The Suns’ swingman Amare Stoudemire leads the team with 20.5 PPG and is second in rebounds with 9.6 per game and second in blocks with 1.31 per game. Point guard Steve Nash is second in points with 18.8 per game and first in assists with 11.5 each game. He is the ultimate playmaker.
And then there’s forward Shawn Marion. Marion has been in the NBA and on the Suns for eight seasons. In all but his first, he has played at least 79 games and in four he has played 81! In that time, he has been amazingly consistent, averaging 18.6 PPG, 10.1 RPG, 1.3 SPG and 1.9 BPG. He has shot 48% from the field, 34% from downtown and 83% from the penalty stripe.

This season, Marion is headed towards another 79-plus game year. He’s averaging 17.5 PPG and 10.0 RPG. He’s shooting 53% from the field. Marion is third on the club in PPG but he is first in rebounds at 9.9 RPG and first in blocks and steals at 1.54 and 1.93 respectively.

Marion is a force on both ends of the court. He’s an exceptional defensive player, forcing other teams to make mistakes, and he’s a very fine offensive player, controlling the boards and scoring points. On April 12, 2007, Marion scored 24 points, grabbed 10.0 rebounds, notched three assists and had a steal and a block against Seattle.

Look for Marion to be the ultimate difference maker in the NBA playoffs. He certainly contributes a lot, especially on defense. On the boards he hangs tough. But Marion is also an integral part of the offensive push even though he can be outmatched on point production. Marion is more than just an average forward.

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