The 50 greatest players in NBA history, ranked by win shares
By Cal Durrett
Greatest NBA Player #43: Shawn Marion-124.91
Had Shawn Marion been born just a decade later, he could have been a superstar. Instead, he’ll have to settle for being incredibly underrated. At 6’7, Marion was initially shoehorned into playing small forward, where he was an effective two-way player, but he thrived playing the four.
During the 2004-05 season for the Phoenix Suns, coach Mike D’Antoni put Marion at power forward, and he broke out. He averaged a stellar 19.4 points, 11.3 rebounds, 2 blocks, and 1.5 steals and became both the team’s third offensive option and primary defensive stopper.
That level of production helped the Suns finish with the best record in the NBA and make the Conference Finals in 2005. While they lost to the San Antonio Spurs, he spent time defending each of the Spurs’ big three during their primes. The following year, he was even better, averaging 21.8 points, 11.8 rebounds, 2 blocks, and 1.7 steals. Marion would later be traded to the Heat for Shaq after spending nine seasons in Phoenix, making three All-Star teams and three deep playoff runs.
He spent just one season in Miami, then Toronto, before joining the Mavericks and serving as a versatile defensive weapon. He spent time guarding Kobe Bryant, Kevin Durant, and LeBron James during the Mavs’ incredible 2011 playoff run, where they upset the Heat to win their first title.
Marion would retire as a Cavalier in 2015, though he missed out on the current small ball era. In today’s NBA, he’d likely be a power forward and a small-ball center, and his athleticism and ability to cut and crash the offensive glass would have allowed him to feast on easy baskets with increased spacing and pace of play.
He would have also been able to defend several positions like he did during his day. Much like his unorthodox shot, he doesn’t easily compare to other players on this list. But, despite flying under the radar during his career, he rates highly in win shares.