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Suns 5-On-5: Looking Back On Shawn Marion’s Career

By Jeffrey Sanders

Jan 13, 2015; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard Shawn Marion (31) warms up before the first quarter against the Phoenix Suns at US Airways Center. Phoenix won 107-100. Mandatory Credit: Casey Sapio-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 13, 2015; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard Shawn Marion (31) warms up before the first quarter against the Phoenix Suns at US Airways Center. Phoenix won 107-100. Mandatory Credit: Casey Sapio-USA TODAY Sports /
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Jan 13, 2015; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Phoenix Suns forward Markieff Morris (11) is defended by Cleveland Cavaliers guard Shawn Marion (31) during the fourth quarter at US Airways Center. Phoenix won 107-100. Mandatory Credit: Casey Sapio-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 13, 2015; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Phoenix Suns forward Markieff Morris (11) is defended by Cleveland Cavaliers guard Shawn Marion (31) during the fourth quarter at US Airways Center. Phoenix won 107-100. Mandatory Credit: Casey Sapio-USA TODAY Sports /

2. What was Marion’s best individual season with Suns?

Bourguet:  2005-06, and I will accept no other answers. He led the team in points (21.8), rebounds (11.8), steals (2.0) and blocks per game (1.7), and was the only player in the league to be ranked in the top 20 for points, rebounds, steals, blocks, field goal percentage AND minutes. Basically, he was Phoenix’s do-it-all guy in a season that saw Steve Nash win his second MVP Award, which pretty much perfectly encapsulates his career.

Chasen:  Marion’s 2005-06 season was probably his best from the Suns, despite it not being one of the Suns’ 60-win seasons from the 7SOL era. Playing 81 games, Marion posted a career-high 21.8 points per game, adding 11.8 rebounds per game and a combined 3.7 blocks and steals per game. It was Marion’s best career season PER-wise, and he also had a true shooting percentage that was close to 60 percent.

However, perhaps most impressively, he really played efficiently in all the areas of his game. He cut down on his three-point field goal attempts by about 50 from the previous season, and he dropped his turnover rate to just 7.7, which was the best of his career. He made the All-Star game, and he continued to be a force in the postseason, where he kept up averages of 20 points and 12 rebounds per game.

Hann:  For me, it is far and away the 2005-2006 season. Marion not only averaged a double-double in the form of 21.8 points and 11.8 rebounds a night, but he spearheaded one of the greatest Suns team ever back to the Western Conference Finals without Amar’e Stoudemire. He was asked to do it all that season in Stoudemire’s absence and he delivered the goods.

And yes, his success could not have been so emphatic without Steve Nash in the fold, but people are quick to forget that the 2005-2006 season could not have been possible without Shawn Marion playing three positions on offense and guarding all five positions on defense.

Sanders:  The 2005-06 season obviously wins the debate going away. Marion stepped up in a huge way, averaging 21.8 points and 11.8 rebounds per game and teamed up with Steve Nash to lead the Suns to the Western Conference Finals with Stoudemire missing all but three games that season. That season ended a five-year stretch where the Matrix averaged 20.1 points and 10.4 rebounds a year, which was the best five-year span of his career.

Schall:  In the 2005-06 season, Marion was the only player in the league to finish top 20 in points, rebounds, steals, blocks, field goal percentage and minutes. As someone whose success could never be fully quantified by statistics, those are pretty impressive marks. Marion’s wine cellar season came when the Sun’s needed him the most with Amar’e Stoudemire missing the entire year.

Next: No. 3

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