February 19
Toronto Sun
columnist Frank Zicarelli
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On his first touch as a Raptor, Shawn Marion showed a soft touch by scoring over LeBron James on a turnaround jumper. Then came a drive to the hole when Marion took Wally Szczerbiak off the dribble. There were glimpses and flashes of what Marion will bring to the Raptors at both ends of the floor, but he's far from a saviour. In the euphoria that greeted last Friday's trade with the Miami Heat that brought Marion and Marcus Banks to Hogtown, too many people held on to this belief that Marion would somehow change the fortunes of the foundering hoopsters. He won't and last night's debut reinforced it. Marion is a good player and a nice piece to have in moving forward, at least for the ..."
February 14
Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel
columnist Dave Hyde
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Got a big man in Jermaine O'Neal. Kept the future star of Michael Beasley. Pointed the salary cap toward the all-important summer of 2010. What's not to like for the Heat's today and tomorrow? It even got elastic Jamario Moon and a No. 1 draft pick out of Toronto, for whatever they're worth. And it's worth seeing exactly what they are. Patiently, logically, resourcefully, Heat President Pat Riley waited to make the deal a source said was on the table for six weeks until nothing better was coming and O'Neal's knee looked fine in extended play. This was the best of the rumored deals. Toronto primarily gets the expiring contract of Shawn Marion, whose reward for Thursday's winning basket was ..."
January 25
Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel
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Miami Heat forward Shawn Marion was held out for the second time in a week due to a strained left groin, missing Saturday night's game against the Orlando Magic at AmericanAirlines Arena. Marion missed last Sunday's road victory against the Oklahoma City Thunder, then played just eight minutes in Wednesday's home loss to the Boston Celtics, after aggravating the injury while attempting a dunk. Coach Erik Spoelstra said the team's medical staff has advised against pushing Marion because of the potential for a more serious strain. The Heat next plays Monday against the visiting Atlanta Hawks."
January 19
Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel
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Heat President Pat Riley, in his first public comments about a potential trade for Toronto's Jermaine O'Neal, cautioned that the deal is not imminent. While not denying interest in O'Neal, Riley said in a team statement released Sunday that reports about the potential trade were premature. "It's typical this time of the year in the NBA that people put the cart before the horse," Riley said. "Whoever is saying that is putting the cart before the horse." The Heat is considering sending forward Shawn Marion and guard Marcus Banks to the Raptors for O'Neal. But Riley is concerned about O'Neal's immediate availability after he recently missed nine games with a sore knee. O'Neal, 30, played 17 ..."
January 18
Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel
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The Heat is discussing a trade that would send Shawn Marion and Marcus Banks to Toronto for forward/center Jermaine O'Neal but the deal is on hold as the Heat continues to monitor O'Neal's health. Toronto President Bryan Colangelo would like to complete the deal soon. However, it may not happen until closer to the Feb. 19 trade deadline due to Heat president Pat Riley's concerns about O'Neal's immediate readiness with the Heat in contention for a playoff berth. O'Neal recently returned after a nine-game absence due to a knee injury. O'Neal, though injured often during his 13-year career, would fill the Heat's glaring need for a low-post scorer. With $45 million due over the next two ..."
December 22
Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel
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After opposing shooting guards had their way against the Heat during the team's recent three-game losing streak, coach Erik Spoelstra turned to his bullpen. Since summoning Shawn Marion as his relief defender, the Heat has won two in a row and can match last season's 15-win total Tuesday against Golden State. With Dwyane Wade carrying as large an offensive load as any player in the league, Spoelstra moved to alleviate some of the overall burden by utilizing Marion as the prime defender against opposing shooting guards. The results have been encouraging, with Marion holding the Lakers' Kobe Bryant relatively in check Friday night and then shutting down the Nets' Vince Carter on Saturday ..."
December 18
Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel
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Perhaps this is what is to be expected when you're the NBA's 12th highest-paid player and in a contract year. Perhaps it's to be expected when you're a transition player caught on a team that lately has been forced into an abundance of half-court basketball amid a three-game losing streak. Or perhaps it's merely just another day of working in a rumor-driven, Internet-perpetuated, talk-radio-fueled industry. "This league is built on everybody making up rumors or saying stuff," Heat forward Shawn Marion said after Wednesday's practice, as his team prepared for Friday's game against the visiting Lakers. Tuesday's day off started inauspiciously, with Yahoo Sports reporting talks between the ..."
November 25
Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel
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Heat forward Shawn Marion will miss Wednesday's game in Portland due to the death of a great uncle. The funeral in Dermott, Ark., is scheduled for 1 p.m. Wednesday. "Even if I took a private jet, I couldn't get there in time," he said of the 10 p.m. game against the Trail Blazers, the start of a five-game Western swing. He said he would rejoin the team in time for Thursday's practice in Phoenix. "All my family's real close," he said. "We're tight-knit." Marion has missed two games this season due a strained left groin, with the Heat 1-1 in his absence, including a home loss to Portland, the type of athletic opponent where his style could have a decided impact."