By MARC BERMAN
PHILADELPHIA – On Halloween Night, the Knicks came disguised as last season’s team.
They fell behind by 30 points early in the fourth quarter and were never in it from the second period on, allowing layup after layup. Sixers 116, Knicks 87.
And that didn’t quite bother me as much as a quote from Mike D’Antoni after the game, when he was referring to putting Stephon Marbury on the inactive list.
“If I was playing for everything tonight, we’d do things differently,” D’Antoni said.
D’Antoni seems content on not playing the players that give them the best chance to win because this season is about developing guys for next year. Just think it’s a little early, after winning your first game, to be talking that way. Most coaches usually save that for March.
I picked 37 victories in my season preview.
That was when I figured D’Antoni would hold off on Danilo Gallinari for the rotation until he was ready.
That’s when I thought Marbury would play a significant role off the bench.
That’s when I thought Mardy Collins was out of the rotation.
That’s when I thought he’d have space eventually for Eddy Curry to spot him in.
That’s after hearing the players promise that with this speedball system, they will be in every single game this season. In their second game, they weren’t in it at all tonight.
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