Boston looking at Marbury.......

[MyInsatiableOne]

^^I think House's ballhandling troubles are vastly overrated on this board...yes, he's not as good a dribbler as Rondo, but he's certainly not inept! Sheesh!

[TheOGJabroni]

We should sign him, then cut him immediately. History says that teams drastically improve after Marbury leaves. New Jersey improved, Phoenix improved, and it looks like the Knicks will improve. I say Danny rolls the dice, signs him, and even before that ink dries on the contract, have Danny waive him.

QTF!

I like his talent and even think the idea that he would be a cancer to a team are over-rated. But he is not the back-up PG we need on this team.

[Jammer]

Marbury would replace Pruitt as the 5th guard
essentially functioning as a Bench Scorer to keep the second unit going.

Whether he would take House's spot on a regular basis in questionable,
but he would definately get his chance any time Tony or Eddie are having offensive difficulties.

Even though I posted this in another thread, I think it's funny enough
(and likely "true" enough) to repeat:

With all of this talk about Steph Marbury being a chemistry killer, locker room cancer, and
overall jerk; I thought that it would be appropriate to make an imaginary list of the

TOP TEN THINGS THAT STEPH MARBURY MIGHT SAY AS A MEMBER OF THE CELTICS:

10. Ubuntu, Schumtu.
09. I'm the reason that this team is so successful.
08. The Celtics were a good team before I arrived; but I make the Celtics a great team.
07. I'm the best point guard in the Eastern Conference.
06. I should be starting.
05. I'm paid to shoot, right, so that's what I do.
04. You don't make the All-Star team by penetrating and kicking.
03. I made 2 All-Star teams without ever playing a lick of DEE-FENSE.
02. Wanna go make out in my SUV ? (to Celtic cheerleaders and interns).
01. "So Doc, you brought me here to take the last shot, right?"

[campybatman]

Marbury has no agent, so it is difficult to assess where he might be able to get a new contract. A person with close ties to Marbury told me Miami is the favorite, and insisted that Starbury is intent on talking with the Celtics, who could easily clear a roster spot by releasing Sam Cassell, who has a non-guaranteed contract. With a 20-2 record and designs on winning 70 regular season games and repeating as champions, I would strongly advise Danny Ainge against it. CBSSports.com

[MyInsatiableOne]

Marbury has no agent, so it is difficult to assess where he might be able to get a new contract. A person with close ties to Marbury told me Miami is the favorite, and insisted that Starbury is intent on talking with the Celtics, who could easily clear a roster spot by releasing Sam Cassell, who has a non-guaranteed contract. With a 20-2 record and designs on winning 70 regular season games and repeating as champions, I would strongly advise Danny Ainge against it. CBSSports.com

Agreed...

[hickfromfrenchlick]

The only thing I can say is at least he doesn't sound crazy. I wish Pruitt was more involved or Eddie was any good at playing pg but neither one is happening so you have to be open to this idea. We lack 3 pt shooting, bench scoring and ball handling and guys with friggin tattoos on their heads, ugh.

Why don't we sign Craig Hodges, the Professor from the And1 Tour, and Mike Tyson instead?

[GuyClinch]

FWIW I consider Eddie a much better shooter then Marbury. I live in NYC and have watched Marbury play for a long while now. The thing is with Marbury he is more a drive and dish guy - he gets alot of layup attempts and he gets the respect of the D to get him wide open for Js.

But with House everyone there knows he is there to shoot Js'. So defenses contests shots where they can and play him for the J. You put those guys in a gym I have no doubt Eddie would shoot circles around Marbury. Eddie is the kind of guy if you got him in a shooting contest he would hit 95 out of 100 3s.

Statistics can only take you so far. They don't tell you what KIND of shots a player takes. And I know we can look at three point percentage. But there is a big difference from guy sagging OFF you wide open to guy running at you with all his might..contested 3.

Now all that doesn't mean Danny won't pick up Marbury. I could see it happening. Right now TA is our only "break down" guy in the second unit.. Marbury would give us a playmaker and Eddie could be an undersized 2. He is obviously tempted by this idea as we saw with the Sam experiment.

Pete.

[greenbeans]

Good article about KG/Steph I just found on the Minn board. Pretty good stuff.
http://vault.sportsillustrated.cnn.com/ ... /index.htm

[DelMonte West]

It's a good read, but through the prism of when it was written. KG said during our blowout of the Knicks last year that "Steph isn't the same guy he used to be" when they played together, and more recently all but spelled out how their relationship is non-existant these days. Maybe there's still a chance, but our squad needs more help at the 5 than anything.

[Taget]

Upgrade the point guard position by getting rid of Cassell and acquiring Marbury. I remember a few years back a team in New Jersey did exactly that. They went from being a playoff team the previous year to firing their coach and being in the basement until they unloaded Marbury to the next hapless victim.

My problem with Marbury is simple. He kills chemistry. A Ron Artest might get himself in trouble or do something knuckleheaded but he gets along with his fellow teammates. Marbury is the type of player who will do great when the team is winning and when the first losing streak comes along he'll search for coaches, players, anyone he can find to stick knives in their back and deflect blame.

The Knicks have a 10-12 record and have a decent shot of making the playoffs this year. How many think that would be the case if Marbury hadn't been banished from the team this year?

[Jammer]

Upgrade the point guard position by getting rid of Cassell and acquiring Marbury. I remember a few years back a team in New Jersey did exactly that. They went from being a playoff team the previous year to firing their coach and being in the basement until they unloaded Marbury to the next hapless victim.

My problem with Marbury is simple. He kills chemistry. A Ron Artest might get himself in trouble or do something knuckleheaded but he gets along with his fellow teammates. Marbury is the type of player who will do great when the team is winning and when the first losing streak comes along he'll search for coaches, players, anyone he can find to stick knives in their back and deflect blame.

The thing with Marbury is his infantile personality.
Sort of like a two year old who says stuff like
"gimme" or "I want it" without further explanation.

So, you get someone who is nearly impossible to reason with
(again, the two year old mentality);
who says crazy sh*t that infuriates teammates,
who then literally want to wither beat the crap out of him or simply banish him.
This process has tended to repeat itself over and over thru Steph's career.

So, the problem is not so much getting along with Steph,
but how long before Steph disintegrates the team chemistry
with his senseless, hurtful utterings over anything and everything.

That is the risk that a team takes in bringing Steph on.

Still, Steph is a better ball handler and better penetrator then Eddie House
(even though Steph seems to prefer being on the wing, like Eddie House,
then operating from up top, where Tony Allen could actually initiate
with Steph and Eddie on each wing, to allow Pierce and Ray to get a breather).

Steph would obviously take some time from Eddie House,
be an alternative to Rajon on days Rajon simply has no confidence in his shot,
and Steph is clearly better than Gabe Pruitt as the 5th guard
(Marbury would replace Pruitt, actually) on the active roster,
with Pruitt either being traded for a 2nd round pick or
Sam Cassell being waived, retiring, and becoming a full time Celtic Assistant Coach.

I think that the Celtics have sent the message that they are willing to take this risk
when Paul Pierce and Sam Cassell were each quoted in the press
when they said that "the Knicks should free Steph."