Suns Up, Marion Down

by Pardeep Toor Apart from the warrior physiques of LeBron James and Dwight Howard — both of whom are apt candidates to single handedly defend the walls of Troy from the daunting Greek Army (with or without Trojan horse) — Shawn Marion has been the only other baller showcasing extraterrestrial athletic ability on the court. At times, Marion looks like he’s gliding, floating a few inches off the hardwood – not burdened by human weaknesses like footwork and good defensive positioning. Armed with a goofy running posture, a gimmicky jump shot that always awkwardly found its way in the hoop, Marion was the heart of the run-and-gun Suns team from 2004 to 2007. Steve Nash was the tactician, Amar’e Stoudamire (when available) was the flash but Marion was the soul, averaging 18.6 points, 10.7 rebounds, 2.0 steals, 1.5 blocks on 51.3 percent from the field for the Suns. Gaudy numbers. Marion was supposed to be the key to Suns’ operation — fluidly transitioning from defending...