Maybe it's the luck of the Irish, but for Stephon Marbury he seems to have already won over everyone after one night out of knickerbockers and in Kelly green. Coming off the bench, nailing his first shot, and scoring eight points in 13 minutes of action, the fans filling the Boston Garden were on their feet cheering for their newly-acquired "role player."

It's surprising to hear so many positive things being said about the player who hasn't seen any game action for four months because, well, he chose to sit. You wouldn't think someone who left the world's biggest basketball market on such chilly terms would escape the brunt of the "how dare he dog it" criticism other athletes have received (see Moss, Randy).

If everyone else is taking the high road on this, so will I. From a mere basketball standpoint, Marbury should be a solid pick-up, especially when you consider the contract -- $1.2 million for the rest of the year. He adds quality depth at the point guard position and once he gets his legs under him (remember that whole four months thing), he could be a contributing role player in the Celtic's pursuit of another championship. While you have to love the combination of "guy with chip on his shoulder" + title contender, it's way too early to say that it equates to NBA finals favorite.

At the very least, I hope that Steph's reunion with former T-Wolve teammate will force ESPN's hand to make another "All nude" commercial.  Better yet, if the Celtics do manage to repeat, I hope their video yearbook is called "2008/09 Boston Celtics: Tastefully done."