If you happen to bump into Shawn Marion at the supermarket, the one question you should never ask him is about his jump shot.

"He's heard it so many times, he's tired of it," says longtime friend Jason Kidd.

Marion's jumper is a little different. That's not a knock. It goes in at a great percentage rate. It's just that he doesn't have the classic release and follow through.

"Look, a lot of people think Jim Furyk has an unusual golf swing, but he's won a major championship," coach Rick Carlisle said of the 2003 U.S. Open winner. "Appearances can be deceptive. And I'm a believer in art over science in basketball.

"If you want to nitpick, you can talk about how his shot is different looking. But the bottom line is the guy is one hell of a player."

Marion doesn't like having to justify his stroke.

"Nobody in the league shoots the same way," he says. "What difference does it make? What about steals, rebounding? I led the league in rebounding one year at 6-7. As far as my shot, who cares?"

He has made 670 career 3-pointers and is a 48 percent shooter overall. Clearly, he's doing something right.

Eddie Sefko