Marquis' recovery going well

[Drucci]

I just thought it would be interesting to have a thread about Marquis' recovery since he is like the forgotten man on the team while he is very important in the rotation when healthy, not only because he spells Ray and Paul, but because he does a lot of things very well, and these things are crucial to help us win.

Marquis got his hard cast removed today, so his recovery is right on time. He is still expected to get back after the All-Star Break.

Here is a video from Marquis without his hard cast, taking some shots in the Garden today (video posted by Chris Forsberg of ESPNBoston) :

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2lrqgqKvm1Q

I miss Marquis and I hope we see him back after the All-Star Break... hopefully he doesn't rush back his recovery and stays healthy after his return! I would have loved to have him for the Lakers game because I'm eager to see him perform against the Lakers guards and Kobe but it won't happen on January 31st.

[Drucci]

Update : Marquis could start practicing next week and hopes to be back before the All-Star break.

Latest tweet from Forsberg :

Daniels says muscles in forearm need conditioning. Said arm was burning trying to dribble today. Wearing a tiny soft cast over thumb.

[hpantazo]

Update : Marquis could start practicing next week and hopes to be back before the All-Star break.

Latest tweet from Forsberg :

Daniels says muscles in forearm need conditioning. Said arm was burning trying to dribble today. Wearing a tiny soft cast over thumb.

great news! thanks for the updates

[Drucci]

A great article about Marquis by Chris Forsberg once again, from ESPN, and interesting stats about our bench production when Marquis was healthy and playing (highlighted in bold in the quote). Doc said opposing coaches all called after the Marquis signing this summer and asked how he did to sign him at such a low price.

Doc also compared Marquis to players like Posey and Battier ; can't disagree with him, it amazes me how much Marquis is underrated by the fans.

For all the talk of potential roster moves the Boston Celtics could make at the NBA trade deadline, here's one addition that won't cost them a thing and may help more than any other deal: The return of a healthy Marquis Daniels.

Having missed more than half of the 2009-10 season due to a torn ligament in his left thumb, the addition of Daniels should inject new life into the Celtics' second unit. It's easy to forget now, particularly given the spate of injuries Boston has endured recently, but much of the preseason hype surrounding the Celtics centered on how loaded their second unit was with the addition of Daniels and Rasheed Wallace.

While Daniels was averaging only 5.7 points and 21. assists per game in 19 appearances before his injury, Celtics coach Doc Rivers doesn't believe his value can be quantified solely in statistics.

"He gives us another ball-handler out on the floor, not necessarily a point, but he will be at the point at times," said Rivers. "He guards the best guy on the opposing team at the 2 and 3 spot, so that gives both Paul [Pierce] and Ray [Allen] a rest. He's another rebounder and another post [presence]. Other than that, I don't know what more we can ask from him.

"He's an intangibles guy and that's what we need. We have star guys, we need intangible guys to fit around those guys. He's a great teammate and that's what he wants to be. He's not trying to be a star. He's trying to be a star at the intangibles, trying to dominate his role. We saw that early on and he really accepts it."

Rivers said he was flooded with calls from opposing coaches when the Celtics inked Daniels to the bargain-basement $1.9 million bi-annual exemption this past offseason. He's not sure the average fan understands the true value of Daniels, but knows those around the NBA do.

"It's amazing when we signed him how many coaches called and said, 'How'd you pull that off?'" said Rivers.

It's a cozy agreement for both sides. Daniels signed at low money for a chance to win a championship and showcase his value on one of the top teams in the league. The Celtics get a do-it-all presence off the bench at a discount rate considering the Pacers declined a $7 million option to bring Daniels back. Daniels stands to rocket back to that value with a strong second-half and postseason showing in Boston.

The Celtics are hoping Daniels can return to game action as early as a Feb. 10 visit to New Orleans, the final game before a six-day All-Star break. Rivers thought it would be good for Daniels to shake some rust that day and be ready to go when the Celtics open a four-game road trip out West to start the second half. But the Celtics have also stressed that they won't rush him back before he's ready.

On Tuesday, Daniels participated in his first passing drills since having his hard cast removed last week and has been getting in additional shooting and conditioning lately.

"Once I get out there, I'm going to be going full speed," said Daniels.

When assessing Daniels' value, consider this, the Celtics finished with more bench points than their opponent in 11 of the 19 games he appeared in before surgery. What's more, eight of those came before Nov. 14, when Daniels believes he first injured his thumb against the Indiana Pacers.

Since Dec. 4, the last game Daniels appeared in, the Celtics' bench has been outscored 12 times in 22 games, including seven times in the past nine contests. What's more, Eddie House is struggling mightily as he's been forced to help fill a ball-handling role without Daniels, who would also help set up more open looks for House.

Asked what it takes for a player to accept a utility role, Rivers lumped Daniels with some pretty elite company, including James Posey, who played such an integral role in bringing banner No. 17 to Boston two seasons ago.

"There's a group of guys who understood who they were pretty early in their career and have made a great career out of [being a role player]," said Rivers, pointing first to Houston's Shane Battier. "They've made themselves almost irreplaceable. You need them on your team -- a James Posey -- you can go down the list. All the good teams have one. The more you can get, the better you are -- [Miami's Udonis] Haslem -- I'm going to keep naming them."

Doc's interview :

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vLc79TfDgio&feature=player_embedded