duncan228
05-04-2010, 06:02 PM
Voila! It’s Parker time (http://hangtime.blogs.nba.com/2010/05/04/voila-its-parker-time/)
by Fran Blinebury
It’s only a matter of time before it happens. Either somewhere along the road to the Spurs’ fifth championship in June, sometime when their backs are pressed against the wall and staring at elimination or some place in between.
Tony Parker moves back into the starting lineup at the point for the Spurs.
Could this be in it Game 2?
Parker swears that he’ll come off the bench when San Antonio tries to even the series on Wednesday night. But anyone with a pair of eyes and a clue could see the difference when Parker played the second half in place of the struggling George Hill. And anyone with a reasonably-functioning memory — or a Google search — knows that it’s Parker who owns the three championship rings.
“Oh, I don’t know if they’re gonna start him or bring him off the bench in the next one,” said Suns coach Alvin Gentry. “But either way, I think we’re going to see plenty of Tony Parker on the court. Look at all the experience he has at the position. Look at everything that he’s done for that team.”
You could look at the third and fourth quarters of the opener when the Spurs were making their runs. Suddenly it was Parker directing traffic and suddenly the Spurs were getting the ball right to the him for layups by Tim Duncan or Manu Ginobili or Parker. He knows how to get the ball inside.
The Spurs had finished the regular season strong to go into the playoffs and it was understandable that coach Gregg Popovich didn’t want to tinker with chemistry as the playoffs opened and Parker worked his way back into shape after being sidelined with a broken hand. So he started with the second-year man Hill at the helm of the offense. But you have to know that Spurs aren’t going to finish without Parker back at the controls.
For all the talk that’s flying around these days debating the merits of who should be regarded as the best point guard in the NBA — sacre bleu — somehow Parker has been sitting on the bench and out much of the discussion. And that’s just wrong.
That’s why you can bet that he’ll be back as the Spurs’ starter, maybe sooner than you think.
by Fran Blinebury
It’s only a matter of time before it happens. Either somewhere along the road to the Spurs’ fifth championship in June, sometime when their backs are pressed against the wall and staring at elimination or some place in between.
Tony Parker moves back into the starting lineup at the point for the Spurs.
Could this be in it Game 2?
Parker swears that he’ll come off the bench when San Antonio tries to even the series on Wednesday night. But anyone with a pair of eyes and a clue could see the difference when Parker played the second half in place of the struggling George Hill. And anyone with a reasonably-functioning memory — or a Google search — knows that it’s Parker who owns the three championship rings.
“Oh, I don’t know if they’re gonna start him or bring him off the bench in the next one,” said Suns coach Alvin Gentry. “But either way, I think we’re going to see plenty of Tony Parker on the court. Look at all the experience he has at the position. Look at everything that he’s done for that team.”
You could look at the third and fourth quarters of the opener when the Spurs were making their runs. Suddenly it was Parker directing traffic and suddenly the Spurs were getting the ball right to the him for layups by Tim Duncan or Manu Ginobili or Parker. He knows how to get the ball inside.
The Spurs had finished the regular season strong to go into the playoffs and it was understandable that coach Gregg Popovich didn’t want to tinker with chemistry as the playoffs opened and Parker worked his way back into shape after being sidelined with a broken hand. So he started with the second-year man Hill at the helm of the offense. But you have to know that Spurs aren’t going to finish without Parker back at the controls.
For all the talk that’s flying around these days debating the merits of who should be regarded as the best point guard in the NBA — sacre bleu — somehow Parker has been sitting on the bench and out much of the discussion. And that’s just wrong.
That’s why you can bet that he’ll be back as the Spurs’ starter, maybe sooner than you think.