Shawn Marion, not Kevin Love, Biggest Concern for Cavs
The Cleveland Cavaliers finally lost a game and once again Kevin Love is being talked about as a concern. Yet Shawn Marion, and not Love, is the biggest concern for the Cavs moving forward. Marion was signed by the Cavaliers late in the off-season but was seen as a huge addition. A small forward who can play some power forward, had experience and could spell LeBron James. Seemed like a perfect fit, and a cheap one at that.
(Editor’s Note: This article was in the planning/making stages prior to last night’s loss. It is not a reaction to that loss.)
Marion was coming off a season where he played in 76 games for the Dallas Mavericks and averaged almost 32 minutes a game. His overall numbers were not huge but his impact on the game was. He averaged 10.4 points, 6.5 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 1.2 steals a game last year, all while staying out of foul trouble (1.5 fouls per game). He shot 48% from the field and pretty good 36% from the 3 point line.
What a stellar addition for a team that already had LeBron, Kevin Love and Kyrie Irving. If the Cavs got last year’s version of Marion things would be going great. Instead they got the version of Marion who has decided this would be his last season in the NBA, not exactly inspiring.
This year Marion is averaging a respectable 21 minutes a game as a backup but only putting in 5 points and 3.6 rebounds a game. In a vacuum those look bad but with Love, Tristan Thompson and now Timofey Mozgov there are not a lot of rebounds, and with the Big 3 there are not a ton of chances for shots. Yet he is still averaging almost 5 shots a game but his shooting has dropped down to 44% from the field and a measly 28% from beyond the arc.
No wonder he hesitates before shooting those wide open corner 3s, that he used to hit so well. No wonder teams are sagging off of him anytime he is beyond 15 feet. No wonder the second unit has struggled to find any type of scoring, something Marion was supposed to help a little with but now hurts because he can’t space the floor.
Head Coach David Blatt may have seen enough. Over the last 10 games Marion is only averaging 11.9 minutes a game, almost half of his season average and a third of last year’s minutes. Since January 19th Marion has not seen 20 minutes in any game. He topped out at 19 minutes against the Detroit Pistons and only got 6 minutes last night in a tough contested game.
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While the Cavs, and their fans, have some concerns about Love’s production, Marion’s is a bigger concern. Because of his struggles LeBron doesn’t have a clear backup to relieve him. Iman Shumpert, a shooting guard standing at 6’5″, is often now taking over at the 3 spot. Shump is still getting into game shape but he doesn’t have the size to bang with other small forwards, Marion does but his struggles have kept him on the bench.
Maybe this is part of a bigger plan to keep the veteran fresh for the stretch run. Maybe Marion wants to go out strong in the playoffs in his last run. Or maybe the Cavs do not have a viable small forward backup and it is causing problems for the Cavaliers (please don’t suggest Mike Miller or James Jones at this point.)
So while many call for a backup point guard or another big to be the Cavs focus before the NBA Trade Deadline, is it possible that the small forward spot is still a concern for the team? One thing is clear: Shawn Marion isn’t getting it done.
What were you expectations for Shawn Marion when he signed with the Cavs?