[Sanremogirl]

Who couldn't see this one coming? I know it's nothing big yet, but it's only been a couple months. This is going to be AI v. LB II.



Stephon Marbury would like to be the Knicks' version of Allen Iverson. He's starting to get his wish in one respect: His relationship with coach Larry Brown is beginning to mirror the rocky bond Brown had with A.I. when he coached the 76ers.

Marbury has asked to move from point guard to shooting guard, the New York Daily News reported, and Brown isn't receptive to the request right now.

"He told me he wanted to play off guard," Brown was quoted as saying in the newspaper. "Well, it's not that easy right now. What, are we going to invent a point guard?

"He told me he wanted to play like the way I used Allen [in Philadelphia]. Well, I had Eric Snow, Larry Hughes, Aaron McKie. It's a little different now."

Marbury's request came after he scored four points in a loss against the Los Angeles Lakers in which Kobe Bryant scored 42 points.

"I'm not used to playing in a game where I'm not attacking the person that's going at me," Marbury told the Daily News.

"I know how I play, [Brown] knows how I play. If he wants me to play a different way -- which I am playing a total different way -- if that's what it's going to take to win, I'm down for it. If we lose, I'm not going to be happy with it. I don't feel like I contributed. I feel like I was just out there. If we can go to the NBA Finals and I play like that I can deal with that ... all day."

Brown shot back at his outspoken star.

"I'm not disappointed in a guy feeling like he can contribute more. [But] I didn't hear that after the Utah game [in which Marbury scored just 10 points.] He had 2-for-9 [against Los Angeles]. What if he goes 5-for-9? We win the game."

Marbury better get used to Brown's system as the coach said he has no plans of switching gears.

"Did we win the other way?" Brown told the newspaper. "So let's get real here. We're trying to get better."