How many wins the Stephon Marbury and Steve Francis backcourt will produce for the rest of the season is yet to be seen, but there are plenty of skeptics, including some within the Knicks organization, but it doesn't appear to be the coach.

"I'm excited about it, and I'm anxious to see how Steph and Steve play together," said Larry Brown, adding that he "bugged Isiah when I saw" that Francis was available.

With Francis on the club, and skilled athletic players like Jamal Crawford and Jalen Rose in the rotation, Marbury said the Knicks should follow the Phoenix Suns model and go up-tempo. "I don't think we should run any set plays," he said. "I think we should just be pushing the ball every chance we get."