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Doc wants to play Marbury more

Posted: Wed Apr 22, 2009 2:55 am
by Rocky5000
http://blogs.metrowestdailynews.com/cel ... n-marbury/
WALTHAM - While the news of Leon Powe’s season-ending ACL tear will dominate discussion today, a look for something more positive found Stephon Marbury shooting for better than a half hour after most of his teammates left the court.

Marbury worked up a furious sweat and hit more than 100 3-pointers (OK, not in a row) before finally calling it quits. At times during the workout, he had to pause to catch his breath and was bent over with hands on his knees.

It was very similar to the workout that Rajon Rondo has been doing after many practices the second half of the year.

“When we don’t play, and then we don’t practice the next day, you’ve got to do something,” he said. “So I do all basketball stuff instead of running on the tread mill.”

Marbury has played just 10 minutes in each of the first two playoff games, scoring just two points on 1-of-6 shooting, but there is a feeling that trend could soon change in a big way.

Rivers said after Game 1 that he needs to play Marbury more and said today that Marbury has been the team’s best defender on Ben Gordon in the series.

Add in Rajon Rondo’s right ankle sprain and there could be a lot more Marbury on the horizon.

Either way, he is doing his best to stay ready.

“I’ve never been in this position before,” he said of seeing limited minutes. “It’s tough, but at the same time, it’s the situation and I’m happy to be able to have a situation from the situation that I came from.

“It’s difficult, but at the same time you get an opportunity.”

When Marbury spent a lot of time out of the lineup in New York he was in exile, so this is, indeed, a new perspective.

“I mean, you take it in stride as far as when you get in the game, but at the same time you are watching the game to see what the other guys aren’t doing, and when you are in there you try to correct those mistakes,” he said. “Then when they watch you, they see ‘OK, he’s getting up on him and forcing him to go left.’

“That’s what I’ve got to do (with Gordon). I’ve got to get up on him.”

For all the negative that we heard about Marbury - and there was a lot to hear for anyone willing to listen - he has been nothing like as described during his two months in Boston.

He has been complimentary of teammates, polite to the media, and seems to have maintained a great enthusiasm about being in Boston even though his play has probably not been as strong as he’d hoped.

Score one for the merits of fresh starts.


First of all, nice to see Steph putting in the hard work. Secondly, Marbury has not been our best defender on Gordon, better than Eddie and Ray, yes, but not the best, that would be Tony Allen. If Doc wants to stop Gordon, why doesn't he go with Tony?

If Marbury can give us something offensively, that will be great, and 10 minutes per game is definitely low on the minutes side, but I don't know if he should get THAT many more.

Re: Doc wants to play Marbury more

Posted: Wed Apr 22, 2009 3:39 am
by Avalanche
I just keep being impressed with how he handles himself here, shame hes not getting the full experience he signed up for with KG out... but great to see hes working hard and trying to be as ready as possible if hes called on

Re: Doc wants to play Marbury more

Posted: Wed Apr 22, 2009 4:34 am
by BEASTMODE
YES. Best news I've heard in a while. :D

This sort of consoles me after the loss of KG and Powe and gives me hope for this team.

Re: Doc wants to play Marbury more

Posted: Wed Apr 22, 2009 8:29 am
by Al-Haqq
BEASTMODE wrote:YES. Best news I've heard in a while. :D

This sort of consoles me after the loss of KG and Powe and gives me hope for this team.


Are you serious? :o

I mean I'm glad Marbury gets more time, but he needs to produce, period! We need him to shoot and drive etc ... but there is absolutely no way him getting more playing time softens the Powe & KG absence.

Re: Doc wants to play Marbury more

Posted: Wed Apr 22, 2009 12:32 pm
by cisco
I agree with the OP. Doc should be worrying about how he's going to get Tony some minutes to play some damned defense on Rose and Gordon, not Marbury (unless he's worried about Rondo's ankle). Has Doc forgotten that the Celtics won their last championship because of defense.

Re: Doc wants to play Marbury more

Posted: Wed Apr 22, 2009 1:23 pm
by Fencer reregistered
Marbury has more savvy than Rondo and more quicks than Ray.

If Doc says that in a particular situation he defends better than either of them, it sounds plausible to me.

In most cases, of course, at least one of Ray's size and Rondo's quickness will be superior.

Re: Doc wants to play Marbury more

Posted: Wed Apr 22, 2009 1:59 pm
by BRUNiNHO91
We need his scoring. We need pts. Specially if Pierce doesn't break out of his little slump. Marbury needs to come in and hit some shots. His assists will come automatically..but he needs to score. He was really, really good in the end of the season, specially when he was rolling with Eddie. But now both just dissappear when we need em the most.

Re: Doc wants to play Marbury more

Posted: Wed Apr 22, 2009 3:21 pm
by cisco
^Tony Allen is a better scorer than Marbury at this point. If we were talking about the old Marbury, then yeah, but we haven't seen the old good offensive player in Marbury yet. Tony could give them a lift on both ends of the court.

Re: Doc wants to play Marbury more

Posted: Wed Apr 22, 2009 3:26 pm
by SuigintouEV
TA is not a better scorer, he just gets lots of easy dunks and layups. you don't get those in the playoffs.

Re: Doc wants to play Marbury more

Posted: Wed Apr 22, 2009 4:38 pm
by Starbury4lyf
Marbury needs a lot more minutes to be effective. What kind of stats do you expect him to put up in 10 minutes of action in the 2nd quarter? Give him the green light and yes what Doc said is true.. Marbury has been the best defender on Gordon/rose