Shaun Marion to Cleveland

[sam_I_am]

I think the Cavs would become much better if they make this trade but at the same time they would scare me a lot less. Marion would make them an offensive juggernaut and next to Big Z would give many teams fits. However, the front line of Z, Varejao and Lebron is the only one in the league that can truly outmuscle Pierce, Garnett and Perk.

[Mahoney_jr]

Please Cleveland, do that!

The trade is so bad for the Cavs, I don't think this is really in discussion.

[bruno sundov]

How does this make MIA better? I dont see it at all. Plus Marion will just hide come april anyways. It might give us a better shot at beating the cavs come playoff time.

[Cyclical]

I personally don't think they'd be better with Marion. He thrived in Phoenix mainly because of D'Anotony's run and gun style and Nash's brilliant play. With the Cavs slowdown style Shaun won't reach his potential. This may just wind up being a lateral move for an overpaid player. Anderson is a tough rebounder who doesn't mind banging. Shaun minds.

[Zin5]

They can still do this, because after Varejao they still have Ben Wallace on that team. Also, getting Marion gives them two phenomenal fast break players, on a team where the coach consistently tries to slow the offense down.

As for Miami, it's pretty clear Marion's fallen out of favor there and they do need a taller defensive big in Varejao and can use Wally to fill the void that Kapono left there a couple years ago.

[bruno sundov]

MO i running the show now in CLE and he can push the ball. Its not Booby and Dwest running th point anymore. They have a legite PG.

[Rocky5000]

It does not make sense for a team that is 20-4 to change its starting lineup. Marion is really a SF masquerading as a PF. Maybe they could play Lebron as the PF, and Marion at the 3, but I don't think that's the best use of Lebron. If they went with this lineup, they'd matchup perfectly for the Lakers playing Odom at the 4, but not such a great matchup for Bynum+Gasol. Against the Celtics, the lineup change would definitely make them worse.

[AlCelticFan]

It doesn't make sense for them to change their starting lineup, to me either...

[bruno sundov]

I would like to see CLE do the deal. I really say it makes them worse off. I'm all for having LBJ play out of position.

[avi623]

I think this would be a coup for cleveland. Marion may not be as good as he was in Phoenix as he would be in their system, but he is still be a darn good player. He gives them more athleticism, which aside from LeBron, they do lack to some extent. On offense, he can just roam, and wait for LeBron to find him. He and Wally are expiring deals too, so that is a wash

Not sure why Miami would do it though. It is obvious that Marion is not in their long term plans and they probably want to get Beasley more burn, but they are also in the playoff hunt. Even with their lack of frontcourt depth, I don't think they would get markedly better from this.

[sam_I_am]

Miami benefits from trading Marion because they have Beasley and Haslem. Both are cheaper and both effective in the positions Marion plays.

Varejao is big and strong but Cleveland does have Ben Wallace. Marion gives them a defensive stopper and another body on Pierce and Kobe. He is a lightweight at PF against KG whereas Varejao can push people around.

With Lebron on the court Marion will look more like the guy in Phoenix than he does in Miami.

[KyleCleric]

Miami has a chance to actually do something because of this trade. Wally gives them some decent offense off the bench, some needed depth. Varejao instantly starts. Nothing against Joel Anthony, but Anthony is barely a rotation player let alone a starting center in this league. Blount and Magloire are pretty much useless. Varejao actually gives them a legit quality big man.

The character of Cleveland's team changes, but I don't think that it will be necessarily for the worse. Marion is a tough defense player and should be a great complement to Lebron as a scorer. The Cavs will have to pick up the pace certainly. That may hurt Ilgauskas's game, but Mo Williams, DWest, and Lebron (as well as Marion) are ideal for the faster pace. The defense should be quicker. Ben Wallace is still available for minutes. Pavlovic should be able to get more court time. Against normal competition, they should do well. They may even do well against the Celtics and Lakers and certainly the Magic. They would match up perfectly with the Magic starters with this lineup. Against the Lakers, Lebron or Marion can matchup with Gasol and do well. The Lakers defense is already porous. With another scorer out there, one that can shoot like Marion, it will make it that much harder on them. The Celtics have seemingly struggled against teams that have spread the floor. I'm not sure if I believe that is truly the case, but that's the current favorite theory of teams and "experts."

[GuyClinch]

Well this trade could help Cleveland - as they would get more talent on the court. But it would be a better matchup for the C's as I thought the incredible length of Z and Varejao gave us fits. Ben Wallace isn't a real replacement because his length is not spectacular and he relied mostly on his jumping ability which has diminished. As for Marion he is a "good defender" but I don't think he could really stop Pierce or Ray Allen.

It's an interesting deal. I hope it goes down.

Pete

[threrf23]

I might be in the minority, but I think this trade would make Cleveland scary. Except for three point shooting (out of D'Antoni's system and surrounded by worse shooting), Marion's play isn't far off from where its been the rest of his career, he's still only thirty years old, and this doesn't hurt their cap situation.

He'd be as good a defender as Ben Wallace (probably better, and also more versatile) without being a liability on the offensive end. Not as good on the offensive boards but alongside Big Z that's not needed so much at all. Then they'd still have Ben Wallace (who's been playing well) taking over Varejao's role and are an even more attractive target for any attractive FA big. And they are already playing extremely well as a team

I actually don't really like this deal for MIA. They need a C if they are going to trade away a player potentially as good as Marion, Varejao is sort of a C but I view him more as a role playing PF (a good one)...but I could be off base there. Plus he's 26 years old so he arguably no longer classifies as a young prospect. But I guess the move could work for MIA, Big Z would be perfect for them but Cleveland won't trade him.

Beasley will be very effective in Marion's current role in a year or two most likely. Not just yet, though, or I doubt that at least. Haslem is less versatile and is decent but overrated. Dorell Wright's a guy who when healthy could emerge as a Marion-esque player.

[threrf23]

Ben Wallace isn't a real replacement because his length is not spectacular and he relied mostly on his jumping ability which has diminished.

Big Ben's shot blocking thus far this season is pretty much on par with where it was in Detroit

[KyleCleric]

With the new style of play Cleveland would have to play, I would think that trading Ilgauskas instead of Varejao would be more desirable for the Cavs.

[campybatman]

The way I read this is: You've a Cleveland team that's reacting to Boston and they're cognizant of the real possibility that LeBron could opt out in 2010. Under those conditions, you could make a mistake. That is to say, in a worst case scenario, you don't win a NBA championship in two years and LeBron walks away from Cleveland anyways. That's the pessimistic point of view but one that should strongly be considered in the back of the minds of Cleveland's front office and ownership.

If the Cavaliers are to acquire Marion, I'm assuming he starts at power forward and Ben Wallace goes to the bench as a back up power forward/center. Or Wallace could anchor the defense starting at center and bring Ilgauskas off the bench in favor of maybe a faster front court.

As the Cleveland Cavaliers relentlessly try to accumulate talent to surround MVP favorite LeBron James, the unending question is this: Do they dare mess with a franchise on a collision course with the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference finals?

The Cavaliers have had ongoing discussions with the Miami Heat about an Anderson Varejao and Wally Szczerbiak for Shawn Marion trade, a league executive familiar with the discussions said.

So, here is what the Cavs are asking themselves now: Do we dare?

Miami has had discussions with several teams lately on Marion, including the Toronto Raptors and Sacramento Kings, sources say, but Cleveland could deliver the most intriguing proposition. Marion has struggled with the Heat – averaging well below his career averages in scoring and rebounding – but several league executives believe he’ll be more motivated and valuable with a championship contender. That’s the reason Cleveland is entertaining the possibility. GM Danny Ferry and coach Mike Brown are wondering whether Marion could be the difference in a conference final against the Celtics.

Still, Cleveland is 20-4 and hesitant to mess with the chemistry. Nevertheless, the Cavs are trying desperately to win a championship with James prior to 2010 free agency.

Brown loves to play big lineups with Varejao on the floor, but Marion could give the Cavs the versatility on defense that he did the Suns. In the same series, Marion could cover Tony Parker and Tim Duncan. Against the Celtics, Marion could spend time on Rajon Rondo and Kevin Garnett. For the Cavs, it’s something to consider as the days and weeks churn toward the Feb. 17 trade deadline.

http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news;_ylt=A ... &type=lgns

[GuyClinch]

Big Ben's shot blocking thus far this season is pretty much on par with where it was in Detroit

True but that seems like a statistical anamoly - as his rebound rate is down quite a bit from those days. In his heyday it was 23 now it's 17. And the last couple of years his shot blocking has been down.

[ParticleMan]

This is such a HUGE upgrade in talent for the Cavs, that's got to be the overriding factor. Who cares about positions, who starts, blah blah. Marion >>>>>> Varejao. That's damn scary to put Marion on that team. He is a high quality defender who is tough to keep off the glass. He has disappeared in MIA but he is a great complementary player. They've got enough scorers in CLE that they just need him to do the dirty work, which is what Marion does well.

I think we are in deep trouble if Cleveland gets Marion.

[GuyClinch]

Marion hasn't looked that hugely talented in Miami. It's not like those guys can't run - they are undersized and can get up and down the court.