COAST TO COAST

A new, embarrassing

day for the Knicks

Just when you think the Knicks can’t embarrass themselves further, the sun comes up again.

Informed he would be benched, Stephon Marbury jumped the team and is now the latest candidate for one of its famous multimillion-dollar buyouts.

Who else goes remains to be seen. Yahoo.com’s Johnny Ludden reported that Marbury’s teammates voted not to take him back but Coach Isiah Thomas did, anyway.

In an ominous development even out-of-it CEO James Dolan had to notice, the Knicks’ local TV ratings are down 27%, despite last week’s screaming back-page headlines.

Wrote the New York Daily News’ Bob Raissman: “Knicks turmoil has become so commonplace it is perceived as business as usual.”

Unfortunately for Thomas, Dolan is under pressure to show there’s anything the Knicks can do right.

After Commissioner David Stern chastised the organization in the wake of its sexual harassment trial, Dolan issued a polite suggestion that Stern mind his own business.

“We have high regard for the commissioner,” said Dolan. “Right now, what we can all agree on is that the best thing for the Knicks is to get on the court and win some basketball games.”

The Knicks are 2-7 and just went 0-4 on a Western trip.

The honeymoon is definitely over

Miami officials knew their window was closing but with 35-year-old Shaquille O’Neal getting $20 million a year through 2010, they were hoping the good times weren’t already over.

Unfortunately for the Heat, it was 1-6 with Shaq averaging 15 points and 7.0 rebounds by Dwyane Wade’s return last week. Then it dropped to 1-7, losing at home to previously winless Seattle, which led by 23 points.

Then, in a landmark, Coach Pat Riley and Wade chastised O’Neal publicly.

“Probably this year more so than any year I’ve been more vocal with Shaq, talking to him and trying to motivate him,” Wade said. “But the main thing is, Shaq has got to be self-motivated. He has got to be willing and ready to do it.”

The scary question for the Heat is: What if Shaq is trying?

Go East, young man

Golden State Coach Don Nelson, eyeing the competition or bidding it farewell with his Warriors off to a bad start:

“I’d say look at 20 games, after we get [Stephen Jackson] and we go on that long East road trip. . . .

“It’s not only that we’re digging a hole for ourselves but a couple other teams really look good. New Orleans looks really good. . . . They’re playing with anybody right now. The Clippers, they look really solid though I would imagine that the lack of [Elton] Brand would hurt them in the long run. . . .

“Anyway, instead of maybe having two spots we’re shooting for, there may be only one and the Lakers ain’t bad, either.”

I didn’t ask if

you liked it, son

The Detroit News’ Chris McCosky reports that Rasheed Wallace has given rookie Arron Afflalo a nickname: Show-be.

It’s based on Afflalo’s admiration of Kobe Bryant. Copying Bryant’s prodigious workout routine, Afflalo is the first one in the gym and gets up early in the morning to work out.

Afflalo hates the nickname, by the way.