ancestron
03-03-2008, 04:24 PM
By CHRIS PERKINS
Palm Beach Post Staff Writer
Saturday, March 01, 2008
SEATTLE — Forward Shawn Marion has been with the Heat only a little more than three weeks, but he already has expressed concern on more than one occasion about the determination of his teammates.
The latest comments came Thursday night after a 106-88 loss to the Lakers in a game televised from Los Angeles by TNT.
"We've got a national TV game. You're telling me you can't get pumped up and come out with fire? That's frustrating. We've got dig deeper," said Marion, who was obtained from Phoenix on Feb. 6 in the Shaquille O'Neal trade.
Lakers reserve guard Jordan Farmar made 9 of 14 shots from the field and led all scorers with 24 points.
"Their bench comes in and gives them energy, our bench needs to come in and give us energy," said Marion, who was in Seattle with his teammates to face the SuperSonics on Friday night. "It's got to be an even swap. We can't have it one-sided."
Miami fell behind 22-6 in the first quarter and never recovered. It was the Heat's sixth loss in the seven games since Marion donned a Heat jersey.
"It's hard, man," he said. "I'm used to being a leader on the floor, but it's got to be everybody. When everybody starts to feel pain, to feel that pain, and get (upset) on the floor ... then this will end. Until that happens, it's never going to end."
But his teammates didn't seem overly bothered by the loss. As Marion spoke in the post-game locker room, they unwittingly illustrated his point by casually joking in the background.
Marion also voiced frustration with the club's attitude after a 112-100 loss at Houston on Feb. 21 and after a 101-96 overtime defeat two days later against Philadelphia.
"That was a tough, tough, tough loss for him," coach Pat Riley said of the Sixers game, in which the Heat took a 96-91 lead in overtime but let Philadelphia finish on a 10-0 run.
"I think that was the first time he really felt it," Riley said of the malaise afflicting the Heat.
Marion's former team is playing for an NBA title this season while his new team is playing out the string.
"Sometimes you get caught in a situation that you've got to deal with, so he's trying to deal with it as best he can right now," Riley said.
Palm Beach Post Staff Writer
Saturday, March 01, 2008
SEATTLE — Forward Shawn Marion has been with the Heat only a little more than three weeks, but he already has expressed concern on more than one occasion about the determination of his teammates.
The latest comments came Thursday night after a 106-88 loss to the Lakers in a game televised from Los Angeles by TNT.
"We've got a national TV game. You're telling me you can't get pumped up and come out with fire? That's frustrating. We've got dig deeper," said Marion, who was obtained from Phoenix on Feb. 6 in the Shaquille O'Neal trade.
Lakers reserve guard Jordan Farmar made 9 of 14 shots from the field and led all scorers with 24 points.
"Their bench comes in and gives them energy, our bench needs to come in and give us energy," said Marion, who was in Seattle with his teammates to face the SuperSonics on Friday night. "It's got to be an even swap. We can't have it one-sided."
Miami fell behind 22-6 in the first quarter and never recovered. It was the Heat's sixth loss in the seven games since Marion donned a Heat jersey.
"It's hard, man," he said. "I'm used to being a leader on the floor, but it's got to be everybody. When everybody starts to feel pain, to feel that pain, and get (upset) on the floor ... then this will end. Until that happens, it's never going to end."
But his teammates didn't seem overly bothered by the loss. As Marion spoke in the post-game locker room, they unwittingly illustrated his point by casually joking in the background.
Marion also voiced frustration with the club's attitude after a 112-100 loss at Houston on Feb. 21 and after a 101-96 overtime defeat two days later against Philadelphia.
"That was a tough, tough, tough loss for him," coach Pat Riley said of the Sixers game, in which the Heat took a 96-91 lead in overtime but let Philadelphia finish on a 10-0 run.
"I think that was the first time he really felt it," Riley said of the malaise afflicting the Heat.
Marion's former team is playing for an NBA title this season while his new team is playing out the string.
"Sometimes you get caught in a situation that you've got to deal with, so he's trying to deal with it as best he can right now," Riley said.