For the first time in five years, Stephon Marbury's schedule is booked through April. Vacations have to be put on hold and summer plans are up in the air. But he doesn't mind.

“Any time you get an opportunity to play in the playoffs it's always a great feeling,” Marbury said. “You've extended after the regular season.”

Marbury has not been to the playoffs since 2004 as a member of the New York Knicks. Now there are only days separating him from this weekend's first-round action with the Boston Celtics.

“The preparation every day, the excitement, you're realizing that executing each and every time down the basketball court defensively and offensively, you realize how important it is,” he said. “You're locked in always trying to maintain and continue that goal [of winning a title].”

Over the last 13 years Marbury has played in just 18 postseason games. He has never made it past the first round, suffering early losses with the Knicks, Phoenix Suns and twice with the Minnesota Timberwolves. Now that he has a legitimate shot to win it all with the defending champion, he does not want to let the opportunity slip away.

“You just have to play with a sense of urgency every time you step on to the court,” he said. “There's no room for error, and when you do mess up you have to capitalize off of that mistake.”

One of the biggest lessons Marbury learned from his postseason disappointments echoes the Celtics team-first mentality.

“I wish we would have played better as a team to win, to advance,” he said. “You really don't care about what you do individually. You just want to win because any time you win in the playoffs you give yourself an opportunity to advance.”

Hearing accounts of championship glory is inevitable, especially when Marbury's locker is next to Kevin Garnett's. But he does not want to live vicariously through last season's success. He wants to make his own postseason memories with the Celtics.

“Guys have just been excited to get back into the realm of trying to win another championship. The stories have been the same – winning a championship is the best feeling ever and nothing compares to it as far as playing basketball,” Marbury said, adding, “I really haven't went that deep because I'm just pretty much new to the whole situation. I'm just basically hearing the stories. I haven't gone that deep into how the other guys felt. I know that they were happy and I know that they were excited, but for the most part I want to have that experience.”

Marbury may never have won it all, but he knows what he is going to have to do this weekend to get one step closer.

“Just play,” he said. “I'm sure I'll be a little antsy, but at the same time you just play. You do what you do.”