In the wake of this Marbury-Thomas fiasco...how much are the Knicks actually spending?

A lot has been made of the Stephon Marbury-Isiah Thomas soap opera. But how much are the Knicks actually shelling out for their multi-million dollar roster that has yet to pay dividends in the playoffs (and the regular season for that matter!).

Daily News Columnist Mitch Lawrence wrote:

"The Knicks are on the books this season for a league-leading $95.294 million in players' salaries. But because of the Jerome Williams' amnesty buyout, and for the purpose of the NBA luxury tax calculation, their actual number is $87.655 million, according to official figures obtained from a rival Eastern Conference GM. With the tax threshold set at $67.9 million, and every team exceeding that figure required to pay dollar for dollar over that amount, the Knicks are shelling out an additional $20 million in taxes. That means the roster is costing Jim Dolan almost $108 million. That's $52 million over the league's cap, but who's counting? Bottom line: Fiscal mismanagement still reigns supreme at Two Penn Plaza."

At the end of the day, it will be the New York fans who will pay for Jim Dolan's and Isiah Thomas' frivolous, unconscious, and remorseless financial escapades...

I can't wait to see the Knicks ten years from now...

One can only hope that it doesn't get any worse...

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Stephon Marbury: Time to move on?

A lot has transpired over the past couple of days in the wake of the Stephon Marbury "excused absence" saga. Below are a couple of in depth articles that I've come across that may pique your interest continuing Stephon Marbury-Isiah Thomas soap opera.

Newsday columnist Barbara Barker wrote:

"After NBA stops in Minnesota, New Jersey and Phoenix -- was supposed to signal a new era at the Garden. Made just a month after Thomas took over the team, the trade was hailed as brilliant by nearly every columnist in New York. Marbury was seen as the guy who could carry the Knicks back to prominence.

With Thomas acting as his mentor, some even believed that Marbury could deliver Knicks fans that NBA championship that had eluded them during the Ewing era. Well, the Ewing era is looking pretty good right now. In fact, even the Don Chaney era is preferable to the mess the current team finds itself in.

Since Marbury came aboard, the Knicks have not won a playoff game but have had four different coaches. And they soon could have a fifth; they are in the midst of one of the worst road trips in the history of the NBA.

Think things can't get worse? Just wait until the Knicks play their first home game in nine days Tuesday against Golden State. The Knicks' public address announcer already has taken to announcing Thomas and his assistant coaches in rapid-fire succession in order to avoid a prolonged boo-fest during a pause after Thomas' name. One theory about Marbury's benching is that owner James Dolan ordered it so Marbury won't face a negative reaction when he is introduced.

"It's depressing to go there," one former Knick said of the Garden. "There's empty seats, and the people that are there aren't happy. It's embarrassing."

As ugly as the situation has gotten, Marbury said before Friday's game that he still considers the Garden his home. "I love New York. I've loved New York when I played with other teams. I'm happy to be here," he said. "I love the fans. I love playing in Madison Square Garden."

Queens Basketball guru Rob Johnson believes the problem is that Marbury is surrounded by an entourage of people who are afraid to challenge him. "Everyone around him is yessing him to death," he said. "No one tells him what he needs to hear."

Until recently, everyone who challenged Marbury -- from teammates to former coach Larry Brown to Anucha Browne Sanders -- found themselves on the outs at Madison Square Garden. And it is that sense of entitlement -- revealed during his testimony at the Browne Sanders trial about having extramarital sex in his truck with a Garden intern -- that ultimately could derail Marbury's New York dream.

Heading into the summer, it looked as though Marbury might turn things around. He was coming off his best season as a Knick and was being heralded by everyone from Oprah to BusinessWeek for the success of his $15 sneaker. But then came the testimony about the tryst in the truck, which was compounded by the fact he left the courtroom smiling and singing to himself.

"That just killed him," one longtime agent said. "The same mothers who were out there buying his shoes aren't going to like the fact he's married and having sex in a parking lot. If I were his agent, I would have gone to the Garden and offered to pay part of a settlement just to keep it out of court."

And now Marbury might be in a mess that no one can buy his way out of, not even deep-pockets Dolan. The Garden, once the only place Marbury ever wanted to be, might be a place he ultimately has to leave.

TNT Analyst and former NBA All-Star Charles Wade Barkley added:

"Stephon Marbury is wrong," said Charles Barkley on TNT. "I like Isiah Thomas, I've been a big defender of his, but Stephon Marbury's track record speaks for itself. If you can't be happy playing with Kevin Garnett, you're never going to be happy. Isiah Thomas made a huge mistake bringing Stephon Marbury to the Knicks, thinking he could change him. Stephon Marbury is who he is."

"Stephon Marbury is one of those guys that when he came to the NBA we said, ‘That guy is going to be a great player, one day, when he gets it,'" he added. "And then five years later you say, ‘He ain't getting it yet. He's never going to get it.' Stephon Marbury is a very talented basketball player who's never going to get it. He's going to do it his way, which is the wrong way. You'd think a guy who has been on four teams would think, ‘I did it my way, but it ain't working,' and he would change. But Stephon Marbury is not going to change."

Somehow. Someway. Those $15 dollar Starbury's are no longer as enticing as they once were...

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Stephon Marbury: And he's back...too....but for how long?

At the moment, "tensions between Marbury and Thomas -- Westchester County neighbors who share the same agent," are at an impasse writes AP Basketball Writer Brian Mahoney.

The prodigal son has returned to the New York Knicks after incurring a fine befitting his annual salary of $20.1 million dollars--a small fortune in itself: $182,800 after an "unexcused" absence in the match up against the Phoenix Suns the other day.

Mahoney wrote:

"The Knicks sent Marbury a letter informing him of the fine, according to a person with knowledge of the penalty who spoke to The Associated Press on Wednesday. He requested anonymity because he wasn't authorized to discuss it. The Knicks would not confirm the fine.

According to the NBA's collective bargaining agreement, players are docked 1/110th of their salaries for a missed game without a reasonable excuse. With Marbury scheduled to earn $20.1 million this season, that would be about $182,800.

The Knicks hoped their summer of woes would be forgotten once the season started, but instead they've blown up on their first road trip.

Marbury played poorly down the stretch in New York's 75-72 home loss to Miami on Sunday, and the Daily News reported Tuesday the Knicks were trying to reduce Marbury's role or get rid of him entirely.

Marbury is still one of the Knicks' best players, averaging 15.2 points and 6.8 assists."

Marbury's back because a $182,800 pill can be VERY difficult to swallow considering that their are still 76 games remaining in the Knicks regular season schedule.

If Marbury were to miss all of those games, his projected losses would amount to--$14,075,600 (though 77 games, including the recently concluded game against Phoenix).

Well, if he did stick it out and not come back, Stephon would have still made $6,024,400. Not bad for not doing anything.

This situation is not even close to being resolved.

Stay Tuned...

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Stephon Marbury to Cleveland: A probability though highly unlikely

This early I have heard rumors of New York Knicks point guard Stephon Marbury joining the Los Angeles Lakers. Now here is another pinning him to the Cleveland Cavaliers for free agent holdout Anderson Varejao.

Akron Beacon Journal columnist and Cavaliers insider Brian Windhorst had this to say on the matter:

"A trade for Marbury giving the Cavs a load of cap room in 2009 do have merit. Here’s what you need to understand as a side point here. The Cavs don’t want cap room. They want expiring contracts that they can trade so they can target a player or two, not bid and overpay for whatever free agent is available. This is how most major transactions are getting done in the NBA these days. So Marbury would actually have value to the Cavs before the summer of 2009, he’d have value a massive expiring deal next year. It would also allow them to move some unwanted contracts now instead of later. Everybody knows the Knicks love bad contracts.

For that reason, I will label a Marbury move has “highly unlikely” but not “impossible.” It’s one of those never say never situations. But don’t spend a great deal of time thinking about it."

I concur, Steph would certainly be more of a viable and valuable commodity next season when the tail end of his $42 million dollar contract comes off the books...that is, if the Knicks are willing to "tank" their 2-5 season this early or if there is another brave soul out there willing to give the Coney Island product yet another shot at redemption...

Oh well, Stephon always said that he wanted to go to Europe when his contract was up...

Guess he sped up THAT timetable.

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Isiah Thomas vs Stephon Marbury: From bad to worse

Aside from the potential ramifications (I have Stephon Marbury in my Yahoo! NBA Fantasy team coincidentally named (prior to the draft) Starbury) the latest feud between Knicks point guard Marbury and New York Knicks President of Basketball Operations and Head Coach Isiah Thomas.

It's an ugly situation with both sides (as well as that of the media) vacillating between confirming Marbury's approved absences to ignoring questions on the subject altogether.

It got even worse when Marbury spoke out against Thomas today and threatened to "tell all."

Not that any revelations at this point would make President/Coach Isiah Thomas any rosier in the wake of testimonies of Stephon Marbury and Madison Square Garden Chairman, James Dolan which contributed to his demise in the Anucha Browne Sanders sexual harassment case. It's old news.

Now to the Knicks. You guys have already heard it all--the horrific signings and trades that have most likely set back the New York Knicks till the next decade (e.g., Stephon Marbury, Eddy Curry, Antonio McDyess, Jerome James, Jared Jeffries, etc.), the disgraceful Anucha Browne Sanders sexual harassment case, and least we forget the laughable Knicks Win-Loss record over the last couple of years despite sporting the league's highest payroll.

How bad can it get?

Daily News Sports Writer Frank Isola had this update which sheds some light on the Marbury-Thomas showdown:

"According to a person close to the team, Marbury's air rage began when Eddy Curry, following a conversation with Isiah Thomas, told Marbury that he and Marbury were being pulled from the starting lineup against the Suns.

Upon hearing that he would back up second-year guard Mardy Collins, Marbury marched toward the front of the plane to meet with Thomas. Five minutes later, an enraged Marbury told his teammates that if he wasn't starting he wouldn't suit up for the game. But it was something else Marbury said that stunned his teammates in the back of the luxury plane.

"Isiah has to start me," Marbury fumed, according to the source. "I've got so much (stuff) on Isiah and he knows it. He thinks he can (get) me. But I'll (get) him first. You have no idea what I know."

It is unclear if Marbury made the same threat directly to Thomas, whose first big move as team president was trading for Marbury. But clearly, the Marbury-Thomas war is officially underway and it promises to get uglier. Early yesterday, Marbury and a friend boarded a plane and returned to New York. Marbury, 30, could conceivably fly to Los Angeles today and rejoin the Knicks for tonight's game against the Clippers. Marbury faces a fine and suspension for every game he misses."

Come on! Mardy Collins (who incidentally left the Suns game after playing 5 minutes with a foot injury)! Nate Robinson! Despite all of his shortcomings and inadequacies (and $42 million greenbacks guaranteed for the next two seasons), Stephon Marbury is the most viable option at the point guard position for the New York Knicks.

The reported benching of Knicks center Eddy Curry also doesn't help matters much.

It is certainly a plethora of madness that will last long after (should it eventually happen) Isiah Thomas' term as President of Basketball Operations/Head Coach expires.

After all, (should the Knicks decide to cut their ties with the aforementioned Thomas and/or Marbury) it would be: a) nothing new; and b) what is another couple of million?

Isola added:

"A buyout is a possibility since Dolan has given lucrative severance packages to Scott Layden, Don Chaney, Lenny Wilkens, Larry Brown, Shandon Anderson, Maurice Taylor and Jerome Williams."

There is a precedent to this line of thinking.

Stay Tuned...

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Buzzer Beaters, Halle Berry, Signature Shoes, and Gilbert the Man...who says "Hibachi" everytime he scores...

The outspoken Gilbert Arenas, Jr. has done it again! In a "web-exclusive" interview by Complex Magazine's Joe La Puma, Arenas discusses a wide array of topics in a twenty-two question shotgun session.

This article has everything from David Stern to Wizard team policies and conduct, his love for MJ's (Michael Jordan) kicks, the possibility of competing with Marbury's Starbury's, Politics, *grin* Halle Berry, as well as his thoughts on Kobe Bryant and the "mental game," the Most Improved Player award in 03', and being a "shoot-first, pass-second" PG.

Be warned though, it took FOREVER for the Complex Magazine website to load (or it could have just been my server...at this point, I'm not sure) so just be patient, it was funny and well worth it.

Move over Bill Walton and Ron Mercer...Boston’s New Employee Number 5 is Kevin Garnett

Longtime Minnesota Timberwolves insider Steve Aschburner brings up a very good point in his article (http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/writers/steve_aschburner/10/08/garnett.london/index.html) on newly acquired power-forward Kevin Garnett.

In the 12-years that KG has been with the T-Wolves, how many teammates has he played with?

“… someone call the Elias Sports Bureau -- that Garnett had more teammates come and go, during his 12 seasons in Minnesota, than any other one-, two- or even three-team star in the NBA in that span. From Terry Porter, Sam Mitchell, Doug West and Stephon Marbury near the start, through Tom Gugliotta, Terrell Brandon, Malik Sealy and Wally Szczerbiak in the middle, to Sam Cassell, Latrell Sprewell, Ricky Davis and Randy Foye near the end, Garnett stayed, giving the franchise its face through three or four Wolves generations. Actually, mutations might be a better word, given the often grisly results.”

Now that would be a noteworthy stat or just the work of someone who has too much time on their hands.

But interesting nonetheless…

I wonder if the Elias Sports Bureau does keep such a statistic. Hmmm….