D’Antoni Looks to Win Without Marbury, Curry, Which Should Be Just Fine With Everyone in NY

Lessons we learned from the Knicks’ season debut: D’Antoni can make something potent out of this roster, and he’s not afraid to bench Marbury and Curry if they’ll get in the way. Cue a thousand bad jokes, and speculation about whether the team’s principle malcontents might be sent home to think about what they did wrong. But doesn’t this stand in the way of shipping those two out of town?↵
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↵Yesterday in Newsday, Alan Hahn got Donnie Walsh saying, more or less, whatevs: “I deliver the roster. It’s up to him to play the guys he thinks he can win with.”↵
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↵D’Antoni got a little deeper, more sarcastic. Hard to tell with him sometimes:↵↵⇥D’Antoni also has to wrestle with the theory that sitting Marbury and Curry reduces their trade value. He eventually might be forced to make some rotation decisions with that in mind, at least until the situation is settled.↵⇥
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↵⇥“I know there are things you have to do for all kinds of stuff,” D’Antoni said. “But a lot of people are paying a lot of money to see the best effort of the team that you can get. I understand the problem. It’s a philosophical question.”↵↵The message is clear: We’ve given you something to be excited about. Screw off. As for Marbury and Curry, so what if we don’t play them? They’re in the way. We’ll stash them somewhere, til Marbury’s contract is gone and we find a taker for Curry. Maybe we’ll waive Marbury eventually, maybe not. And honestly, unlike Randolph -- who has had some periods of respectability in his career -- nothing D’Antoni can do could (artificially) prop up the rep of these two mongrels. So Knicks media, chill, enjoy the ride, and be glad you have something to talk about other than these bums who are now in exile.↵
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↵They’ll disappear. Don’t sweat it. Trying to fool other teams into giving up an All-Star for Steph or Curry is really some Isiah-era thinking: wishful, goofy, and thoroughly diverted from the matter at hand, which D’Antoni is doing just fine with, thank you.↵