Schoening: Professionalism of Parker

[Spurs Brazil]

http://www.nba.com/spurs/timeout/20secondto.html

Professionalism of Parker
by Bill Schoening | Oct 20, 2008



At the beginning of Spurs training camp, Tony Parker spoke of assuming more of a leadership role on this year's squad. After all, he was entering his eighth year in the NBA and he was already serving as a tutor to younger players such as rookie first round draft pick George Hill.

The point guard is often considered a coach on the floor who often quarterbacks the team, and Tony's steady improvement in a number of areas has garnered the respect of his teammates as well as his foes. If the preseason is any indication, Parker is more than able to handle the rigors of another long NBA campaign. He's hitting well over 60 percent from the field, is dishing the ball in a timely fashion, has shown confidence in his midrange jumper, and has shown flashes of the quickness and penetrating ability that earned him NBA Finals MVP honors in 2007.

Hill says his transition from a small division one school (IUPUI) to the NBA will be a lot smoother because he has a pro like Tony Parker to show him the way.

[tp2021]

Tony is underrated and underappreciated. Especially by Spurs fans.

[DPG21920]

Not by this one

[SenorSpur]

or this one either. Or by Steve Nash, Deron Williams or Chris Paul

[Fermixalot]

I think his underappreciation stems from his old bad habits of choking at critical times. If it were not for Speedy in 03...

But he has grown beyond everyone's expectations and has become one of the elite point guards in the NBA. Plus, dude is fast as HELL!!!!!

[jcrod]

Tony is underrated and underappreciated. Especially by Spurs fans.

:toast No doubt.

[Avitus1]

TP gets better each year that passes...

[spursfan09]

Tony is underrated and underappreciated. Especially by Spurs fans.

QFT!

[spursfan09]

I think his underappreciation stems from his old bad habits of choking at critical times. If it were not for Speedy in 03...



Yeah well people who are still holding that against him, don't want to look past that. How old was he in 03? 21 yrs old. he was younger than I am right now :lol

[Obstructed_View]

I think his underappreciation stems from his old bad habits of choking at critical times. If it were not for Speedy in 03...

Speedy hit like three jumpers. What made it memorable is that Speedy didn't usually hit jumpers. Parker was SO young back then, and even then some of the Spurs' opponents knew they could win if they took him out of the game. I thought he handled it better than most people in that situation.

[ShoogarBear]

LMAO . . . his eight year in the league.

[timaios]

I think his underappreciation stems from his old bad habits of choking at critical times. If it were not for Speedy in 03...

But he has grown beyond everyone's expectations and has become one of the elite point guards in the NBA. Plus, dude is fast as HELL!!!!!

Tony is the youngest player (21 years 22 days) to have two games in a row with 20+ points in NBA finals.
Tony was, with Tim, the best Spurs in the first 3 games of the 2003 finals.
He was a great defender against Jason Kidd.
He was a beast in the third game in New Jersey when he made 4 3-pointers in a row in second half that lead San Antonio to a win. Spurs 2 Nets 1.

He was awful in game 4. ---> Nets won that game to tie the serie 2-2.
He was good in game 5. ---> Spurs won.
He was not good at all in game 6. ---> Claxton was good 5-8 FG 4 ast 13 pts... so Pop stayed with him on the court at the end of the game. Spurs won the serie 4-2.

So, he was the second best player for the Spurs behind a HUGE HUGE Tim Duncan, in 3 of the 4 wins.

Stephen Jackson was awful in games 3, 4 & 5.

Manu was just ok.
Game 1 28min 3-8FG 7reb 3ast 3to 7 pts
Game 2 29min 1-6FG 6reb 3ast 3to 4 pts
Game 3 28min 3-6FG 2reb 4ast 1to 4stl 8 pts
Game 4 28min 3-10FG 2reb 1ast 1to 4stl 10 pts
Game 5 26min 4-8FG 3reb 12pts
Game 6 33min 2-8FG 7reb 11pts

Tony was amazing in WCF against the mavs, except in game 6 when he had a stomach virus... Then Steve Kerr was a legend in that game...

Tony had a good serie against the Lakers in WCSF with a great game 6... 27 pts. And the Spurs eliminated the Lakers at Los Angeles in that game 6.

For a 20-21 years player, Tony Parker was great in 2003 playoffs.
Watch the games again !

Oh, and Tim Duncan was awesome !!!!!

[polandprzem]

If he gets confidence of a mentor he will be better then he was.

Good that we have Geroge Hill in spurs uniform :tu

[Fingaroll44]

This is actually the portion of his career that I've been waiting on. Most players are almost always better by their 6th, 7th or 8th year. I remember he would freeze up in clutch situations but I knew it was because he wasnt a MAN yet. He has arrived on schedule and thank God his growth wasn't stunted by all those tongue lashings he took from Pop. It probably helped build the mental toughness he has now. :toast

[Fermixalot]

I must have worded that post badly...

I don't hold anything against TP, he DID kick major ass in 03, and has continued to do so ever since, but people who don't like him would hold something like that against him.

I'm a huge TP fan because anyone who can survive the brutality that Pop put him through is more of a man than many of us could hope to be. That and the dude is fast as HELL!!!!

[Vorg]

I hope Hill learns a lot from Tony.

[Fingaroll44]

Tony was amazing in WCF against the mavs, except in game 6 when he had a stomach virus...

i remember that :lol....it was the bad creme brule :sick from room service. I bet Tony hasn't gotten room service on a road game since then. If that was a dirty deed by Mavs fans to spike Tony's dessert w/ horse laxative or whatever, it worked out in our favor because Steve Kerr went OFF w/ those timely three's.

[boutons_]

IIRC, in the 02/03 season, the Spurs were 21-1 when Tony scored 20 pts.

Tony's comback, overcoming awe of Marbury, after being wiped by Marbury in the first round's early games foretold how tough Tony would be.

Speedy's few minutes and few shots, "saving Tony's ass", when Tony sagged were taken standing on Tony's shoulders.

5 season's later, we can see that Speedy's Finals performance, he was ready when called, was probably the peak of his career.

Tony, otoh, ...

[Ed Helicopter Jones]

Tony's getting better every year. This team has 3 legitimate superstars. Surround them with the right pieces and the Spurs will always contend.

[tonylongoriafan]

Not by this one

me neither...when td and manu are long retired, we'll still be repping the tear drop :flag:

[ShoogarBear]

me neither...when td and manu are long retired, we'll still be repping the tear drop :flag:

Surprising they haven't started playing Freddie Fender when he hits one.

[spurspf]

Surprising they haven't started playing Freddie Fender when he hits one.



Only because it is nowhere near the last one.

[ShoogarBear]

It's the "next teardrop", not the "last teardrop", although I at first thought the same thing.

[spurspf]

It's the "next teardrop", not the "last teardrop", although I at first thought the same thing.

I haven't heard that song in a while. I will defer to the great ShoogarBear. But, I will be happy no matter what kind of shots he makes if he makes the other team shed more, especially in the playoffs. (Ala Kobe and Fisher)

Freddy Fender RIP.