There’s a reason 76ers coach Tony DiLeo refers to Donyell Marshall as his secret weapon. It’s because every time Marshall saves the day with his lethal 3-point shooting, it’s not long before he returns to his primary role as head cheerleader.  

After two strong performances in early December, Marshall played six minutes in the following two games before spending five straight games pinned to the bench. After three straight torrid shooting exhibitions in mid-March, he had a five-minute stint followed by a string of inactivity.

There’s no reason to believe the trend is going to change now, especially considering that Thaddeus Young was forced to the bench by Marshall’s latest resurgence. Despite a game-saving performance in which he scored 11 points in the fourth quarter of Game 1, there is a good chance the Sixers’ secret weapon will be returning to the witness protection program.

And it could happen as soon as Wednesday night’s Game 2 (7 p.m., CSN) in Orlando. Marshall, along with rookie Marreese Speights, who played seven minutes in the opening game, likely will spend most of the contest giving Kareem Rush company on the bench.

“It may be a little difficult [to find Speights and Marshall playing time in the series],” DiLeo said. “[Orlando] doesn’t play with a typical power forward-center. They have a power forward in Rashard Lewis that is more of an outside player. Sometimes that is a tough guard for a guy like Marreese Speights.

“We’re going to throw guys in and out depending on lineups, foul trouble and game situation, just like we did with Donyell. If it’s clicking and working, we’ll stick with that team.”

In the fourth quarter Sunday night, everything was working with Marshall on the court. But for the most part this season, the Sixers have done very well with Young occupying the power forward position.  The second-year stud evolved into the Sixers’ most consistent offensive option late in the season.

Young was noticeably absent, but not necessarily missed thanks to Marhsall’s heroics, in the fourth quarter of Game 1. Young played less than two minutes of the final quarter, during which the Sixers outscored Orlando, 35-19. Unless Marshall goes crazy and hits 3-of-4 threes like he did on Sunday, that’s likely to change throughout the rest of the series.

As for the task of handling Orlando’s All-Star center Dwight Howard – who at 23 years old officially became the youngest player in history on Tuesday to win the Defensive Player of the Year award – in the fourth quarter, that situation is a bit more unpredictable. Theo Ratliff handled the duties during the Sixers’ Game 1 comeback. Sam Dalembert split the responsibility with Ratliff the other three quarters.

“It just depends on the game situation. Both are shot blockers, have length and are athletic that maybe bother him a little bit. And both of them have different ways to play him that will keep him a little bit off balance,” DiLeo said. “The good thing about it is we have two guys like that to guard him.”

Two guys still might not be enough. Howard had 31 points and 16 rebounds in Game 1 despite getting his eye raked by Dalembert in the third quarter.

Howard expects to be fine for Game 2. He experienced minimal discomfort in the affected eye on Tuesday.

http://csnphilly.com/pages/landing_09?Raanan-Sixers-Trying-to-Find-Time-for-Ma=1&blockID=50401&feedID=729

I kind of disagree with this. I know with Elton Brand out we have been playing Thad Young at PF but if we want to get Marshall more playing time there isn't any reason why we can't slide Young to SF and Iguodala to SG.