Quentin Richardson today spoke out against Stephon Marbury by stating this:
"He hasn't played with us all year. Regardless of what you have going on with the organization or what you have going on with your coach or whatever—you're not going to allow your teammates to be left out there the way we were basically being left out there. Once again, I don't pay attention to [Stephon] because I don't look at him as a teammate anyway."
Wow! Quentin, what a whiner. The Knicks should have bought out Marbury as soon as Mike D'Antoni was hired as coach. Instead, they left him out of everything. D'Antoni flat out told Stephon Marbury that he's not in the Knick's plan for the future.
So, it's definitely ironic that now that Donnie Walsh has traded away players to get salary cap space once Lebron James becomes a free agent in 2010, The Knicks suddenly need Marbury to play. It's not Marbury's fault that the Knicks just traded away Zack Randolph and Jamal Crawford and it's not Marbury's fault that some of their guards have gone down with injuries
- B/R Ticket Guide
Another thing that's ironic is how D'Antoni is so irate with Marbury for not playing. Well guess what? Why should Marbury play so he can risk injury for a coach that has basically told him that he's not part of the team?
D'Antoni was the integral part of getting Marbury traded when he was in Phoenix. Even though when D'Antoni first started out as coach for the Knicks he claimed it was a business decision to trade Marbury to the Knicks and that he would like to coach Marbury.
Yet, right after the announcement of D'Antoni being coach of the Knicks a story came out stating that D'Antoni wanted to ship Marbury out the door for Leandro Barbosa and Boris Diaw.
So, even before this whole thing with D'Antoni and Marbury asking if he wanted to play. D'Antoni was already looking to push Marbury out the door. The Knicks just need to face the fact and that is D'Antoni does't want Marbury on the team and Marbury doesn't want to play for a coach who doesn't want him.
Even if the talks between Marbury and the Knicks for a buyout havnen't gone anywhere they have to start getting it done now. James Dolan owner of the Knicks is going to have to fold eventually. Even if the Knicks suspend Marbury he's going to appeal the suspension.
The best thing for the Knicks is to let go of Marbury and let him sign with another team. The Knicks are the laughingstock of the NBA and their coach is leading the way.
On a sidenote: D'Antoni is the one that shot himself in the foot by saying that Marbury was not apart of the organization. If he hadn't said that to Marbury he would have been playing.
comments (12) write a comment »
write a new comment
about 1 month ago
this doesn't change the fact that it's marbury's job to suit up and play. with that being said, marbury's essentially dared the organzation to suspend him. here's hoping they finally do.
from about 1 month ago
His coach told him he's not going to play. The only reason why they need him now is because of the trades after the trades go through and the players are there Marbury goes back to being on the bench. There was no point in him playing if the coach says he's not going to be playing anyways.
from about 1 month ago
Steph does not have a JOB. He has a contract, he works for himself, and all contracts have terms and stipulations. He also has Union representation, to step up and make sure his contract is not being violated and he is not being treated unjustly. Most of us, on the other hand have jobs and are at the whim of an employer and have no representation to protect our interests; so it is we who have to "suitup and play", he actually has other options given the situation.
about 1 month ago
Do you honestly believe that D'Antoni would actually play him? No. It's just another horrible acting job by D'Antoni trying to get sypmathy from the Knicks fans.
from about 1 month ago
Yes...in fact, I work on a contract right now. Does that not mean I have a job? Steph doesn't work for himself, he works for the New York Knicks. Who gives him his paycheque? Whether you're on contract, or a salary man, you have terms and stipulations you must abide by. Yes, he has union representation to make sure those terms and stipulations aren't violated, and should there be any dispute, they'll be there to defend him. Nevertheless, not being disrespected by your team probably isn't a provision in his contract. It doesn't matter if he's not in their long term plans, it doesn't matter that D'antoni and Walsh informed him of this. His JOB is to go out and play bball regardless of his hurt feelings. Now, he has the freedom NOT to play, but with repercussions; he clearly has chosen this latter route. All the power to him. He doesn't work for the Union, he works for the Knicks and the NBA. Q-Rich has every right to feel mad, and Steph has every right to feel disrespected. But at the end, his job is to play ball when called upon. That's it. I sympathize with the dude, but I mean, by sitting out he gave the Knicks ammo to and reason to suspend him. Dumb move on Steph's part. I hope his situation resolves soon. That man needs to get outta NYC.
from about 1 month ago
whoops...that was supposed to be in response to ZEE'S comment. see above.
about 1 month ago
You can't really blame Marbury or Richardson in this situation. I wouldn't call him a whiner for voicing his opinion, and he does have a point. The team needed him to play because they were short handed and a good teamate would've have suited up and played. You can't blame Richardson for what he said. The knicks are paying Marbury so when they say play, you play.
On the other hand I can understand why Marbury didn't want to play. He's healthy and wants to be apart of the team but the orgainization has said no you aren't going to play. Sit on the bench in your street clothes and watch. But then all of the sudden they are short handed and they want Marbury to be apart of the team and help them out. I don't blame him for him not playing. Basically they are saying we don't like you and don't want you to play for this team unless we really really need you. They are using him.
about 1 month ago
Richardson has every right to be steamed at Marbury, he's spent the last few years dealing with Marbury's bitching and chronic underachievement. As an athlete, busting your ass to succeed only to see your team's supposed star not care is infuriating.
Then again, Marbury has been dissed and benched by D'Antoni. Now they want to toss him out there because of some Donnie Walsh trades. I wouldn't want to play for D'Antoni either.
But he is a professional and needs to start behaving like it.
about 1 month ago
Was Q a "teammate" when D'Antoni and Knicks stuck it to Steph and shelved him? How many "teammates" stood up and said Steph was one of the best players on the team and should be playing regardless of the Knicks "future plans?" Now "Q" finds fault with Stephon for not being willing to bail the Knicks out when they are in a numbers crunch that was of their own making. Double standard Q. No one cared about Steph as a teammate when they were getting theirs. Now the season starts off miserable, trades are made, the team is short handed and Steph is supposed to come to the rescue? Good for Steph for not compromising himself. Knicks, please do the right thing. Pay Stephon what you owe him, release him and let him play ball for a decent team that will utilize his mad skills. Basketball fans just want to see Starbury play!
from about 1 month ago
I definitely agree with you Chris. Of course Q wouldn't stand up for Stephon because they don't get along, but still Quentin Richardson has never even come close to the player he was becoming in Phoenix. D'Antoni was never going to put Marbury in the lineup and to actually believe he would have had Marbury play is just D'Antoni trying to make Marbury look bad, to show that he isn't part of the team, even though before the season started D'Antoni clearly told him he wasn't in their future plans and he wasn't going to play.
about 1 month ago
Chris,
You're biting chunks of Stephon haters, for sure. Thats it, in a nuttshell too;
no Knicks-players had anything to say, when Marbury was getting screwed over in ways we don't usually see by Organizations, but now? yung 'Q' wanna have an opinion?? Someone, who fully knows, that this game is *a business now* before it is a passion to play?
wow!
I love what Marbury did, and hope he never suits up, Knicks waive him, someone picks him up who will let him play his game...he takes them to playoffs, unexpectedly, like he did in Phoenix or NJ or wherever else.
about 1 month ago
Time out!!! Steph has not been underachieving; they have been asking him to change his game for the last 3 years and he did, less scoring more, defense, setup the offense, which goes thru Curry. He did all that. Q has been hurt or misfiring since he has been on the Knicks, Crawford never saw a bad shot he would not take and played no D. I since a little Chi town - NYC rivalry, which has never been examined in the team that Isaiah built. Marbury has been taking the hits for the whole team since he came to NY, he gets all the grief placed on his head. I believe he has done well for himself give the onslaught he has borne since coming home. The coach and the gm are the problem here! They said he is not in the plan stuck him on the inactive list, shamed him on his home court; they should be sued for breach of contract.
write a new comment