Marbury is acting like this cause who wants to be a point guard for the knicks?
They shelled out 41 million cause he can shoot and dish. But he mainly likes to shoot. he’s good from long range and can drive. In my mind marbury is one of the best point guards in the league but has had to deal with the fact that every good player the team gets aren’t “good” players. On a team that already shoots enough they decided to get Zach Randolph. Great move. Crawford hucks up the ball every chance he gets. Nate suffers from little man syndrome. David Lee and Balkman are the only team players here. If you want to blame anyone here. Blame the GM for putting out all that money for Starbury and then wasting more money on players that wouldn’t gel with him. Marbury’s skill set hasn’t at all been used to his advantage. In any situation. I bet if Marbury went to play in italy his numbers would be unreal cause he’d be playing with guys who want to win and know who the go to guy on the team is.