Time to brew some Murphy

Some of our problems against the New York Knicks are related to the lack of rebounding and scoring production from the bench. Working with a short rotation of players in the playoffs, we have heavily relied on the abilities of Glen Davis to get the work done. In the first two games, he hasn't been able to be a threat on both ends of the floor. The lack of height in the middle once Jermaine goes to the bench has hurt us against younger and more athletic players. Furthermore, Davis has been unable to hit his mid range jumper and this way the floor hasn't been spread when he is on the court. Krstic has played very little and Jeff Green has been quite tentative so far.

I would propose looking at our bench and trying to give some playing time to a guy that has averaged more than 8 rebounds and shot almost 40% from the three point line in his career. While he is by no means a defensive machine (and the athletic epithets will never match his name), Troy Murphy has a knack for rebounds and can surely shoot the basketball.

Murphy has just had a problem of conditioning and of fitting in a team where his playing time and role have shifted from minimum to none. Learning the systems on the go and having not much time to prove what he can bring to the team, it must have been frustrating for him.

I would just suggest that while we wait for the Big Shamrock to get healthy and the Big Baby to get smoother we could certainly use a sip of your favorite big old Murphy and give it a try. Inserting Troy in the rotation -at least in these series- would add a shooter and a rebounder that can get some relief and space for the starters or the rest of the players.

So Doc, think about it. Try some Murphy. Let's give the big man his first taste of the playoffs of his career.

Just for the sake of it.