<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">Like oxygen, peanut butter and indoor plumbing, a certain member of the Suns is often taken for granted. In national circles, his name may as well be Shhhhawn Marion. Yet nearing the halfway point of a new season, the versatile forward is suddenly making a lot of noise. He's the best player on a winning team, and these days, the usually ignored Marion is starting to show up on another kind of list: the one reserved for NBA MVP candidates. "I think you can definitely make a case," Suns coach Mike D'Antoni said. "I don't know where we'd be without him, and we're pretty good. Shawn is already with two other legitimate MVP candidates when (Amar? Stoudemire) is playing, and you can make the case that what he does is more important than what the other guys do." In his seventh year, Marion is certainly giving the Suns another All-Star season. He still runs faster, jumps higher and defends better than most everyone in the league. And he'll play all night if you ask him, and D'Antoni usually does. "I live in Phoenix, so I get to see him play a lot," TNT analyst Doug Collins said. "I love guys with great energy, and Shawn just works himself into good games every night." Yet there is also something different about Marion. He's scowling a little more. He's playing with an aggressive fury normally associated with the injured Stoudemire. And just the other day, with his team exceeding all expectations, Marion ripped into some unnamed teammates, the ones who don't want to run the court with reckless abandon. It was the absolute truth and a nifty show of leadership. The kind of stuff normally reserved for team leaders and MVP candidates. "I ain't even thinking about that, man," Marion said. "You can't control what people think of you, and most (MVP candidates) are forced on people. You know me. I'm just doing what I do, playing ball, having fun, doing whatever I can to help the team win." Still, there are other noticeable differences, and Marion is clearly taking advantage of a bittersweet opportunity. With Joe Johnson and Quentin Richardson traded, many more shots are available. For the first time in a while, the Suns are actually running plays for Marion. And with Stoudemire rehabilitating from knee surgery, the role of leading man is wide open. Surely it is but a temporary part, and only a matter of time before Marion heads back to the trailer for best supporting actors. But for now, he is making an unprecedented splash. Marion leads the Suns in scoring (20.6 points per game). He is one of only five players to average more than 20 points and 10 rebounds a game. His rebounding average (11.9) and his field goal percentage (.516) are career highs. One statistical analysis on NBA.com listed Marion as the most effective player in the NBA, ahead of LeBron James, Kevin Garnett, Elton Brand and Allen Iverson. And best of all, he picked a great time for a blow-up game. When Marion scored a career-high 39 points Monday, playing 60 of 63 possible minutes, he did so in New York, on the floor of Madison Square Garden, and if you can make it there . . . "He is the Matrix," Stoudemire said. "Any lob you throw to him, he's going to throw it down. He's blocking shots. He's defending. He's scoring the ball. I don't think you can ask for too much more from Shawn."</div> Source
<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">Shawn is already with two other legitimate MVP candidates when (Amar? Stoudemire) is playing</div> No. Once again, we have to keep in mind where a team would be if an MVP player was gone. Without Amare the Suns are still tearing it up, he's not an MVP type yet. Not to disrespect the man's game, but Nash should be the only MVP candidate on that team. Amare and Marion were together for a couple year before Nash got there, and they didn't do anything. Nash came in and had a great year last year, and he's doing it again with the loss of key players. Marion should be an allstar, but he's not a candidate for MVP.
League MVP, no. I agree with Jurassic. Team MVP? Possibly. Marion brings so much to this team and in a way he is the team MVP just how Samuel Dalembert is the MVP of the Sixers. Why? Well because the the Sixers rely so much on rebounds in order to win and if they can't rebound the ball they don't win. But since Dalembert is the main guy on the boards it all starts with him and if he can't rebound the ball the team won't win. It's just that simple. Iverson poured in 53 Points against the Hawks and they still lost. Why? Well it's because they got out-rebounded. So in that essence Dalemebrt is the MVP of the Sixers. In the Suns case, Marion is a team MVP the way I see it, primarily because he brings soo much on offense and defense. Blocks, Rebounds, Steals, Energy and so on. While Nash is the league MVP Marion is almost as important because he brings the essentials to this team. An example is the game they had against Philly the other day. Nash had like 15 points a couple assists and they were losing at halftime. Why? Well it?s because Dalembert was having a crazy game on the boards. He had like 12 boards at halftime while Iverson was COMPLETELY ice cold. He was a non-factor. On the flipside, despite Nash having a terrific first half, Marion was a non-factor and that is why they were trailing. In the second half when Marion stepped up his game to another level the Suns were suddenly winning by 15+ points.
KOBE FOR MVP why??? coz he is the only guy the lakers have who is capable of winning games! unlike NASH who already has MARION or even DUNCAN who has PARKER, FINLEY AND GINOBLI or even BILLUPS who has the best starting 5 with him... THE BOTTOM LINE if the LAKERS make the playoffs KOBE is the MVP
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting kobe23:</div><div class="quote_post">KOBE FOR MVP why??? coz he is the only guy the lakers have who is capable of winning games! unlike NASH who already has MARION or even DUNCAN who has PARKER, FINLEY AND GINOBLI or even BILLUPS who has the best starting 5 with him... THE BOTTOM LINE if the LAKERS make the playoffs KOBE is the MVP</div> No. If the Lakers get homecourt and are a top three record in the league (meaning they would have to pass phoenix, and some eastern teams would have to fall off as well) then he should be considered. The MVP doesn't come from a team that isn't a contender for the championship, simply grabbing the 6th to 8th seed wouldn't make the Lakers a contender. How exactly did we go from talking about Shawn Marion to Kobe Bryant? Oh, because a Laker fan came into the thread.
I think the MVP should got to the person that can change the game. Make key shots and has to be clutch. Kobe, is that type of person, he can make big shots. The game against the Clippers, the Lakers were down by 10 then he scores 13 straight to get them the lead in 2 minutes. Thats what I call MVP caliber.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting dtpxcore:</div><div class="quote_post">I think the MVP should got to the person that can change the game. Make key shots and has to be clutch. Kobe, is that type of person, he can make big shots. The game against the Clippers, the Lakers were down by 10 then he scores 13 straight to get them the lead in 2 minutes. Thats what I call MVP caliber.</div> An MVP also makes his teammates better. Kobe arguably does the opposite by being a bit of a ballhog and glory hound. An MVP can also take his team at least deep into the playoffs, doubtful for the Lakers. Kobe Bryant is an extremely talented player, there is no denying that. Easily Top 5 in the league on straight talent. But MVP? He hasn't really earned it this season.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting unbeliever:</div><div class="quote_post">An MVP also makes his teammates better. Kobe arguably does the opposite by being a bit of a ballhog and glory hound. An MVP can also take his team at least deep into the playoffs, doubtful for the Lakers. Kobe Bryant is an extremely talented player, there is no denying that. Easily Top 5 in the league on straight talent. But MVP? He hasn't really earned it this season.</div> I agree with you on the fact its making players better that can get an MVP. Kobe feels that what he is doing is best for the team. For him to win MVP is role players on the team stepping up.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting dtpxcore:</div><div class="quote_post">I agree with you on the fact its making players better that can get an MVP. Kobe feels that what he is doing is best for the team. For him to win MVP is role players on the team stepping up.</div> I'd agree with that. If the team as a whole stepped up production and the lakers made it to, say, the WCF, then yeah I could wholly understand an MVP nomination. But I don't think that's a likely scenario.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting dtpxcore:</div><div class="quote_post"> The game against the Clippers, the Lakers were down by 10 then he scores 13 straight to get them the lead in 2 minutes. Thats what I call MVP caliber.</div> Tmac did that last year against the Spurs, yet he was never a serious MVP candidate. Why should Kobe be one? Once again this thread is supposed to be about Marion but Laker fans are coming in here and talking about Kobe. How about just posting if you think Marion is an MVP candidate or not?
<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">Once again this thread is supposed to be about Marion but Laker fans are coming in here and talking about Kobe.</div> And they wonder why Kobe has haters.
Marion is simply too ugly to be an mvp. If he's the MVP, it'll scare the girls away. KOBE and Nash should compete for it.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting dingking:</div><div class="quote_post">Marion is simply too ugly to be an mvp. If he's the MVP, it'll scare the girls away. KOBE and Nash should compete for it.</div> Hah, that's just mean. And besides, according to a couple different women I've watched the suns with, he's not ugly per se, just totally different looking. They all remark on him having a great smile though. *shrug* His shot itself is ugly as sin and looks like it should never, ever go in. But it does, so whatever.
