purple_blaze_98
12-01-2010, 04:43 PM
The San Antonio Spurs, in both success and failure, have long been a balancing act. On one end, we have an establishment. Tim Duncan is one of the best to ever lace up, and his style -– deliberate, dominant, calculated -– is perfectly in line with the philosophy of Coach Gregg Popovich. The two have functioned as the heart of the Spurs for more than a decade, and their track record speaks for itself.
On the other extreme is San Antonio’s point guard Tony Parker. At his best, Parker is a dynamo, capable of creating his entire team’s offense as a function of his scoring. He’s insanely quick, brilliantly improvisational, and can best influence the game when flying off the cuff and on the break.
The contrast between the two styles gives the team a fascinating dynamic, one that may have finally reached it’s tipping point this season. The Spurs are running more than ever. According to Basketball-Reference.com, San Antonio currently ranks seventh in the league in pace, a product of the strategic decision from Popovich to move away from the Spurs’ traditional style in favor of highlighting Parker’s talents as a veritable one-man fast break.
When we boil down the Spurs to a Duncan-Parker dichotomy, however, we ignore the crucial element that allows both to flourish. Whether San Antonio is pushing the pace or grinding out games, Manu Ginobili thrives. He isn’t dependent on one system over another, and yet his versatility makes him a vital part of both approaches.
Though Parker’s style may have been the impetus for the Spurs’ offensive changes, it’s Ginobili’s tremendous season that has elevated San Antonio to the league’s elite. He’s thrived in every offensive capacity; half-court, transition, secondary break –- Ginobili is a man for all paces. He’s best described not as a happy medium between Duncan and Parker, but as the understated piece that cam somehow complement both.
Don’t mistake that stylistic accommodation as some reflection of Ginobili’s worth or performance, though. His skill set may be more flexible than either of the Spurs’ other two stars, but Ginobili has been far and away the most effective of the trio. According to Synergy Sports Technology, Ginobili ranks 10th in the league with 1.13 points per possession (PPP) on offense, a fantastic mark emblematic of his production and efficiency. In fact, it’s hard to find an element of the offense in which Ginobili isn’t elite; he leads the league in PPP in isolation (1.25), ranks second in PPP in plays off screens (1.46), and is the N.B.A.’s fifth best scorer as the ball-handler in the pick-and-roll (1.03).
It’s no coincidence that that San Antonio is posting its highest offensive efficiency mark in franchise history while Ginobili is having a career year. Parker’s approach and performance may lend him a transitional importance, but Ginobili’s play grants the Spurs real, transformational power.
http://offthedribble.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/12/01/ginobili-the-spurs-man-for-all-paces/?src=twrhp
On the other extreme is San Antonio’s point guard Tony Parker. At his best, Parker is a dynamo, capable of creating his entire team’s offense as a function of his scoring. He’s insanely quick, brilliantly improvisational, and can best influence the game when flying off the cuff and on the break.
The contrast between the two styles gives the team a fascinating dynamic, one that may have finally reached it’s tipping point this season. The Spurs are running more than ever. According to Basketball-Reference.com, San Antonio currently ranks seventh in the league in pace, a product of the strategic decision from Popovich to move away from the Spurs’ traditional style in favor of highlighting Parker’s talents as a veritable one-man fast break.
When we boil down the Spurs to a Duncan-Parker dichotomy, however, we ignore the crucial element that allows both to flourish. Whether San Antonio is pushing the pace or grinding out games, Manu Ginobili thrives. He isn’t dependent on one system over another, and yet his versatility makes him a vital part of both approaches.
Though Parker’s style may have been the impetus for the Spurs’ offensive changes, it’s Ginobili’s tremendous season that has elevated San Antonio to the league’s elite. He’s thrived in every offensive capacity; half-court, transition, secondary break –- Ginobili is a man for all paces. He’s best described not as a happy medium between Duncan and Parker, but as the understated piece that cam somehow complement both.
Don’t mistake that stylistic accommodation as some reflection of Ginobili’s worth or performance, though. His skill set may be more flexible than either of the Spurs’ other two stars, but Ginobili has been far and away the most effective of the trio. According to Synergy Sports Technology, Ginobili ranks 10th in the league with 1.13 points per possession (PPP) on offense, a fantastic mark emblematic of his production and efficiency. In fact, it’s hard to find an element of the offense in which Ginobili isn’t elite; he leads the league in PPP in isolation (1.25), ranks second in PPP in plays off screens (1.46), and is the N.B.A.’s fifth best scorer as the ball-handler in the pick-and-roll (1.03).
It’s no coincidence that that San Antonio is posting its highest offensive efficiency mark in franchise history while Ginobili is having a career year. Parker’s approach and performance may lend him a transitional importance, but Ginobili’s play grants the Spurs real, transformational power.
http://offthedribble.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/12/01/ginobili-the-spurs-man-for-all-paces/?src=twrhp