Kori Ellis
06-11-2005, 03:40 PM
Ginobili's moves are right out of soccer
By SAM SMITH
Chicago Tribune
http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/sports/11873166.htm
SAN ANTONIO - The Detroit Pistons were victims of a sniper in Game 1 of the NBA Finals.
Yes, one could say it was Manu Ginobili who ambushed the Pistons with 15 fourth-quarter points to lead the Spurs to their 84-69 victory in the opener Thursday. Game 2 is Sunday, also at SBC Center.
But "sniper" is a move, the soccer media guys here were explaining, that seemed to bother the Pistons most.
Yes, you could say the Finals opener was soccer-like with the Pistons leading 1-nil at halftime. Or so it seemed. The Pistons' 37-35 halftime lead was the NBA version of soccer, a lot of running around with nothing happening. The two-team final total was the fourth lowest in NBA history and eight from the all-time record low set in 1955.
"Sniper," as explained to me by a writer from France, is when a soccer player lurches back violently in hopes of drawing one of those pretty-colored cards. Flopping, they call it in the NBA. Flopping was what the Pistons were screaming Ginobili did on a momentum-changing foul call in the fourth quarter that led to a Ben Wallace technical foul and a subsequent Pistons meltdown.
After that, the Spurs went on an 18-4 run in the next five minutes to take a 17-point lead.
Goooooooaaaaaaaaaallllllll achieved, one might say.
"He took the ball anywhere he wanted to," moaned Pistons coach Larry Brown. "He made every hustle play. He got to the rim. His will was greater than ours."
There is an international language at work in this Finals like no other in American sports history, and the Pistons might need a quick translation to understand. The Spurs, who have the biggest collection of top international players on any NBA team, behave a little differently and use somewhat unusual tactics at times.
Perhaps the first hint is to the media.
As Ginobili walked out to meet reporters Friday, a press aide yelled, "Spanish reporters this way." Then with Tony Parker coming, another announced, "Tony Parker will be doing interviews in French in the hallway." Then in a light aside, the press aide added: "Robert Horry will be doing interviews for Alabama reporters on the other side of the locker room."
Anyone speak Alabaman?
But you get the point. It's different with this team, one that has a developing star in Ginobili to support Tim Duncan, a team that can adjust to the best offensive game in years to beat the Phoenix Suns and then play the best defense Brown said the Pistons have seen all year.
It's quite something to watch, and Linton Johnson has a good view.
You may remember him, the hustling kid from Providence-St. Mel and nephew of former Bull Mickey Johnson who got into 41 games with the Bulls in two stints during the 2003-04 season. The Spurs signed him last summer, but he suffered a stress fracture and missed nearly the entire season.
Johnson still practices with the team and is used to imitate the other team's top defensive player. This week he has been Tayshaun Prince, and he almost took out Ginobili in a walk-through the day before the Finals started.
"I'm not playing so I go hard like it's not a walk-through and it looks like Manu jerked something," Johnson says, "and Pop (coach Gregg Popovich) is yelling, `Not too fast, get out, you're too dangerous' and puts Big Dog (Glenn Robinson) in."
Johnson, though disappointed not to be playing, has been thrilled to be with the Spurs. "I call him Airnobili," Johnson says of Ginobili. "I don't want to put that Jordan thing on him, but he has the moves, the finger rolls, and doesn't stop, like Jordan. When MJ wasn't scoring, he'd get rebounds, dive. Manu does that. He's not the typical superstar who wants to shoot all the balls.
"Guys like (Houston's Tracy) McGrady, when he got to Orlando he used to attack, but I don't know if he's scared of contact now or what," Johnson says. "Manu comes at you even harder when he's hit. Kobe (Bryant), he's a great player but demands the ball a little too much. Ray Allen, you don't see him take the pounding.
"You can't coach what Manu does. Start right hand, go left. That stuff comes from soccer. You see him in practice and he's at halfcourt hitting balls off his head, amazingly creative stuff. He's standing right here (55 feet away) and he'll kick the ball and make it. One time this season we were coming off a big loss and instead of shootaround, Pop takes us to a soccer field and we play soccer. Guys like Beno (Udrih), Rasho (Nesterovic). There's not a lot of controversy here that people want to see, but this team responds to everything."
Snipers in the NBA woods. Watch out for those Spurs.
By SAM SMITH
Chicago Tribune
http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/sports/11873166.htm
SAN ANTONIO - The Detroit Pistons were victims of a sniper in Game 1 of the NBA Finals.
Yes, one could say it was Manu Ginobili who ambushed the Pistons with 15 fourth-quarter points to lead the Spurs to their 84-69 victory in the opener Thursday. Game 2 is Sunday, also at SBC Center.
But "sniper" is a move, the soccer media guys here were explaining, that seemed to bother the Pistons most.
Yes, you could say the Finals opener was soccer-like with the Pistons leading 1-nil at halftime. Or so it seemed. The Pistons' 37-35 halftime lead was the NBA version of soccer, a lot of running around with nothing happening. The two-team final total was the fourth lowest in NBA history and eight from the all-time record low set in 1955.
"Sniper," as explained to me by a writer from France, is when a soccer player lurches back violently in hopes of drawing one of those pretty-colored cards. Flopping, they call it in the NBA. Flopping was what the Pistons were screaming Ginobili did on a momentum-changing foul call in the fourth quarter that led to a Ben Wallace technical foul and a subsequent Pistons meltdown.
After that, the Spurs went on an 18-4 run in the next five minutes to take a 17-point lead.
Goooooooaaaaaaaaaallllllll achieved, one might say.
"He took the ball anywhere he wanted to," moaned Pistons coach Larry Brown. "He made every hustle play. He got to the rim. His will was greater than ours."
There is an international language at work in this Finals like no other in American sports history, and the Pistons might need a quick translation to understand. The Spurs, who have the biggest collection of top international players on any NBA team, behave a little differently and use somewhat unusual tactics at times.
Perhaps the first hint is to the media.
As Ginobili walked out to meet reporters Friday, a press aide yelled, "Spanish reporters this way." Then with Tony Parker coming, another announced, "Tony Parker will be doing interviews in French in the hallway." Then in a light aside, the press aide added: "Robert Horry will be doing interviews for Alabama reporters on the other side of the locker room."
Anyone speak Alabaman?
But you get the point. It's different with this team, one that has a developing star in Ginobili to support Tim Duncan, a team that can adjust to the best offensive game in years to beat the Phoenix Suns and then play the best defense Brown said the Pistons have seen all year.
It's quite something to watch, and Linton Johnson has a good view.
You may remember him, the hustling kid from Providence-St. Mel and nephew of former Bull Mickey Johnson who got into 41 games with the Bulls in two stints during the 2003-04 season. The Spurs signed him last summer, but he suffered a stress fracture and missed nearly the entire season.
Johnson still practices with the team and is used to imitate the other team's top defensive player. This week he has been Tayshaun Prince, and he almost took out Ginobili in a walk-through the day before the Finals started.
"I'm not playing so I go hard like it's not a walk-through and it looks like Manu jerked something," Johnson says, "and Pop (coach Gregg Popovich) is yelling, `Not too fast, get out, you're too dangerous' and puts Big Dog (Glenn Robinson) in."
Johnson, though disappointed not to be playing, has been thrilled to be with the Spurs. "I call him Airnobili," Johnson says of Ginobili. "I don't want to put that Jordan thing on him, but he has the moves, the finger rolls, and doesn't stop, like Jordan. When MJ wasn't scoring, he'd get rebounds, dive. Manu does that. He's not the typical superstar who wants to shoot all the balls.
"Guys like (Houston's Tracy) McGrady, when he got to Orlando he used to attack, but I don't know if he's scared of contact now or what," Johnson says. "Manu comes at you even harder when he's hit. Kobe (Bryant), he's a great player but demands the ball a little too much. Ray Allen, you don't see him take the pounding.
"You can't coach what Manu does. Start right hand, go left. That stuff comes from soccer. You see him in practice and he's at halfcourt hitting balls off his head, amazingly creative stuff. He's standing right here (55 feet away) and he'll kick the ball and make it. One time this season we were coming off a big loss and instead of shootaround, Pop takes us to a soccer field and we play soccer. Guys like Beno (Udrih), Rasho (Nesterovic). There's not a lot of controversy here that people want to see, but this team responds to everything."
Snipers in the NBA woods. Watch out for those Spurs.