Charging that Isiah Thomas “went out of his way to embarrass Stephon Marbury in the home loss to Houston,” the New York Daily News’ Frank Isola hopes the NBA’s Self-Proclaimed No. 1 Point Guard can get a fresh start elsewhere.

Marbury and the Knicks would both be best served by a trade. As a third or fourth option on a good team, Marbury would excel. Plus, I feel at this stage of his career he needs to get out of New York. If he played for Miami, Houston or Dallas he would help those teams.

On some level, I feel sorry for Marbury because I believe there are people in the Knicks organization that have taken advantage of him and allowed his surly behavior to take over the locker room. When Marbury arrived in New York, Thomas gave him the keys to the franchise which only alienated the entire locker room.

Marbury was then told by executives which media members to avoid so instead of using the media to build his image, he acted like a creep and went to war with the press. It was wasted energy in a battle he can™t win. And yet no one in the organization had the smarts to tell him otherwise.

I™m one of those media guys that Marbury has zero use for. Our relationship has come a long way since he was an 11-year-old kid and would call me regularly to talk about high school basketball. Over the years, I™ve established professional relationships with Ewing, Oakley, Harper, Houston, Ward, Larry Johnson, Latrell, Van Gundy. But Marbury was told by the Knicks petty organization to avoid me at all costs.

Unfortunately, it could end badly here for Marbury and when it does those same people who are œprotecting Marbury will be the same folks who will bury him behind his back. That™s the MSG way.

I don’t know if this backs up Isola’s claim that Stephon is overly contentious with the media, but the Journal News’ Mike Dougherty was on hand for the following exchange between the former Coney Island product and the AP’s Brian Mahoney.

SM: œWe™re better than what we were last season right now.
BM: œThe record is about the same.
SM: œWe are?
BM: œYep, 5-10.
SM: œAt this time? Serious?
BM: œYes.
SM: œThis is a better 5-10 than last year.

Da Bulls’ Ben Wallace tells the Chicago Tribune’s K.C. Johnson that it was the Nets’ Uncle Cliffy who got him started on the slippery slope of headband-wearing.

“He told me I should try it and that’s a reminder not to let my head get too big in this league,” Wallace said.

The Orange Country Register’s Art Thompson III, along with covering Chris Kamen’s ankle injury, notes the Clippers might send Yaroslav Korolev to their Anaheim D-League affiliate. The Arsenal are visiting the Austin Toros this Friday, and this news will certainly generate frenzied ticket sales amongst Austin’s Russian community. Unless there’s something good on TV Friday night.

The Warriors have knocked off the Jazz and Spurs within 48 hours. If I want to see someone who sneered at Golden State’s hiring of Nervous Nellie, all I have to do is look in the mirror. I’m more recognizable without the snorkle and mask, however.