Boston Celtics: How Signing Troy Murphy Solidifies C's Title Shot

It has been a few weeks now since the San Jose Mercury News, reported that Troy Murphy's contract was bought out by the Golden State Warriors and it has been even less time since Murphy told ESPN.com via e-mail that he will join the Celtics not the Miami Heat. 

The Heat were attempting to sign the former Notre Dame standout to block the Celtics from scooping Murphy up for themselves and to add some depth to their highly unproductive bench.

The Portland Trail Blazers had also expressed interest in Murphy.

The Warriors had just received Murphy from the New Jersey Nets in a trade that sent Brandon Wright and Dan Gadzuric to the Nets.

Troy Murphy started his career playing six years for the Golden State Warriors, and then shifted over to the Indiana Pacers where he played for four years. This year was his first with the New Jersey Nets, and he only had the opportunity to play in 18 games with them before being traded back to the Warriors only to see his contract bought out and then sign with the Celtics.

Murphy is known for being a solid outside shooter and above average rebounder. For his career Troy is averaging a respectable 11.8 points per game and 8.3 rebounds per contest...numbers that any team would love to have. In addition, Murphy doesn't seem to stray from his averages against the Boston Celtic's best opponents.

Troy Murphy:

Career Statistics Vs. Celtics Rivals

Team	Games	PPG	RPG	APG
Los Angeles Lakers	24	11.0	9.3	1.9
Miami Heat	22	11.4	8.3	1.6
Chicago Bulls	20	13.5	7.9	1.9
Orlando Magic	24	11.8	7.5	1.5
New York Knicks	18	14.3	11.2	2.4

As you can see "Murph Dog" is no slouch. He handles his own against some of the best teams the Celtics play against. Yes, these are career statistics against individual franchises who have seen different players on these teams over the years but one thing is consistent. Troy Murphy puts up good numbers against whomever he plays. 

Murphy has gotten off to a slow start with the Boston Celtics. He has been working hard to get is legs back underneath him and to get into game shape since he hadn't seen much playing time with New Jersey this year. Through his first 11 games with the Celtics, Murphy is averaging 10:24 mpg, 2.3 ppg, 2.6 rbg, and .5 steals and assists per game. Once Troy gets back into game shape and learns the Celtics' defense, then he will likely see a hike in minutes played and be more of an impact player for the struggling Celtics.

Stay tuned for more news and updates on Troy "Dropkick" Murphy as the season progresses.

Must Read: Eighteen Reasons the Celtics will Win the 2011 NBA Championship