Stephon Marbury is on hold indefinitely.
The controversial playmaker met with Knicks coach Mike D'Antoni before Friday's game in Philadelphia and was informed he was going to be placed on the inactive list. And the plan is to keep him in street clothes until there's a reason to change. "It's not that he's done anything," D'Antoni said before the lopsided game. "It's just the team is going in a different direction. He's been in the league for a long time. I'm not going to put him out there for four minutes."
Since the Knicks are rebuilding, he's looking use that time for developing players like Wilson Chandler and Danilo Gallinari. Marbury continues to play it safe.
"I'm not frustrated at all," he said. "I have no control over it. If it was raining outside, I can't get mad if it's raining. I've got to go get an umbrella and then walk in the rain. I have no control over the situation. The coach makes the decision on who plays and who's not going to play and obviously, right now he feels like I'm not."
It's probably time for Marbury to get a good agent. He's in the final year of a $21.9 million contract, and would like to play in the NBA for a couple more years. Knicks president Donnie Walsh indicated a buyout wasn't likely before the season got under way, so Marbury needs somebody working behind the scenes to protect his interests.
SIXERS 116, KNICKS 87: When the shots began to bounce harmlessly off the rim, Andre Miller carved up a frustrated defense, triggering a decisive 18-7 run. He capped the outburst with a short jumper to give Philadelphia an 84-64 lead with 4:18 left.
The Knicks (1-1) shot just 32.7 percent from the field.
"I guess the good news is there are lots of areas we can improve on," Knicks coach Mike D'Antoni said.
Jamal Crawford led the Knicks with 14 points. He was 5-for-12 from the field, which didn't look bad compared to a number of teammates. David Lee added 13 points and 11 rebounds, his second straight double-double to start the season.
