Knicks: Would Stephon Marbury excel in today’s NBA?

What if former New York Knicks point guard Stephon Marbury came into his prime during the modern NBA?

The excitement surrounding the return of prodigal son Stephon Marbury to New York in January 2004 was palpable throughout the five boroughs and beyond. The New York Knicks hadn’t had an All-Star caliber point guard in his prime since another local kid, Mark Jackson, in the late 1980’s and early 1990’s.

Marbury could do a little bit of everything on the offensive end—shoot, pass, handle, you name it. He was at his best putting his head down, getting into the lane, and finishing around or below the rim, similar to the way Kyrie Irving does today.

Looking back on the Lincoln High School star’s time with the Knicks usually ends up with New York Knicks fans saying “fuhgeddaboudit” since his arrival didn’t bring about any playoff series wins (or even any playoff game wins), and that’s a fair sentiment considering that someone with his natural basketball ability should’ve been able to lead a franchise to the playoffs more than once in five seasons in a weak Eastern Conference.

"“It’s definitely a home run hit by Isiah in terms of gettingthis deal done,” Knicks coach Don Chaney said at the time (via ESPN)"

But had Marbury’s career started in say, 2016, versus in 1996, could someone with the skill set we saw back then have been more appreciated in the modern NBA than in his own era?

What if Stephon Marbury played in the modern NBA?

During his main tenure with New York, from 2003-2004 through 2007-2008 (he was on the team to begin the 2008-2009 season but didn’t get much run) two point makes accounted for an average of 80 percent of his total field goals made during that time frame.

By comparison, 83 percent of Russell Westbrook’s total made field goals were of the two point variety over the last five seasons, 72 precent of Kyrie Irving’s total field goals made were two’s in the last five years, and Kemba Walker had a 61 percent figure for the same exercise over the same five season frame.

If we transpose the aggressiveness Marbury displayed in getting to the cup in 2020, it stands to reason that his two point made field goals as a percentage of total FG’s made could’ve been around Westbrook territory.

In today’s game, the 10-20 foot floater/mid-range jump shot has basically been taken out of the equation, so someone with Marbury’s explosiveness would not be able to justify pulling up from the elbow multiple times a night. He would have had to continue penetrating to the basket (against teams who would be playing small ball centers), which, in theory, could result in a higher aggregate total of two pointers made, since the degree of difficulty of those shots would be significantly reduced in the modern game.

Marbury’s long game

Marbury’s long range ability also could have reasonably translated to today’s game. While the team average of three-pointers attempted in the NBA has more than doubled since 2003-2004, the league average percentage of three-pointers made has remained steady around 35 percent.

In three out of his five seasons in New York, Marbury shot better than 35 percent from deep. If he was a league average three point shooter then, when the three-pointer was less prevalent in the game, it stands to reason that he could’ve been above the league average in an era which focuses on it twice-fold.

While a glance at the numbers from past to present can support the argument that the man affectionately known as Starbury could have been a force in the pace-and-space era, there’s one glaring observation that would debunk this notion.

Seven seconds or less

Who was the coach of the Phoenix Suns when GM Jerry Colangelo sent Marbury packing in his prime? Who was the coach of the New York Knicks during Marbury’s final season, where he was effectively banished to Bolivian, as Mike Tyson would say?

The answer is one and the same: Mike D’Antoni. The very same Mike D’Antoni whose mid 2000’s Phoenix Suns introduced the frenetic seven seconds or less style of basketball that would eventually become the main style of basketball for the entire league.

D’Antoni, the father (along with Don Nelson) of the “take the first good shot you see regardless of when it happens” philosophy had not one, but two chances to make Marbury the driver of his visionary NASCAR vehicle that would run laps around the league (at least in the regular season).

Both times, he opted to go in a different direction. If his evaluation of Marbury was such that he couldn’t be the effective leader of an offensive style that would define the next generation of NBA basketball, then that’s a pretty damning case against him.

Next time you’re out with a small group of friends in a socially distanced setting, give this debate a try—it’s guaranteed to pass the time!