Chemistry

[azirish]

Like everyone else, I'm frustrated with Marion. I can understand why Kobe might want to leave a sinking ship, but Marion's motives remain a mystery. He's on the perfect team to use his talents, he's making more in two years than many good players make in five ($33 million), and he's playing with some pretty good guys.

In any case, I have no doubt that Marion will stay and play hard. It is just too hard to find someone willing to pay his salary and give up value to get him. He may be frustrated by the Suns not giving him an extension, but dogging it won't help him get more money.

My concern is not that he won't play hard, but that he will resist the "team concept" more than he has in the past. Lack of team orientation is what makes most bad teams worse than the collection of talent they have on the floor. If Marion decides to just play for himself, he could cost the team a shot at the title.

Last season, Marion shot 252 three point shots, even though he averaged just 31.%. What is worse is that he shot 73 mid range shots and hit only 26%. Of his total 1071 shots, 35% were jumpers which hit hit only 29% of: 109 of 375.

He "can" hit threes. In the Spurs series he hit 8 of 17; but against the Lakers he hit only 4 of 17. From a "team" perspective, he should not be shooting jumpers very much - but from a selfish standpoint shooting threes is a quick way to get a lot of points.

On the other hand, Shawn should attack the basket more. He is very effective when he tries, hitting 371 of 547 in close for an excellant 67.8%. However, he does not try to draw contact.

Last season, Marion took 248 foul shots, for 0.453 fouls shots per close FGA.

Barbosa is not considered a very physical and he shot 0.58 foul shots per close FGA

Stoudemire is in a class of his own in getting to line, taking 585 foul shots for 0.81 fouls shots per close FGA.

Nash took 256 fouls shots for 1.0 fouls shots per close FGA - but that's because he gets fouled all over the court.

But Hill was by far the most effective at drawing fouls. He took 324 foul shots for a rate of 1.2 foul shots per close FGA. (In 2004-05 his rate was 1.06).

IMHO, for Marion to become more effective, he needs to take fewer jumpers (and pick his spots) while going harder to the basket. If he simply settles for jumpers, he could become a liabilty on offense.

 

[Errntknght]

I'm no more frustrated with Shawn than I have been the last several years - I rather like the idea that he's put himself in a situation where he has to perform to get more money, or respect. I certainly don't expect him to start storming the hoop since he needs to continue to avoid injury, but I don't think he'll do anything that is contrary to the best interests of the team because that will cut into his prospects. I expect him to keep playing the way he has in the past - if anything he'll play harder.

Its not like he does many things that help a team but don't show up in the stat sheets - he sets no picks and doesn't block opponents off the boards - he doesn't throw caution to the wind going after loose balls.

 

[pokerface]

Frustrated with Marion? How about frustration with the Suns management...they keep shopping him around year after year then Marion says enough already ship me out now....now Marion is the bad guy? Is like a wife saying she's going to divorce you over and over then finally you serve her with papers first then she ends up with hurt feelings over it

 

[scotsman13]

hold it poker . do you know someone within the suns management that is telling you that the suns keep shopping him? we hear that teams have talked to the suns about a player i.e. ak47 and marion, and garrnet for marion but do we know who called who. i am sure that the jazz called the suns on ak47 and i am almost as sure that the suns were the ones that called the twolves about garrnet. if you are the suns and dont call the wolves about trying to get garrnet then you should be fired. garrnet is clearly a better player then marion. just as marion is a better player then ak47 right now.

remember this isnt a marrage it is a business and simply put marion isnt doing what it takes to earn the money he is getting right now and then to even ask for 60 million over 3 years he should be laugh at.

 

[azirish]

This may be the first year they have "shopped" Marion. (Being included in talks about T-Mac and KG do not actually qualify as being shopped). Considering his demand for a three year, $60 million extension it is not unreasonable that the Suns are trying to find if he has any trade value.

 

[YouJustGotSUNSD]

I agree with many points in the original post. why is pokerface defending the feelings of a 17 million dollar athlete who signed a contract?

 

[Cheesebeef]

This may be the first year they have "shopped" Marion. (Being included in talks about T-Mac and KG do not actually qualify as being shopped).

huh? Why not? Do you not think when the Suns made an offer to get either one of those guys (and we all know they made the call), that Marion wasn't the first part of any package? How is that not being shopped?

 

[azirish]

huh? Why not? Do you not think when the Suns made an offer to get either one of those guys (and we all know they made the call), that Marion wasn't the first part of any package? How is that not being shopped?

Definition of terms. I have generally understood "shopped" to mean going to every other team to find out what they get for the guy. Guys get shopped because they have some trade value but are viewed as being expendible.

Making offers for super elite players is in another category.

 

[jandaman]

I think its time for the Suns management, just to get Marion down and talk to him, convince him that he belongs and is vital.... just pamper him, because if you can convince him that he is a valued asset then he can be convinced to take a cheaper extension... treat him as if the Suns want him to retire in Phoenix.

 

[Cheesebeef]

Definition of terms. I have generally understood "shopped" to mean going to every other team to find out what they get for the guy. Guys get shopped because they have some trade value but are viewed as being expendible.

Making offers for super elite players is in another category.

yeah, right, tell that to any athelete. They shooped Marion (multiple times that we definitely know of) as part of a package to get better, period. To say otherwise isn't in touch with reality.

 

[Mainstreet]

It doesn't matter. Every coach is hired to be fired and every player almost certainly faces being traded at some time in his career. The fact that the Suns most probably have refused to trade Marion in previous years indicates the Suns have been loyal to him or never received a fair offer. Now Marion has taken the publicly vocal line... trade me probably because he wants a fat extension and the Suns are not going to cough it up. If Marion were a true professional he would just opt out after this season or the Suns would accomodate him in a sign and trade next season. IMO he just degrades himself by taking the Kobe Bryant line. Even Shaq has been traded twice.

The Suns have a right to shop him becauses he does not deserve a max contract let alone a 60 million dollar extension he is wanting from the Suns now.

 

[elindholm]

Definition of terms. I have generally understood "shopped" to mean going to every other team to find out what they get for the guy.

I think that's fair. I doubt anyone is ever offered to every other team, but I know what you mean.

Frankly I doubt that Marion is being shopped even now, but other teams probably know that the asking price for him is a bit lower than it has been.

 

[BC867]

I believe there is another priority here.

As long as our starting frontcourt consists of Amare and two Small Forwards (by size, compared to the rest of the league) . . . Amare's potential will be neutralized by foul trouble.

Even without Marion's whining, selfishness, highest-pay-on-the-team, disappointing playoff performances, fear of contact, etc., he needs to be replaced with a larger player to join Amare at the second Dual Power Forward position.

That's reason #1 why he should be traded. #2 is the unrest that now exists. #3 through whatever are the reasons why.

 

[Sunsman44]

My concern is not that he won't play hard, but that he will resist the "team concept" more than he has in the past. Lack of team orientation is what makes most bad teams worse than the collection of talent they have on the floor. If Marion decides to just play for himself, he could cost the team a shot at the title.

No doubt. Steve Kerr and D'Antoni have always said they want to keep a great chemistry by bringing back their core.

However, when one of your core guys is upset and disgruntled, how is he going to help chemistry?

Sure, Marion is probably going to set career numbers because of it being a contract year and he wants to prove all the Suns staff wrong. But that is all selfish garbage and detriments the team.

As far as I understand - Andre Kirilenko or Lamar Odom would be a much better match in terms of chemistry than a pissed off Marion.