MVN - Most Valuable Network

What Drug Do You Think Steph Is On?

On ESPN radio on the weekdays from 10-1 Max Kellerman and Brian Kenny have a very entertaining show. I find myself dying of laughter every time I listen to them. The other day Max Kellerman interviewed the Knicks insane $20 million per year point guard Stephon Marbury to hear it click on the link. http://stations.espn.go.com/stations/1050espnradio/show?showId=maxkellerman  

Clearly after listening to that you can tell that Steph is on some kind of drug. There is no way any type of sober person can be that crazy. After they replayed it again the next day they wanted people to call up and discuss what type of drug Stephon Marbury is on. One caller said he was on Perks and a big fat blunt and I have to agree with that particular caller. I wanted to extend this discussion to the Father Knickerbocker faithful.  

What drug or combination of drugs do you think Stephon Marbury is on? Here is a list of some memorable Stephon Marbury quotes to try and help you make your decision.

“If I didn’t play the way how I played, I wouldn’t have gotten no max contract…..They can talk about whatever they wanna talk about me, because I got maxed. I’m a max player. Don’t get mad at me, because I’m telling you what’s real. One plus one is two, all day long, and it’s never gonna change. And that’s factorial.” Taken from http://www.ultimateknicks.com

“We’re like two different teams. We aren’t the same at all.”

“The guy’s phenomenal. It’s not like anyone didn’t know he could do it.”

“Whenever I feel like I can take a hit, that’s when I’ll come back. I just want to get to the point where I can play.”

 “David Lee played phenomenal tonight. He’s definitely the MVP of the game. Whenever you got a guy slashing and dunking, it makes it a lot easier for ME penetrating.”

“What he always tells me is, if you’re true to the game, the game is going to be true to you. So, whenever you know the truth, the truth lies on top all the time. So, you feel bad that these things are happening, but at the same time, in the back of his mind, he knows what’s right.”

“We didn’t compete at all. We can’t go into games playing like we did tonight. It’s too hard to play basketball that way.”

So what drug can cause such stupidity?

Knicks Tid-Bits

–Knicks Nash: Rose?–

In one week, at the NBA Draft Lottery, the new Knicks coach Mike D’Antoni will have his fingers crossed. There is an 18.4 percent change that the Knicks, currently with the fifth seed, can get one of the top two picks. D’Antoni, to my enjoyment, sees Memphis point guard Derrick Rose as the next Steve Nash. Rose has been my number one target this entire season. If we could somehow land Rose the Knicks could be turned around faster than anyone would imagine.

–Roster Moves–

Donnie Walsh isn’t concerned that the current roster and D’Antoni’s system don’t match. He gave two reasons; one, he views D’Antoni as a ‘long-haul’ investment and two, he expects massive roster turnover during that time. Walsh also sees D’Antoni as a great recruiter for free-agent classes such as the 2010 when LeBron James, Dwayne Wade, Chris Paul and Chris Bosh will be available. Walsh wants to get under the cap for that reason alone. A plus is D’Antoni will be an assistant coach on the U.S. Olympic team this summer where he’ll get to spend a lot of time with all of these players. D’Antoni was recently voted to second place in a player poll for the coach you’d most want to play for only behind Phil Jackson.

–Knicks’ Nash the Suns Nash?–

D’Antoni wants Rose but he also knows Steve Nash can opt out of his contact after next season. What that means is, if Nash wanted to come play for D’Antoni, he could force a sign-and-trade deal with the Knicks. Regardless of D’Antoni, Nash seems like a good fit in New York. First, let me go out on a limb and say we have closer weather to Canada than Phoenix. Besides, for the past four years Nash, his wife and their twin daughters have lived in Greenwich Village during the off-season. He makes regular appearances at the Knicks’ summer camps for kids. It’s important to remember that Nash will be 35 next summer. He would also make Walsh choose if he wants to make a deal and hurt his cap further or if he’ll hold strong and try to get under the cap by that 2010 class. It’s important to know that, if Nash doesn’t opt out, he’ll also be in that 2010 free-agent class.

–Coaching Confidence–

Suns owner Jerry Colangelo still has confidence in Mike D’Antoni. He thinks D’Antoni can adjust to whatever the roster is.

“He could play any kind of tempo,” Colangelo said of D’Antoni. “He coached effectively [in Italy] with the different personnel and how the game was played there. He transformed himself in the NBA. That’s a pretty good indication of his flexibility. It’s wrong to say the only way he can coach is the up tempo. Maybe it’s his preference and choice, but if he doesn’t have the horses, he knows he can’t. Maybe there’ll be a combination.”

–D’Antoni’s Staff–

A source told The Post Mike D’Antoni would keep Herb Williams on his assistant staff. However, he’ll have a hard time trying to bring his whole staff from Phoenix because they’re all under contract. If Steve Kerr wants to keep them he can. D’Antoni is said to be desperate to bring top assistant Alvin Gentry and Dan D’Antoni, Mike’s older brother, to New York with him. Kerr is rumored to want to keep Phil Weber and D’Antoni is not planning on taking Jay Humphries.

There’s a possibility D’Antoni will hire a defensive-oriented assistant to replace Marc Iavaroni, who left after the 2006-2007 season to coach Memphis. The funny thing about that is when the Suns requested D’Antoni do just that it reportedly didn’t sit well with him.

Will Marbury Play For D’Antoni’s Knicks?

Stephon Marbury might but should not play for the New York Knicks again. Mr. Walsh is in charge but (in an interview on WFAN with Mike and the Mad Dog) Walsh said that his coach has a say in what goes on. In other words D’Antoni will have a big part in what player stays and what player goes.

First off Marbury was traded away a few games into D’Antoni’s tenure with Phoenix. Secondly, when Marbury left his teammates out to dry it was coincidentally against D’Antoni’s Suns. So Mike D’Antoni knows the type of player and person Stephon is and his mind is probably already made up. All signs point to D’Antoni not being fond of Stephon. Then again I don’t have any “sources” telling me this making me look smart it is all my opinion.

Steph has a 20 million-dollar a year expiring contract and it would be nice to just let him finish it and get this ridiculous contract off the books. However, if the Knicks get lucky in the lottery and get Rose then Marbury will be expendable. They should trade him but if you can’t (which is very possible) I am saying “Keyshawn him” and just let him sit out the whole season. Sounds insane? It really is not that crazy because this team is not winning 65 games next year anyway.

Fellows Knick fans what do you think?

Who Is More Valuable Now?

The Knicks have their guy officially in Mike D’Antoni but the jury is still out on the majority of the players under contract for the team.  The following players are more valuable now then they were before D’Anonti arrived IF D’Antoni uses the same up-tempo offensive style he installed in Phoenix.

Quentin Richardson - Richardson played under D’Antoni for one season in Phoenix and it was the best season of his career. What Q needs to do is stay healthy. I understand that most injuries are bad luck but a lot of it has to do with conditioning.

Nate Robinson & Jamal Crawford –A lot of the time in the past when Nate or Jamal have brought the ball up I’ve yelled at my TV set because they shot too fast. Now with D’Antoni aboard shooting fast might be what’s drawn up.

Renaldo Balkman & David Lee – These two hustle guys will hopefully get the playing time they deserve because D’Antoni actually knows what he is doing.  “Double” Lee will get his double doubles and Balkman will do all the little things that don’t show up on the stat sheet.