http://www.eastvalleytribune.com/story/97213
The Phoenix Suns love Shawn Marion, the basketball player. They treasure his versatility, his unselfishness and his ability to cover everyone from point guards to centers. He’s a freak, in a good way.
Read Scott Bordow's blog
The Suns aren’t thrilled, however, with Shawn Marion, the businessman, and that’s why the Marion for Andrei Kirilenko trade rumor can’t be summarily dismissed.
The Suns don’t want to trade Marion. They know their best chance to win a championship this season is to keep the Marion-Steve Nash-Amaré Stoudemire triumvirate together.
But Marion’s constant whining about being third in the pecking order is wearing on the Suns. They’re tired of hearing how he’s not respected when he’ll make the most money on the team this season ($16.4 million), he led Phoenix in minutes played last year and took 100 more shots than Nash and 16 more than Stoudemire.
Not to mention the three straight All-Star appearances, the invitation to play for the Olympic team, the Nike Air Force 25 commercial in which he gets equal billing with Kobe Bryant and LeBron James, and the cover of ESPN The Magazine.
We should all be so disrespected.
It’s been suggested that the Suns want to trade Marion because they think he’ll opt out of his contract after this season and become a free agent, leaving them empty-handed. Actually, Phoenix isn’t worried about that at all. As good as Marion is, no team is going to give him a contract that starts at $17.8 million (his salary for the 2007-08 season). That kind of money is reserved for superstars. And for all of Marion’s talents, he’s a complementary player, not someone who can lead a team.
But there is concern among the Suns coaching staff and front office that Marion’s grousing will become even louder if Grant Hill gets some of his shots and publicity.
Already, Marion’s jealousy of Stoudemire threatens the chemistry in the locker room. A Slam magazine reporter recently asked Marion if he was watching Stoudemire in the FIBA Americas tournament in Las Vegas. “Nope,” Marion said. Then he sat there, silent, until the next question was asked.
As much of a pain as Marion can be sometimes, though, trading him for Kirilenko is a bad idea. Kirilenko may be younger (26) and taller (6-foot-9 to Marion’s 6-7), but he can’t touch Marion as a player. Kirilenko’s best season statistically was in 2003-04, when he averaged 16.5 points and 8.1 rebounds per game. Marion’s numbers dipped last season because of Stoudemire’s return, but he still averaged 17.5 points and 9.8 rebounds per contest.
And if the Suns are worried about Marion’s at ude, why would they covet Kirilenko when he whined last season about his reduced role? If he wasn’t happy playing a supporting role to Carlos Boozer and Deron Williams, why would he be content taking a back seat to Nash, Stoudemire and Hill? A Suns source said Tuesday that while trade talks have been tabled for now, they might be reopened if Utah is willing to take on another contract, say, the $17.2 million still owed Marcus Banks.
Let’s hope the phone call is never made. Let’s hope Marion comes to his senses and understands he’s in the perfect situation, where his unique talents are showcased and his deficiencies hidden. Let’s hope the Suns aren’t so interested in dumping Banks that they weaken their team.
Odds are Marion will be with the Suns when they open the season in October. But stay tuned. This story might not have a happy ending.
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Keep in mind that Marion is their highest-paid player, he played the most minutes and he had the highest number of field-goal attempts of any Sun. WTF is wrong with this guy?
It boggles the mind.
Whining like he does is a cancer in the locker room, never mind on the court.
I can't begin to understand what he wants. Top billing? Ego can be a dangerous thing.
Oh...and cue the Suns fans saying we can't get enough of their team because another Suns thread is posted!
da_suns_fan keeps going on and on about Steve Nash's "leadership" in the Devin Harris thread. Steve Nash could be George Patton reincarnated and it wouldnt matter with these assclowns. When it comes to poise and maturity, do you want to have to depend on Amare and Marion? They're wasting Nash's prime. He's got one, two years tops at the level he's playing at.It boggles the mind.
Whining like he does is a cancer in the locker room, never mind on the court.
I can't begin to understand what he wants. Top billing? Ego can be a dangerous thing.
Oh...and cue the Suns fans saying we can't get enough of their team because another Suns thread is posted!
He is a whiny , but I think where he feels the most slighted is that he really doesn't have any offensive plays called for him. The overwhelming majority of his points come in transition, offensive rebounding, and kickouts or swings as a secondary option. The offense revolves around the pick-and-roll with Steve Nash and Amare. I think the root of Marion's jealousy, whether warranted or not, is somehow tied into the fact that he is rarely if ever a primary scoring option. He is an afterthought, a second option at best.
Don't get me wrong, he's still a whiny little . But, I don't think it's about him getting paid more or getting more pub. I think he wants to be a focal point of the offense.
He's still a though.
You want respect? Step 1 is not being reduced to a non-factor in playoff series where you team gets eliminated.
The Spurs mode of operation is Team Play.
One man, not even Tim Duncan, wins it alone.
You would think that due to the Spurs formula being a success other players would take note and check their ego at the door.
You want to be the focus of the offense? Do you think that's going to get your team over the hump? Maybe he does...
However, Michael Jordan, Shaquille O'Neal, and Hakeem Olajuwon refute that argument. Some players will always want to be the superstar that is the reason for ultimate championship success. Very few superstar players are as humble and as unselfish as Tim Duncan. Consequently, great players still have an incessant ego about how great they are and what a team should do to cater to them.
Jordan, Shaq and Hakeem had the goods to back up the ego.
My question is can Marion really think he can bring the Suns over the hump if he's more of a focus on offense?
I think Jamstone is making some good points here, which speak to where Marion's at ude comes from. I look at that Spurs series and think to myself, "He couldn't find a way to assert himself against a strong defense." His view point seems to be, "If I had gotten the ball some more maybe we could have won." Maybe we're both wrong.
I like Marion. I think he's a great player.
But the whining kills me.
Keep it in the locker room. Talk to your coaches. Don't let it hit the press where we can all start second guessing him.
I agree, maybe we're all wrong and Marion's right. But settle it privately and show us on the court.
I don't disagree. I'm not saying that Marion is justified in thinking in such a way, only that this is perhaps where his mentality comes from.
Got it.
marion might be sick of his name on the block ever summer
Last thing I want to see the Suns blow up this soon. I want it to be a 3 team race again between the Spurs, Mavs, and Suns. Trading Marion for AK is ing stupid. That is a horrible deal on the Suns end. Plus I really want to play a healthy Suns team to see if we can actually eliminate them. I am tired of speculating on that.
yeah, it's hard to get plays called for you when your jumpshot looks like someone trying to sling off a stick.
Marion is a tragically flawed player. No matter how much he wants to believe he's capable of creating his own offense consistantly, he's simply not able. He hasn't the handle, nor the jumper form that will enable a quick, accurate release off the dribble. He is adequate in every offensive skill area, and makes his money off his athleticism, rebounding and defense. No amount of set plays run for him will change his at ude, either, I suspect. He's got a complex where if anything can be a slight, it is a slight.
He probably blames the Phoenix PR department for his jersey sales being #3 behind Nash and Amare.
I love Marion's game. I do wish he was a bit more complete an offensive player, one capable of periodically generating offense, but if he hasn't developed by now then it's already too late.
I just needs to shut up, suck it up, get back in shape, on the court and work his ass off. No amount of pouting is going to endear him to team's with money. What he fails to see is every year of whining is probably another team with money who's lost interest. Phoenix is his perfect situation. One might ask, "If he can't stand perfection, then how the will he stand us?"
Shawn Marion is a damn idiot. I feel for nash having to tolerate this ass. First option? PLEASE!!!!!
They should trade that ho to Atlanta so that he can be the captain on a sunken ship.
he chose to go to suns he was not forced their why feel sorry for him
shawn marion is overrated
they love to talk about his defense, i dont give a if his versatile and defense all 5 positions, yet i still havnt seen him shut down anyone yet....
He should just get bought out and sign for the minimum here.
I just can't understand his psyche, why can't he be grateful for what he has, and working upon that on the court rather than running his mouth open and sinking into a sea of envious feeling ?
He's pretty well paid -rather overpaid for what his market value should be, in a respectable spotlight fact that he's been a perennial all star for the last few yrs, his team is consistently challenging for championship, a VERY, very ideal situation for him.
Does he really feel deep inside that he's actually higher than Stoudamire, or worse, Nash in the Suns importance list ? Simply unbelievable.
Last edited by SpursIndonesia; 09-14-2007 at 05:37 AM.
What a way to show your team how much you love working with them.
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