http://www.nba.com/suns/news/marion_041129.html
Marion’s Talent Rises to the Surface
By Steven Koek, Suns.com
Posted: Nov. 29, 2004
Suns forward Shawn Marion has made an NBA career out of coming in under the radar. Not a flashy, attention-grabbing superstar, the six-year veteran simply works hard, goes about his business and collects 20 points and 10 rebounds every game without ever having a play called for him.
Marion’s talent and contributions have risen to the surface as he was named the NBA Western Conference Player of the Week on Monday, a week after teammate Amaré Stoudemire took the honors. “The Matrix” averaged 25.7 points, 14.3 rebounds and 1.67 blocks in home victories over Chicago, Milwaukee and New Orleans.
“He’s been doing it for six years and he doesn’t really get a lot of credit,” Head Coach Mike D’Antoni said of Marion. “I’m glad he got Player of the Week, he deserves it. He deserves it almost every week. It’s good to spread the wealth around a little bit. That’s what comes from winning and having someone like Steve Nash who distributes the ball. We’re pretty happy right now.
The Suns now head to Utah for a matchup against the Jazz on Tuesday night with an 11-2 record and the Pacific Division lead. While Nash and Stoudemire have justifiably gotten a good deal of the credit and publicity, Marion’s play has been as big a reason as any for the team’s early success.
“First of all, he’s our best defensive player and that’s half the game,” D’Antoni said. “Then offensively, he gets 12 rebounds and a lot of them are putbacks, and things that really breaks a team’s back. He shoots threes, he drives to the basket, he does a little bit of everything. There’s a reason why he’s a max player. He should do this and he is doing this, and we’re just lucky that we have him.”
Marion has seen a lot of change in the Suns' organization since being drafted by Phoenix out of UNLV with the ninth overall pick in the 1999 NBA Draft. Coaching changes, player movement and even the sale of the franchise have not altered the way the 6-7 All-Star forward goes about his job or the results that follow.
“I’m just happy we’re winning right now,” Marion said. “I’m just going to keep playing ball. It’s a great accomplishment, but I think of it as a team thing. I think we all got it together.
“I’ve been doing the same thing I’ve been doing for the last four, five years, since I’ve been in the league. If you go out there and play hard at both ends of the floor, good things are going to happen.”
Marion’s teammates are happy he is finally getting some recognition for the things he has been doing all along.
“Shawn is a freak of nature,” marveled Stoudemire. “He comes out and scores the ball, crashes the boards, blocks shots, steals, he does it all. His athletic ability, speed and quickness allow him to pretty much do anything out there on the court.
“It’s a great accomplishment for our team and the organization, knowing that we’ve got players that can pick up Player of the Week honors in a tough conference like the West. It feels good.”
Stoudemire sees a trend developing in the announcement of the weekly awards.
“For me to get it last week and Shawn to get it the next week, we may just change places for the rest of the season,” he said. “I get it next week.”
