Knicks guard Stephon Marbury is a confused, frustrated player struggling to retain his identity and still please his demanding new coach. After Wednesday night's 97-92 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers, Marbury asked Larry Brown to move him to shooting guard. Brown said he could not do so because the Knicks have no other reliable point guards. It could push the Knicks to trade for a veteran point guard and is sure to fuel trade rumors involving Marbury.
-- New York Times
Kobe Bryant believes that Stephon Marbury would be wise to follow Larry Brown's direction so that Marbury "can turn out to be the player that we all thought he could be." "I think he's playing a more structured game right now," Bryant said.
-- New York Daily News
Three weeks into the season, Timberwolves all-star Kevin Garnett criticized the team's key management decisions involving former coach Flip Saunders and veterans Latrell Sprewell and Sam Cassell. During an interview with TNT taped a day before Thursday's 109-98 Timberwolves victory over the Washington Wizards at Target Center, a frustrated Garnett said the situations should have been handled better.
-- St. Paul Pioneer Press
New Sonics head coach Bob Weiss, whose previous experience harkens from the last millennium, is struggling to reach his players, some who are griping about their roles. The Sonics are trying to understand their fall from the league's elite so they can reverse it before it is too late.
-- New York Times
A lack of healthy Lakers could keep rookies Andrew Bynum,Von Wafer and Devin Green with the big club longer than expected.
-- Los Angeles Times
The Suns' plan was to score as many points as last season and reap the benefits of bringing in better defenders. Phoenix still leads the league in scoring but an uncommunicative, scattered defense has not shown the benefit of adding reputed stoppers such as Kurt Thomas and Raja Bell.
-- Arizona Republic
Jermaine O'Neal said what others have whispered. "Either we're going to be a good team or we're going to be a bad team," O'Neal said Wednesday night before leaving the Charlotte Bobcats Arena after the Indiana Pacers' 32-point loss.
-- Indianapolis Star
When Doug Christie had to guard offensively challenged Bruce Bowen in the San Antonio game two weeks ago, the alarm started to sound. Brought in for his defense, Christie had difficulties checking anybody other than the opponent's last offensive option. With his ankle giving him continual problems, Christie left the Mavericks on Thursday to return home to Seattle for a second opinion on his surgically repaired right ankle.
-- Dallas Morning News
Jason Kapono has given the Heat an offensive sparkplug off the bench, while he works to improve his defense. In the past two games, Kapono has combined for 18 points on 7-of-9 shooting, raising his overall field-goal percentage to 58.1 and his three-point percentage to 53.8 (7 of 13).
-- Miami Herald
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