ESPN: Marbury, Celtics interested in deal

[ManUp]

If we sign Marbury it's a high risk, high reward move. We risk him becoming a distraction, throwing the locker room chemistry off, and messing with Rondo's confidence. The reward is we get a player with almost the same All-Star credentials as the Big 3. A very talented point guard who can score, and make plays for our bench. He could easily be one of the best 6th men in the league probably right behind Ginobli and be our benches entire offense if needed.

The key to him being successful here is understanding his role and accepting it. If he comes here hoping to take the starting spot from Rondo, we lose. If he can last the rest of the season as a model teammate, we win.

What do I think? He'll come here with the intention of eventually starting. He'll probably start making noise about starting the moment Rondo has a bad stretch of games. Of course, if he comes here I'll give him the benefit of the doubt, but as or right now I don't like the idea.

[jdpapa3]

If we sign Marbury it's a high risk, high reward move. We risk him becoming a distraction, throwing the locker room chemistry off, and messing with Rondo's confidence. The reward is we get a player with almost the same All-Star credentials as the Big 3. A very talented point guard who can score, and make plays for our bench. He could easily be one of the best 6th men in the league probably right behind Ginobli and be our benches entire offense if needed.

The key to him being successful here is understanding his role and accepting it. If he comes here hoping to take the starting spot from Rondo, we win. If he can last the rest of the season as a model teammate, we win.

What do I think? He'll come here with the intention of eventually starting. He'll probably start making noise about starting the moment Rondo has a bad stretch of games. Of course, if he comes here I'll give him the benefit of the doubt, but as or right now I don't like the idea.

I understand this train of thought, but if the Celtics even sniff that Marbury is even close to becoming a problem, they can just cut him with no strings attached.

[EJPLAYA]

I think that NY really doesn't care where he goes, including Boston. They know they aren't competing for a championship for 2-3 more years minimum, and likely not the playoffs even,  and aren't going to hurt themselves just to hurt Boston. They want this thing done and gone and if he signs with us then so be it. If they were close then that would be true.

I hate to say this because I really don't like rewarding bad guys, but this may actually be what we need. A penetrating passing PG who can put points on the board. It would make House better. It would make our big men better. It would make TA better even. Yes it would eliminate any Gabe minutes, and House and TA's would go down some, but I think we are a better second unit with him. Doc and Danny can have a KG-POB conversation with him up front and an extremely short leash. You know Starbury wants to get rid of this tag of never being a winner. He would feel like he was the difference if we won again and he might be right...

is that really what he is EJ? The times that i have seen him most recently he just seems to dominate the ball...often to the detriment of others..

weren't you upset about Sam doing that last year?

I find Marbury's career very frustrating....all the skills and often saying all the right things (like when he moves on to a new team) but in the end the same problem over and over that got him his nickname...

I am hoping that it is obvious that I have very big reservations about this, but yes I think that is true. Number one the guy has a very big assist number even last year in a reduced role. Even at 4.7 last year pg that is a big improvement. He does get into the lane and can score or kick the ball out. I don't think anyone can really argue he won't make this team better if he has his head on straight. I think he has to have been knocked down a peg or two in the past year or so, and he does care what people think about him. One really good season and a ring would solve that in his mind.

As far as Sam goes, Sam couldn't get into the middle, and relied on his fade away jumpers and backing his own guy down to score. He never passed the ball unless he was out with the starters. Completely different game. If Starbury starts resembling Sam more than what we are wanting it is an easy fix. House or Gabe get run until he decides to do it our way.

One big thing you are missing as well, is that he is completely a different player physically right now than he was the last few years. He shed fat and got a lot of strength back which has to translate into a better player. If his head is on straight then this could be a big move. If not then you have to cut him quick. I am torn, but we really need some help. We don't have the pieces to make a big trade, and this is the best talent available...

[celticinorlando]

he could give the bench some real punch

[Casperian]

This is not a "high risk, high reward" thing, this is just "high risk", imo.

Marbury couldn´t get playing time on the freaking Knicks, behind Chris Duhon, under D`Antoni, a guy who can make any PG look better than he really is.
That guy is done.

What makes people think that he can contribute as in 2003?
What makes people think that KG can keep Marbury in check? That didn´t work in Minny, and it won´t work here.
What makes people think that Marbury is willing to sacrifice his ego for a ring? Stephon freaking Marbury, sacrificing his ego? He has proven time and time again what kind of guy he is.

I have no answers for these questions. We are not THAT desperate.
All the explanations and arguments in this thread sound like a massive kool-aid overdose.

Best case scenario is that we have an over-the-hill vet as backup PG, who won´t complain about his role and contributes to #18. (and that´s very unlikely to happen, given his history)

Newsflash: That is already our best case scenario, even without Marbury.
We´re still in a good position to win #18.

I was laughing off these trade ideas involving employee #8, but suddenly, they don´t sound half as bad. It has to be a really terrible trade idea when I rather see Antoine Walker back in green.

[crownsy]

This is not a "high risk, high reward" thing, this is just "high risk", imo.

Marbury couldn´t get playing time on the freaking Knicks, behind Chris Duhon, under D`Antoni, a guy who can make any PG look better than he really is.
That guy is done.

What makes people think that he can contribute as in 2003?
What makes people think that KG can keep Marbury in check? That didn´t work in Minny, and it won´t work here.
What makes people think that Marbury is willing to sacrifice his ego for a ring? Stephon freaking Marbury, sacrificing his ego? He has proven time and time again what kind of guy he is.

I have no answers for these questions. We are not THAT desperate.
All the explanations and arguments in this thread sound like a massive kool-aid overdose.

Best case scenario is that we have an over-the-hill vet as backup PG, who won´t complain about his role and contributes to #18. (and that´s very unlikely to happen, given his history)

Newsflash: That is already our best case scenario, even without Marbury.
We´re still in a good position to win #18.

I was laughing off these trade ideas involving employee #8, but suddenly, they don´t sound half as bad. It has to be a really terrible trade idea when I rather see Antoine Walker back in green.

thats not a fair comparision, he actually looked very, very good in the stretchs he got in the preseason.

He's not playing because he already clashed with dantoni in PHX and they didn't like each other and the knicks want him gone because he's a reminder of the previous regime. Thus, they cut him out of the team, and they are hoping he takes a cheap buyout.

The treatment he is getting from the knicks ATM has nothing to do with his skill, and everything to do with getting him to sign a cheap buyout, which so far he is unwilling to do.

[celticinorlando]

 hey he is a punk but losing sucks...and if he is 100 percent commited to the team then he is ok...but IF he does play ball...boston just got really good on the bench....

[zerophase]

you'd be surprised what a new team can do for a player... suddenly players have new work ethics and are completely healthy again from injury... hopefully starbury can help us out.

[Scalablob990]

I'm not going to throw my two cents in yet, I am still waiting for this "buyout" to occur. Its been on and off since about august and it's already january. I won't be surprised if he hasn't even gone ANYWHERE when playoffs even begin since this buyout deal is just dumb. It's his last big contract before the guy retires, so the knicks should pay him what he's owed.

[Chris]

This is not a "high risk, high reward" thing, this is just "high risk", imo.

Marbury couldn´t get playing time on the freaking Knicks, behind Chris Duhon, under D`Antoni, a guy who can make any PG look better than he really is.
That guy is done.

This isn't really accurate.  He wasn't benched because of his performance, he was benched because he wasn't in the future plans of the team.  During the preseason he was essentially their 6th man, and he played exceptionally well.

[Casperian]

This is not a "high risk, high reward" thing, this is just "high risk", imo.

Marbury couldn´t get playing time on the freaking Knicks, behind Chris Duhon, under D`Antoni, a guy who can make any PG look better than he really is.
That guy is done.

This isn't really accurate.  He wasn't benched because of his performance, he was benched because he wasn't in the future plans of the team.  During the preseason he was essentially their 6th man, and he played exceptionally well.

Yeah, under D´Antoni.
No matter how you phrase it, "not in the future plans of the NY Knicks" is apparently good enough for the future plans of the Boston Celtics. So, he clashed with D`Antoni in Phoenix? And he clashed with Zeke on the Knicks? And he clashed with Garnett in Minny?

Sounds like a great guy, I´m certain he knows a lot about dedication and sacrifices.

[LarBrd33]

We've been hearing about a buyout since before the season started.  If Marbury will not accept less money then what benefit is it to the Knicks to buy him out?  They might as well just hold onto him until he expires.   So I'm not really getting that caught up in this.

But signing Marbury wouldn't be that big of a deal.  If he's willing to get 20 minutes a night backing up Rondo while making a vet min... go for it.  He claims he's in great shape (although that might just be him selling some fitness program he's attached to) and willing to come off the bench.  The guy can't be worse than Tony Allen or Eddie House. 

Man, I love Danny Ainge.

[rondofan1255]

This thread reminds me of the Sign Mighty Mouse threads at this time last year. 

I hope he signs with Boston if he gets bought out.

[RAcker]

Can you imagine the fan reaction in a Knicks/Celtics game if Marbury steps on the floor in Green?  Wow.

[crownsy]

This is not a "high risk, high reward" thing, this is just "high risk", imo.

Marbury couldn´t get playing time on the freaking Knicks, behind Chris Duhon, under D`Antoni, a guy who can make any PG look better than he really is.
That guy is done.

This isn't really accurate.  He wasn't benched because of his performance, he was benched because he wasn't in the future plans of the team.  During the preseason he was essentially their 6th man, and he played exceptionally well.

Yeah, under D´Antoni.
No matter how you phrase it, "not in the future plans of the NY Knicks" is apparently good enough for the future plans of the Boston Celtics. So, he clashed with D`Antoni in Phoenix? And he clashed with Zeke on the Knicks? And he clashed with Garnett in Minny?

Sounds like a great guy, I´m certain he knows a lot about dedication and sacrifices.

right, but we were pointing out thats not what you said.

You said he got benched beacuse he can't play well enough to crack an NBA teams rotation, which is false.

He got benched because he's crazy