The New York Knicks suited up for last week's game against the Phoenix Suns three starters short. Quentin Richardson hyper-extended his elbow in a lopsided loss to the Magic, Zach Randolph was on leave after his grandmother's passing and Stephon Marbury, well, no one really knows why he wasn't around.
Marbury rejoined the team after just one game, but this headline-grabbing story proves all is not right in Gotham City. There is a large rift between Marbury and coach Isiah Thomas that could have long-standing implications as the team makes a push for a playoff berth in suddenly strengthening Eastern Conference. And the fallout could be greater than expected.
So, what happened? The mercurial point guard hopped on a plane and headed to New York just before the game, giving little excuse and no explanation. Just another crazy stunt from the guy who dubbed himself 'Starbury'.
"I have one thing to say and that's I got permission to leave," Marbury told the New York Post's Marc Berman via text message. "I would never leave my team on my own. What I'm telling you is that I got permission to leave from Isiah. He said I could go home."
If this is the truth, Thomas isn't telling. Speaking to reporters just before tip-off against Phoenix, he would admit only that Marbury would not be in the lineup, had returned to New York and that the matter was being dealt with in-house. Not a word on the cause of his sudden departure or how the Knicks are planning to handle the self-absorbed star (he would ultimately be fined just under $200,000 for his absence).
It's not hard to guess what caused Marbury's heady flight. He and Thomas argued following a cringe-worthy loss to Orlando. After the game Thomas ridiculed his teams' lack of effort and singled out several players. He reportedly told Marbury that his defensive indifference cost him a spot in the starting lineup against Phoenix.
Never one to take criticism lightly, Marbury bolted. He's back, but there's no telling for how long.
This isn't the first time Marbury has stolen the headlines in New York. In fact, his entire tenure with the Knicks has been fraught with embarrassment.
Neither Larry Brown nor Thomas wanted the shoot-first, ball-hungry 'Starbury'; Larry Brown's public feud with Marbury eventually led to his firing. And while Thomas appeared to have some early success in transforming his game, when the losing began the selfish superstar returned.
Early reports suggested the Knicks might buy out the remaining two-years and $42 million of his contract, but this is unlikely.
Not that it's beyond the scope of this franchise to spend a considerable chunk of change to ask a player not to suit up (remember Steve Francis), but their resources are spread too thin and they lack depth at the position. A trade is not out of the question, but it won't be coming any time soon. Besides, few teams would want the beleaguered locker room plague.
Nope, the Knicks are stuck with Marbury for now. And you know what, they deserve each other. The once proud Knicks franchise has been reduced to a middling circus act. It doesn't matter whose telling the truth or where the blame lies. This debacle is just another item on the long laundry list of problems the Knicks have faced under Thomas' command.
This season was supposed to be different. After spending nearly a decade saddled with aging veterans and overpriced cardboard cutouts, Knicks' fans finally had reason to believe a championship worthy team was at hand. A draft-day trade netted Zach Randolph, who was to team with Eddy Curry to form the most imposing frontline in the Eastern Conference. And with a resurgent Jamal Crawford and an injury-free Quentin Richardson, the Knicks seemed balanced enough to compete with Boston for tops in the Atlantic Division.
How silly those predictions look now. The Knicks are 2-4 and sitting in cellar of the Atlantic Division. There's still plenty of time to turn the season around, but whose going to lead them? Marbury's rash flight out of Phoenix may have cost him his job. And you have to wonder what's next for Thomas. After the off-season sexual harassment suit, he's certainly not in owner James Dolan's good graces.
As for Marbury's fantasy game, there was good reason to expect he'd be a big surprise this season. He's still one of the strongest point guards in the game; he drives to the hoop at will and finishes better than anybody.
With Curry and Randolph trolling the paint, Marbury should be racking up assists to go along with an occasional scoring binge. It's just too bad we might never see this plan in action.
Lamberti is UPDATE! Editor-in-Chief.
