SenorSpur
11-06-2008, 11:11 PM
Too Much Pressure on Spurs' Parker
By: Mike Moreau Last Updated: 11/6/08 11:49 AM ET | 836 times read
http://www.hoopsworld.com/Story.asp?story_id=10492
You don't have to look any further than last night's 55-point scoring outburst by Tony Parker to see what ails the San Antonio Spurs on offense. Without Manu Ginobili, the Spurs have only one guy who can create offense. And if Parker feels like he has to score 55 every night just to get an overtime win over a very average team, the Spurs will continue to struggle offensively until Ginobili returns.
The Spurs for the last few years have been a three-man offensive team with a group of role players around them who contribute minimally to the offense – making a shot here, getting an offensive rebound there. Those role players have come and gone, but the Big Three of Duncan, Parker and Ginobili have remained intact.
With Ginobili out Parker has taken on the role of the Alpha Male Scorer and right now the Spurs need every one of those points.
The difficulty going forward for the Spurs is this prevents the role players from ever developing a role. Parker feels he must shoulder more of the burden because there isn't a single player on that current roster who can do anything remotely resembling offensive creation.
Right now, the players around Parker are not contributing much on the offensive end. And the difference between Parker and guys like Chris Paul and Steve Nash is that Parker is a scoring point guard – he's looking to score, not dish.
So, on his forays to the basket, Parker often over-penetrates, forces some shots, and misses opportunities to kick to his spot-up shooters. Yes, he is putting up impressive scoring numbers, but he draws lots of help and rather than kicking the ball out, he often challenges more than one defender. This does not allow the players around him to contribute as much to the offense.
Consequently, the weight on Parker's shoulders is going to get heavier and heavier the more he goes all the way to the rim possession after possession. The bigger his scoring numbers, the less significant the role players become. They have to contribute, but they have to get the ball.
Parker has proven that he can get to the rim at will against almost any defender in the league. As my colleague David Thorpe has described, it is as if the floor has been tilted and Parker is driving downhill when he goes to the basket. No one accelerates more quickly than Tony Parker.
But, for Parker to lead this team, he has to play more of a selective, decision-making type of role. That means he has to be more discriminating in his drives and pick his spots in which he takes over the scoring role. Against the Wolves, he may have decided he had to do it all by himself the entire game. The bleeding had to be stopped.
In the early stages of games, to keep that offensive weight from becoming overwhelming, Parker has to make a sustained effort get his teammates more involved, get them shots, and build their confidence. In turn, they have to produce. He can't give up on them too soon and just take over at the first missed shot or blown lay-up.
The coaching staff can help Parker with this as well by running sets for shooters and focusing on getting Tim Duncan going early in games. This essentially prevents Parker from doing it all by himself, which will help their offense in the long run.
There are some serious defensive questions facing the Spurs as well, and if Parker feels like the Spurs can't shut teams down as in the past, the pressure for him offensively may continue to mount even with the return of Ginobili.
With five of their next six games against probable non-playoff teams, San Antonio should be able to get the ship back on course. The question will be how tightly Tony Parker will have to keep his hands on the wheel.
By: Mike Moreau Last Updated: 11/6/08 11:49 AM ET | 836 times read
http://www.hoopsworld.com/Story.asp?story_id=10492
You don't have to look any further than last night's 55-point scoring outburst by Tony Parker to see what ails the San Antonio Spurs on offense. Without Manu Ginobili, the Spurs have only one guy who can create offense. And if Parker feels like he has to score 55 every night just to get an overtime win over a very average team, the Spurs will continue to struggle offensively until Ginobili returns.
The Spurs for the last few years have been a three-man offensive team with a group of role players around them who contribute minimally to the offense – making a shot here, getting an offensive rebound there. Those role players have come and gone, but the Big Three of Duncan, Parker and Ginobili have remained intact.
With Ginobili out Parker has taken on the role of the Alpha Male Scorer and right now the Spurs need every one of those points.
The difficulty going forward for the Spurs is this prevents the role players from ever developing a role. Parker feels he must shoulder more of the burden because there isn't a single player on that current roster who can do anything remotely resembling offensive creation.
Right now, the players around Parker are not contributing much on the offensive end. And the difference between Parker and guys like Chris Paul and Steve Nash is that Parker is a scoring point guard – he's looking to score, not dish.
So, on his forays to the basket, Parker often over-penetrates, forces some shots, and misses opportunities to kick to his spot-up shooters. Yes, he is putting up impressive scoring numbers, but he draws lots of help and rather than kicking the ball out, he often challenges more than one defender. This does not allow the players around him to contribute as much to the offense.
Consequently, the weight on Parker's shoulders is going to get heavier and heavier the more he goes all the way to the rim possession after possession. The bigger his scoring numbers, the less significant the role players become. They have to contribute, but they have to get the ball.
Parker has proven that he can get to the rim at will against almost any defender in the league. As my colleague David Thorpe has described, it is as if the floor has been tilted and Parker is driving downhill when he goes to the basket. No one accelerates more quickly than Tony Parker.
But, for Parker to lead this team, he has to play more of a selective, decision-making type of role. That means he has to be more discriminating in his drives and pick his spots in which he takes over the scoring role. Against the Wolves, he may have decided he had to do it all by himself the entire game. The bleeding had to be stopped.
In the early stages of games, to keep that offensive weight from becoming overwhelming, Parker has to make a sustained effort get his teammates more involved, get them shots, and build their confidence. In turn, they have to produce. He can't give up on them too soon and just take over at the first missed shot or blown lay-up.
The coaching staff can help Parker with this as well by running sets for shooters and focusing on getting Tim Duncan going early in games. This essentially prevents Parker from doing it all by himself, which will help their offense in the long run.
There are some serious defensive questions facing the Spurs as well, and if Parker feels like the Spurs can't shut teams down as in the past, the pressure for him offensively may continue to mount even with the return of Ginobili.
With five of their next six games against probable non-playoff teams, San Antonio should be able to get the ship back on course. The question will be how tightly Tony Parker will have to keep his hands on the wheel.