Same Ol' Story: Are Manu & Parker Good Enough Yet?

[Ghost Writer]

Fast forward to the playoffs.

Duncan is triple teamed in the 4th quarter.

The Spurs lead has been lost and now it's come down to trading baskets.

Duncan has that nervous look and doesn't know whether to force a shot or trust a teammate.

We know Horry and Barry are not reliable, Rasho sucks and Bowen is awful on offense.

Parker is inconsisent.

Manu is unpredictable.

Can either help the Spurs get it done?

Do we have any evidence to suggest either can take the pressure off of Duncan for an extended time in the playoffs (game to game, series to series)?


Question.

[Kori Ellis]

Your boy Barry is also supposed to be helping out in these situations. Will he?

[Nikos]

I guess not? Who knows? But it doesnt seem Pop trys to mix things up ever. He force feeds it to Duncan and the rest of the O is just an afterthought.

If he does not want to use his players why did he sign them? Why didn't he sign four clutch shooters and defenders?

I still would not feel comfortable with Duncan hitting free throws when it counts either.

Spurs are the type of team that needs to win games or have a comfy lead going into the last few minutes. Otherwise their shaky FT shooting will be glaring.

[Kori Ellis]

You guys are so full of crap when you say that all the Spurs do is force feed Duncan and don't run plays for other players.

Do you watch Spurs basketball?

[Ghost Writer]

I don't want to jinx Barry like I did Charlie Ward.

I hope for the best.

The Spurs do run plays for Manu and Parker. Sometimes they deliver and soetimes they don't.

I'm not confident that either of these two have what it takes to get it done over all of the playoffs.

Parker needs to watch old tapes of vintage Sam Cassell during the Rockets title years.

Those triple teams are coming, folks.

Nut up.

[Nikos]

I guess not. I did watch about 75% of their games on tv and listened to the rest on radio.

I did miss the first quarter and a half last night. The only shot I heard Manu take was a half court heave at the end of the second quarter and one missed layup in the second half. Tp missed a few layups, but other than that it did seem to be all Duncan. Which is fine, but don't be suprised when Manu and TP are clanking shots from the perimeter in big games.

They never proved to be clutch 3pt shooters, and I don't see how the Spurs can respond against great offense teams when every single time a team pops them in the nose they let Duncan get tripled teamed anyway and are shaky at best on offense.

[scott]

We have seen Parker is a slow starter... this is not something I mind. We don't need him to get to the playoffs, or even win the #1 seed. But when we do need him (in the playoffs and to win in the playoffs), his tendency to step up when needed has increased with his experience.

As for Manu... ?

[timvp]

Barry will need to knock down some threes in the playoffs ... much like Stephen Jackson, Steve Kerr, Mario Elie and Jaren Jackson did.

Manu and Parker will have to keep attacking, especially in the fourth quarters. You can't bank on either of those players saving you from the perimeter.

Barry is the X-factor. He he doesn't have it, the Spurs better hope that Devin Brown is on fire.

[Kori Ellis]

The Spurs run plays for Manu and Tony all the time. That's why I say it's crazy to say they run plays for Duncan only. Watch the play calling from the sidelines. Just because a ball ends up in Duncan's hands, doesn't mean they aren't running plays for other people. Sometimes plays are broken. Sometimes the plays just don't come to fruition. The Spurs run a very versatile offense. They very rarely run 4-Down. Most of their offense is predicated on ball movement.

[whottt]

Barry will need to knock down some threes in the playoffs ... much like Stephen Jackson, Steve Kerr, Mario Elie and Jaren Jackson did.

Manu and Parker will have to keep attacking, especially in the fourth quarters. You can't bank on either of those players saving you from the perimeter.

Barry is the X-factor. He he doesn't have it, the Spurs better hope that Devin Brown is on fire.


Barry is not going to be ready for that role if he is not given enough shots to work out the kinks and only given 6 minutes of playing time in big games.

If the Spurs let him rust...his performance won't be his fault.

[timvp]

Then Barry better start earning his minutes. Right now he's playing scared.

SAC up.

http://www.accd.edu/sac/sacmain/images2/topbanner.gif

[whottt]

Um, no, scared is not coming in from the bench to hit two FT ice cold. Scared is not hitting your first two shots of the game in a tight 3rd quarter in Boston. That's not scared.

And neither is going 0-4 in the first half...scared is tightening up in the 4th...See the two games where Barry did not see action in the 4th...Seattle and Detroit.

I'd think you know scared by now after watching 7 years of 4th quarter offensive collapses in the Pop era...excepting the years we had Elie, Kerr or a Jax.

Then again, if you knew a scared J you wouldn't be an AJ fan.

[T Park]

how many championship winning shots has Barry had compared to AJ??

oh yea,

Aj 1

Barry 0


good talk

[timvp]

Don't confuse him with facts, T Park.

Nice line by Barry tonight.

Brent Barry
8
0-3
0-1
0-0
0
0
0
1
0
0
0
0
0

[T Park]

Barry has flat out stunk

Defense and offense


But its pop's fault hes missing the shots though.

[ChumpDumper]

Same Ol' Story: Spurs lose and Ghost posts.

See you after the next loss, foul-weather fan.

[Ghost Writer]

Svck a d1ck, Chump.

I have been posting right along the win streak, b1tch.

Stop your selective reading and answer the Question.

Do you think either Parker or Manu are or will be ready to take a secondary star role throughout the playoffs?


Q?

[Nikos]

Svck a d1ck, Chump.

I have been posting right along the win streak, b1tch.

Stop your selective reading and answer the Question.

Do you think either Parker or Manu are or will be ready to take a secondary star role throughout the playoffs?


Q?

Depends on how good you consider the competition.

In 1993-94 the Rockets won a title with Hakeem and a bunch of roleplayers. So its not impossible to think the Spurs could do the same even with TP and Manu not becoming all star calibur players.

But I guess you panic too easy to even consider such a notion that a team can win a title without having Scottie Pippen or Kobe as a supporting player?

[Ghost Writer]

The Rockets had a young PG with b@lls and the drive to get it done named Sam Cassell.

We have Parker.

The Rockets had a clutch shooting young man named Robert Horry.

We have Ginobili.


After that first title, the Rockets went out and traded for another Hall of Famer.

We have Rasho.


...

[Nikos]

The Rockets had a clutch shooting young man named Robert Horry.

He wasn't making clutch shots in the playoffs until 1994-95. Thats when he made his name.

And Cassell still did not play major minutes over Kenny Smith.

[Ghost Writer]

Re-check your facts, sport.

Cassell was a major contributor in the playoffs to the Rockets' first title.

And I could swear that Horry was on the first title team, too.

Point is, Olajuwon has dependable young players to help him.

[Nikos]

Cassell was a major contributor in the playoffs to the Rockets' first title.

Yes, but he still did not play anymore than Kenny Smith. So other players were also role players, and there was no SECOND star. Just because a guy makes a few clutch shots, doesn't mean hes above a guy like Otis Thorpe or Vernon Maxwell who were the real 2nd or 3rd stars for that team in 1993-94.

Oh and Horry WAS on the team, but he did not hit any memorable clutch shots that year. In 1994-95 he did.

[ALVAREZ6]

Ghost, are you serious.
Why are you questioning all the Spurs players now. Parker and Ginobili are an excellent backcourt, and they play defense, and just know how to score.

[ChumpDumper]

Casper, since you've posted after every win and never run the shotgun posting method after a loss, you'd know I don't feel anyone is particularly reliable on this team save Duncan.

Name your trade.

I'm listening.

No going back in time, either -- we are talking here and now.

I will say I like the fact Devin is closing out games -- he can make his mistakes now and learn from them. He needs to get as much burn as possible to develop while we're waiting for Steve Smith to find his shot and play D.

[pjjrfan]

I like the guys, we got, although, Tony could play a lot better. Still, if Tony can get back to the way he was playing at the end of last year, this is a better team by far. Right now, guys are making a bunch of bad decisions. And actually they have played badly in only 2 and one half games. The Raptor game being the one really atrocious game. The rocket game broke down in the last min. and like Pop I think they relaxed and let it get away. But holding on to the lead in close games is the main responsiblity of the pt. guard, and in this instance Tony's turnover began the landslide.

I like Manu's play, period. He lays it out every game, so I'll take the bad along with the good, and let me tell you at 16-5 he has been doing more good than bad.

[Ghost Writer]

Chump, pretending missed opportunities never existed and believeing there's no way to get better is not going to help us now.

I am not privy to the Spurs current trade options.

I do know that it's still premature for us to be ordaining Parker or Ginobili as bonafide stars.

It sucks to think we are wasting away Duncan's best years.

[Marcus Bryant]

DRAMA

[GoSpurs21]

Barry is not going to be ready for that role if he is not given enough shots to work out the kinks and only given 6 minutes of playing time in big games.

If the Spurs let him rust...his performance won't be his fault.If Barry rusts its because he's not dedicated or hungry enough to work on his shot during his off time. After all isnt that how Devin has made his shot better?

I am questioning Barry's desire to win. I agree with TiMVP, Barry looks scared when the ball gets to him and he is wide open. More times than not he will pass the ball. He needs to play fearless or get his ass on the IR and let someone who is not scared play.


Stop your selective reading and answer the Question.

Do you think either Parker or Manu are or will be ready to take a secondary star role throughout the playoffs?
Q?Yes, because unlike Barry, Tony and Manu (and you can throw Devin and Beno in as well) play fearlessly. That is what it is going to take to win. You cant suceed unless you are willing to fail. Plus they play defense and we all know you cant win unless you play defense.

[FromWayDowntown]

Chump, pretending missed opportunities never existed and believeing there's no way to get better is not going to help us now.

I am not privy to the Spurs current trade options.

I do know that it's still premature for us to be ordaining Parker or Ginobili as bonafide stars.

It sucks to think we are wasting away Duncan's best years.

Well, let's see . . . . missed opportunities, eh? Gary Payton was ultra-clutch in the 2003-04 playoffs, wasn't he? After years of proclaiming that he needed to play for a contender, Payton got his chance and was vital to his team's successes last year -- all of those epic fourth quarters. Damn, I'm disappointed the Spurs didn't deal away the future for that guy. . . .

And, well, Ron Artest did come up huge for Indiana last year against Detroit . . . and he's been such a good citizen that he's bound to have an excellent playoff run in 2004-05.

Enough kidding.

Ghost: enough lamenting "missed opportunities" without offering forward-looking suggestions. If you really don't think Parker and Ginobili (who played vital roles in winning rings two seasons ago) aren't good enough, what do you want?? Just tell us. It doesn't matter if the Spurs are actually considering such a trade (since I'm almost certain they're not seriously entertaining offers for either, right now) -- I'm honestly curious who you believe the Spurs could realistically get that would be better. . . .

[Marcus Bryant]

There's a reason I stopped taking Ghost seriously some time ago.

[Nikos]

There's a reason I stopped taking Ghost seriously some time ago.

I am not taking him that serious either anymore, but at this point -- many of his posts have lost the amusement factor as well. Pretty soon he is going to morph into rascal -- the worst poster in the world.

[vanvannen]

Ghost, I'm really not sure what you mean...
Tony has shown in the past that he can score big time in the playoffs (as he did in '03 and the first two games against the Lakers last year) and Manu has just won a Gold Medal in the Olympics torching Team USA with 29 points and leading his country in every game including a buzzer beater against Serbia & Montenegro. If that guy can't hit clutch shots, then who can?

[GrandeDavid]

^Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaamen!!! Thread caaaaaaaaaaaaalosed!!!

Tony and Manu have got the clutches.

[ChumpDumper]

Chump, pretending missed opportunities never existed and believeing there's no way to get better is not going to help us now.The two are mutually exclusive. Deal with the now.
I am not privy to the Spurs current trade options.I understand you lack the ability to do anything but parrot trade proposals you hear on the radio or read in the East Coast rags, but it would be nice if you came up with something other than -- nothing.

[smeagol]

I am not taking him that serious either anymore, but at this point -- many of his posts have lost the amusement factor as well. Pretty soon he is going to morph into rascal -- the worst poster in the world.
Nikos, you must be a phsychic . . . you just read my mind and put my thoughts in black and white.

GW = rascal