Ginobili slowly moving closer to feeling like himself
Jeff McDonald
MIAMI Manu Ginobili dribbled to his left, turned a corner and, shifting into another gear, sped headlong toward the paint. He got within eight feet of the basket when Philadelphia's Andre Iguodala appeared in front of him, an unavoidable obstacle to a layup.
Braking on a dime, Ginobili leaned in, drew contact from Iguodala and, almost as an afterthought on his way to the ground, lofted the ball at the basket.
Swish. And a foul.
That play, late in the first quarter of the Spurs' victory over the 76ers on Saturday, was the kind Ginobili has made hundreds of times in his basketball life. Which is what made it such an important signpost in his ongoing recovery from offseason ankle surgery.
There have been a couple of possessions where I felt like it was me again, Ginobili said. I haven't felt like that for a whole game yet. I'm working on it, trying to get that back.
As the Spurs head to Miami tonight to put their slim lead in the Southwest Division on the line, Ginobili is feeling better than he has all season. He is coming off a 21-point outing against the Sixers that matched his season high, a performance that included a handful of acrobatic clutch baskets that could only be described as Ginobili-esque.
And yet, he says he still isn't feeling quite like himself.
In 21 games since making his injury-belated season debut, Ginobili is averaging 14.6 points. Most teams would love to get that kind of production out of a sixth man, but that number represents a drop of more than five points from Ginobili's career high average of 19.9 last season.
He has been tentative at times, hurried at others, and has lacked his trademark explosion to the rim.
His conditioning still isn't quite there, as evidenced by the burn in his legs in the fourth quarter. His timing is a bit off, a fact of which he is reminded each time he rifles a pass into the third row.
I'm not playing like last year, Ginobili said. I'm not shooting as well. I'm not going to the rim as hard. I don't know if it is mental or physical or what, but there are some things in my game I am just not feeling yet.
All of this, of course, is to be expected. It is part of the recovery process.
Ginobili opted for surgery after aggravating a pre-existing condition, diagnosed as a posterior impingement of his left ankle, at the Beijing Olympics in September. It would be nearly three months before he'd so much as practice compe ively again.
Basketball, it seems, is nothing like riding a bike.
He was out for quite a while, coach Gregg Popovich said. He's going to try too hard sometimes, and sometimes he'll back off and think too much. It will take a while for him to get comfortable again, and just play without thinking.
Tony Parker, the Spurs point guard and once upon a time Ginobili's bum ankle brother, can't begin to fathom the frustration his teammate has been through.
Parker's return from a moderately sprained right ankle suffered on Nov. 7, coincidentally in a home loss to the same Miami team the Spurs face tonight was relatively quick and thorough.
He was the Spurs' leading scorer the night he went down, and after missing nine games, he remains their leading scorer at 21.5 points per contest. At times over the past few weeks, Parker has been the Spurs' best player.
But Parker's ailment was merely a sprained ankle, the kind of thing that happens once a week in the NBA. Ginobili's injury required surgery, and that is a whole different recovery ballgame.
All Parker knows is that he has yet to see the real Ginobili this season.
He definitely doesn't look 100 percent, Parker said.
Popovich agrees.
I'd say he's about 90 percent, Popovich said.
Another thing Parker and his coach agree upon: If the Spurs hope to return the NBA mountaintop, Ginobili's full recovery will be priority No. 1 over the next 31/2 months.
If we want any shot any shot to win the championship, Parker said, we need Manu to be Manu.
The good news for the Spurs is that Ginobili can see himself coming right around the corner. All it takes is time.
I'm not worried, Ginobili said. We have a pretty good record, and that's the most important thing. My thing is going to come sooner or later.
Well said.“If we want any shot — any shot — to win the championship,” Parker said, “we need Manu to be Manu.”
Considering Manu had one basket in the last 18 minutes, don't know if I can agree with the "handful of acrobatic clutch baskets" line.He is coming off a 21-point outing against the Sixers that matched his season high, a performance that included a handful of acrobatic clutch baskets that could only be described as Ginobili-esque.
Something I dont understand from the Parker's bashers is that even though Parker will always say that Manu is an indispensable piece in winning a championship and yet there are people who keep on bashing him for being a selfish player who is only interested in filling up the stats..
Posters who think TP is just a stat padder are idiots. If Tp stops shooting, the Spurs are going to the hole quick fast and in a hurry.
Plus, the Spurs almost always make an extra pass off a driving kick out pass from Tp that's why his assists are not that high (im satisfied with his numbers though)..4 down doesnt help his assist count too.
I thought his ppg last year was 19.5, and Ginobili might think he isn't shooting as well, but didn't kori or timvp mention he is shooting the best % of his career?
It was 19.5. And yes, up until recently he was shooting better this season than any other season. He dipped a bit in late December though ... In the last five games of the month, he shot around 40% I think.
Maybe because he doesn't have too shoot much??? Has his fga dipped too?
hopefully come around by the rodeo road trip and be manu and catch up with the lakers and get some breathing room in our division
McDonald is AWFUL.As the Spurs head to Miami tonight to put their slim lead in the Southwest Division on the line, Ginobili is feeling better than he has all season. He is coming off a 21-point outing against the Sixers that matched his season high
The same mistake of yesterday article. Manu season-high was 27 pts against Atlanta
Manu is a rythym kind of player.
Once he will catch that fire he will be same unstoppable Manu Ginobili from Argentina.
I'm happy he is still not 'there'. I'm happy he still must improve on some many aspects. It's definately mix of phisycal and mental stuff.
Last year he was playing insaine all year long and he bit of gassed in the playoffs and some b4.
“There have been a couple of possessions where I felt like it was me again,” Ginobili said. “I haven't felt like that for a whole game yet. I'm working on it, trying to get that back.”
He must have some sort of blackmail on someone at MySA. There is not other good explanation for him still having a job there.
He averaged 19.5 last year...
His season high is 27 points...
He missed a 'clutch' game-winning 3pt...
McDonald needs more coffee in the morning...
Ginobilli needs to continue to attack the basket. Settling for 3s aint going to cut it.
Even with Manu playing 70 - 80% of what he is capable of, the Spurs record with and with out him is pretty telling.
6 - 6 with him on the sidelines
16 - 5 with him suited up
(I got this info from an Argie newspaper so it could be wrong and I'm too lazy to double check it).
You lazy smeagol !
“If we want any shot — any shot — to win the championship,” Parker said, “we need Manu to be Manu.”
Manu is the mixer to the Spurs drink. They need him to be playing well if they have a shot at the le.
Manu is the one who makes the Spurs' chemistry complete. Tim and Tony are the inside/outside tandem and Manu is the creator/slasher/big shot maker and this trio works well together.
It is amazes how so many people want to trade him on ST. You don't find players like this very often. Yes, I understand he's been injured...but he deserves a chance from Spurs fans to get healthy and be the X-Factor he's always been.
I have always said outside of Kobe and Wade...Manu would be the next guy I would choose to be on my team in a pickup game.
Manu at 90% the whole season = no le ! We need a 100% Manu to have a shot, the chemistry between the 3 is awsome, they are made to play together, the best way for SAS to win another one is to have the big 3 together, the trade manu and tp threads are a total nonsense even for a league superstar.
Manu is slow, slow enough to trade now!
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