After completing a brief but successful two-game road trip, the Lakers returned to El Segundo to hold a team practice on Wednesday. Phil Jackson spent an extended period of time talking to local reporters, and one of the more interesting topics that came up was the Celtics' recent personnel addition of Mikki Moore, as well as the rumored interest in bringing on exiled former New York Knick, Stephon Marbury.
Jackson was complimentary to Boston for their signing of Moore, and likes Marbury's theoretical ability to create shots on his own. He also went on to say that from the Lakers standpoint, the only interest in the Marbury situation was that of wondering whether a player "in his prime" would get the opportunity to play this season -- but L.A. is loaded at the guard spot, so they never considered the addition of Marbury as a viable option.
Should Lakers fans be worried that a Celtics team that L.A. dominated this season is strengthening itself for another title run? Not with these players.
Mikki Moore is tall, but his NBA ability really ends there. He's never been the scorer or rebounder that he should have been considering his body type, and he's likely just six more fouls for the Celtics to bring off the bench if necessary.
As for Marbury, Jackson is likely correct in his assertion that Boston's veteran locker room won't allow him to be the sideshow he became in New York. But on the court, let's not forget that Marbury hasn't played in an NBA game in over a year.
Mikki Moore and Stephon Marbury are nowhere near the caliber of solid, veteran players that the Celtics added for their title run a season ago, P.J. Brown and Sam Cassell. The only similarities are the fact that one is a big man, and the other is a guard -- the abilities aren't close. Time will tell if these player moves pan out for the Celtics, but at first glance, the moves come across as extremely desperate.
