spurs=bling
04-10-2006, 10:02 PM
No one really catches up with Tony Parker. Not this season.
Moving faster than ever, and finally shaking what even he describes as "my not being consistent," Parker has already realized one goal with his season-long flurry of layups.
"The challenge," he told me back in December, "is to do this for the whole year."
It started early and has lasted for 75 games. We've gotten only occasional looks at Parker's improving jump shot because he continues to rack up points in the paint at a ridiculous rate for a point guard.
Yet when you ask Parker to stop and sit down for a chat, you learn that the Frenchman -- who also has managed somehow to domesticate a "Desperate Housewives" wild child -- isn't terribly impressed by all this. He confesses a need to do this throughout the playoffs, too, to validate his rise to All-Star status.
For himself.
Parker hasn't forgotten his late-round struggles in the past three postseasons ... or the Spurs' flirtations with Jason Kidd before awarding him a six-year, $66 million contract ... or the fact that San Antonio failed in its first two attempts to repeat as NBA champion.
"There's still another level to this," Parker says.
He spoke openly about his plans to get there in a recent chat in Los Angeles. Nine highlights of that conversation with No. 9:
Parker on how closely the Spurs have followed the Mavericks in the chase for the West's No. 1 seed:
"Every day. Basically every day. Every day we talk about Dallas and see what they did the game before, how they're playing, what's the ranking, are we still ahead? It's just fun. It's a good race."
On which of the two Texas rivals needs home-court advantage more in their forthcoming second-round showdown:
"I think Dallas. We proved in the past that we can win big games on the road. ... [Spurs coach Gregg Popovich] always says, 'If we get it, fine.' But the main thing for us is that we stay healthy. If we can stay healthy, I think we can win big games on the road."
On being described by Popovich and Tim Duncan as San Antonio's most consistent player after four up-and-down seasons:
"I think I'm just getting more mature. I think that's the only reason. I know everybody now. I feel comfortable in the system. I feel comfortable with Pop. I just knew that, after we won the championship last year, the next level for me was the All-Star level. ... The Spurs, they didn't know if I can go to that next level. So I wanted to show them that they can have a lot of confidence in me, that I was not satisfied with my contract or [that] we've got two championships. I wanted to get their respect as a player."
On improving his jump shot with new shooting coach Chip Engelland:
"It's going to be a learning process. I did a lot of good stuff this year, I still think I can do better to try to get to that Chauncey Billups level or that Steve Nash level. That's where I want to get and that's going to take, I think, three or four years. So when I'll be 26 or 27, I think that's when my shot's going to mature. But I feel more comfortable. Every shot I'm taking at least has a chance to make it."
On whether people forget that he's only 23:
"I think even Pop sometimes forgets. They want me to improve so fast, and sometimes you can't go [faster than] experience. [But] Pop did a great job with me, pushing me when I first came, [at] 19, being hard on me. So now we're seeing the results of it."
On how much he still has to prove to himself in the playoffs after poor showings in the late stages of San Antonio's last three postseason runs:
"There's always a lot of people [who are] going to criticize me for what I did [before]. ... I know a lot of people can't wait to see if I'm going to do the same thing I did in [past] playoffs. And I'll be ready. It's a good challenge for me."
On how much pressure the Spurs feel to win their first back-to-back championships after failing to do so twice before:
"I think Pop, he just told us right at the beginning [of the season], 'We need to repeat.' We're the only team that won a championship [that] didn't repeat, basically."
On how much grief he gets from teammates for the tabloid coverage of his relationship with Eva Longoria:
"My teammates never say nothing. They never tease me. They see her [all the] time, so they don't care that she travels with us. We're one of the only teams in the NBA [that] lets us travel with wives or girlfriends. They all talk to her, so they know she's not a crazy woman."
On his ability to shrug at the increased scrutiny that comes with his newfound celebrity ... on and off the floor:
"How do you want me to complain? I got a great life. Great basketball team, great teammates, winning championships and a great girlfriend. I can't complain."
[B]One more question for No. 9: How far away from 100 percent is Tim Duncan?
"I think he's getting better and better," Tony Parker says. "The last couple games, he started dunking again. I think he's feeling better. I'd say he's, like, 85 percent. I don't see him going as fast as he used to with his pump fakes and when he's doing his moves. But I think he's improving. I think he's starting to get in playoff mode."Actually...
We've got one more: Can San Antonio win it all if Duncan, plagued by a season-long bout with plantar fasciitis, is only 85 percent?
"That's a tough question," Parker said. "We need Timmy. We're going nowhere if Timmy's not 100 percent. If he's 85 percent, I don't know. It's going to be tough."
Duncan's 11 points and six rebounds in Wednesday's loss to Sacramento marked the sixth time this season that he was held below 15 points and 10 boards in a game in which he logged at least 30 minutes. It happened to Duncan only once in the five previous seasons.
Of course, as the Spurs are relieved to know, there are no back-to-backs in the playoffs, and Duncan's troubles are generally seen in the second half of back-to-backs.
Link (http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/dailydime?page=dailydime-060408-09)
Moving faster than ever, and finally shaking what even he describes as "my not being consistent," Parker has already realized one goal with his season-long flurry of layups.
"The challenge," he told me back in December, "is to do this for the whole year."
It started early and has lasted for 75 games. We've gotten only occasional looks at Parker's improving jump shot because he continues to rack up points in the paint at a ridiculous rate for a point guard.
Yet when you ask Parker to stop and sit down for a chat, you learn that the Frenchman -- who also has managed somehow to domesticate a "Desperate Housewives" wild child -- isn't terribly impressed by all this. He confesses a need to do this throughout the playoffs, too, to validate his rise to All-Star status.
For himself.
Parker hasn't forgotten his late-round struggles in the past three postseasons ... or the Spurs' flirtations with Jason Kidd before awarding him a six-year, $66 million contract ... or the fact that San Antonio failed in its first two attempts to repeat as NBA champion.
"There's still another level to this," Parker says.
He spoke openly about his plans to get there in a recent chat in Los Angeles. Nine highlights of that conversation with No. 9:
Parker on how closely the Spurs have followed the Mavericks in the chase for the West's No. 1 seed:
"Every day. Basically every day. Every day we talk about Dallas and see what they did the game before, how they're playing, what's the ranking, are we still ahead? It's just fun. It's a good race."
On which of the two Texas rivals needs home-court advantage more in their forthcoming second-round showdown:
"I think Dallas. We proved in the past that we can win big games on the road. ... [Spurs coach Gregg Popovich] always says, 'If we get it, fine.' But the main thing for us is that we stay healthy. If we can stay healthy, I think we can win big games on the road."
On being described by Popovich and Tim Duncan as San Antonio's most consistent player after four up-and-down seasons:
"I think I'm just getting more mature. I think that's the only reason. I know everybody now. I feel comfortable in the system. I feel comfortable with Pop. I just knew that, after we won the championship last year, the next level for me was the All-Star level. ... The Spurs, they didn't know if I can go to that next level. So I wanted to show them that they can have a lot of confidence in me, that I was not satisfied with my contract or [that] we've got two championships. I wanted to get their respect as a player."
On improving his jump shot with new shooting coach Chip Engelland:
"It's going to be a learning process. I did a lot of good stuff this year, I still think I can do better to try to get to that Chauncey Billups level or that Steve Nash level. That's where I want to get and that's going to take, I think, three or four years. So when I'll be 26 or 27, I think that's when my shot's going to mature. But I feel more comfortable. Every shot I'm taking at least has a chance to make it."
On whether people forget that he's only 23:
"I think even Pop sometimes forgets. They want me to improve so fast, and sometimes you can't go [faster than] experience. [But] Pop did a great job with me, pushing me when I first came, [at] 19, being hard on me. So now we're seeing the results of it."
On how much he still has to prove to himself in the playoffs after poor showings in the late stages of San Antonio's last three postseason runs:
"There's always a lot of people [who are] going to criticize me for what I did [before]. ... I know a lot of people can't wait to see if I'm going to do the same thing I did in [past] playoffs. And I'll be ready. It's a good challenge for me."
On how much pressure the Spurs feel to win their first back-to-back championships after failing to do so twice before:
"I think Pop, he just told us right at the beginning [of the season], 'We need to repeat.' We're the only team that won a championship [that] didn't repeat, basically."
On how much grief he gets from teammates for the tabloid coverage of his relationship with Eva Longoria:
"My teammates never say nothing. They never tease me. They see her [all the] time, so they don't care that she travels with us. We're one of the only teams in the NBA [that] lets us travel with wives or girlfriends. They all talk to her, so they know she's not a crazy woman."
On his ability to shrug at the increased scrutiny that comes with his newfound celebrity ... on and off the floor:
"How do you want me to complain? I got a great life. Great basketball team, great teammates, winning championships and a great girlfriend. I can't complain."
[B]One more question for No. 9: How far away from 100 percent is Tim Duncan?
"I think he's getting better and better," Tony Parker says. "The last couple games, he started dunking again. I think he's feeling better. I'd say he's, like, 85 percent. I don't see him going as fast as he used to with his pump fakes and when he's doing his moves. But I think he's improving. I think he's starting to get in playoff mode."Actually...
We've got one more: Can San Antonio win it all if Duncan, plagued by a season-long bout with plantar fasciitis, is only 85 percent?
"That's a tough question," Parker said. "We need Timmy. We're going nowhere if Timmy's not 100 percent. If he's 85 percent, I don't know. It's going to be tough."
Duncan's 11 points and six rebounds in Wednesday's loss to Sacramento marked the sixth time this season that he was held below 15 points and 10 boards in a game in which he logged at least 30 minutes. It happened to Duncan only once in the five previous seasons.
Of course, as the Spurs are relieved to know, there are no back-to-backs in the playoffs, and Duncan's troubles are generally seen in the second half of back-to-backs.
Link (http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/dailydime?page=dailydime-060408-09)