Right to the Point

[Ghost Writer]

Game 3 showed me how very good and very bad the Spurs are at the point.

I don't like how the Spurs play when it is the Tony Parker Show. The team needs Parker to score and dish, but not just stand around and watch him try to do everything.

Even when Parker nails those deep two-pointers or flailing drives to the basket, I still get uneasy, because scoring like that is not how the Spurs win and those baskets have such a high degree of difficulty.

The Spurs are at their best now when their Big Three are all creating and passing. I didn't see much playmaking from Duncan or Ginobili in the last game. We need to get back to that.

Also, it won't hurt to have Duncan free from foul trouble.

How many years will we be hurt from poor backup point guard play? Did we learn nothing from winning with Speedy Claxton as a quality backup?

Beno Udrih... I still think he has the ability, but not with Popovich basically convinced that he sucks.

And Jaques Vaughn... smart player, "hardworking" defender and pretty good decision maker... but he has no buniness on the floor in a Confernece championship series. He's done.

Oh, and speaking of point guard play... who the hell wasn't guarding Deron Williams the other night? Someone put a body on him for krissakes. Thank you, Matt Bonner.


So, hopefully the Spurs can give Parker some support tonight and not force him to try to carry the load. That is not how the Spurs win.

Parker needs to be a contributor with his passing and scoring, but not the focal point of the offense. That must be shared by Duncan and Ginobili, too.








:cooldevil

[Bruno]

Parker try to do everything when other player can't do something.

[boutons_]

Ah, the Spurs' fans myth of Speedy lives forever.

Somehow he has sucked on the ensuing 10 teams he played on.

Amazing that the Spurs manage to be on/near the top for 4 years with crappy back up PGs.

[Winery]

What makes me cring is when Bowen, Vaughn, ELson, Ginobili, and Horry are out there together. That bothered the hell outta me when we played Phoenix. I'll take whatever scoring we gut outta that crew

[Ghost Writer]

boutons, Speedy performed very well for the Spurs as a backup and has been a quality player as a starter on other teams since he left. His only knock is that he is injury prone.

That said, we are not lamenting Claxton here, we are just saying how the Spurs never seem to have someone to take the pressure off Parker or at least hold a lead as a backup PG.

[Kori Ellis]

Parker needs to be a contributor with his passing and scoring, but not the focal point of the offense. That must be shared by Duncan and Ginobili, too.



If Duncan wasn't saddled with foul trouble and busy turning the ball over .. and Manu wasn't busy shooting 25%, then they would have been the focal points of the offense. You have to go with the person who is actually doing anything.

The Spurs struggled because Tim and Manu sucked and the Jazz didn't.
Hopefully tonight that won't be the case again.

The Spurs have been destroyed for three second halves in a row. They are either tired, unfocused, or the Jazz are better than them.

Regarding the backup point - JV was embarrassing. Let Manu or Brent be the backup PG right now.

[MadDog73]

Let Manu or Brent be the backup PG right now.


Agreed. Manu and Brent as point is pretty underated.

[Kori Ellis]

Agreed. Manu and Brent as point is pretty underated.

My philosophy on that is that it's only 10 minutes a game. Could they be worse than JV has been lately? I'm guessing not.

Manu has the ball in his hands when he's on the floor without Parker anyway, so JV is useless in that situation. Just put in another shooter with Manu instead.

[Ghost Writer]

I feel ya on that, Kori.

By no means was I pointing a finger at Parker... what I am saying is that any astute Spurs fan can get a feel early on if the Spurs are going to play as a team or if it's going to be one of those games where it's Parker trying to do everything, because he has no "run support."

Rarely do the Spurs win with Parker carrying them.

Conversely, the Spurs have won games with Duncan and Ginobili carrying the load.

The Spurs - and Parker - are most effective when Parker is setting up teammates and hitting daggers and not counted on to be the end all, be all.

I expect Duncan and Ginobili to get back on track tonight.


:cooldevil

[MaNuMaNiAc]

Rarely do the Spurs win with Parker carrying them.

Conversely, the Spurs have won games with Duncan and Ginobili carrying the load.I don't think that's fair. Even when Gino is playing out of his mind, its still hard for the Spurs to win a game without Duncan and Parker contributing. Last night TP had almost no help. When all three are clicking, the Spurs are unstoppable, but when its just one, and that one is not Duncan, the Spurs are almost assured a loss.

[Ghost Writer]

I disagree... Duncan and Manu have demonstrated that they can basically take over a game and lead the Spurs to victory without major contributions from the other two of the Big Three.

The Spurs need Manu and Duncan to support Parker and benefit more from his playmaking than standing around and hoping Parker can single-handedly lead them to victory.




:cooldevil

[T Park]

Beno Udrih... I still think he has the ability, but not with Popovich basically convinced that he sucks.

Uh, Pop isn't the one that is convinced.

The guy does suck.

he has the brain of mashed potatoes.

[MadDog73]

I disagree... Duncan and Manu have demonstrated that they can basically take over a game and lead the Spurs to victory without major contributions from the other two of the Big Three.

The Spurs need Manu and Duncan to support Parker and benefit more from his playmaking than standing around and hoping Parker can single-handedly lead them to victory.


But doesn't Parker make Duncan and Manu better?

Ideally, Parker is at his best when he's feeding Duncan and Manu for easy buckets. Of course he can't win games on his own... for the record, I don't think Manu can win games on his own anymore either.

[SuperManu!!!]

JV is a great player! HE can score without the ball....the problem is when he gets the ball :lol

[Ghost Writer]

"for the record, I don't think Manu can win games on his own anymore either." - Mad Dog




Did you see the Suns series?





We both agree that Parker needs to be the gun... not the the only bullet.

:cooldevil