Is Manu Ginobili the Most Underrated Player In the Game?

[Kent_in_Atlanta]

“…and they’ve got Manu Ginobili, who at any given moment can be the best player in the world”

- Bill Walton


“Put Ginobili on another team, and he could easily average 25 points a game. Ginobili is a stud.”

- Charles Barkley


I’ve heard it said that –at the moment- the 6th Man of the Year would be a dead heat between Manu Ginobili and Jason Terry. Well, let’s see…

Terry is averaging 21.8 PPG compared to Manu’s 20.0. However, the difference in minutes played so far this year more than makes up for the minor discrepancy in PPG. And Manu has the statistical edge in assists, steals, rebounds, and blocks. What’s more, anyone who has watched Ginobili play with any regularity will know that his game cannot be fully measured by numbers. He has a special knack for being in the right place at the right time, putting opposing players in foul trouble, and coming through in the clutch. Defensively, the edge definitely belongs to #20.

Jason Terry can put the ball in the basket with the best of them. But there are so many ways Manu can impact a game. Here are few Ginobili line scores this season:

19 points / 7 assists / 9 rebounds / 1 block / 1 steal

25 points / 7 assists / 9 rebounds / 3 steals

14 points / 2 assists / 10 rebounds / 1 block / 1 steal

25 points / 7 assists / 7 rebounds/ 1 steal

23 points / 2 assists / 2 rebounds / 5 steals

Buck Harvey reported the other day: “ in just the fourth quarters of the last road games in each of the Phoenix, Utah and Cleveland series last season, he averaged about 15 points.”

Ginobili is an animal. He’s omnipresent on the floor. How the Spurs can still have the reputation of being a “boring” team to watch with Manu out there (and Tony Parker doing his thing in the lane) is beyond me. What I know for sure is this…

Without question, Manu Ginobili is the most underrated player in the game. If not, who is??

[TradeParker4Nash]

No. And I disagree with Walton and Barkley. The NBA's pace in games is rapidly getting faster and faster in which Manu can't keep up with. Trade him for Kobe and Parker for Nash and we are set for the next 10 years.

[Spaceman Spiff]

Underrated in terms of him being a superstar and not being recognized as such.

There are other really great players that most fans couldn't even recognize on the street....Jose Calderon comes to mind. David West is pretty good but nobody cares.

But in terms of a star player, Manu tops the list.

[timmy21_4rings]

good time to sell our stocks - Manu and Parker and buy another - Kobe + someone in laker

[lefty]

Originally Posted by Spaceman Spiff

Underrated in terms of him being a superstar and not being recognized as such.

There are other really great players that most fans couldn't even recognize on the street....Jose Calderon comes to mind. David West is pretty good but nobody cares.

But in terms of a star player, Manu tops the list.

+1 on Calderon

[Russ]

He's Havlicek reincarnated. He is so underrated it's hard to comprehend. Ginobili is the number one warrior in the NBA and he's the heart and soul of the Spurs, period.

[Kent_in_Atlanta]

Originally Posted by TradeParker4Nash

No. And I disagree with Walton and Barkley. The NBA's pace in games is rapidly getting faster and faster in which Manu can't keep up with. Trade him for Kobe and Parker for Nash and we are set for the next 10 years.

First of all, as good as Manu is, the Lakers would not trade Kobe straight up for Manu.

And trade 25 year-old Tony Parker for 33 year-old Steve Nash... yeah, that's a great idea!!!!!!

[timvp]

People who know the game know Ginobili is a great player, even before this early season explosion. It's tough to be considered underrated when you were a Hall of Fame lock before the age of 30, you are one of the top 20 to 30 most recognizable players in the league and currently even the national media is saying you are playing better than anyone on the Spurs.

I know people want to think that the Spurs are always getting the short end of the stick but how much more "rated" do you want Ginobili to be? He could very well be playing better basketball than anyone in the world right now, however even if that is the case he's getting plenty of recognition.

[hitmanyr2k]

Originally Posted by timvp

People who know the game know Ginobili is a great player, even before this early season explosion. It's tough to be considered underrated when you were a Hall of Fame lock before the age of 30, you are one of the top 20 to 30 most recognizable players in the league and currently even the national media is saying you are playing better than anyone on the Spurs.

I know people want to think that the Spurs are always getting the short end of the stick but how much more "rated" do you want Ginobili to be? He could very well be playing better basketball than anyone in the world right now, however even if that is the case he's getting plenty of recognition.

I happen to think Ginobili should be in the Hall of Fame when his career is over but I'm not so sure he's a "lock" at this point. Another ring while being a big contributor will probably seal the deal though.

[remingtonbo2001]

You know what Ginobili is?

What Grant Hill should have been.

[timvp]

Originally Posted by hitmanyr2k

I happen to think Ginobili should be in the Hall of Fame when his career is over but I'm not so sure he's a "lock" at this point. Another ring while being a big contributor will probably seal the deal though.

Manu could have retired in July of 2005 and would have likely been a first ballot Hall of Famer.

[ShoogarBear]

Originally Posted by Kent_in_Atlanta

underrated

You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means.

[ManuTim_best of Fwiendz]

Eh, in Manu's case it's relative. He's pretty much a golden boy to Spurs fans, while outside of the San Antonio fan circle, to other fans Manu either gets overlooked and/or stereotyped as a flopper while his stats understate his star caliber status and unique game.

You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means.

If anything I guess you can argue about mainstream fan recognition.
He gets a few comments from the Barkleys and Walton. But no one takes Walton seriously, and Barkley comes off a homer. So as far as being a recognized mainstream player? A la the Vince Carters. Manu is probably less recognized than Tim Duncan, and Tony Parker I've noticed.
Some of my friends who aren't fans of San Antonio, just know him as that annoying guy with an "unorthodox" game, and don't even recognize his impact as being a huge reason WHY the Spurs keep winning games.

[Kent_in_Atlanta]

Originally Posted by ShoogarBear

You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means.

When then I guess you'll have to start by telling me what I think it means. What do I think it means?

[Holt's Cat]

The knock on Manu, and it's a fair one, is that on average he plays less than 30 minutes a night.

Still, when you think about the players in the NBA who you'd want to have the ball in their hands with a championship on the line, there are few who you would choose over Manu.

[Brutalis]

No he is not underrated.

He used to be.

He has the experience from playoffs and big time games all around the world, and is now peaking. Other squads do not take him lightly at all.

[E20]

Originally Posted by ManuTim_best of Fwiendz

Eh, in Manu's case it's relative. He's pretty much a golden boy to Spurs fans, while outside of the San Antonio fan circle, to other fans Manu either gets overlooked and/or stereotyped as a flopper while his stats understate his star caliber status and unique game.

That's pretty much what it is around here (CA) and probably everywhere else outside of San Antonio. Every one I know who follows basketball that is not a Spurs fan think he just flops his way to the FT line for points. Outside of SA Media and Bill Walton and Chuck (Who nobody takes seriously)

[ShoogarBear]

Originally Posted by Kent_in_Atlanta

When then I guess you'll have to start by telling me what I think it means. What do I think it means?

Hello. My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die

[Kent_in_Atlanta]

Originally Posted by ShoogarBear

Hello. My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die

Was his name Inigo?? I can never remember anything other than "Montoya" (and the part about killing his father of course).

[Dex]

Originally Posted by ShoogarBear

Hello. My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die

Inconcievable!!

[lefty]

Originally Posted by Russ

He's Havlicek reincarnated. He is so underrated it's hard to comprehend. Ginobili is the number one warrior in the NBA and he's the heart and soul of the Spurs, period.

I've always thought Manu was similar to Havlicek, with a bit of Westphal in him (for the sick passing and shots)

[spurastic]

Originally Posted by TradeParker4Nash

No. And I disagree with Walton and Barkley. The NBA's pace in games is rapidly getting faster and faster in which Manu can't keep up with. Trade him for Kobe and Parker for Nash and we are set for the next 10 years.

idiot

[Kermit]

Originally Posted by Kent_in_Atlanta

“…and they’ve got Manu Ginobili, who at any given moment can be the best player in the world”

- Bill Walton


“Put Ginobili on another team, and he could easily average 25 points a game. Ginobili is a stud.”

- Charles Barkley

Underrate: to rate to low, to undervalue

[SpurOutofTownFan]

This thread delivers in a big way. After looking at the facts I have to agree Manu is the most underrated start of the NBA.

Maybe for those of you who live in SA, this comes out as odd, but I live in Atlanta and almost no one who likes basketball talks about him and when they do its always about that weird guy who flops and comes from Europe. We don't have signs in the street with his picture or the TV.

Most of his fame comes from Barkley and his GINOBILI and Walton who despite people laughing at him I think he is one of the best guys at what he does. He typically talks about stuff that people don't care about, but that's mostly out of ignorance.

If you go around and ask people who are in this business what do they know about Ginobili other than he being a rather "good" player and flopper they wold probably tell you he won the gold medal in the last olympics and has some rings with the Spurs. Actually he is the only player ever to win the gold medal, a ring with the NBA and an Euroleague which is the second best tournament after the NBA. No other player alive or dead has achieved this and it's very likely no one else ever will.

In addition to those 3 titles above, he has 6 more. He has been awarded 13 awards during his career.

It's just a shame that underachievers like Karl had tried to diminish his person and kill his character because he had no way to stop the guy on the court. From then on, he just became a flopper. Repeat a lie a thousand times and it will become true. Nazis employeed that method.

When I turn 90 years old, I will ask my grandchild to watch some videos with me and I will show him a compact of Manu's plays during his career and will say to him: "now I'm gonna show you a video of one of the greatest players ever to play basketball"

[Bruno]

Bowen is the most underrated Spurs.

[bdictjames]

Today, I don't think so. People are taking Ginobili seriously as a potential MVP and a Sixth Man awardee.

He was underrated last year though, I can say that.