A roc 23 wrote:As a Suns fan first and a Raptor fan second I can tell you Marion is not the same player he was here. It's not just the system either.
He can't shoot at all anymore. His outside shots (not that he takes many any more) hit the side of the backboard. Whenever he takes it in it himself it's always some awkward floater that rarely goes in. Trust me he's not the same.
He'd be shooting around 40% if it wasn't for the gimmes Calderon gives him and the garbage buckets he gets. I know people said that about him in Phoenix, but at least here he could knock down some shots and finish around the rim. He is not the finisher he once was.
His defense also isn't there in Toronto. Maybe he's lost interest, but even when the Raptors were a long shot for the playoffs Marion was getting lit up.
He has not proven he's a 15 and 10 player in MIA/TOR, he's proven he's a 12 and 8 guy. Even then that's only if you give him 34-36 minutes.
He's not a big enough upgrade over the Hill/Barnes combo to warrant any kind of contract over 7 million. Especially now on this team with Amare and Shaq. You replace Barnes minutes and reduce Hill's minutes for Marion and you're losing outside shooting and ball handling. This team can't afford to lose outside shooting. Not with Amare and Shaq inside.
You guys realize that the Suns are one of the best rebounding teams right? That's not a big concern with a healthy Amare.
I mean I'd love Marion here, but not at the price he'd come at.
I too feel you're selling Marion short. He brings all the intangibles that makes a system work. He may have lost a step with his age (anyone see the Butler crossing Marion today for the game-winner? Sweet shot though) but he's still an excellent defender who can guard 4.5 positions.
But I absolulely agree with you : "He's not a big enough upgrade over the Hill/Barnes combo to warrant any kind of contract over 7 million."
In these economic times, nobody is willing to spend that much unless it's for young upcoming talent. There's cheaper alternatives to Marion. If you are paying Matrix 6-7 million a year, you're paying for his defensive versatility. It's much cheaper to sign to guys for that price to guard to positions.
