Marigney's Summer Job: Make Someone Notice

<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">LAS VEGAS - The final seconds were winding down in the Warriors' 88-79 summer league loss to the Washington Wizards at Cox Pavilion on Monday. The ball worked its way to Paul Marigney in the right corner.

He was wide open and pulled the trigger on the 3-pointer without any hesitation, snapping the net. His follow-through pose suggested he had no doubts.

"I knew that was going in," said Marigney, who is playing guard for the Warriors' summer league team.

It was his first attempt of the summer league and the first glimpse of the real Paul Marigney: the Marigney that made a name for himself at St. Mary's College with his fluid stroke and knack for scoring; the Marigney that tormented the West Coast Conference to the tune of 19.7 points per game his last two seasons.

Marigney is stuck in a common dilemma for young, unknown players, playing his game vs. playing his role. The former has its risks, including making mistakes and rubbing his teammates and coaches the wrong way. The latter presents arguably a bigger risk -- not making an impression.

"The first thing you need to do when you come from a small school, you've got to show what you can do," Warriors assistant coach Keith Smart said. "A lot of young players come in trying to not make mistakes and you don't play your game. You have to be who you are."

Marigney has spent his few game minutes working on defense, crashing the boards and getting the ball to the big men. He's focused on the game at all times, shouting advice from the bench and rushing out to greet players during timeouts. He's been vocal on the court, too, occasionally directing traffic and often encouraging teammates.

Several times throughout the last two games, the coaches on the bench have praised him for his defense and hustle. They've also had to implore him to crash the boards, which comically resulted in his 6-foot-3, 195-pound frame bouncing off the big bodies in the paint.

"Paul is a tough guard," Warriors special assistant Mitch Richmond said. "He doesn't back down from anyone. He knows how to score.

"He's been a class act. He's been working hard. Guys like that just need a break."

On the offensive end of the court, however, Marigney has been passive.

He's pulling the ball back out on fast breaks, wasting his knack for attacking even against the numbers. He's looking to run the offense, though his eyes usually light up against single coverage. He's pump-faking and making the extra pass, contradicting his reputation as one who's never seen a shot he didn't like.

"There are other ways to make an impact besides scoring," Marigney said. "Leadership, getting the ball to the big man, taking pride in stopping someone on defense, always having energy, picking other people up when they make a mistake ...</div>

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