No Sympathy For the Matrix

Memo to Shawn Marion: You brought this on yourself.

The man who couldn't stand simply being a very valued part of a winning team in Phoenix is already starting to lose patience with his new, uh, supporting cast.

The Palm Beach Post's Chris Perkins reports:

Forward Shawn Marion has been with the Heat only a little more than three weeks, but he already has expressed concern on more than one occasion about the determination of his teammates.

"We've got a national TV game. You're telling me you can't get pumped up and come out with fire? That's frustrating. We've got [to] dig deeper," said Marion, who was obtained from Phoenix on Feb. 6 in the Shaquille O'Neal trade.

"Their bench comes in and gives them energy, our bench needs to come in and give us energy," said Marion, who was in Seattle with his teammates to face the SuperSonics on Friday night. "It's got to be an even swap. We can't have it one-sided."

"It's hard, man," he said. "I'm used to being a leader on the floor, but it's got to be everybody. When everybody starts to feel pain, to feel that pain, and get (upset) on the floor ... then this will end. Until that happens, it's never going to end." 

This guy may just never get it.

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See, Shawn, that's the thing about bad teams: They aren't as good as your former Phoenix team is.  They tend to have more nights than most when they don't show up with adequate energy.  Their benches aren't as good as other benches.

That's how it works.

On the one hand, perhaps it's nice to see Marion trying to act like a leader and suggesting that his team play hard.  Because what has been going on in Miami this season is a shame, and the man is right in principle.

But it's hard to feel bad for a guy getting exactly what he signed on for: a team of guys nowhere near as good as he is (with one notable exception) who won't threaten his stardom.

Losing just happens to be one of the consequences of that wish.