ElNono
03-19-2012, 01:30 AM
Ginobili: The goal isn't to put numbers in these games, just be healthy and ready for the playoffs.
- How do you analyze Stephen Jackson's return and the moves the team made lately?
I'm excited. I had a great time with Jackson. We only played for a year, and it was like 54 years ago more or less. 2003 seems like a long time ago! I have an excellent relationship with him, and so does Tim (Duncan) and Tony (Parker): we were all in that team. There's a lot of good vibes and he's coming with a lot of hunger, because he had a few bad seasons in environments that didn't motivate him. I'm happy, excited. I hope the team gets better.
- You didn't play against Oklahoma but you did against Dallas. Was it only prevention?
Yes. I'm not in shape yet to play two games in a row. Muscularly I'm still "backwards", so I have to take care of myself. And Pop is taking care of me. The goal isn't to put up numbers in the next five or ten upcoming games, but just be healthy and ready for the playoffs. We're going to be keeping an eye on things, because I don't want another setback and lose another two weeks, because at this stage it would mean wasting the season. I have to manage my energy and my body.
- Sound logical, because the team itself it's managing energy and the players since this is an atypical season and everybody has to reach the playoffs in optimal shape.
In the games I already have a limit set of 24 minutes, so I'm already under control and I really can't express my game. I'm managing and Pop wants to make sure we don't screw up, so we're going slowly.
- Luckily you guys seem to have a rejuvenated Tim Duncan and an extraordinary Tony Parker, at an MVP level. What do you think?
Tony is amazing. He's playing at an incredible level, controlling the game, finishing the games when he has to do it, and on top of that he's running from minute 1 to minute 48, and yesterday against Dallas he didn't have enough legs. He must be one of the top 5 candidates for MVP this season. He's the reason we're sitting at number two in the West. And Tim is playing great in these games too. You can see he's healthy, hungry and playing well. It could be a big season. I'm excited and I'm hoping I can fit with the group.
- Is there any player or team that got your attention, or is everything even?
To be honest, everything is within what was known. Maybe nobody thought Boston would have a weak season like they're having. The Lakers started a little low but slowly they're taking shape. Everything is more or less as expected. I think the Clippers are higher than expected, because even though they have great players and team, everybody thought it would take a little longer to find the chemistry, but they're playing well and it's a tough team.
- And what player does impress you when you play against him?
Durant and Westbrook are physically different: two guys that play with a speed and ease that anybody else would have problem with but they do it naturally. But in that group is also Wade and Lebron, or Derrick Rose. Or you see Blake Griffin and it's scary. You can't believe it. When you think nobody can jump higher, another one shows up. And when you think you can't be quicker, like Chris Paul o Tony Parker were, you get Rose and Westbrook. After Lebron came Blake Griffin, and they raise the bar and make it hard to compete. When you think you have them, they recover and they block you, they run at you or do things that make you say "It can't be". You have to face them everyday and you don't stop getting amazed. They're constant, and they have such a talent and such a gift athletically that it's scary.
Link to original interview in Spanish (incl spanish audio) (http://recontravaleradio.com.ar/2012/03/ginobili-el-objetivo-no-es-hacer-numeros-en-estos-partidos-sino-estar-sano-y-bien-para-los-playoffs/)
- How do you analyze Stephen Jackson's return and the moves the team made lately?
I'm excited. I had a great time with Jackson. We only played for a year, and it was like 54 years ago more or less. 2003 seems like a long time ago! I have an excellent relationship with him, and so does Tim (Duncan) and Tony (Parker): we were all in that team. There's a lot of good vibes and he's coming with a lot of hunger, because he had a few bad seasons in environments that didn't motivate him. I'm happy, excited. I hope the team gets better.
- You didn't play against Oklahoma but you did against Dallas. Was it only prevention?
Yes. I'm not in shape yet to play two games in a row. Muscularly I'm still "backwards", so I have to take care of myself. And Pop is taking care of me. The goal isn't to put up numbers in the next five or ten upcoming games, but just be healthy and ready for the playoffs. We're going to be keeping an eye on things, because I don't want another setback and lose another two weeks, because at this stage it would mean wasting the season. I have to manage my energy and my body.
- Sound logical, because the team itself it's managing energy and the players since this is an atypical season and everybody has to reach the playoffs in optimal shape.
In the games I already have a limit set of 24 minutes, so I'm already under control and I really can't express my game. I'm managing and Pop wants to make sure we don't screw up, so we're going slowly.
- Luckily you guys seem to have a rejuvenated Tim Duncan and an extraordinary Tony Parker, at an MVP level. What do you think?
Tony is amazing. He's playing at an incredible level, controlling the game, finishing the games when he has to do it, and on top of that he's running from minute 1 to minute 48, and yesterday against Dallas he didn't have enough legs. He must be one of the top 5 candidates for MVP this season. He's the reason we're sitting at number two in the West. And Tim is playing great in these games too. You can see he's healthy, hungry and playing well. It could be a big season. I'm excited and I'm hoping I can fit with the group.
- Is there any player or team that got your attention, or is everything even?
To be honest, everything is within what was known. Maybe nobody thought Boston would have a weak season like they're having. The Lakers started a little low but slowly they're taking shape. Everything is more or less as expected. I think the Clippers are higher than expected, because even though they have great players and team, everybody thought it would take a little longer to find the chemistry, but they're playing well and it's a tough team.
- And what player does impress you when you play against him?
Durant and Westbrook are physically different: two guys that play with a speed and ease that anybody else would have problem with but they do it naturally. But in that group is also Wade and Lebron, or Derrick Rose. Or you see Blake Griffin and it's scary. You can't believe it. When you think nobody can jump higher, another one shows up. And when you think you can't be quicker, like Chris Paul o Tony Parker were, you get Rose and Westbrook. After Lebron came Blake Griffin, and they raise the bar and make it hard to compete. When you think you have them, they recover and they block you, they run at you or do things that make you say "It can't be". You have to face them everyday and you don't stop getting amazed. They're constant, and they have such a talent and such a gift athletically that it's scary.
Link to original interview in Spanish (incl spanish audio) (http://recontravaleradio.com.ar/2012/03/ginobili-el-objetivo-no-es-hacer-numeros-en-estos-partidos-sino-estar-sano-y-bien-para-los-playoffs/)