Some decades ago when I was in grade school, we students were obligated to read a designated editorial in the local newspaper. After reading the assignment, we were then to proceed to make two lists, one of all facts and the other of all opinions in the article. The whole class became quite proficient in this exercise.
Recently, I have found myself unconsciously applying these long ago learned skills to the New York Knicks present personnel problem. There is something about this situation that strikes me like the crash of a garbage can top during a New York Philharmonic performance. Something here just does not ring true.
The motivations in this saga, and most professional sports, are: Ego, money, winning, and future money. These are listed in order of importance, though these values differ with the age of the participant and number of titles previously won.
The beginning: Coach D’Antoni comes to New York with a chip on his shoulder from the way his stay in Phoenix ended. I can assume that he harbors a desire to succeed at least to the level of perennial conference contender.
He needs to find the guys that will play the way he desires. There is also the need to get rid of some salary for future development (money).
This is where the general manager makes his appearance. It would be inconceivable that the GM would not consult the coach concerning future team development.
Ideally, they would work hand in hand especially since D’Antoni presumably left Phoenix in part because of disagreements on personnel decisions. Donnie Walsh, the New York GM, would know this and endeavor to keep communications open with the coach he had recently hired.
The Process: After viewing the players during the preseason, coach D’Antoni makes his decisions based on present ability and future needs. There were players that were subsequently traded to other teams shortly, but for reasons as yet to be discerned the coach tells his star guard that “the team will be going in another direction.”
This is interpreted by most people as, “you will not be playing because we are going to trade you or release you.”
The Ulterior Motive: Trading or releasing a player happens; very few on either side of management get upset with this process.
However, with Stephon Marbury there is no movement. The Knicks did finally trade Zach Randolph and Mardy Collins. Why not Marbury for somebody somewhere?
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