Count ex-New York Knick Stephon Marbury among those who don’t think current Knicks stars Carmelo Anthony and Amar’e Stoudemire are a good fit together.
“Amar’e needs a point guard like Steve Nash (to thrive). He’s a pick-and-roll guy, a pick-and-pop guy. He can’t play in the half court where everything’s slowed down,” Marbury told ESPN New York during a brief interview in Manhattan on Wednesday.
When asked if he thought Anthony and Stoudemire could flourish together, Marbury said flatly, “Nope.”
Many have expressed the same concerns with the Knicks’ star duo. In their season and a half together, the Knicks have a sub-.500 record when both are in the starting lineup.
But Marbury brings a unique perspective to the debate. He played with Stoudemire in Phoenix during the 2002-03 season and for 34 games the next season before Marbury was dealt to the Knicks. He also spent 4½ mostly rocky seasons with the Knicks.
In addition to his thoughts on Stoudemire, Marbury also questioned the Knicks’ motivation in obtaining Anthony. New York executed a three-team blockbuster deal to bring Anthony in from Denver in February 2011.
“I don’t know if (Knicks owner James) Dolan brought him in to win games or to make money,” Marbury said. “I think it was to make money.”
Marbury, though, says Anthony is the Knicks’ best player and the team should be built around his strengths. Anthony is a skilled passer but also thrives in isolation.
This style clashed at times with ex-Knicks coach Mike D’Antoni’s up-tempo system. Current Knicks coach Mike Woodson seemed more comfortable putting the ball in Anthony’s hands in the low and mid-post and letting him operate in isolation after he took over in late March.
“You knew what he was when you got him,” Marbury said of Anthony. “Let him do what he does.”
Marbury is five years removed from his controversial tenure in New York. The Brooklyn native came home in a trade midway through the 2003-04 season and led the Knicks to the playoffs that season. But losing seasons and clashes with management, coaches and teammates followed. He and the team agreed to a buyout in the 2007-08 season.
As a Coney Island native, though, Marbury said he still remains a Knicks fan and will always root for the team.
“I think they have a good team,” Marbury said. “They could make the second round (of the playoffs).”
Marbury currently plays for the Beijing Ducks in the Chinese Basketball Association. He led the team to a championship last season and is heading back to China this week.
WRITTEN BY Ian Begley | ESPNNewYork.com & FULL STORY HERE
