Mike D’Antoni won’t reverse his decision to banish Stephon Marbury, feeling he would lose respect from the rest of the team, according to a source debriefed on the situation.
Marbury sat in street clothes again last night as the Knicks edged Larry Brown’s Bobcats 101-98 at the Garden. Marbury has yet to play and D’Antoni has no plans to change course.
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“It may not be pretty short-term, but the worst thing you can do is go back on something he’s committed to,” the source told The Post. “Considering what happened last year, other players will be like, ‘here we go again.’ They’d never trust him.”
Last season, Isiah Thomas lost a lot of the players when Marbury returned to the team after he bolted the team last November in Phoenix. Thomas played Marbury the next game in L.A. against the players’ wishes.
However, if Marbury could help the team win, it’s surprising his teammates would not support his reinstatement. That may say more about them than Marbury. Marbury played a strong role during their preseason success. Knicks president Donnie Walsh does not appear on the same page as D’Antoni, otherwise the lightning-rod point guard would have been waived Monday.
“Management believes you don’t run from a problem, you face it,” the source said of Walsh’s refusal to release Marbury. Walsh is willing to wait the ordeal out.
According to the source, D’Antoni interviewed the players this summer to get their thoughts on Marbury’s dynamic with the club. D’Antoni got mostly negative feedback, the source said.
Brown, who warred with Marbury during their season together, said teams would flock to sign a freed-up Marbury. Denver and Miami are two teams with interest. The Spurs and Clippers, both winless, could use guard help.
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Patrick Ewing Jr., at the Garden last night to watch the Knicks, admitted he was monitoring the Marbury situation. If the Knicks waive Marbury, they likely would re-sign Ewing Jr., the team’s final cut. Ewing still is mulling his European opportunities and Developmental League options. “If something happens and they want me back, yeah, but I’m not banking on it,” Ewing said. Ewing said he has had no contact from Walsh, however.