Marbury’s Play Can’t Prevent Losing Ways

Stephon Marbury has a confidence that borders on arrogance.

Gary Payton? Jason Kidd? John Stockton?

Nope, none of them is as good as Marbury.

Or so says the New Jersey Nets star.

“I think that I am the best point guard,” he says. “I don’t think that there is anybody better than me in the league.”

Marbury can present a good case for himself.

Despite being slowed for the past week by a sprained ankle, he is averaging 25.8 points, 6.5 assists, 3.8 rebounds and 3.6 turnovers in 37.6 minutes. And that’s without much of a supporting cast. Kerry Kittles and Keith Van Horn have been sidelined with injuries all season.

Marbury isn’t satisfied with the individual success, though. He wants to win, and that’s not happening much with the Nets no matter how well he plays.

Byron Scott, Marbury’s new coach, knows how tough that can be. After winning three championships with the Los Angeles Lakers, he endured a season of losing in Vancouver.

It tends to bring out the critics who will find fault anywhere: He shoots too much. He doesn’t pass enough. He’s not a team player.

Scott shakes his head at those thoughts. Maybe a year ago some of it might have been true about Marbury. Not now. He’s matured.

“When he’s on, there’s no one who can stop him,” Scott said.

The 23-year-old Marbury, in his fourth NBA season, has all the gifts. At 6-foot-2 and 180 pounds, he’s quick, strong, athletic and can jump. He also has a strong work ethic.

The game consumes him. For all his jewelry and tattoos and fancy clothes, the kid who learned the game on the streets of Brooklyn is blue-collar in his approach.

When he’s not playing, he is lifting weights, practicing, watching games on satellite TV or studying videotapes of opponents.

Even on the court, Marbury doesn’t flaunt it. He’ll never make the behind-the-back pass just to show off when a simple bounce pass or flip of the ball will do.

When fancy is the only way, a teammate will get a no-look, around-the-neck dish right on the mark.

With the Nets, that always doesn’t lead to two points, and Marbury is learning to live with that.

“During the lockout, I went down to San Antonio and worked out with George Gervin, and he put inside my head that in order to be the best, you have to have the passion to practice,” Marbury said. “That’s pretty much been my motto since after the lockout season.

“Now I adore practice. I love going to practice. There’s never a second when I am playing basketball that I’m not getting after it.”

Marbury even works in the air.

Players sit in the front section of the Nets’ chartered jet. There’s food in the middle and the coaches sit in the back with video equipment, getting ready for upcoming opponents.

Before the wheels leave the ground, Marbury is usually back with the coaches, clicker in hand, breaking down game film from the previous night and going over future opponents.