Reply With Quote
Great read
By Kyle Carpenter KyleCarpenter on Mar 31, 2015, 7:00a
I have a confession to make. I didn't see any of this coming.
It was the summer of 2009 and I was sitting in a 3rd floor bedroom of the 100-year old house I lived in with a dozen close friends who came from all over the state and country to attend the university. They brought with them allegiances wide-ranging and, at times, deplorable. It was on this lazy summer afternoon that a pair of 21-year olds, enjoying the respite that only a dark cavernous room lit by the the sunlight that crawls around the blinds can supply, discussed the state of the NBA. My view promulgating Spurs-bias and his, bless his heart, marked with an obvious Lakers skew.
I waxed poetic about the promise of Tiago Splitter, who would instantly become a Dwight-Howard-like defender with the potential to emulate some of Tim Duncan's pick-and-roll and post game. I talked about how a 32-year old Duncan showed no signs of slowing down and led his team in win shares, and the emergence of Tony Parker as potentially the best PG in the league with 6 years of prime left. I talked about Derek Fisher fouling Brent Barry the year before and what a travesty it was that Michael Finley's 8 points-per-game were the most any Spur could muster after "Timmy and Tony" were essentially bested 2-on-5 against a potent Mavericks team.
All the while, he sat back smug and content, in a way that only the fan of a champion can, with the unshakable confidence that only an in-his-prime all-time-NBA-great (like Kobe Bryant circa 2009) can give. He bandied about some things regarding Andrew Bynum and Trevor Ariza that I don't really recall, but then he dropped the truth bomb:
"Would you trade Manu Ginobili for David West, straight up?"
http://www.poundingtherock.com/2015/...-manu-ginobili
Great read
Kind of a shame we'll never know what he would've been as a #1 option but thank god for that. Even though he can't do it every night anymore he still does things no one else can. And still has the intangible knack to do whatever you may need at a given moment.
evita
His most ridiculous pass, ever: 2013 Finals, Tony cross half court and throws the ball to Manu above the break on the 3 point line, and cuts hard to the hoop on a 'give and go'. His man plays it well, but Manu threads a pass between a moving defenders legs before he even reaches the spot.
Enrique made sure we would never know
Nice read! Many thanks!
Thank god we never had to know what he would've been like as a number one option. His playing style is emotional, up and down. I prefer consistency. I love Manu, don't get me wrong. But SG's are too much emotionally in their playing style. Not many are efficient, honestly most aren't.
I can't remember SGs with Manu's passing skills in the last ten years. After Nash, Manu'd be the most talented NBA passer in the last decade.
2nd Greatest Spur of All Time
3rd, distant
Love Manu, but this is wrong, he is #4, Duncan, Robinson, and Gervin are all in front.
Not bad at all.
I really hope they put out a video highlights video when retires. He'll have enough of them. Maybe not the number one player but I would've loved to see what Manu could've done as a regular starter somewhere. The sad thing is he'll only be remembered as a sixth man.
He has done that more than once... not always through players legs though like you said.
We used to see that play every other game, I don't think I have seen it once this season.
Evita imo
Can't live with him.cant kick him out d team
#5. TP is #2.
He'll be remembered as part of the Spurs Big 3, the most successful trio in NBA history.
Gervin
Manu is #2, heads and shoulders above Robinson.
Great article otherwise but you had to have been an idiot to not see this coming. Manu has always had that elite courtvision, even in his younger years. Ive always had pretty good courtvision and in middle school & HS people either brought up Manu or the blacks brought up Skip 2 My Lou.
One of a kind
I've been watching the NBA since the days when Bob Cousy was the brilliant passer for the Celtics. I've seen 'em all Clyde, Pistol Pete, etc. But that was the most impossible pass I ever saw. Even on replays, it's hard to comprehend how he could, in a split second, visualize the angle needed to lead and reach a racing Parker and the movement of his defenders legs and make the pass while on the move. Incredible.
brings me back
There are currently 1 users browsing this thread. (0 members and 1 guests)
Posting Permissions
