Offseason questions: Can 'Trix continue to anchor the Dallas D?
Earl K. Sneed continues his offseason questions series, taking a look at the defensive prowess of Dallas Mavericks forward Shawn Marion.
Offseason questions: Can 'Trix continue to anchor the Dallas D?
He’s a four-time All-Star, but since coming to Dallas people have forgotten about the offensive success Mavericks forward Shawn Marion saw during his early playing days.
Marion has instead become the Mavericks’ lead defensive catalyst, often guarding the opposing team’s best perimeter player – regardless of position – and finding just as much success at that end of the floor.
The 6-foot-7 versatile forward averaged over 19 points in five seasons and holds a career average of 16.4 points per game, becoming one of the NBA’s top 100 scorers all time when he passed Antoine Walker (15,647) versus Washington last season on March 13 in a 107-98 home win. But Marion has sacrificed that offensive acclaim since joining the Mavs three campaigns ago, never once averaging more than 12.5 points during a season.
When both swingman DeShawn Stevenson and center Tyson Chandler departed in free agency following the Mavericks’ 2010-11 championship chase, even more defensive burden was placed on Marion’s shoulders last season. But whether it meant guarding the likes of three-time scoring champion Kevin Durant, perennial All-Star Kobe Bryant or stepping out of position to even defend the other team’s point guard, the player known as “the Matrix” seemingly always warped into a shutdown defensive star in order to help his team succeed.
“In my opinion, [Marion] is top two or three guys in the league defensively,” Mavs coach Rick Carlisle said after Marion finished eighth behind Chandler in Defensive Player of the Year voting last season.
He added: “The fact that we were the top defensive team in the West almost the entire year without Chandler, and a lot of it had to do with [Marion’s] on-the-ball defense, not just as a helper blocking shots off the ball at the 5 position, but he’s guarding point guards, 2-guards, small forwards, power forwards and at times switching on to centers.”
But as he approaches his 14th NBA season, can the 34-year-old continue to rise to the occasion while anchoring the Dallas defense?
With the off-season addition of guard Dahntay Jones, the Mavs figure to have a perimeter defender capable of relieving some of Marion’s responsibilities. The same could be said of rookie Jae Crowder, who is expected to see time in his first year backing up Marion and eight-time All-Star Vince Carter at the small forward position.
Still, when the game is on the line and it comes down to needing to get one stop, there’s no question who the Mavs will turn to in order to stop the Durants and Kobes of the world: the Matrix.
“It’s hard, it ain’t easy,” Marion admittedly said last season in regard to his role as a lockdown defender. “I guess the mentality you’ve gotta have is you’ve gotta want to do it and take the challenge of doing it. You know, I like challenges and I pride myself on taking guys out of doing what they’re used to doing. And I just go out there and compete. You always have to give yourself something to keep that edge. Whatever it takes to get you going, to get that edge over another guy or to get your team going, that’s what you’ve got to do.”
