Indiana Pacers: Shawn Marion Vital to Maintaining Defensive Dominance
By Brian Neal
Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports
If one thing is certain for the Indiana Pacers right now heading into the 2014-15 NBA season, it’s that there’s no way they can replace Paul George’s production with any one player. As far as free-agent options go, there’s no one who can score like he can; however, there are a couple opportunities to apply a quick fix on the defensive end of things.
Enter Shawn Marion.
The versatile SF has never been a terrific offensive player, but what he can bring is a reliable wing defender, something the Pacers now lack in the absence of George. At the three spot, they currently have the likes of Chris Copeland, Solomon Hill, and C.J. Miles under contract. Those guys can bring some offensive spark, but none of them are known for their defensive prowess.
Marion would fix that issue for the Pacers, as it was reported by ESPN yesterday that he visited the team. Right now, it’s unknown if the team can afford him. Fellow InkOnIndy columnist Evan Massey wrote about how they’ve been granted a Disabled Player Exception by the NBA following George’s injury, so that’s one route. However, it’s still unclear if they not only have the funds to acquire Marion, but if they can even convince him to sign as well.
The former Dallas Maverick says he wants to sign with a contender. Does he view the Pacers as a contender without Paul George? It’s unlikely, but who knows?
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Despite that thought, the Pacers cannot let up in their pursuit. The only way they’re going to win games this year and make the playoffs is if their defense stays at the top of the Association. Offensively, Indiana was in the bottom third of the league in points per game. That won’t improve without George. It’s their defense that kept them as a top team in the East, as they were second in points allowed and first in opponent’s field-goal percentage. While losing arguably their top defender in George, they can still salvage their defensive dominance by plugging in a guy like Marion.
Marion can’t give them 20-plus points per game, but if he can provide 13-15 and play stout defense outside, the Pacers won’t lose as much production as previously thought on that end of the court.
If Indiana remains a top-five defense in the NBA, it’s hard to imagine them missing the playoffs outright, especially in the Eastern Conference. But Marion is key to maintaining that status considering they lost their best two perimeter defenders in George and Lance Stephenson.
What this potential signing also does is keep Marion off of the division rival Cleveland Cavaliers, a team he met with just last week.
Again, there’s no replacing George, but applying a band-aid to the defensive side of things is a viable short-term plan. And who knows? In a best-case scenario, George could actually return for the playoffs if he meets the minimum of nine months in his recovery time frame. For that reason alone, Marion should remain a top priority.