The book on Phoenix's Shawn Marion
USA TODAY looks at how the Suns' Shawn Marion plays the game:
The particulars: Shawn Marion, at 6-7 and 228 pounds, was given the nickname "The Matrix" by TNT analyst Kenny Smith in an attempt to describe his all-around skills and athleticism. He earns $15.1 million this season as part of a maximum-salary contract that he can opt out of after next season. He'll be 29 on May 7.
Road to the Suns: He was selected by Phoenix in the first round of the 1999 draft (ninth overall pick).
Style: He is a great leaper and daring dunker, a tireless runner and one of the best all-around athletes in the league. He has an unorthodox, elbow-out, jerky shooting motion but is still a deadly three-point shooter. He has a great first step. He plays small forward and power forward, depending on what the Suns need. He is also their best defensive player and is usually matched against the opposition's best perimeter offensive player, regardless of position. The Suns call very few plays for him as he gets most of his points in transition, by spotting up or by sheer hustle.
Go-to-move: The lob dunk. He gets his man peeking and cuts to the basket (usually back door), takes the lob pass above the rim and guides it in. The play is so effective because he is always moving and has such good timing and hang time that the pass doesn't have to be perfect.
How to defend him: Force him to his left, and never take your eye off him when he doesn't have the ball and keep him off the boards. Make him take more than two dribbles to get to the basket, if possible. If he isn't on the defensive boards, he will streak out on the break, so whoever is back has to be aware of that.
By the numbers: Led the Suns in minutes played (37.6 a game); averaged 17.5 points, his lowest in the last six seasons, but he was also the only player in the league to finish in the top 10 in both rebounds (eighth at 9.8) and steals (sixth at 1.95) and was the only player in the top 20 in rebounds, steals, total blocks (18th at 122) and field goal percentage (17th at 52.4%).
His peers: Was a teammate of Minnesota's Trenton Hassell at Clarksville (Tenn.) High School. Elton Brand was the first overall pick in 1999, followed by Steve Francis, Baron Davis and Lamar Odom. Ron Artest was the 16th overall pick that year.
Former player he is most readily compared to: John Havlicek. He is fearless at both ends of the floor, is eager to guard anyone and is often taken for granted because he is so dependable. He seems to always be in the right place at the right time.
Says ABC analyst Mark Jackson: "I know he's an All-Star, but he's still the most underrated player in the league. He's a low-maintenance superstar. There isn't a single thing that he cannot do on the basketball floor."
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