NYPG Blue
By Pat Cassidy Page 3 "To me, he’s right there where Stephon was at this age," says longtime New York Gauchos AAU coach Dwayne Mitchell. “Physically, they’re both the same, with their speed, their handle and their scoring ability. Marlon’s more advanced though in terms of his work ethic. His work ethic is unbelievable. He leads by example. He just wants to make it so bad. He calls me up at all hours saying ‘Coach, I want to work out, can you open up the gym?’ You’ve just gotta love that in a kid.” "I knew he was special the first time he came to us. He was about nine at the time. After coaching the Gauchos for twenty years, and working with all of the great players that have come through here - Stephon, Rod Strickland, Jamal Mashburn, Felipe Lopez, to name a few – I’d like to think that I can spot a player. I grabbed him and put him through all the tests. He was just so much more advanced than all of the other kids his age. He already had a strong left hand. He was quicker and physically more powerful than everybody else. And like I said, his work ethic was unbelievable, even then." In terms of his game, Marlon welcomes the comparisons to Marbury, but that’s not enough. "I try to be like all the great point guards, creating my own shots, taking control of the team's offense, and basically taking over whatever happens on the floor. I’m definitely like Stephon on the court, in that I can score and pass. But I see myself working to be better
than Stephon, better than Kenny Anderson. I want to work to pass better than anybody, to shoot better, to do it all better. The Gauchos have put a lot of guys in the NBA, and I want to be the best."
|
