-
Buck Harvey: Half gone, Parker finds his true whole
http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/s...r.1e74528.html
Tony Parker edged closer to Tim Duncan on Saturday. Then Parker missed a couple of free throws and watched his country lose a lead.
As a result, France plays for the bronze today in the European Championship. Just as Duncan's United States did a year ago in the Olympics.
But the ties between these Spurs run deeper now. Parker, despite his French accent and European roots, is now seen as an American.
In Europe — in these times — that isn't a compliment.
The Americanization of Euro-basketball has been the theme in Europe the past few weeks, and the carriers of the virus are clear. Europe's best went to the NBA and then brought back the disease.
It's not as awful as it sounds. Whereas European countries once put together rosters of similar minds, now they mix NBA players with those who stayed behind to play in Europe. Some jealousy and tension follow, as well as a confusing pecking order.
Sometimes the NBA guys feel the need to prove their status. Sometimes a one-on-one play that fails grates on the Europeans more than it should. And sometimes the egos can't take it.
Such as on the Turkish team. Last week one of them told Mehmet Okur, who plays for the Jazz, that if he keeps acting like a spoiled NBA prima donna, he might have to break something.
Arm, hand, something.
The Serbs didn't just threaten. They went after each other with limb-breaking zeal after being upset by France last week.
Were there three fights in their locker room, or just two? They weren't sure. With the most NBA talent of all the teams in the European Championships, the Serbs played the role of the Americans in this tournament.
The entire European continent hasn't been overtaken by Blazers and Clippers. Dirk Nowitzki, the best player in the championships, has led Germany with an unselfish but firm hand he doesn't always show in Dallas.
Slovenia advanced Saturday, too, with the magic that is Rasho Nesterovic. And then there's Parker. When he agreed to come off the bench for France, wasn't he being as selfless as Manu Ginobili was last season in the playoffs?
Not exactly. Parker sunk to a level that had some wondering if Nick Van Exel was ready to go 35 minutes a night next season. Parker admitted he lost his legs somewhere in the summer, mostly because of injuries, and he agreed to the benching for the good of France.
Spurs execs said last week, in the midst of his struggles, they weren't worried. They know Parker is tired, and they know him too well to believe he suddenly lost something.
If anything, they've been more worried about Boris Diaw, Parker's French teammate and roommate this summer. Diaw has emerged as a versatile athlete who could flourish in the Suns' system next season.
Diaw amazed at times, but France surged when Parker responded as the sixth man. His 13 points and five assists were crucial in the upset of Lithuania, and he played well in the loss to Greece on Saturday, too.
Without many big bodies, the French did well to get as far as they did.
Still, Parker and his NBA habits were seen as an issue. French coach Claude Bergeaud sent a message early that his NBA players were not there to score 30 points a night.
Parker rarely has had that impulse with the Spurs, but, remember, this is still the European theme. So when asked if his NBA players were staying within the French team system, Bergeaud said: "For Boris it was easier because he played for the national team last year, so the European style of play is not that distant a memory for him."
And Parker? "He's played about 220 NBA games since his last appearance for France," Bergeaud said. "The one thing that some people may not be able to see by just watching a game is that it's not easy to switch between NBA style of play and European style of play just like that.
"It doesn't happen overnight."
That's not necessarily a critical assessment. But it's still telling about how the Europeans see the Americans now. Once awed by Dream Team power, they see this NBA generation as beset with liabilities.
It's telling about Parker, too. He came west as half European and half American, and he dreamed of becoming an NBA player.
This month, officially, he became one.
-
Re: Buck Harvey: Half gone, Parker finds his true whole
I hate foreigners. :smokin
-
Re: Buck Harvey: Half gone, Parker finds his true whole
Quote:
Slovenia advanced Saturday, too, with the magic that is Rasho Nesterovic.
Did Buck Harvey really write this line? :lol
-
Re: Buck Harvey: Half gone, Parker finds his true whole
Quote:
Still, Parker and his NBA habits were seen as an issue. French coach Claude Bergeaud sent a message early that his NBA players were not there to score 30 points a night.
Funny, I thought the French team played more like an NBA team than any other team in the tournament that I saw. Not just Parker but the whole team, relying on individual skill and athleticism. And they damn near and should have been in the finals with there NBA game.
Also against Greece the French offense was pretty much sucking wind until Parker and his NBA game started creating some opportunities. On the otherhand I thought Greece played the most team oriented game I've seen in the tourney and France had to give them the game.
-
Re: Buck Harvey: Half gone, Parker finds his true whole
What is truly funny about this article is he took a quote from a french coach to back up his asssessment of what europeans think.
The french are elitists who arent elite and if you think that french thought shapes european thought especially eastern european thought you are crazy.
Yeah the Slavs or Germans give a damn what some halfassed french coach says.
-
Re: Buck Harvey: Half gone, Parker finds his true whole
Yeah, the NBA is ruining basketball.
I'm sick of the European coaches and fans acting all high and mighty somehow thinking that there brand of basketball is better than the NBA one.
-
Re: Buck Harvey: Half gone, Parker finds his true whole
"magic that is Rasho Nesterovic."
obviously meant as a sarcastic insult. :)
-
Re: Buck Harvey: Half gone, Parker finds his true whole
"from a french coach"
he probably should have used the amazing quotes from the, IIRC, Serb coach.
The French coaches opinion is not unique. I'm not surprised there could be friction between European players who made it into the NBA and those who didn't, esp when asking the NBA players to play the way the European coach wants, in a team system.
-
Re: Buck Harvey: Half gone, Parker finds his true whole
Quote:
Parker admitted he lost his legs somewhere in the summer, mostly because of injuries
Well, I'm glad to hear he's over there playing in meaningless games. :rolleyes
-
Re: Buck Harvey: Half gone, Parker finds his true whole
Quote:
Originally Posted by picnroll
Funny, I thought the French team played more like an NBA team than any other team in the tournament that I saw. Not just Parker but the whole team, relying on individual skill and athleticism.
The problem is not in offence, problem lies in response to a specific defense. I hardly saw a layup being stopped by a foul. And refereeing is totaly a different story.
Parker was being chased, and in Europe that doesn't mean when he runs by, his guard will just let him go to his basket. In Europe you can foul out more often.
-
Re: Buck Harvey: Half gone, Parker finds his true whole
He seems to be blaming the French team and Parker for what happened in Turkey's and Serbia's locker rooms. I saw little evidence that the French team was having problems. They were just a young, athletic, inexperienced team that happened to be quite small. They also greatly overacheived in Eurobasket. I think this article is just... Buck hatin'.
-
Re: Buck Harvey: Half gone, Parker finds his true whole
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mr. Body
He seems to be blaming the French team and Parker for what happened in Turkey's and Serbia's locker rooms. I saw little evidence that the French team was having problems. They were just a young, athletic, inexperienced team that happened to be quite small. They also greatly overacheived in Eurobasket. I think this article is just... Buck hatin'.
Parker said some things he shouldn't have to the media- which made him look bad to some.
The Slovenian team did a wonderful job of combining their NBA and European players, with their captain (Rasho) making it clear from the beginning that personal egos would be put aside and the only focus would be team goals. It helps, though, that their NBA players have the personalities of Rasho, Boki, and Primoz- not exactly NBA prima donnas. :)
-
Re: Buck Harvey: Half gone, Parker finds his true whole
-
Re: Buck Harvey: Half gone, Parker finds his true whole
What did Parker say to the media that he shouldn't have?
-
Re: Buck Harvey: Half gone, Parker finds his true whole
Quote:
Originally Posted by elpimpo4cc
rasho isn't tired from the regular season and playoffs?
nope. Cuz he didn't play much.
-
Re: Buck Harvey: Half gone, Parker finds his true whole
Quote:
Originally Posted by elpimpo4cc
rasho isn't tired from the regular season and playoffs?
Rasho tired from the playoffs? :lol
-
Re: Buck Harvey: Half gone, Parker finds his true whole
Quote:
Originally Posted by MI21
Yeah, the NBA is ruining basketball.
I'm sick of the European coaches and fans acting all high and mighty somehow thinking that there brand of basketball is better than the NBA one.
Hehe, exactly. And consider yourself lucky you don't post in the Spanish League forums (www.acb.com -in Spanish-), from their point of view Petrovic was better than Jordan; Sabonis was better than Shaq, the Admiral, Hakeem, Kareem and Wilt combined. Pau Gasol is a dominant player, a leader who doesn't win because his coaches doesn't allow him to, and Europe is the Basketball Mecca. The opposition in those forums is even worse, most of them are white euro boys who think they were born in Queens and they are ballas, they consider Lebron and Vince Carter MVPs, call Tim boring and care more about the Dunk Contest rather than the NBA Finals. And people call us argies biased! :lol
Neither one or the other. International (not just European *cough*) game has certainly improved, but ask any player around the world where they want to play, around 90% of them will respond the NBA. I wouldn't blame ego wars just on the NBA players, that is nonsense, for every egocentric European player there are 10 who play in their National Team without causing any problems. And certainly not all the players who play in European leagues are saints who bleed for their country no matter what.
-
Re: Buck Harvey: Half gone, Parker finds his true whole
What happened in Turkey's locker room?
-
Re: Buck Harvey: Half gone, Parker finds his true whole
Quote:
Originally Posted by angel_luv
What happened in Turkey's locker room?
The players got sight of a half-naked Hedo and got scared. :lol
(I'm kidding)
-
Re: Buck Harvey: Half gone, Parker finds his true whole
-
Re: Buck Harvey: Half gone, Parker finds his true whole
Quote:
Originally Posted by 1Parker1
The players got sight of a half-naked Hedo and got scared. :lol
(I'm kidding)
:lmao
-
Re: Buck Harvey: Half gone, Parker finds his true whole
TP just needs to get back to SA and chill until training camp. No ball, no nothing. Just relax and make sure he is ready to go opening night.
-
Re: Buck Harvey: Half gone, Parker finds his true whole
Quote:
Originally Posted by MI21
Yeah, the NBA is ruining basketball.
I'm sick of the European coaches and fans acting all high and mighty somehow thinking that there brand of basketball is better than the NBA one.
hell Euro basketball isnt even as good as South American basketball
-
Re: Buck Harvey: Half gone, Parker finds his true whole
Quote:
Originally Posted by samikeyp
TP just needs to get back to SA and chill until training camp. No ball, no nothing. Just relax and make sure he is ready to go opening night.
Doesn't training camp start in like 2 weeks though?
-
Re: Buck Harvey: Half gone, Parker finds his true whole
Quote:
Originally Posted by GoSpurs21
hell Euro basketball isnt even as good as South American basketball
apparently its better then Saudi Arabian basketball though. :elephant
-
Re: Buck Harvey: Half gone, Parker finds his true whole
Quote:
Originally Posted by 1Parker1
Doesn't training camp start in like 2 weeks though?
Less than that now I think. Isn't traning camp right after media day?
-
Re: Buck Harvey: Half gone, Parker finds his true whole
I wish Buck Harvey would write classified ads and go away.
