Chauncey Billups knows the anguish his friend and New York Knicks guard Stephon Marbury is going through. Marbury, like most of the Knicks players, is chafing and struggling trying to learn Larry Brown's ways and means.

"After Larry took that job, Steph called me six times in two days, and he's still calling me," Billups said. "They are going through some tough times now, but he's still happy they've got a good coach.

"It's just like how I was when LB first came here. You are hearing so much you just want to say, 'What am I supposed to do?' "I just told him, stay the course. Over time he will make y'all a much better team."