The Boston Celtics have officially announced the signing of veteran forward Troy Murphy, who was recently bought out of his contract by the Golden State Warriors. The terms of the deal have not been disclosed by the team.
Murphy was drafted by the Warriors in 2001, and the former Notre Dame star has established himself as a formidable rebounder with a very accurate three-point shot, especially when trailing the break. However, Murphy’s inability to score inside and serious, serious defensive problems have been issues throughout his career, and he has never played for a team that made the playoffs. That is about to change, obviously, but the question is whether or not Murphy will be able to play enough defense to earn minutes in the Celtics’ playoff rotation. If he does, he may well provide the big three or the clutch rebound that helps the Celtics squeak out a close playoff game, and that’s all you can really expect a buyout acquisition to do.
