When Marion came into the leauge, didn't he have a problem with longer shots past 15 feet or so?
I don't remember. Maybe his first year or two. But I can definitely remember that, for years, people on this board have been talking about how reliable Marion is from 15 feet. Personally, I've never seen it.
Would you make the a trade for Artest?
What's the offer? If it's Bell, Barbosa, and the lesser of the two Atlanta picks, I probably would, but my guess is that Indiana will get more from someone else.
It will amuse most of this board that part of the reason I'd feel comfortable making the trade is that House is looking decent in his backup PG role (even though he couldn't throw it in the ocean last night).
Right now, the Suns have only two players who are capable of creating their own shot: Stoudemire and, yes, House. Artest would add another dynamic offensive weapon who would open things up for everyone, especially Marion, who has looked lost the last two games.
I'm not blind to the risks that Artest would bring. But the potential rewards are too great to pass up, if the Suns wouldn't have to make major sacrifices. I like Bell, but he is replaceable; and the Suns haven't drafted a keeper with a mid-first pick in at least 15 years, so I'm not that attached to the pick. So that leaves Barbosa, and while it would be a shame to give him up right as he's starting to look really good, generally you have to give up quality to get quality.
And it's possible -- how likely is open to debate -- that Artest would behave himself just fine. Everyone predicted disaster when Rasheed Wallace went to Detroit, but all he's done is energize the whole team and get them to the Finals two years in a row. (For that matter, Barkley's reputation was pretty poor in the season before he was traded to the Suns.) Fiery competitors want to win more than anything else, and Artest is smart enough to know that he can't win on a team where he's the only star, or even the brightest one.
) may have gotten to the magic.
Longley never amounted to more than damaged goods for the Knicks and subsequently retired to sunny Australia. We actually got a servicable center, a pick, and money, too! I still don't know how the Knicks scouting department didn't collectivly get fired over that one! 
