Marion has something to prove in Dallas
With Kidd again at his side, offseason acquisition seeks to recapture old form
DALLAS -- Two years ago, Shawn Marion had it all. He was a perennial All-Star on a perennial contender living in the sunshine of Phoenix, an Olympian with a max contract and one of the freshest nicknames in the game.
But that wasn't enough.
"The Matrix" wanted respect. Tired of hearing his name bandied about in trade rumors and bothered by the Suns' refusal to talk contract extension, Marion asked to be traded on the eve of training camp 2007.
Marion got his wish, but trades to Miami and then Toronto had him languishing in obscurity.
Among offseason moves, Marion's trade to the Mavericks got mentioned somewhere between Hedo Turkoglu to Toronto and Ben Gordon to Detroit.
"I've always got something to prove," Marion said Monday at the Dallas Mavericks' media day. "I've got to prove something to myself. I've got goals I set for myself."
It's safe to say his goals for the past two seasons weren't to average 14 points and eight rebounds on non-playoff teams as his status fell from star to also-ran. And it's safe to say his goal for this season is to do something like completing the 360, getting himself back to where he was two years ago and the Mavericks to where his Suns were -- title contention.
That's certainly what Mavs point guard Jason Kidd has in mind.
"Part of my job is to help him get back there," said Kidd, the Suns' point guard when Marion averaged 17 points and nearly 11 rebounds in 2000-01. "I think he can be better than he was in Phoenix."
The Mavericks will gladly settle for a Marion who's close to what he was in Phoenix, never mind turning back the clock completely.
Although some league insiders and observers thought the five-year, $40 million contract Dallas gave 31-year-old Marion was excessive, the Mavericks are convinced they haven't been bamboozled. They think they're getting the same player who held his own with Steve Nash and Amare Stoudemire for team MVP in the Suns' Fun Ball era.
Before the sign-and-trade with the Raptors, Mavs coach Rick Carlisle, president Donnie Nelson and owner Mark Cuban scoured footage of Marion in Miami and Toronto and found no red flags.
They say his drop in production was the result of being in slow-down systems built for other players. Dwyane Wade dominated the offense in Miami, where there was no point guard to set Marion up, and Toronto was in flux for the 27 games he played with the Raptors.
Carlisle believes the Marion who averaged 16 points and nine rebounds in helping Toronto win nine of its last 13 games, including four victories over playoff teams, is the one Dallas got in return.
"There's nothing we saw that said Shawn wasn't performing at the same level," Cuban said. "So we don't think he's lost anything. And 30 [years old] is the new 25."
There's no doubt the Mavericks' system will be a better fit for Marion, who'll start at small forward alongside shooting guard Josh Howard and power forward Dirk Nowitzki. He and Howard should be able to wreak havoc on the wings, and their length, quickness and rebounding ability should fuel Dallas' running game. With Kidd, and at times Jason Terry, also on the floor, the Mavs will have the ability to switch four positions defensively.
On the other end, thanks to Kidd, Marion no longer will have to create his own shot, which is his greatest weakness. It's no coincidence he was at his best with stellar point guards Kidd, Stephon Marbury and Nash orchestrating the offense. This season, with Kidd pushing the ball, Marion should have more fast-break baskets. And the Mavericks will look to post him up against smaller 3-men.
"He's very unique on the offensive end," Carlisle said. "Certainly you can run stuff for him, but he's demonstrated over his career that, in the course of a game, he's a movement maker who makes a lot of great things happen off the ball and finds way to score. He's going to fit in well with the group of players we have."
It's obvious Marion already has fit in well with his new teammates, as horseplay was at a maximum on media day. Whether he was joking with Erick Dampier about receding hairlines or ribbing Kidd about his 36 years, Marion already has added life to the locker room.
"He's got a little personality," Kidd smiled. "The key phrase being 'a little.'"
Marion and Terry compared nicknames.
"I told Shawn, 'We got some great nicknames,'" Terry said. '"The Jet' and 'The Matrix' -- that's pretty hot to me."
