Marbury Will Be in Camp to Knicks' Detriment

Take that, all of you. Not only will Stephon Marbury be in Knicks training camp, he'll bring Allan Houston along with him. This after we were all lead to believe that Marbury's ouster was imminent. From the New York Post:

Houston has accepted the club's offer to attend training camp, two sources close to the former All-Star guard told The Post yesterday morning. Meanwhile, Knicks president Donnie Walsh last night denied a report Marbury will be waived by week's end. Walsh said through a spokesman, "He is coming to training camp. We have not approached Stephon about a buyout.

The Post insists that Marbury still could be let go during camp, but that, joy of all joys, this basically just increases the chance that Houston makes the team. I don't get why they won't just go ahead and cut ties with Steph; while Miami, Boston and few other teams have expressed interest in bringing him aboard, it's not like keeping Marbury under lock and key is maintaining the competitive balance of the league. Nor do I see the point of wasting time on Houston. Of all the teams out there, the Knicks should know better than to get caught up in this annual pseudo-comeback of his. D'Antoni needs long-range shooters, and if Houston can make it through camp, he'll come dirt-cheap. But talk about a waste of time.

The Knicks receive so much coverage that, at times, it's safe to say that WE ARE ALL KNICKS FANS. In that capacity, I find it sad that a team supposedly moving forward is taking its sweet time cutting its ties with the worst elements of its past -- and going out of its way to bring back washed-up heroes for the sake of what, a few open threes a year? Maybe Houston can do that much, but it's a distraction and demoralizing for anyone wanting this team to be reborn. Just like keeping Marbury around is.

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