Mr. J
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Marbury: "I'll Play My Way"
<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- It's probably the last thing Larry Brown wants to hear from Stephon Marbury, but last night the point guard said his efforts to change his game have not produced positive results and he is planning to go back to being Starbury -- the shoot-first, attack-the rim, 20-point-a-game scorer who has been a missing person this year.
Marbury said before last night's 116-109 loss to the Charlotte Bobcats that he tried to adjust to Brown's style of play this year, but it has not resulted in victories, and no one is happy. So he said he intends to go back to playing the way he always played, presumably next year, to a style that made him a multimillionaire superstar in the NBA -- a declaration that is sure to further frustrate Brown's attempts to remake Marbury into his kind of player.
"I went into this year trying to do something, to put myself in a situation where we can win, Okay?" he said, "to help the team win games. Unfortunately, that didn't happen. So, what do I do now, as far as the way I play? I go back to playing like Stephon Marbury, aka Starbury. I haven't been Starbury this year. I've been some other dude this year."
And that other dude in Marbury's No. 3 jersey is struggling so much that this could end up being Marbury's worst season.
He went into last night's Battle of the Basement against the Bobcats averaging 17.0 points and 6.6 assists per game, both well below his career averages of 20.6 and 8.3. The 6.6 assists would qualify as his lowest averages in that category over his career.
Last year he averaged 21.7 points and 8.1 assists. In nine previous seasons, Marbury has never averaged fewer than 7.6 assists per game, and hasn't had fewer than 8.1 since the 2000-01, season, when he averaged 7.6 with the Nets.
This turbulent season he has often looked confused, and at times he has lacked his usual aggressiveness going to the hole. Part of that has been due to a shoulder injury he suffered Jan. 15, a sprain that caused him to miss 11 games.
"All I know is, you've seen me play and you've seen how I've been playing (this year)," he said. "When you watch the games, that's not Stephon Marbury."
Marbury, who still has $57 million owed to him through the 2009 season, acknowledged that his play this year has been so uncharacteristic that if he were a free agent this summer, he never would get the kind of maximum-dollar contract he signed back in 2003.
"I'm going with the spirit of what they've asked me to do," Marbury said. "That's all I can do. I'm not the coach. I'm the player. But I know that if this was my contract year, and I went to any organization, based on how I played this year, and asked for the max, tell me what they would tell me. They'd say, 'That ain't happening.'"
If Marbury, who had 18 points and seven assists last night, makes good on his declaration, it could add to any friction that has existed off and on all season between him and Brown. At times Brown has lauded Marbury for his play, including lately. He said recently that he thinks Marbury has played at times as well as he can, even though Marbury has obviously had much better seasons.
Brown has fumed at Marbury's play at various times, and Marbury has bristled at Brown's repeated public criticisms of him. But if Brown feels Marbury is not playing according to his philosophy next year, it could make this season look like a picnic.
The Knicks officially became the worst team in the league with last night's loss, falling to 17-44 while the Bobcats improved to 18-45, making them percentage points better, despite having a payroll less than three times smaller than the Knicks' ($123.5 million).
The loss snapped the Knicks' two-game winning streak, but they almost made a remarkable comeback. Down by 15 with 5:37 to play, they cut the deficit to two when Marbury stole a pass from Raymond Felton and fed Steve Francis for a breakaway dunk that made it 109-107 with 1:13 left.
But South Orange native Brevin Knight hit a jumper to make it 111-107 with 52 seconds to play, and after Marbury missed a jumper, Jumaine Jones hit a pair of free throws to get Charlotte's lead comfortably to six, 113-107, with 38.8 seconds to play.
Charlotte was playing without Sean May and Emeka Okafor, both out with injuries. But Jones had 28 points and Knight, the former Seton Hall Prer star, had seven points and handed out 15 assists. The Knicks were led by Jalen Rose with 23 points.
</div>
http://www.nj.com/knicks/ledger/index.ssf?...4480.xml&coll=1
Marbury just isn't the same player when he isn't constantly attacking the basket and breaking down the defense. Brown has him shooting jumpers all the time and, although he's an above average shooter, he's much more effective getting the and1 layup, or the assist off of penetration.
<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- It's probably the last thing Larry Brown wants to hear from Stephon Marbury, but last night the point guard said his efforts to change his game have not produced positive results and he is planning to go back to being Starbury -- the shoot-first, attack-the rim, 20-point-a-game scorer who has been a missing person this year.
Marbury said before last night's 116-109 loss to the Charlotte Bobcats that he tried to adjust to Brown's style of play this year, but it has not resulted in victories, and no one is happy. So he said he intends to go back to playing the way he always played, presumably next year, to a style that made him a multimillionaire superstar in the NBA -- a declaration that is sure to further frustrate Brown's attempts to remake Marbury into his kind of player.
"I went into this year trying to do something, to put myself in a situation where we can win, Okay?" he said, "to help the team win games. Unfortunately, that didn't happen. So, what do I do now, as far as the way I play? I go back to playing like Stephon Marbury, aka Starbury. I haven't been Starbury this year. I've been some other dude this year."
And that other dude in Marbury's No. 3 jersey is struggling so much that this could end up being Marbury's worst season.
He went into last night's Battle of the Basement against the Bobcats averaging 17.0 points and 6.6 assists per game, both well below his career averages of 20.6 and 8.3. The 6.6 assists would qualify as his lowest averages in that category over his career.
Last year he averaged 21.7 points and 8.1 assists. In nine previous seasons, Marbury has never averaged fewer than 7.6 assists per game, and hasn't had fewer than 8.1 since the 2000-01, season, when he averaged 7.6 with the Nets.
This turbulent season he has often looked confused, and at times he has lacked his usual aggressiveness going to the hole. Part of that has been due to a shoulder injury he suffered Jan. 15, a sprain that caused him to miss 11 games.
"All I know is, you've seen me play and you've seen how I've been playing (this year)," he said. "When you watch the games, that's not Stephon Marbury."
Marbury, who still has $57 million owed to him through the 2009 season, acknowledged that his play this year has been so uncharacteristic that if he were a free agent this summer, he never would get the kind of maximum-dollar contract he signed back in 2003.
"I'm going with the spirit of what they've asked me to do," Marbury said. "That's all I can do. I'm not the coach. I'm the player. But I know that if this was my contract year, and I went to any organization, based on how I played this year, and asked for the max, tell me what they would tell me. They'd say, 'That ain't happening.'"
If Marbury, who had 18 points and seven assists last night, makes good on his declaration, it could add to any friction that has existed off and on all season between him and Brown. At times Brown has lauded Marbury for his play, including lately. He said recently that he thinks Marbury has played at times as well as he can, even though Marbury has obviously had much better seasons.
Brown has fumed at Marbury's play at various times, and Marbury has bristled at Brown's repeated public criticisms of him. But if Brown feels Marbury is not playing according to his philosophy next year, it could make this season look like a picnic.
The Knicks officially became the worst team in the league with last night's loss, falling to 17-44 while the Bobcats improved to 18-45, making them percentage points better, despite having a payroll less than three times smaller than the Knicks' ($123.5 million).
The loss snapped the Knicks' two-game winning streak, but they almost made a remarkable comeback. Down by 15 with 5:37 to play, they cut the deficit to two when Marbury stole a pass from Raymond Felton and fed Steve Francis for a breakaway dunk that made it 109-107 with 1:13 left.
But South Orange native Brevin Knight hit a jumper to make it 111-107 with 52 seconds to play, and after Marbury missed a jumper, Jumaine Jones hit a pair of free throws to get Charlotte's lead comfortably to six, 113-107, with 38.8 seconds to play.
Charlotte was playing without Sean May and Emeka Okafor, both out with injuries. But Jones had 28 points and Knight, the former Seton Hall Prer star, had seven points and handed out 15 assists. The Knicks were led by Jalen Rose with 23 points.
</div>
http://www.nj.com/knicks/ledger/index.ssf?...4480.xml&coll=1
Marbury just isn't the same player when he isn't constantly attacking the basket and breaking down the defense. Brown has him shooting jumpers all the time and, although he's an above average shooter, he's much more effective getting the and1 layup, or the assist off of penetration.
