New York guard Stephon Marbury wants to get back soon, but the Knicks think the best thing might be for him to sit out until the All-Star break so he would have a total of three weeks off.

"I don't think that's a bad idea," Brown said. "Again, he wants to play and that's been his M.O. When I had Allen (Iverson), I could make a suggestion, but you know what he is and what they're about. I think we're going to be real cautious about it."

But taking that much time off would mean missing six additional games, something Marbury is loath to do.

"I want it to be his decision when he feels comfortable he can play and not worry about getting hit because he certainly hasn't played the same way since the injury," Brown said. "He's not aggressive at all. You can really tell the difference because he was playing at such a high level before that."