"Welcome to this no-A-Rod zone, where the only time that nickname will be invoked will be for Andy Roddick.

Who won a tournament Sunday by beating Radek Stepanek - who once dated Martina Hingis and now is supposedly with Nicole Vaidisova, a tempestuous player best described as Maria Sharapova Lite.

And if you know Stepanek, cue Joe Jackson: "Is she really going out with him?"

But we digress, for this is about turning this space (and the Knicks) into a no-Steph zone, perhaps as soon as today.

Stephon Marbury, his players' association representative, Donnie Walsh and Mike D'Antoni are to meet today for the first time since Dec. 1 (sans D'Antoni), when Steph stormed out after the Knicks refused a $1 million give-back of his $21.9 million salary.

Now, the approximately $400,000 in pay he was docked for (according to the Knicks) refusing to play in a Nov. 26 game (prompting his suspension for the next one) is also on the table.

As is this take-it-or-leave-it hole card the Knicks can play: If he isn't waived by Sunday, he can't play in the playoffs if he signs elsewhere (all signs point to Boston)."