NBA

CLEARING AIR ON ZACH, STEPHON

SARATOGA SPRINGS – In need of contact lenses, reading glasses and direct sunlight in order to see clearly these days, I figured my vision had taken another abrupt turn downhill Wednesday afternoon upon observing the Knicks’ practice for the first time.

Having gained entrance to Skidmore College’s avant-garde, well-lit recreation arena that flaunts three full courts, I stood hypnotized on its top level thinking I’d spotted Stephon Marbury and Zach Randolph in a scrimmage with an Allan Houston double except for the bulging biceps and two youngsters who bore a striking resemblance to Patrick Ewing and Ernie Grunfeld.

My feet failed me long ago; my arthritic fingers can’t hold or tie anything; and now my eyes must be lying to my face.

How can the above be true?

How can Marbury possibly still be an active member of the Knicks? Unless my short-term memory, too, is a shambles, I swear I read a couple weeks ago in Newsday the Knicks were days away from outright releasing him or agreeing to a buyout of this season’s $21.9 million guarantee.

How could several sources that the author claimed confirmed the report all be mistaken?

Weeks prior to that exclusive, Newsday broke another story; within days, readers were notified, Randolph and a trade-maximum $3M to defray 1/18 of his $48M, 3-year obligation, would be dispatched to the Grizzlies for Darko Milicic and Marko Jaric. The holdup, we were told, was the inclusion of a New York number one pick in exchange for either point guard Kyle Lowry or Javaris Crittenton.

How can Randolph possibly be jacking up jumpers for Mike D’Antoni as he did for Isiah Thomas . . . when sources confirmed to the author Zach would be in Graceland by that weekend?

How could the author be wrong when months ago his newspaper was purchased by Cablevision, the same entity that owns the Knicks, the team he has covered for over a year?

On the other hand, while I applaud Cablevision for not giving preferential treatment to an employee, it might improve the Newsday reporter’s rate of accuracy if he developed an actual, trustworthy source within the Knicks’ basketball department. Had that been accomplished over the summer he may have discovered the following:

Regardless of whether Donnie Walsh hired D’Antoni or Mark Jackson, his game plan upon arriving from Indiana was to get the most out of Marbury’s unmistakable (browbeaten) flair for his final season in New York; he’d have to lead the Knicks to a title to get offered a new contract.

Understanding that a sensible trade, one in which his franchise wasn’t yet again forced to assume a longer financial burden than the one on its cap, was unachievable, the idea is to place Marbury in position where he can succeed.

Contrary to continuing accounts, not once has Walsh contemplated cutting, paying off or buying out Marbury. Furthermore, not once has James Dolan been consulted about the prospects of doing any such thing.

Randolph’s situation is somewhat different. Though far from a seamless fit in D’Antoni’s run-n’-stun system, he boasts 20-point, 10-rebound credentials as a starter for the Trail Blazers and Knicks. On one hand, he’s bordering on being an undesirable. On the other hand, Walsh refuses to give him away.

That’s why the Clippers’ offer to take Randolph’s $48M, 3-year commitment off the Knicks’ books was rejected. That and LA’s original demand for a first rounder (let’s not forget Utah owns New York’s pick in 2010) was quickly dropped, a management source maintains, words Walsh says he never heard.

In any event, getting under the cap three years from now may have earned Walsh a statue being erected in front of Madison Square Garden, but simply dumping salary isn’t enough incentive for him. If the Clippers (and Grizzlies?) were interested in him in a diminished state, imagine what the Knicks can get should his value be restored. That’s why D’Antoni is being paid the big bucks.

Just for the record, the Knicks approached the Grizzlies re Randolph, but negotiations never got nearly as far as reported. According to a Memphis source, coaches and management were intrigued. From a distance, Randolph was viewed as a potential Rasheed Wallace, the catalyst to the Pistons championship following years of negativity in Portland.

Following an exhaustive background check and much debate, it was determined Randolph wasn’t the right complement for Rudy Gay and O.J. Mayo; they don’t need someone to show ’em how to score, they need someone to teach ’em how to win.

This just in: three Newsday sources confirm Zach Marbury is not a Knick.