Hooped Up

The Knicks might be willing to part with Jamal Crawford to land Al Harrington, and that move seems pretty backwards considering the level of play Wilson Chandler is at right now. Let’s see how this one plays out.

The Knicks appear to be close to landing athletic forward Al Harrington from the Golden State Warriors in a trade that possibly could send the team’s leading scorer, Jamal Crawford, out to Oakland, Newsday has learned. Details of the deal were only starting to slip out late last night and the only concrete piece of information so far is that the Knicks were getting Harrington, who Knicks president Donnie Walsh, while with the Indiana Pacers, drafted out of St. Patrick’s High School in Elizabeth, N.J., in 1998. Harrington before the season had demanded a trade from the Warriors after a falling out with coach Don Nelson. 

NY Newsday

After the Knicks received a 45 point trashing by the Celtics last year, possibly sparked by pre-game comments made by Quentin Richardson not much has changed. Fast forward almost a year later and Q still has a problem with the Celtics. At least this time they only lost by nine, Q saved his comments for after the game and Ed Barnes decided to keep his jersey…for now.

“I’ll just be real curious to see what a lot of those guys would say if we weren’t in a basketball arena, where there ain’t no referees and the NBA officials are going to stop certain things,” Richardson said. “I mean, it wouldn’t be the same story. They are the world champions and rah-rah-rah. But I mean the tough talk, I don’t buy.”

“I come from a neighborhood where you can say what you want to say — until you do something, it really don’t mean nothing. Some of those guys are woofing about, ‘Get a ring.’ You ain’t been in the league long enough to talk like that to some people who’s got as many years as we got over here. I don’t got a lot of respect for that.”

New York Times

Could the mess that is Marbury in New York, finally be coming to a close? 

“Marbury, Donnie Walsh, and a rep for the Player’s Association will resume buyout talks as early as tomorrow, and could have a formal proposal by the end of the week. The sticking point all along has been Marbury’s refusal to accept anything less than the $21.9 million he’s currently owed, but he’s apparently not concerned with trying to total more than his current salary, which seems like a pretty reasonable compromise. The Knicks, for their part, stand to save at least $300,000 automatically if Marbury signs elsewhere.”

New York Magazine

The Spurs are without Tony Parker for a while, Manu too and Jacque Vaughn is starting for the Spurs. Unless this is 1993, Jacque Vaughn starting at the point for your club means you need help and with Spurs GM R.C. Buford looking for a guard and the Knicks hatin’ on Marbury, could this be a match if Steph is bought out?  Well according to the New York Post, Marbury certainly thinks so and had this to say when asked.

“Who wouldn’t want to play for San Antonio?” Marbury told The Post last night. “To play with Tim Duncan, who would complain about that? That’s a great organization, they win championships. They have a nice system and I like (Gregg) Popovich as coach. I can play 1 or the 2. If I was a free agent, yeah.”

Chances are we’ll see George Gervin suiting up before we see this Starbury saga end.

A day without a Marbury story is like a day without unicorns in heaven.  Since D’Antoni is not at all interested in playing Stephon Marbury and he is hardly practicing with the team these days. Marbury is interested in practicing with his old high school basketball team at  Brooklyn’s Abraham Lincoln High School to maintain his conditioning, according to the New York Daily News.

“I think I’m going to start practicing with my high school team,” Marbury said after practice Thursday in Greenburgh. “Seriously. I’ve already called the coach to see if I can run up and down with the guys and at the same time help teach the younger guys the NBA game.”

After one look at Starbury’s workout video below it’s a shame that the Knicks won’t give him a break.  He looks like he’s in the best shape of his life.

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The New York Knicks are interested in adding disgruntled Warriors forward Al Harrington to their line up, but who will they have to give up in return?

“Knicks president Donnie Walsh continues to pursue Golden State forward Al Harrington, but may need a third team to make a trade happen. Harrington’s contract matches the salary of Eddy Curry, who fell out of Mike D’Antoni’s rotation even before suffering a knee injury. He is expected to be sidelined for two weeks.”

NY Daily News

Unless Satan forgets to pay Hells gas bill and it freezes over, chances are Stephon Marbury will not play in New York this season or next.  So to help Marbury out, I though I would list 5 trade scenarios that would work to get Starbury back on the court with help of the ESPN Trade Checker.

Chin up laddy, help is on the way!

1. Miami Heat
(To New York: Marcus Banks / Udonis Haslem / Marcus Blount  -  To Miami: Stephon Marbury)
The Heat could use a guard of Marbury’s talents to help fuel the offense in Miami and Wade, Marion and soon to be starting Beasley would only benefit from this addition. By not playing Marbury, the Knicks are already a guard down and Marcus Banks knows the Mike D’Antoni system well from his time in Phoenix .

Eddy Curry is Prince Markie Dee, and Jerome James is Kool Rock-Ski so by adding Haslem and Blount to the frontcourt the Knicks would gain much needed depth.

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Walsh and D’Antoni met regarding the situation that is Marbruy Gate and they have decided that Starbury will be Sliverbury according to the ESPN and will sit all season long unless there is an injured guard in the rotation.  Somehow I have a feeling that the Knicks dislike Marbury so much that if every guard is injured Mike D’Antoni would suit up and run the point before he would give Marbury the go ahead.

$21.9 million sitting on the bench, amazing!

The saga that is Marbury versus the Knicks, could come to an end this week with Walsh and Marbury set to meet today or tomorrow. D’Antoni has kept him on the bench since the beginning of the season and has now moved Marbury to the inactive roster. If the Knicks decide to waive Marbury this week, his Facebook profile will read “Stephon Marbury is Paid in Full” or Stephon Marbury is “Rich, Biatch” because the Knicks will have to pay him the $21.9 million he is owed this year.

“When asked if he could envision Marbury being inactive for the entire 82-game season, Walsh replied, “No, and that’s why I’m saying I’ve got to get involved in this.”

Walsh, who said D’Antoni has full autonomy over who plays, will meet with his coach today to begin the process of ending the Marbury saga”

Newsday

The New York Knickerbockers have ticked off Patrick Ewing, almost 8 years after he last played for them– again.  According to the Orlando Sentinel, Patrick Ewing senior was not to pleased with junior being cut by the Knicks. Now looking for a plan B, Patrick Ewing and son are looking at playing in Europe or the D-League as possible options junior. Partick Ewing Jr. was that last player cut on the Knicks roster before the regular season started and lost his spot to Anthony Roberson (boo). 

When asked about the situation, Patrick Ewing Sr. said ”It ticked me off”. This really bites for Patrick Ewing Sr. because, junior now just stays home and plays vids all day and has designs on turning the family garage into a “crash pad” until things straighten out.