WAITING GAME
Marion, who shined with Suns, deserving of Hall of Fame
Shawn Marion’s moment in Springfield will come.
Should’ve already happened. Marion was first nominated for the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 2019, but he’ll have to wait another year. Dwyane Wade, Dirk Nowitzki, Tony Parker, Gregg Popovich and Pau Gasol headlined the 2023 inductees at Saturday’s ceremony in Springfield, Mass.
Those five are very familiar with “The Matrix” who was a huge part of the Phoenix Suns’ “Seven Seconds or Less” era that redefined NBA basketball by playing up tempo and utilizing small ball lineups.
Marion won a championship with Nowitzki in Dallas when the Mavericks defeated Wade and the Miami Heat in 2011 and battled in the playoffs against Parker, Popovich and Gasol.
‘Political thing’
Marion doesn’t have the gaudy stats, but he posted 17,770 career points on nearly 50% shooting (48.8%), 10,101 rebounds, 1,759 steals and 1,233 blocks in 1,163 regular season games.
Putting those stats in perspective, Marion has better career numbers than 2020 Hall of Fame inductee Chris Webber (17,182 points on 47.9% shooting, 8,124 rebounds, 1,197 steals and 1,200 blocks).
Now he played more games than Webber
(831) and one more season, but Marion has the numbers — and a title — over someone who is already in the Hall of Fame and played in the same era.
The man who had six blocks in six career games and eight steals in another and hit five 3s in six games, let it be known back in May 2020 in an interview with The Athletic he’s Hall of Fame worthy.
“I think the legacy I left for the game is there,” Marion said. “But who is it to decide? Who is making the decisions? What do they base it off of? If you look at all the numbers, to me, I should be a shoo-in. Should I not? What am I supposed to do? What am I not supposed to do? It’s out of my control. I know it’s a political thing. It’s a lot more other stuff going on. But certain things, you earn that. I earned that.”
“I think the legacy I left for the game is there. But who is it to decide? Who is making the decisions? What do they base it off of?”
Shawn Marion
‘Changed the game’
Then in an interview with the Las Vegas Review-Journal last month, Marion said he “changed the game” of basketball.
“I can honestly say I changed the game,” Marion said. “I was a big part of changing the game, what we’re watching right now. Small ball. Positionless basketball. It was challenging, of course. I wasn’t on board with it at first. I’m 6foot-7, 230 pounds. You’ve got me guarding 7-footers. That wasn’t an easy adjustment. But I did it. We did it. It is what it is now. It’s what everybody’s doing now.” Let ‘em know, Matrix.
His playing days are done, but Marion can continue to make his case.
The Suns finally are making that happen this season as they are inducting him and his Suns’ teammate, Amar’e Stoudemire, into their “Ring of Honor.”
Having his No. 31 Suns jersey retired along with Stoudemire’s No. 32 certainly helps.
It’s about time for both.
Huge step towards Hall of Fame
The Suns drafted Marion out of UNLV in 1999.
He played nine of his 16 NBA seasons with Phoenix. Marion is fifth in franchise history in points (12,134), second in rebounds (6,616), steals (1,245) and third in blocks (894). His four All-Star nods (2003, 2005-07) and two All-NBA selections (third team 2005-06) came with the Suns.
Stoudemire isn’t eligible for the Hall of Fame until 2024, but he might make an earlier entrance than Marion. He was AllNBA five times and received six All-Star nods. He played the two-man game with Nash that led to highlight dunks.
Defensive mystery
Marion, on the other hand, did the dirty work.
He guarded one through five, was outmanned more than a time or two, but held his own and proved to be one of the game’s better defenders despite never making an NBA All-Defensive team. This remains a mystery. Marion finished fifth in the voting for the league’s defensive player of the year in the 2004-05 season.
The four players who received more votes — Ben Wallace (winner), Bruce Bowen, Marcus Camby and Tim Duncan) — made an NBA all-defensive team.
Wallace, Bowen and Duncan were first-team selections while Camby made second team.
Larry Hughes and Kevin Garnett finished sixth and ninth, respectively, for defensive player of the year, but received first-team nods.
Strange voting
The second team had Camby, Chauncey Billups, Andrei Kirilenko, Tayshaun Prince, Jason Kidd and Dwyane Wade.
Kidd and Wade finished tied, but Kidd didn’t receive one defensive player of the year vote. Wade only got one.
Marion didn’t make NBA all-defensive team despite receiving five first-place votes for defensive player of the year.
Marion was a victim of playing for a team known for its offense when he instead should be looked upon as someone who drew the toughest assignment and showed teams can win big going small.
The next season, in 2005-06, Marion finished seventh in the defensive player of the year voting.
Once again
The six who received more votes — Wallace, Bowen, Kirilenko, Metta World Peace (Ron Artest), Camby and Duncan — again were voted on first or second
NBA all-defensive team.
Wallace, Bowen, Kirilenko, World Peace were first-team selections along with Kobe Bryant and Kidd (they tied). Camby, Billups, Duncan, Garnett and Prince made second team.
Then in 2006-07, Marion finished fourth for defensive player of the year, but he was once again left off the all-defensive teams.
Yes, it’s past redundant, but once again, the three players who received more votes — Camby, Bowen and Duncan — made first team all-defense as did Bryant and Marion’s teammate, Raja Bell.
Where did Bryant and Bell land in the defensive player of the year voting?
Bell finished 23rd with two points while Bryant tied for 24th with five different players at the bottom of the voting with one point.
Wow.
Before Draymond Green
For those still questioning Marion’s defensive value, grabbing the rebound completes a stop, right?
Marion was better than pretty good at that.
He hauled in between 10.2 rebounds and a career-best 11.8 rebounds a game in four seasons. Marion averaged 9.9 in one and 9.8 in another season.
Barkley is the smallest man in the NBA to win a rebounding championship as he corralled 14.6 a game with the Philadelphia 76ers in his third NBA season in 1986-87.
He was listed as 6-6, was probably 6-4 1/2, but Barkley most definitely weighed 250-plus pounds.
Dennis Rodman and Barkley are the best guys under 7 feet who battled — and won — on the boards, but Marion is in that conversation.
Marion was Draymond Green before Draymond Green.
On the boards
Green will likely be a first-ballot Hall of Famer when his playing days are done.
He’s won four NBA titles playing for one the greatest NBA dynasties ever, made all-defensive team eight times and won defensive player of the year in 201617 the same season he led the league in steals.
Green initiates offense and sets guys up far more than Marion did, but the two both defend multiple positions — and Marion was a better rebounder.
Green has never averaged more than 9.5 rebounds in a season and is averaging just seven for his career.
Marion finished his career at 8.7. Green clearly has the rings and accolades advantage, but here’s another difference.
Scorer, too
Marion got buckets. Averaging double figures in all but one of his 16 NBA seasons with that being his final one, Marion averaged 21 points in two seasons and 19 in three.
Green has never averaged more than 14 points in a single season. His career average is 8.7.
Now here’s the whip cream to Marion’s impactful, but unappreciated, basketball resume.
Marion played major minutes on a team that ran nonstop from tap to final buzzer.
Averaging 34.5 minutes for his career, Marion finished in the top 10 in minutes played per game four straight seasons (2002-06) with the Suns.
He was second in minutes per game in 2003-04 at 40.7 and third in 2002-03 at 41.6.
Who led the league in each of those two seasons?
Allen Iverson. Hall of Famer.
Yep. Shawn Marion is a Hall of Famer in waiting.
Shouldn’t have to wait too much longer.