Column: Tony Parker is the NBA's Workman MVP

[MarkTravis]

Hey all,

I hope everything is well for you guys as we approach all-star weekend. I wanted to post my latest article on the Spurs about Tony Parker being the workman's MVP of the league. LeBron and Durant have clearly seperated themselves from the rest of the league this season and even CP3 is still an easy third in PER. Thus, I decided to create a new award to honor Parker for the magnificent season he's having this year. The post is complete with stats, observations and videos taking a look at the improvements Parker has made to his game in recent years.

Thanks for being such a welcoming community!

http://www.caller.com/news/2013/feb/16/spurs-parker-nba-workman-mvp/

[Spurious]

Nice analysis. But I disagree that Paul is sure to come in third in the MVP. I think it's totally possible Parker will pass him.

[Captivus]

Good read.

[Brazil]

Thanks mark. Good read as always

[Phenomanul]

Kind of expected for a Spurs player to get an underhanded compliment from a Lakers fan... Parker is playing just as well as LeBron or Durant given that he has to put up his stats within the confines of Pop's system. For those that understand that particular constraint, doing what Parker is doing is nothing short of amazing... not necesarily saying Parker is a better player than either of those two players (individually), but he is playing about as perfect as Pop's gameplan requires - this is the reason why the Spurs have the most "W"s in the league at the moment... Durant and LeBron play way more minutes and more games, yet they both have produced less wins... and it should be noted that LeBron's Heat are playing in a notably weaker conference...

[John B]

The Spurs play the best team basketball night in and night out for the last several years, partly due to Duncan's decline. Pops and Co created a team where no one player has to dominate, but floor spacing, ball movement creates open shots, not one on one shots. That's genius basketball. It allows longevity and transition of new players to play in the system not one on one basketball. It's hard to have MVP numbers in that unselfish system. People who obsess on MVP numbers care more on individual stats, dunks and ratings. But real fan of the games know. No wonder Pops irritated with the senseless media questions. Because they don't get it. They don't ask the right questions oftentimes. Basketball is not individual stats. It's plays perfectly executed. That's why to me Spurs basketball is the real MVP.

[mathbzh]

The Spurs play the best team basketball night in and night out for the last several years, partly due to Duncan's decline. Pops and Co created a team where no one player has to dominate, but floor spacing, ball movement creates open shots, not one on one shots. That's genius basketball. It allows longevity and transition of new players to play in the system not one on one basketball. It's hard to have MVP numbers in that unselfish system. People who obsess on MVP numbers care more on individual stats, dunks and ratings. But real fan of the games know. No wonder Pops irritated with the senseless media questions. Because they don't get it. They don't ask the right questions oftentimes. Basketball is not individual stats. It's plays perfectly executed. That's why to me Spurs basketball is the real MVP.

I have to disagree. How many NBA champions didn't have at least one legit MVP candidate? Team basketball will get you to the playoffs but not to the finals. Without Duncan we have 0 titles no mater the system.

[BigTex342006]

I have to disagree. How many NBA champions didn't have at least one legit MVP candidate? Team basketball will get you to the playoffs but not to the finals. Without Duncan we have 0 titles no mater the system.

Agree and disagree. You need to have player/players that a team can depend on - go to when you need a score or a stop. However, you must play team ball to win it all. Playing isolation, hero ball won't get it done. The combo of both is the best recipe. Playing a true team game without any one player standing out and winning it all hasn't been done since Detroit. But I don't think that is what you have here in SA. You DO have the best ball movement and team play as of right now in the regular season, but come playoffs, we are going to need Parker, Duncan, and Ginobili to lead. Those players are MVP caliber, especially Parker this season. The point is with Spurs excellent team play, and incredible depth, including Pop's willingness to play everybody and limit minutes of the best players, they may not be on the national MVP radar... they will need to be the studs in the playoffs for SA to have a chance...

[Blake]

The Spurs play the best team basketball night in and night out for the last several years, partly due to Duncan's decline. Pops and Co created a team where no one player has to dominate, but floor spacing, ball movement creates open shots, not one on one shots. That's genius basketball. It allows longevity and transition of new players to play in the system not one on one basketball. It's hard to have MVP numbers in that unselfish system. People who obsess on MVP numbers care more on individual stats, dunks and ratings. But real fan of the games know. No wonder Pops irritated with the senseless media questions. Because they don't get it. They don't ask the right questions oftentimes. Basketball is not individual stats. It's plays perfectly executed. That's why to me Spurs basketball is the real MVP.

Solid post.

I think the evidence of this was clear on the nights against Miami and Chicago.

I also think you ask ” how many games do the Spurs win without Parker?”.

[will_spurs]

I also think you ask ” how many games do the Spurs win without Parker?”.

Answer: not quite as many. As great as the Spurs system is, you need players to make it function. And as we have sadly seen in the past, not everybody can rise to the occasion. Certainly not averaged over a whole season.

[Old School 44]

Nice analysis. But I disagree that Paul is sure to come in third in the MVP. I think it's totally possible Parker will pass him.
Tony might have the better season, the better team record, but Paul is regarded as the best point guard in the league and really turned a whole franchise around.
Combine that with the extra publicity playing in big market LA, he's almost a lock for 3rd.

[spurraider21]

Parker is going to have to keep doing what he's doing in these big games if he wants to make any sort of a run for the MVP... like our next Miami game, the remaining Clippers/Thunder games. Sort of like how LeBron pretty much officially separated himself from Durant after Thursday's heads up showdown

[101A]

Article is pretty good, have a problem with the following, however:


Durant will likely complete (http://www.caller.com/news/2013/feb/16/spurs-parker-nba-workman-mvp/#) the best regular season campaign ever to not warrant an MVP award

Kind of statement is profoundly subjective; just look at the thread about Dave's quadruple double, and check out HIS stats from that year, when he didn't win an MVP; hard to argue Durant is having a more impressive season than that.

[chapnis]

Kind of statement is profoundly subjective; just look at the thread about Dave's quadruple double, and check out HIS stats from that year, when he didn't win an MVP; hard to argue Durant is having a more impressive season than that.

DRob 1994 - 30pt, 11reb, 5ass, 2stl, 3blk.
KD 2013 - 27pt, 7reb, 4ass, 2stl, 1blk.

Pretty clear which stats (while not everything) are better.

[KenziE]

Answer: not quite as many. As great as the Spurs system is, you need players to make it function. And as we have sadly seen in the past, not everybody can rise to the occasion. Certainly not averaged over a whole season.

cool sig man how bout make TP disappear aswell when he crosses DWill ?

[Phenomanul]

DRob 1994 - 30pt, 11reb, 5ast, 2stl, 3blk.
KD 2013 - 27pt, 7reb, 4ast, 2stl, 1blk.

Pretty clear which stats (while not everything) are better.

His PER that year was ridiculous too...

[Blake]

Answer: not quite as many. As great as the Spurs system is, you need players to make it function. And as we have sadly seen in the past, not everybody can rise to the occasion. Certainly not averaged over a whole season.

Agreed, which is why he's an all star.

But compare it to taking away LeBron or Durant from their respective teams and I doubt anyone would disagree that there is really no comparison.

[will_spurs]

But compare it to taking away LeBron or Durant from their respective teams and I doubt anyone would disagree that there is really no comparison.

Are you so sure that Green-Diaw-Splitter-Leonard + half Duncan and 1/4 Manu would win more games than Wade+Bosh+friends or Westbrook+Ibaka?

[Blake]

Are you so sure that Green-Diaw-Splitter-Leonard + half Duncan and 1/4 Manu would win more games than Wade+Bosh+friends or Westbrook+Ibaka?

If you stop there, maybe, but no I'm not sure.

But we don't stop there.

It's the Spurs bench vs other teams benches that would definitely win games, imo.