ducks
07-21-2005, 09:18 AM
Larry's breaking point
Wanted Steph out of Athens
BY FRANK ISOLA
DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER
Larry Brown tries to get point across to Stephon Marbury at Athens Olympics.
Stephon Marbury has a history with Larry Brown, one that is neither peaceful nor successful.
Less than one week before the Olympics began last August in Athens, Larry Brown met with officials from USA Basketball and lobbied to have Marbury cut and sent home, along with another unidentified player, prior to the Opening Ceremonies.
Several sources with knowledge of the meeting confirmed the account, which ended, of course, with Marbury remaining on the team as its only true point guard and the U.S. finishing a disappointing third in the basketball tournament.
The Olympic experience was a regrettable one for Brown and Marbury but it is also one that is worth keeping in mind if Brown decides to become Marbury's 11th NBA coach in 10 seasons and his fourth with the Knicks in 19 months.
Does their six-week test run last summer suggest that Brown and Marbury cannot peacefully coexist and even thrive together? No. But based solely on the recent history between the demanding coach and the headstrong point guard, the possibility of a rocky relationship exists.
Brown wants to do things, as he often says, "the right way." And Marbury does things his way.
"It can work," says former Knick Mark Jackson. "If everyone is all about winning it will work. With Larry Brown, you will find out a lot about players pretty quickly. Either you want to work with him and get better or you don't."
Jackson played under Brown with the Clippers and Pacers and knows firsthand how difficult it can be as the point guard in Brown's system.
"You've got to be willing to learn and you've got to be willing to listen," Jackson said yesterday. "You have to take some of the things he says and use them to make yourself better. And you have to take some of the things he says and let it go in one ear and out the other.
"Look at what happened with Chauncey Billups in Detroit. He was a guy who struggled at first. He and Larry didn't always see eye-to-eye. But then he was the MVP of the Finals and had another great year. Coach Brown helped him become a better player. He can do the same with Steph."
In fairness, Brown coached Marbury for less than two months last summer. And even Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich, who was Brown's Olympic assistant, acknowledged that Marbury had the toughest assignment because he had to learn Brown's system on the fly.
In five opening-round games, Marbury made just six of 30 shots from the floor but did have 17 assists and only three turnovers. In a quarterfinal victory over Spain, Marbury broke the single-game scoring record for the United States with 31 points. The day before the breakout performance, Marbury had expressed frustration about playing in Brown's system.
"If I was on a different team I would play totally different," Marbury said. "If I was on Puerto Rico I would be totally different from how I play on this team. We have so many guys on this team who are talented, you pretty much aren't looking to score."
Marbury is a scoring point guard who has a tendency to dominate the ball. Brown wants his point guards to keep the ball moving. Because Brown had so much success switching Allen Iverson to shooting guard, there is a possibility that he would try the same experiment with Marbury.
Knicks president Isiah Thomas has vehemently denied that he would trade Marbury. Of course, Thomas may have to revise those feelings if Brown feels he cannot get through to Marbury.
"There's got to be a give and take," Jackson added. "They are going to butt heads because when you are the point guard with Larry Brown that happens. But I think Steph should also realize the type of impact coach Brown can have.
"The Knicks will be getting a coach who is a great teacher. He's very demanding and he's never satisfied, especially with his point guard. But he's also a winner and what I like about him is that he can walk into a situation where he clearly doesn't have the best team and get the most out of everybody. Nobody can do that any better than coach Brown."
Originally published on July 21, 2005
Wanted Steph out of Athens
BY FRANK ISOLA
DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER
Larry Brown tries to get point across to Stephon Marbury at Athens Olympics.
Stephon Marbury has a history with Larry Brown, one that is neither peaceful nor successful.
Less than one week before the Olympics began last August in Athens, Larry Brown met with officials from USA Basketball and lobbied to have Marbury cut and sent home, along with another unidentified player, prior to the Opening Ceremonies.
Several sources with knowledge of the meeting confirmed the account, which ended, of course, with Marbury remaining on the team as its only true point guard and the U.S. finishing a disappointing third in the basketball tournament.
The Olympic experience was a regrettable one for Brown and Marbury but it is also one that is worth keeping in mind if Brown decides to become Marbury's 11th NBA coach in 10 seasons and his fourth with the Knicks in 19 months.
Does their six-week test run last summer suggest that Brown and Marbury cannot peacefully coexist and even thrive together? No. But based solely on the recent history between the demanding coach and the headstrong point guard, the possibility of a rocky relationship exists.
Brown wants to do things, as he often says, "the right way." And Marbury does things his way.
"It can work," says former Knick Mark Jackson. "If everyone is all about winning it will work. With Larry Brown, you will find out a lot about players pretty quickly. Either you want to work with him and get better or you don't."
Jackson played under Brown with the Clippers and Pacers and knows firsthand how difficult it can be as the point guard in Brown's system.
"You've got to be willing to learn and you've got to be willing to listen," Jackson said yesterday. "You have to take some of the things he says and use them to make yourself better. And you have to take some of the things he says and let it go in one ear and out the other.
"Look at what happened with Chauncey Billups in Detroit. He was a guy who struggled at first. He and Larry didn't always see eye-to-eye. But then he was the MVP of the Finals and had another great year. Coach Brown helped him become a better player. He can do the same with Steph."
In fairness, Brown coached Marbury for less than two months last summer. And even Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich, who was Brown's Olympic assistant, acknowledged that Marbury had the toughest assignment because he had to learn Brown's system on the fly.
In five opening-round games, Marbury made just six of 30 shots from the floor but did have 17 assists and only three turnovers. In a quarterfinal victory over Spain, Marbury broke the single-game scoring record for the United States with 31 points. The day before the breakout performance, Marbury had expressed frustration about playing in Brown's system.
"If I was on a different team I would play totally different," Marbury said. "If I was on Puerto Rico I would be totally different from how I play on this team. We have so many guys on this team who are talented, you pretty much aren't looking to score."
Marbury is a scoring point guard who has a tendency to dominate the ball. Brown wants his point guards to keep the ball moving. Because Brown had so much success switching Allen Iverson to shooting guard, there is a possibility that he would try the same experiment with Marbury.
Knicks president Isiah Thomas has vehemently denied that he would trade Marbury. Of course, Thomas may have to revise those feelings if Brown feels he cannot get through to Marbury.
"There's got to be a give and take," Jackson added. "They are going to butt heads because when you are the point guard with Larry Brown that happens. But I think Steph should also realize the type of impact coach Brown can have.
"The Knicks will be getting a coach who is a great teacher. He's very demanding and he's never satisfied, especially with his point guard. But he's also a winner and what I like about him is that he can walk into a situation where he clearly doesn't have the best team and get the most out of everybody. Nobody can do that any better than coach Brown."
Originally published on July 21, 2005