#头条创作挑战赛#
Side by side with Nash and Nowitzki
Marion spent his most illustrious eight seasons with the Suns, with three of the most successful being the period when he formed the "Three Musketeers of the Suns" combination with Steve Nash and Amare Stoudemire. Nash is a passing master who can find open teammates at any time and deliver precise passes. Marion is one of Nash's favorite passes, as he always runs open and can complete attacks of all difficulty. Marion thrived on that system, averaging 19.4 points, 11.3 rebounds, 2.0 steals and 1.5 blocks per game. He was also named to three consecutive All-Star and All-League Three-Team selections, and helped the Suns win the Western Conference championship.
The Sun Three Musketeers led the Suns to an amazing run-and-bomb tactic, pushing the attack at breakneck speed and shooting in 7 seconds. This tactic has made the Suns one of the most spectacle and threatening teams in the league. However, the Suns also suffered a lot of setbacks and misfortunes, and were repeatedly blocked by strong opponents such as the Spurs and the Lone Rangers in the playoffs. In Game 4 of the 2007 Western Conference semifinals, the Spurs' Robert Horry maliciously knocked Nash down, causing chaos on the court. Stoudemire and Boris Diaw were suspended for one game after leaving the bench, leaving the Suns without two of their main players. Marion was forced to play center in Game 5 and finished with 24 points and 17 rebounds, but couldn't stop the Suns from being eliminated by the Spurs.
Horry's collision not only buried the Suns' efforts that season, but also seemed to break the team's morale. The following season, the Suns' record plummeted, and management decided to break up the Suns' trio of Musketeers and trade Marion and Marcus Banks for Shaquille O'Neal from the Heat. The deal left Marion very upset, and he felt he was betrayed by the Suns. He was also terrible with the Heat, where he had no one to pass the ball well for him, and his scoring average dropped to a career-low at the time. In early 2009, he was traded to the Raptors, but his form remained sluggish. He thought his career was going to end like this, and he even had the idea of retiring.
However, it was at this time that the Lone Rangers saved Marion. In July 2009, the Mavericks traded Jerry Stackhouse, Devean George, Antoine Wright and some draft picks for Marion and offered him a five-year, $39 million contract. Luckily for Marion, he finally had someone around him who could pass the ball well: his old Suns teammate, Jason Kidd. Although they only met again after 8 years, Kidd has always known how to energize his teammates. In a game against the Rockets, Kidd provided a shocking assist, the ball passed over Yao's head, and Marion completed an air-to-air kill of 0.4 seconds.
In the 2010-11 season, the Lone Ranger's veterans finally had the best moment of their careers. The season was also a little different for Marion. Head coach Rick Carlisle reduced Marion's former offensive style of breaking and jumping shots as a Sun, allowing him to use more back hits and inside scoring, and put his all-out dedication on the defensive end. In the playoffs, Marion's defensive characteristics were vividly displayed.
Against the Trail Blazers in the first round, Marion defended Brandon Roy to an average of just 9.3 points per game. Against the Lakers in the second round, Marion failed to let Kobe Bryant score more than 23 points in the first three games of the series, and in the final game, he prevented Kobe Bryant from shooting 7 of 18. Against the Thunder in the Western Conference Finals, Marion was undaunted by scoring champions like Kevin Durant. Although Durant is nearly 10 centimeters taller than Marion, Marion can still use his ample defensive experience to cause Durant a lot of trouble. Durant shot just 42.9 percent from the field for the entire series, and less than 40 percent in the last three games combined. He shot only 28.6 percent from three-point range throughout the series. In Game 4, Marion managed to block Durant with 0.7 seconds left in regular time, helping the team drag the game into overtime and win.
In the Finals, Marion had to change LeBron James and Dwyane Wade frequently, and constantly consumed James with low-post singles on the offensive end. In the crucial second game, his 20 points were second only to Dirk Nowitzki. James was able to do anything before, but Marion took his defense to the extreme in the Finals, limiting it to an average of 17.8 points per game, just 20 points in three games and just eight points in one game. In Game 6, Marion forced James to make as many as six turnovers. The Lone Ranger's veterans eventually lifted the championship 4-2, remembering Nowitzki's brilliant killing, Kidd's strategizing and Jason Terry's nerve knife, but Marion's ubiquitous defense.
Life after retirement
That year's playoffs against Kobe, Durant and James' three supergiant defenses shows Marion's defensive skills. He has the height, flexibility and reach of a small forward, bouncing the arm of a center. It can be used as an outside gate and an internal line. He didn't have a problem defending from No. 1 to No. 5, and No. 5 in the West except O'Neill. He single-handedly made a positive statement, and if he played the No. 4 position in the small-ball era, he would only be stronger with his defensive versatility, excellent rebounding ability and fast offensive ability.
Marion is one of the most geeks in history, not only because of his versatility and mental attributes, but also because his shooting posture is weird, but his shooting percentage is no less than others. He is also known for his excellent defense, but he has never been named to the All-Defensive Team in his career. He has partnered with many top point guards, including statistics, big contracts, and championships. Among them, he and Nash's combination unleashed the most lethal power, and his lightning fast attack and explosive slam dunk can always set off huge waves from fans. Perhaps for old Suns fans, 2007's Horry is the biggest regret, and it would be a wonderful thing if the Sun Three Musketeers could win the championship together.
Marion was tempted to retire after his contract with the Mavericks expired in 2014, but was recruited by LeBron James to move to the Cavaliers for a second championship. He did reach the Finals with the Cavaliers, but he didn't play a minute in the Finals that season, averaging less than five points per game. The era that belonged to him had finally passed. On September 18, 2015, Marion officially announced its retirement.
Marion hasn't left basketball entirely, having played in the BIG3 League and was nominated for the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2019. He has also been involved in a number of charitable activities and business investments. He also maintains ties with old friends like Nash and Nowitzki and often reminisces about his good times with the Suns and Mavericks.
Marion is a unique and great player who plays his own style in his own way.
He doesn't care what others think of him, only what he can do. He earned respect and honor for his hard work and talent, and left an indelible basketball mark. He is a "hacker", he is a "matrix".
He was Shawn Marion.
"End"
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