gregpschneid
05-01-2005, 05:19 PM
Ginobili causing Nuggets all kinds of problems
By JOHN MARSHALL, AP Sports Writer
May 1, 2005
AP - May 1, 2:20 am EDT
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http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news;_ylc=X3oDMTBpZmFlcXBpBF9TAzk1ODYxOTQ4BHNlYwN0 aA--?slug=ap-spurs-nuggets&prov=ap&type=lgns
DENVER (AP) -- Manu Ginobili charges headlong into the lane, hair flying, elbows and knees churning.
At the slightest bump, his head flies back and his arms go up in the air, giving the appearance that someone just whacked him across the back with a big stick.
Though not always attractive, Ginobili's gritty game is a big reason the San Antonio Spurs have taken control of their series with Denver. And the Nuggets don't particularly like it.
``I love Manu, but he makes the game difficult to play, makes it difficult to defend, makes it difficult to referee,'' Nuggets coach George Karl said Sunday. ``Personally, watching it kind of makes the game ugly even though if you're a San Antonio Spurs fan you love him. You want him on your side. I want him on my side, but I just think he creates bad calls a lot because he flares in there a lot.''
In an era of flying dunks and nose-busting power moves, Ginobili is a throwback.
With a jumper that he pushes away from his body left-handed and relentlessness that doesn't stop until the game is over, Ginobili looks more like a scrappy kid on the playground trying to keep up with older siblings than an NBA star.
That doesn't mean he's without talent.
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Ginobili has a quick release and deep range on his jumper, and a first step that's matched only by a handful of NBA players. But what makes Ginobili successful -- particularly in this year's playoffs -- is his knack for creating contact and finding ways to get off shots in traffic.
Of course, his acting ability helps, the flailing long hair and flying arms making it look as though he's been accosted nearly every trip through the lane.
``I don't think that I'm the only one doing this in the league and I'm not doing anything wrong,'' Ginobili said. ``I'm just going aggressively to the basket trying to finish or draw a foul. I don't care about what other people say. I'm surprised by the talk.''
A solid player his first two seasons with the Spurs, Ginobili came into this year with all kinds of confidence after leading Argentina to the gold medal at the Athens Olympics.
The Spurs went into the season hoping to take some of the load off Tim Duncan's shoulders, spreading the ball around so opponents couldn't gang up on the two-time league MVP. Ginobili made it work, using his quick-release jumper and slashing style to average 16 points, 4.4 rebounds and 3.9 assists per game and become an All-Star for the first time.
He's been just as good through the first three games of the playoffs, boosting his averages to 24 points and 5.9 rebounds to help the Spurs to a 2-1 series lead over the Nuggets.
``He's an aggressive player. He's like a taller version of Allen Iverson,'' Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. ``He's fearless, a good penetrator and he's not afraid of getting hit. That's a good combination in a player and he does it very well.''
Ginobili was a starter all season and for the first game of the playoffs before Popovich replaced him with Brent Barry for Games 2 and 3 in hopes the Argentine would provide a lift off the bench.
AP - May 1, 2:17 am EDT
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The move worked.
Ginobili came off the bench to help the Spurs build on their big early lead in Game 2 with 17 points in 18 minutes, and had an even bigger impact Saturday night.
With Duncan playing just five minutes in the first half because of foul trouble, Ginobili slashed and dashed his way to 19 points to put the Spurs up by nine. And when Duncan couldn't get anything going in the second half, allowing Denver to stay close, Ginobili never let the Nuggets climb all the way back. He had 13 points in the second half, including a long 3-pointer and four free throws down the stretch to return home-court advantage to the Spurs.
Ginobili's scrambling frustrated the Nuggets to the point that star Carmelo Anthony whacked him with a flagrant foul late in the fourth quarter and was ejected.
``I just got tired of seeing him get to the hole,'' Anthony said. ``He was getting to the hole too easy. I wish I could have done it earlier in the game instead of later on. It wasn't anything personal, it was just a hard foul.''
But as infuriating as Ginobili has been, even the Nuggets see the beauty in his ugliness.
``I respect his game, I respect what he can do out there,'' Anthony said. ``I love watching him play, but I don't love watching him play now because we're playing against him.''
This guy must be a Denver writer. I can't believe this crap people are throwing at Manu.
By JOHN MARSHALL, AP Sports Writer
May 1, 2005
AP - May 1, 2:20 am EDT
More Photos
http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news;_ylc=X3oDMTBpZmFlcXBpBF9TAzk1ODYxOTQ4BHNlYwN0 aA--?slug=ap-spurs-nuggets&prov=ap&type=lgns
DENVER (AP) -- Manu Ginobili charges headlong into the lane, hair flying, elbows and knees churning.
At the slightest bump, his head flies back and his arms go up in the air, giving the appearance that someone just whacked him across the back with a big stick.
Though not always attractive, Ginobili's gritty game is a big reason the San Antonio Spurs have taken control of their series with Denver. And the Nuggets don't particularly like it.
``I love Manu, but he makes the game difficult to play, makes it difficult to defend, makes it difficult to referee,'' Nuggets coach George Karl said Sunday. ``Personally, watching it kind of makes the game ugly even though if you're a San Antonio Spurs fan you love him. You want him on your side. I want him on my side, but I just think he creates bad calls a lot because he flares in there a lot.''
In an era of flying dunks and nose-busting power moves, Ginobili is a throwback.
With a jumper that he pushes away from his body left-handed and relentlessness that doesn't stop until the game is over, Ginobili looks more like a scrappy kid on the playground trying to keep up with older siblings than an NBA star.
That doesn't mean he's without talent.
ADVERTISEMENT
Ginobili has a quick release and deep range on his jumper, and a first step that's matched only by a handful of NBA players. But what makes Ginobili successful -- particularly in this year's playoffs -- is his knack for creating contact and finding ways to get off shots in traffic.
Of course, his acting ability helps, the flailing long hair and flying arms making it look as though he's been accosted nearly every trip through the lane.
``I don't think that I'm the only one doing this in the league and I'm not doing anything wrong,'' Ginobili said. ``I'm just going aggressively to the basket trying to finish or draw a foul. I don't care about what other people say. I'm surprised by the talk.''
A solid player his first two seasons with the Spurs, Ginobili came into this year with all kinds of confidence after leading Argentina to the gold medal at the Athens Olympics.
The Spurs went into the season hoping to take some of the load off Tim Duncan's shoulders, spreading the ball around so opponents couldn't gang up on the two-time league MVP. Ginobili made it work, using his quick-release jumper and slashing style to average 16 points, 4.4 rebounds and 3.9 assists per game and become an All-Star for the first time.
He's been just as good through the first three games of the playoffs, boosting his averages to 24 points and 5.9 rebounds to help the Spurs to a 2-1 series lead over the Nuggets.
``He's an aggressive player. He's like a taller version of Allen Iverson,'' Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. ``He's fearless, a good penetrator and he's not afraid of getting hit. That's a good combination in a player and he does it very well.''
Ginobili was a starter all season and for the first game of the playoffs before Popovich replaced him with Brent Barry for Games 2 and 3 in hopes the Argentine would provide a lift off the bench.
AP - May 1, 2:17 am EDT
More Photos
The move worked.
Ginobili came off the bench to help the Spurs build on their big early lead in Game 2 with 17 points in 18 minutes, and had an even bigger impact Saturday night.
With Duncan playing just five minutes in the first half because of foul trouble, Ginobili slashed and dashed his way to 19 points to put the Spurs up by nine. And when Duncan couldn't get anything going in the second half, allowing Denver to stay close, Ginobili never let the Nuggets climb all the way back. He had 13 points in the second half, including a long 3-pointer and four free throws down the stretch to return home-court advantage to the Spurs.
Ginobili's scrambling frustrated the Nuggets to the point that star Carmelo Anthony whacked him with a flagrant foul late in the fourth quarter and was ejected.
``I just got tired of seeing him get to the hole,'' Anthony said. ``He was getting to the hole too easy. I wish I could have done it earlier in the game instead of later on. It wasn't anything personal, it was just a hard foul.''
But as infuriating as Ginobili has been, even the Nuggets see the beauty in his ugliness.
``I respect his game, I respect what he can do out there,'' Anthony said. ``I love watching him play, but I don't love watching him play now because we're playing against him.''
This guy must be a Denver writer. I can't believe this crap people are throwing at Manu.