Posted on Thu, Sep. 4, 2008
Donyell Marshall knows he won't be the 76ers' go-to guy this season.
The 6-foot-9 power forward, who signed a veteran minimum contract Tuesday, understands the man above him on the depth chart - two-time all-star Elton Brand - will get the lion's share of the minutes.
That's fine with Marshall.
"I know there are going to be times I won't even touch the floor," said Marshall, 35, who has been in the league since 1994.
But when he does get in, he knows his role: spread the floor and make shots.
Marshall said that since 2003, when he played for coach Kevin O'Neill and an undersize Toronto Raptors squad, his confidence in his three-point shot has dramatically improved.
He even tied the NBA record for three-pointers in a game, making 12 of 19 against the Sixers in 2005.
What made that '05 barrage even better was it came against his hometown team - so he knew friends and family would be watching. Now, Marshall, a Reading native, won't have to circle the Sixers on the schedule.
"I'm excited to be part of an organization that I grew up rooting for," Marshall said, adding that he remembers the '83 team and especially his new coach, Maurice Cheeks.
"I think earlier in my career, I wouldn't have been able to handle playing for the Sixers," said Marshall, who has career averages of 11.4 points and 6.8 rebounds. "But now being a seasoned vet, I'm ready for it, excited. [They] made plenty of moves and have a good chance of winning."
In 26 games last season, split between Cleveland and Seattle, Marshall averaged 3.8 points a game.
Marshall said his main role, other than knocking down open shots, will be tutoring younger frontcourt players such as Thaddeus Young, Marreese Speights and Jason Smith.
Said Marshall: "I think talking to the guys will be just as important as playing time."
The only revelation about Marshall that might make Philly fans hiccup is his status - although he admitted so apologetically - as a Pittsburgh Steelers fan.
Contact staff writer Kate Fagan at 856-779-3844 or kfagan@phillynews.com.
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