DALLAS - There is good news for Shawn Marion, highlighted by the way he is performing as the Mavs' Swiss Army Knife, and of course also involving the work of his 8-4 team. But there is challenging news, too: A groin problem that coach Rick Carlisle says might cause Dallas to play Friday's game against Utah with other members of his 'food chain.'
The good news for Shawn Marion? Things are going so well for the Dallas Mavericks' Swiss Army Knife that even the 3-ball is a major weapon, as he is hitting 47.8 percent of his 3-pointers this season … including 7-of-12 from the corners (for 58.3 percent).
And of course, that's the spot from which he hit the game-winner against the Rockets on Wednesday ... something he was happy to discuss after the game.
"If I get some open looks, I'm going to knock it down," Marion said. "There was a point in my career where I stopped shooting them. When I came here, I didn't really have to do that. But it never went away. The only way you can make them is to shoot them."
The bad news? Marion is now working to recover from a right groin strain sustained in that game.
"Hopefully, not serious,'' coach Rick Carlisle said of the injury. "But if something happens and he can't go (Friday against the visiting Jazz), everybody's going to jump up one spot on the food chain. And the next guy is going to have to be ready at every position.''
If Marion is absent, Jae Crowder could jump up in the rotation and into the starting lineup. More might also be asked of Vince Carter and Wayne Ellington.
"One player out of the rotation can completely change how a team looks and functions and we have to be ready for those situations," said Carlisle, and that could certainly be the case with The Matrix, 35, who is averaging 12.7 points and a team-high 7.7 rebounds per game.
