nypost:The Larry Brown-Stephon Marbury season-long feud reached its boiling point - if not a breaking point - yesterday.
Reacting to Marbury again challenging his authority and restrictive system, Brown, for the first time, sounded unsure the two can coexist next season, dropping strong hints the Knicks will look to move Marbury this summer.
When asked directly if he and Marbury can work it out, Brown said, "We'll see," then added, "When you look at any coach that's gone to a losing situation, you look at the roster when he got here and the roster after he was there. I don't care who it is, it's entirely changed."
Brown spoke angrily minutes after Marbury vented to the media at yesterday's morning shootaround, as two stubborn ego-mad individuals clashed again, hours before the Knicks' 108-96 loss to the Nuggets.
Marbury, citing an NBA-worst 17-45 record, said Brown must change, and that he needs more freedom - a season-long theme. If Brown doesn't, Marbury vowed to return to being more of an attacker - seemingly in defiance of Brown's wishes.
Fed up with Marbury challenging his methods, Brown said, "You've got to evaluate who can play for you, who wants to play the way you think you have a chance to win. We still have 20 games left. No trades can be made."
Not yet. Isiah Thomas said recently if a player can't get along with the coach, he's gone. While Marbury will be shopped this summer, it's difficult to trade him because of his maximum contract. Sources say a buyout is out of the question. According to people close to Thomas, he's hoping they can still work it out. Thomas declined comment.
Brown is still refusing to play Marbury and Steve Francis together as a starting backcourt. Brown said the tandem is too small to defend, so the Knicks are paying Francis $14 million to be a backup.
On Saturday night, Marbury took a dig at Brown by praising Charlotte coach Bernie Bickerstaff for giving his players "freedom." When asked yesterday if Brown gives him that leeway, Marbury said, "I don't have that type of freedom. Yeah, it's a problem. I haven't played nothing like I played last year.
"If we were winning and I was playing the way I was playing, I'd be as happy as anyone in this world," Marbury added. "But we're not winning, so I can't condone that. I felt my game and how he wanted me to play should be interwined. It shouldn't be one way. I'm almost positive you can read between the lines."
Marbury said the only time Brown let him loose came during their six-game winning streak in January. Marbury staged a spectacular nine-game stretch before injuring his shoulder, averaging 22.3 points, 9.6 assists and 2.4 turnovers.
Things changed since he returned from injury.
"I had a lot of freedom," Marbury said. "I was calling the majority of the plays. I was running everything. That's when I was just playing like myself. I'm just not able to play (now) the way I did when we were winning six games."
Brown took more control of calling plays, and Francis' arrival also cut into Marbury's minutes. In the eight games with Francis before last night, Marbury's minutes have decreased from 39 to 32.3, his scoring average from 17.9 to 12.4. Marbury's comments can't sit well with Francis or his mates.
In a broader slap, Marbury said Brown hasn't made the pieces fit.
"You have to come to a compromise," Marbury said. "You can't put 12 personalities in a hat and deal all as one. You have to deal with every personality individually and come up with a concept that everyone understands what they should do."
Marbury's only concession was he feels they can reach an accord.
"I can definitely work with Coach," Marbury said. "He has to understand how I feel and I understand how he feels. I'm willing to bend. I proved that at the beginning of the year. I came in completely vulnerable. I said I'll do whatever he wants me to do."
Brown hopes the remarks mean the player is saying he has to "step up."
"Hopefully that's what he meant," Brown said. "He can put us right on his back and take us to the promised land. We've got 20 games."
