Phoenix Suns: 7-Seconds-or-Less team vs. Barkley-Era team; who wins?
By Kenny Glenn
Which Phoenix Suns era team was the best: Power Forward
Charles Barkley vs. Shawn Marion
There is an obvious clear choice, but the long time and much loved Shawn Marion deserves more than just passing props for the quality work he did in the 2004-2005 season.
The “Matrix” was a four-time All-Star including the ’04-’05 season where Marion checked in with a beefy 19 points and 11 rebounds per game that season. Throw in the two steals and 1.5 blocks per game and you have the identical stats of the 6’11”, 250 pound Deandre Ayton in this recently finished bubble season.
Marion did this at 6’7″, 228 pounds…not much bigger than Kelly Oubre.
The Matrix led the NBA in steals twice and even got votes for Defensive Player of the Year two years later. So to put Marion into this conversation against Barkley isn’t a cakewalk for Sir Charles.
Barkley won the well-deserved MVP for that year as he led the Suns to the NBA Finals. The 11-time All-Star and Dream Teamer poured in 26 points per game for the Suns while yanking down 12 boards. With Barkley coming in at 6’6″, 252 pounds, who as you know was closer to 6’4″. This gave Barkley not only the agility to match Marion with athleticism, but the power to dominate the out of position small forward.
I look at it this way: if Charles Barkley could dominate the 3-inch taller and athletic Shawn Kemp in the 1993 Playoffs averaging 26 points, 14 rebounds, 4 assists,1.4 steals and a blocked shot per game in that series…nobody on the 7-Seconds-or-Less Suns, much less Marion, was going to stop Barkley.
VERDICT: Charles Barkley