Stephen Graham had already heard about Marquis Daniels before they faced off on the basketball court. People talked in the Florida basketball circuit, and Daniels was known as one of the best players on the Orlando-area Edgewater High School team. Graham, then a junior at Brandon High School near Tampa, was impressed by the senior guard who garnered attention with this athleticism and dunking abilities.

“I just knew he was going to be a really good player,” Graham said in a telephone interview.

Nearly 10 years after playing against each other as teenagers, Daniels and Graham ended up in the same locker room as teammates on the Indiana Pacers. By this time Daniels had developed his game – “He knows he doesn't have to jump as high as you can on every single possession. He picks and chooses his time when he really needs to be athletic and play a mid-range game, so he's smart with that,” Graham said – and matured into a locker room leader.

So it came as no surprise to Graham when the championship-contending Celtics added Daniels to their bench for the upcoming season. (For Daniels' career numbers, click here.) After playing on the same team as Daniels for the past two seasons, Graham offered up five important things to know about the newest player in green.

“THEY WON'T MISS A BEAT”

Daniels was the second major addition to the Celtics bench this summer, following the acquisition of free-agent Rasheed Wallace this summer. What makes Daniels even more valuable is, like James Posey, he has spent more than two-thirds of his six-year career coming off the bench and does not need major minutes to be effective.

“I think that's a really good spot for him to be at, backing up Paul Pierce or Ray Allen or any of those other guys. He's going to bring that defensive tenacity out there with him,” said Graham. “His offensive game is really good but I think he's a better defender than offensive player. I don't think they give him much recognition for his defense as much, but I think he's a really good defender. He's going to be a really good back up. I don't think when they take Paul Pierce or any of those guards out they are going to miss a beat with him in there.”

LOOKS CAN BE DECEIVING

According to Graham, the 6-6 200 pound Daniels is tougher than he looks. Whether it is his deceptive defensive abilities or his unexpected slashing abilities, Daniels can burn his opponents if they are not anticipating his versatile game.

“Marquis has got a funny odd-type game because he's always been, even since high school when we played against him, he doesn't do anything really fast, he doesn't do anything really slow. His game looks kind of nonchalant but it's really effective, more like a slashing, mid-range game,” Graham said. “He's got really long arms and he's really good at anticipating, so he's got quick hands and he's good at anticipating where the defense is going to move. He's not an overall strong guy but he's got like a wiry strength to him, so he's kind of deceptive. You won't think that he's as strong as he looks.”

DANIELS CAN CALL THE SHOTS

Next season the Celtics will call on Daniels and Eddie House to back up Rajon Rondo at the point position. While it has yet to be seen if this combination can be successful enough without signing another true PG, Daniels has proven in the past that he can run the floor.

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“He actually did play some point at one point in time when we had a couple of guys out on injuries. In my first year with him (2007-2008) he played a lot of point when Jamaal Tinsley was out. He can definitely handle the ball and he can guard a point guard,” Graham suggested. “He's pretty vocal. He's not a solidified point guard, he's a multi-position player, but he's just as loud as any other point guard that you'd play with and he can see the floor just as well as any other point guard that you would play against. He's one of those tweener guys who can play the point, shooting guard, and small forward. He definitely has a high IQ and is probably one of the better passers I've seen playing and as a slasher as well.”

EMBRACING UBUNTU

While the Celtics dominated games with their intensity during the 2008 championship season, they would not have been able to win it all without such a strong chemistry off the court. From cracking jokes to embracing his teammates, Graham believes Daniels, whom he describes as a “good locker room guy,” will fit in with the tight-knit group.

“He's actually a really good teammate. He's one of those guys that when you get to another city, he's one of those guys you want to go out to dinner with and just hang out with. He's got a good attitude, a good sense of humor,” Graham offered. “He's kind of like our locker-room class clown. Any time we want to get a joke or something, we'll just ask Marquis. He's just all-around hilarious. He's got those dreads so he's probably either imitating somebody or just making a joke or doing a rap. When we worked out we played his CD, his album, so that's a good funny thing. We did it because he's good and because it's got a good upbeat beat to work out to. And plus, he's a teammate so it's like we've got to support him as well.”

MORE TO DANIELS THAN JUST BASKETBALL

Every player on the Celtics is an active member of the Boston community and Daniels looks to be no different. The founder of the Q6 Foundation, which helps underprivileged children and those with sickle cell anemia, Daniels is passionate about giving back.

“Since I've been with the Indiana Pacers he's been a really good guy,” said Graham. “He's done a lot of community service, he's got his foundation, he goes out with me sometimes to the high schools and talks to the kids and has his little camps in Indiana as well. So he's a good guy in the community on and off the court.”

THE BOTTOM LINE

“I think there'll probably be two reasons [why the Celtics will like him],” Graham concluded. “I think they'll like him because he's a great guy as far as locker room-wise. He's one of those guys, like I said before, he's going to keep you laughing. And at the second end of it, he's one those guys that you're going to want to take into battle with you because he's a hard worker, he's a relentless guy, he doesn't give up.”