Okay so the argument is that Marion does very well outquicking bigger power forwards, but is he the type of player that you can rely on for 4th quarter offense or shots made in the clutch during 2nd round playoff teams? Would he be the focal point of the franchise next to Nash and Amare, or is he somewhat replaceable with guys like James Jones, Boris Diaw or whoever can be developed for a more tolerable contract? I thought as a max paid player he's not the kind of a guy that can deliver like a max paid player because he is not the type of player that can create on his own that well. Especially if the Suns can't run the break or Marion is being inconsistent with his shot. These years have really been about Steve Nash and other complimentary players like Bell, Diaw, Barbosa, maybe Tim Thomas and some others. But one can't ignore the terrific job Marion has done with rebounding, blocking shots, scoring at the rim in place of Amare Stoudamire, and playing 40+ minutes a game for an entire season. Stats wise he's been excellent, but I've had some observations where if the game were to rely on Marion, would he deliver like Vince Carter, D-wade, or Arenas in the clutch? I don't think he's that player. He's ultimately a defensive guy first, a scorer second, and a guy who likes uptempo and aggressive style of play. Anyway, what are your thoughts on the team if they tried to keep two max paid guys + Nash + starting role players + bench? How would that affect the Suns in the playoffs if we're pretending that Amare is fully healthy. Also, what do you guys think of Marion aside from the stat line he produces during the playoffs? What specific playoff moments did he struggle in despite that not showing up on the stat sheet? I said he could be shutdown because he relies more on others to get his offense created. What happens if the Suns can't run or Marion needs to shoot off the dribble? Can he do?
Sorry no question mark at the top thread title. I need observations, opinions from whoever saw the game. Experienced basketball fans please comment! I'm trying to see if you guys saw something different or same than what I saw with Marion in the playoffs.
I saw same ol' unreliable-in-the-playoffs Marion during the Lakers series. I mean, he was making Kwame Brown look good for a while. But in the Clippers and Mavs series, I saw a really good player that helped the Suns get as far as they did. It wasn't the great player that was bringing in 30pts 15reb a game for an entire month of the regular season, but it was better than the rest of his playoff career. I really don't know what it is about Marion that causes this. He's just not as flashy a player that brings in all the attention. I think the spotlight makes him nervous and that's when he doesn't play as well. They should black out the playoffs and Marion will dominate and we'll hear about it in the papers. That or he needs to just go out and play without the coverage in mind and he'll be fine.
<div class="quote_poster">Downtown Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">I saw same ol' unreliable-in-the-playoffs Marion during the Lakers series. I mean, he was making Kwame Brown look good for a while. But in the Clippers and Mavs series, I saw a really good player that helped the Suns get as far as they did. It wasn't the great player that was bringing in 30pts 15reb a game for an entire month of the regular season, but it was better than the rest of his playoff career. I really don't know what it is about Marion that causes this. He's just not as flashy a player that brings in all the attention. I think the spotlight makes him nervous and that's when he doesn't play as well. They should black out the playoffs and Marion will dominate and we'll hear about it in the papers. That or he needs to just go out and play without the coverage in mind and he'll be fine.</div> I guess we were watching two different Marion's. He seemed really hopeless with his offense. He'd miss open shot after open shot, other then that I didn't see a difference in his play.
<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">I saw same ol' unreliable-in-the-playoffs Marion during the Lakers series. I mean, he was making Kwame Brown look good for a while. But in the Clippers and Mavs series, I saw a really good player that helped the Suns get as far as they did. It wasn't the great player that was bringing in 30pts 15reb a game for an entire month of the regular season, but it was better than the rest of his playoff career. I really don't know what it is about Marion that causes this. He's just not as flashy a player that brings in all the attention. I think the spotlight makes him nervous and that's when he doesn't play as well. They should black out the playoffs and Marion will dominate and we'll hear about it in the papers. That or he needs to just go out and play without the coverage in mind and he'll be fine.</div> I think that has more to do with the huge height and size advantage. Marion's value does not come mainly in scoring, it comes in ALL the other things he does. Marion has always been the ability to create shots for himself and others away from being ranked with the superstar, or 25+ PPG scorers. His jumpshot is part of the reason he hasn't been able to get to that level. He's one of the best 20+ PPG guys at moving without the ball, yes, rivaling guys like RIP, Peja and Ray, but with the ball in his hands, he's not that great. So in relation to clutch ability, no, you can't give him the ball and tell him to make something happen like you can with Vince, Wade, Arenas etc. Even during the game he doesn't usually score like that.
