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| Thursday, January 25 Updated: January 26, 9:50 AM ET Made Marion Marvelous for Suns By Scott Howard-Cooper Special to ESPN.com |
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By the middle of this past week, Shawn Marion was seventh in the league in rebounding (10.8 per game), ninth in double-doubles (21) and 14th in steals (1.74). He had led the Phoenix Suns on the boards in 33 of the first 39 games. He had eight games of 20 points and 10 rebounds. He had made it. Made Marion.
Teammates know it. "He's gotten a lot better," guard Tony Delk said. "He's playing on an all-star caliber right now, from scoring, rebounding and blocking shots." Opponents know it. "He's been unbelievable, from where he was to where he is now," Clippers coach Alvin Gentry said. "To rebound at the rate he's rebounding from a small-forward spot is really unbelievable. I just think when you can get into double-figure rebounds as a small forward in this league, you're really doing something. Some of the great ones never got into double-figure rebounds." Marion knows it. Don't you, Shawn? Shawn? "Breakout, no breakout, whatever," he said. It's understandable he is not feeling comfortable enough to settle in, basketball stability never having been one of his strong suits. Marion played two seasons for a junior college in Indiana, wearing uniform No. 31 in honor of Reggie Miller, and then just one campaign in Div. I, at Nevada-Las Vegas. The Suns drafted him ninth in 1999, he heard people question why, and then a knee injury limited him to just 51 games. It was long enough to impress coaches enough that they voted him second-team all-rookie, but it was brief enough to carry into 2000-01 the discussion whether he was more athlete than basketball player. We now know he is both.
The great leaping ability is matched by a work ethic and an emphasis on detail. His really big jump of the summer? The Suns wanted him to become a better ballhandler, so he spent part of the offseason working with assistant coach Phil Webber and ex-NBAer Kiki Vandeweghe in Los Angeles, in drills and pickup games. Come his second season, he was taking more people off the dribble and, because of injuries to Penny Hardaway and Mario Elie, getting turns in the Phoenix backcourt. It still looked like he was pursuing some of those rebounds with the help of a trampoline, but there was also more to his game. So he had six steals along with 23 points and 11 rebounds against the Mavericks. And eight assists along with the 19 rebounds versus Vancouver. And 17 of his 26 points versus the Clippers in the fourth quarter and overtime. Not only that, but he has been the consistent Sun as all those around him struggled with injury and, with Jason Kidd's recent departure, personal issues. There he was Tuesday night, struggling with his shot, but still getting 14 points, 12 rebounds, four assists and three blocks in Minnesota without the benefit of the usual guy to deliver the ball. On Wednesday he had 18 points, 16 boards and five assists. "I'm proving stuff to myself," Marion said. "It's not about proving to people. I think a lot people know I can play. It's just a matter of going out and doing it. I'm getting a lot more chances to play this year than I was last year and I'm just producing." And proving, to those who questioned the Suns drafting him so high. "A little bit, yeah," he said. The surge has been so prominent that Marion is being mentioned as part of the pack of early candidates for Most Improved Player, a race being led by Steve Nash of the Mavericks as the all-star break approaches. It's a nice thought, recognizing his noteworthy gains, but also wrong. Lottery picks are supposed to be good, and all players should get better between their first and second campaigns. Plus, Marion's biggest problem last season was health, so it's not like his breakout -- or non-breakout or whatever -- showing has been the bold move forward like some others. He will have to settle for being what the Suns expected, a far greater compliment than the postseason award. As if he's got it made.
Around The League
"Everybody who's close to Larry told him not to do the coaching thing in Indiana," said Bill Walton, a friend and former teammate in Boston. "But when he hears somebody tell him not to do something, that's inspiration. So why do anything now when it can impact his reputation? He's a legend in Boston, and going back could only harm that because the team has so far to go, so from that legend's point of view, people will say not to do it. But then you come back to his personality. He's very stubborn, very set in his ways. "It will always hold an intrigue for him. Whether it's enough to make a huge gamble, that's another question ... But I will say that Larry is a person who feels tremendous responsibility for success. And nobody who's ever been a Celtic can be happy with what's going on there." Even though these are not the same Celtics of the Bird era? "Absolutely," Walton said. "Because the fans there are so special."
Said one Western coach: "Some guys might look at that." Scott Howard-Cooper covers the NBA for the Sacramento Bee and is a new regular contributor to ESPN.com. |
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