duncan228
03-27-2009, 12:00 AM
Duncan says Parker an MVP candidate (http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/spurs/Duncan_says_Parker_an_MVP_candidate.html)
Mike Monroe
Being a two-time winner of the NBA's most coveted individual award gives Spurs captain Tim Duncan a certain gravitas when it comes to evaluating the closest Most Valuable Player race in recent memory.
Who does Duncan like in this season's race to the finish for MVP?
“I'm staying as far away from that question as I possibly can,” Duncan said as he walked toward the bus that would take the Spurs to their charter flight out of Atlanta after one of their best road victories since the All-Star break.
Choosing among the Lakers' Kobe Bryant, Cleveland's LeBron James and Miami's Dwyane Wade is fraught with peril for any expert, even one with Duncan's credentials.
There is one bit of advice for NBA voters Duncan has no fear of asserting: His teammate, Tony Parker, deserves consideration for a place at the end of every ballot, on which voters are required to list their choices in order, one through five.
“Absolutely,” Duncan said. “Of course, I'm biased, obviously. But with the position that we're in, second in the West, right in the mix, and with the amount of injuries we've dealt with all year, he's kept this team consistent, and he's been the consistent one all year long. He should definitely have an opportunity to be in that top five.”
Parker and the Spurs will be back on the campaign trail tonight, playing the Los Angeles Clippers at the AT&T Center.
Parker has presented a case to voters this season that transcends the need for Duncan to play campaign manager. His 42-point outburst in the Spurs' 102-92 victory over the Hawks at Philips Arena on Wednesday night was his 11th of the season of 30 or more. He is scoring at a career-high clip of 21.9 points. His 20 assists in the Spurs' last two games pushed his season average to 7.0, which puts him on pace for a career high in that key category, too.
The 6-foot-1 point guard is proving his game need not be either-or when it comes to scoring and distributing. Tuesday's and Wednesday's points-assists double-doubles continued a season-long trend: When Parker has at least 10 assists, his scoring also takes a leap.
In the 13 games this season in which Parker has had double-figure assists, his scoring average is 27.3. In the other 44 games he has played, his scoring average is 20.5.
“I didn't know that,” Parker said after his Wednesday night opus in Atlanta. “I think it just means that Pop is doing a great job of calling a bunch of plays for me when Timmy and Manu are out. It's easier for me to get some assists and scoring opportunities with Timmy and Manu out.”
The very fact Parker has carried the burden of keeping the Spurs' offense efficient in the absence of his fellow members of the Spurs' “Big Three” is what Duncan believes makes him worthy of some votes when MVP selectors get past the MVP Big Three of Bryant, James and Wade.
“He's been unbelievable,” Duncan said. “He's been this way for the last 15 games. He's been scoring the ball and making the right decisions. When he's making the right passes, it confuses everybody out there. It confuses every defense possible. You want to go help, and he finds people. You want to not help, and then he's scoring his jumper.
“The way he's going right now, he's a monster.”
Spurs guard Manu Ginobili, who played Wednesday for the first time since Feb. 11, said the monster game was on a short list of the best he ever had seen from Parker, including his career-high scoring night in Minnesota earlier this season, when he pumped in 55 points in a double-overtime win.
Parker also had 42 in regulation in that game, then added 13 in the extra sessions.
“It's probably one of the best games I've ever seen him play, because he was unstoppable, but at the same time he was really good finding people,” Ginobili said. “There was a stretch where he found Roger (Mason), Fin (Michael Finley) and Matt (Bonner), all in a row. They didn't know what to do. He was impressive.”
Mike Monroe
Being a two-time winner of the NBA's most coveted individual award gives Spurs captain Tim Duncan a certain gravitas when it comes to evaluating the closest Most Valuable Player race in recent memory.
Who does Duncan like in this season's race to the finish for MVP?
“I'm staying as far away from that question as I possibly can,” Duncan said as he walked toward the bus that would take the Spurs to their charter flight out of Atlanta after one of their best road victories since the All-Star break.
Choosing among the Lakers' Kobe Bryant, Cleveland's LeBron James and Miami's Dwyane Wade is fraught with peril for any expert, even one with Duncan's credentials.
There is one bit of advice for NBA voters Duncan has no fear of asserting: His teammate, Tony Parker, deserves consideration for a place at the end of every ballot, on which voters are required to list their choices in order, one through five.
“Absolutely,” Duncan said. “Of course, I'm biased, obviously. But with the position that we're in, second in the West, right in the mix, and with the amount of injuries we've dealt with all year, he's kept this team consistent, and he's been the consistent one all year long. He should definitely have an opportunity to be in that top five.”
Parker and the Spurs will be back on the campaign trail tonight, playing the Los Angeles Clippers at the AT&T Center.
Parker has presented a case to voters this season that transcends the need for Duncan to play campaign manager. His 42-point outburst in the Spurs' 102-92 victory over the Hawks at Philips Arena on Wednesday night was his 11th of the season of 30 or more. He is scoring at a career-high clip of 21.9 points. His 20 assists in the Spurs' last two games pushed his season average to 7.0, which puts him on pace for a career high in that key category, too.
The 6-foot-1 point guard is proving his game need not be either-or when it comes to scoring and distributing. Tuesday's and Wednesday's points-assists double-doubles continued a season-long trend: When Parker has at least 10 assists, his scoring also takes a leap.
In the 13 games this season in which Parker has had double-figure assists, his scoring average is 27.3. In the other 44 games he has played, his scoring average is 20.5.
“I didn't know that,” Parker said after his Wednesday night opus in Atlanta. “I think it just means that Pop is doing a great job of calling a bunch of plays for me when Timmy and Manu are out. It's easier for me to get some assists and scoring opportunities with Timmy and Manu out.”
The very fact Parker has carried the burden of keeping the Spurs' offense efficient in the absence of his fellow members of the Spurs' “Big Three” is what Duncan believes makes him worthy of some votes when MVP selectors get past the MVP Big Three of Bryant, James and Wade.
“He's been unbelievable,” Duncan said. “He's been this way for the last 15 games. He's been scoring the ball and making the right decisions. When he's making the right passes, it confuses everybody out there. It confuses every defense possible. You want to go help, and he finds people. You want to not help, and then he's scoring his jumper.
“The way he's going right now, he's a monster.”
Spurs guard Manu Ginobili, who played Wednesday for the first time since Feb. 11, said the monster game was on a short list of the best he ever had seen from Parker, including his career-high scoring night in Minnesota earlier this season, when he pumped in 55 points in a double-overtime win.
Parker also had 42 in regulation in that game, then added 13 in the extra sessions.
“It's probably one of the best games I've ever seen him play, because he was unstoppable, but at the same time he was really good finding people,” Ginobili said. “There was a stretch where he found Roger (Mason), Fin (Michael Finley) and Matt (Bonner), all in a row. They didn't know what to do. He was impressive.”