Now if you think of the craziest thing the New York Knicks could do right now, what would it be?

No, dropping out of the NBA is not an option.

How about giving Stephon Marbury a chance to make the team? Yeah, that’s right, Stephon “bad press” Marbury is being given a chance to make the roster.

Stephon Marbury cannot believe the latest Knicks move

Let’s hear what the President Donnie Walsh had to say.

Walsh could be dragging this out to give himself a few more weeks to try to trade Marbury. Or he could be keeping Marbury around to prevent the point guard from making a smooth transition to a new destination (possibly Miami or Boston). Or he could be keeping him in case new point guard Chris Duhon doesn’t shine or gets hurt.

Walsh gave a clue he would still try to trade Marbury if things don’t work out with the Knicks.

“I’ve been doing this a long time,” Walsh said. “I can’t remember buying out a contract. I’d try to trade him. That isn’t good management if you have to do it.”

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You know, if you gave the Knicks a gun they would point it at a foot and miss, but the bullet would ricochet and blow off the foot anyway.

Stephon did not get along with his teammates or coaches. What are the Knicks thinking?

On whether his teammates like Marbury, Walsh said: “You might not like the guy but you can work with him.”

And what about Marbury’s pattern of battling coaches such as Larry Brown?

“There’s a history and pattern with Larry, too, and I love Larry,” Walsh said. “I’m not going to say I don’t like him because he got into a public argument with Larry.

Photo source Newscom

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Can nice guy Mike D’Antoni give the New York Knicks the discipline they need?

Image details: New Orleans Hornets v Phoenix Suns served by picapp.com

A tale of two coaching changes and a true mystery as to what is going on.

Donnie Walsh of the Knicks hired Mike D’Antoni to be coach of the Knicks.

Donnie Nelson of the Dallas Mavericks hired Rick Carlisle.

So please explain what is going in here.

Let’s start with D’Antoni, who was fired by the Phoenix Suns.

For New York, this is a mistake.

Wrong coach, wrong time.

The Knicks need toughness.

Discipline.

Accountability.

On his best day on the job, D’Antoni brings none of these elements to Madison Square Garden. Basketball doesn’t need to be fun in New York. It doesn’t need to be entertaining. Most of all, New York wants tough, relentless teams. In the Western Conference, you need to win with style. It sells tickets. It gets people out of warm weather into an arena. This isn’t necessary in New York. It takes the perfect personnel to run, and that isn’t there today, tomorrow – maybe never.

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Jimmy Dolan and Isiah Thomas left the Knicks with a boatload of big contracts that will keep bad players trapped in New York. Worse yet, they are not in the style of D’Antoni. He likes his teams to run, pass, and shoot quickly. The Knicks just like to ball hog.

Can D’Antoni survive in New York if he starts losing and can’t switch any players?

Rick Carlisle

Coach Carlisle is the type of coach that like to script out the plays. Chauncey Billups once remarked that they knew exactly what they would run in the last two minutes of any game. Carlisle will sometimes call all the plays from the bench. Will the wide open playing Dallas Mavericks be able to even wait for the signals.

Carlisle is also a master of defense. He preaches one on one principles and does not like to double team. Does this mean Dirk Nowitzki will have to play defense?

Donnie Nelson, the Mavericks’ president of basketball operations, said in a statement that Carlisle was “our top choice from the onset.”

“His integrity, exceptional basketball IQ and balanced approach are exactly what we were looking for,” Nelson said. “Rick’s playoff experience and success make him a great fit for our team and its future.”

source

Rick was great with the Pistons at winning with very little in terms of star power, but he eventually wore out his welcome and the Pistons got rid of him and hired Larry Brown.

These are strange hires, even by the good old boys standard.

Can D’Antoni win with selfish players?

Can Carlisle win with offense first players?

Tune into the NBA next year to find out.

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Post from: NBA Obsessed