Coach Brown Down on Nate Robinson

Former Rainier Beach and UW basketball star Nate Robinson scored 34 points last week against Philadelphia. Pretty good, huh? Robinson's coach, the legendary Larry Brown, didn't think so.

Brown's not happy that Allen Iverson burned Robinson for 78 points in two games. And he's not happy with what he perceived as showboating by the mighty mite. Here's what Brown told Newsday:

"To me, to be [showboating] when a guy who you're guarding is having that kind of performance? I don't know. I'd rather see you get into him and try to stop him from scoring.

"[Robinson] needs to become an NBA player. That's got to be his focus, not worrying about his shirt or the length of his shorts or 19,000 people. He's got to be worrying about figuring out how he can get better and help us win."

Robinson says it isn't showboating, it's trying to fire up himself, his teammates, and the crowd. The deeper problem, Newsday suggests, is that Robinson doesn't act like rookies should. He certainly isn't shy about taking shots when he's in the game, and it hasn't sat well with Brown or, if the Daily News is to be believed, the rest of the Knicks. Reports the News' Frank Isola:

The talkative Robinson has gotten himself into a few minor skirmishes with several teammates, including Jerome James and Malik Rose. During the preseason, Robinson and James nearly came to blows and Robinson was ready to use a broom handle as a weapon.

Isola also reports that Nate was informally suspended for a game for shooting spitballs on the team plane, and that Brown wanted him sent down to the Developmental League.

Will Robinson respond on his MSNBC blog? We'll be checking to find out.