MILWAUKEE – A fuming coach Mike D’Antoni charged that Stephon Marbury refused to play last night when he needed him following yesterday’s two blockbuster trades, called for his release and predicted a playoff berth with the new roster.
The Knicks had just seven able bodies, forcing D’Antoni by league rules to suit up the exiled Marbury and claimed he wanted to give him at least 30 minutes. Marbury hadn’t played all season. The 6-6 Knicks, shooting 34.4 percent, were routed by the Bucks, 104-87.
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“This is it, it’s the last time I’m answering this question,” D’Antoni said angrily. “I sat him down and said one of the principles are gone, Jamal Crawford, there’s 30-35 minutes out there that’s yours if you want them. He said the team’s gone in a different direction, and he wasn’t comfortable and didn’t want to play. That’s it.
“We’re going forward. I thought it was an opportunity. I was kind of hoping,” D’Antoni said. “There’s consideration for a lot of guys in the locker room giving their hearts out. Those are the guys I’m going to go on with and those are the guys I’m going to love. It is a distraction and we need to go forward and we have a new team Tuesday and we’re going to get this done and we’re going to get in the playoffs.”
Marbury disputed D’Antoni’s take, saying he was told yesterday he’s “not in the plans.”
“The only thing I’m at liberty to say is that I was told they were moving forward, and I’m not the person who chooses to play or who doesn’t.”
With three new faces, Al Harrington, Tim Thomas and Cuttino Mobley added to the rotation following Donnie Walsh’s bold decision to torpedo the roster yesterday in the name of 2010, D’Antoni will be starting from scratch.
And last night, it looked like the first day of training camp as the undermanned Knicks got slaughtered at the Bradley Center.
“It’s an unfortunate time to make this kind of trade, introducing three players into the system and taking out our two most successful players,” Walsh said.
They lose their two leading scorers and inside-out punch in Zach Randolph and Jamal Crawford, but they also lose two of their worst defenders. Nevertheless, the new-look Knicks become a worse rebounding club and a collection that could struggle to find chemistry.
Walsh said the three newcomers should adapt well to D’Antoni’s go-go style. Harrington and Thomas have big-man outside gunners and Mobley always has been a reliable scorer. For now, they look like a fantasy team.
The new trio will be at the Garden for tonight’s game vs. the Wizards but will not suit up until they take their physicals Sunday. Their debuts will come Tuesday vs. Cleveland.
“Al is the kind of player who really fits our system,” D’Antoni said. “He’ll spread the floor and he and Thomas, who I had in Phoenix, and Mobley kind of fit what I want to do.”
Bucks 104 Knicks 87