Were the past 2 months a mirror of Manu's career?

[picc84]

Dude can look like the best player in the L for a decent stretch...but then irrevocably reverts to playing equally as ty given enough time.

Just cant sustain it enough to be truly considered a great.

[JamStone]

Interesting way of looking at it, and possibly.

Manu's an amazing player. Truly one of the greatest compe ors of this NBA generation, and as you suggest has moments and games where he seems like he's the best player on the planet. The problem is that the effectiveness of his game requires him to mix it up on offense where he drives with reckless abandon when getting to the basket and leaving it all on the floor on defense and loose balls, where he's diving on the floor and putting his body in harm's way. That often results in him getting banged up, bruised, and injured, which in turn often affects the rest of his game. He doesn't have the physique of LeBron nor does he temper his play to avoid contact like Kobe often does. And that's why late in the season after all the dives and fouls have caught up to him, he just can't get that sustained level of play night in and night out. It's a shame, because he's truly one of the greatest talents in the league, including the likes of LeBron and Kobe and Wade.

[Cane]

Manu's always been streaky but I'm going to go ahead and blame it on the broken nose for his ty shooting. Screws up your breathing and confidence and we all saw how Manu's shooting is like when his confidence isn't there (first half of the season Manu). Without a healthy Manu, the Spurs just aren't anywhere near contenders as seen in all the years after the last

I wonder if he's going to be a sixth man again next year.

He's already a sure HOFer though with his incredible achievements from international play and being a key contributor to the Spurs victories.

[picc84]

Interesting way of looking at it, and possibly.

Manu's an amazing player. Truly one of the greatest compe ors of this NBA generation, and as you suggest has moments and games where he seems like he's the best player on the planet. The problem is that the effectiveness of his game requires him to mix it up on offense where he drives with reckless abandon when getting to the basket and leaving it all on the floor on defense and loose balls, where he's diving on the floor and putting his body in harm's way. That often results in him getting banged up, bruised, and injured, which in turn often affects the rest of his game. He doesn't have the physique of LeBron nor does he temper his play to avoid contact like Kobe often does. And that's why late in the season after all the dives and fouls have caught up to him, he just can't get that sustained level of play night in and night out. It's a shame, because he's truly one of the greatest talents in the league, including the likes of LeBron and Kobe and Wade.

Not sure I buy that, because Wade plays more recklessly than Manu does with his body and still manages to be a superstar night in and night out, and carry his worthless team through April. For stretches Manu can look like Wade...and then a week later he'll look like Chris Duhon for just as long.

He wasn't injured this time, his play just leveled off like a mother er. Which has been the criticism against lifting him to superstar status for years.

[JamStone]

Dwyane Wade is built like a 6'4 version of LeBron. Dude is a tank.

Manu is built like Rafael Nadal.

[picc84]

Wade used to be just as skinny as Manu. He was a twig in their le season.

[z0sa]

He wasn't injured this time,

I guess you somehow missed the huge bandage and splint on his face.

[picc84]

Thats funny, didnt know players shoot and dribble with their nose.

If Spurs fans are going to blame that for his play then you guys are hitting a new alltime low. Steve Nash sent you home with one of his goddamn eyes swollen shut, and you're talking about Manu's nose.

Always the same, huh fellas.

[DUNCANownsKOBE2]

picc I think that injury affected his breathing a lot. When you play with as much intensity and grit as he does an injury that affects your breathing is gonna hurt your game a lot.

[z0sa]

If Spurs fans are going to blame that for his play

Who did that? Be specific.

[JamStone]

Wade used to be just as skinny as Manu. He was a twig in their le season.

Negasaurus Rex.

Wade has been a physical beast since before he even played in the league.

[picc84]

picc I think that injury affected his breathing a lot. When you play with as much intensity and grit as he does an injury that affects your breathing is gonna hurt your game a lot.

It didnt stop him from dropping 26/5/2 to eliminate the Mavs in game 6.

[picc84]

Who did that? Be specific.

If you didn't mean that, then why respond to "he wasn't injured"? I guess technically he was 'injured', but I thought it was obvious I meant a "game-effecting" injury. Which I don't believe it was.

Do you?

[z0sa]

If you didn't mean that, then why respond to "he wasn't injured"? I guess technically he was 'injured'

Thanks for playing.

[picc84]

Negasaurus Rex.

Wade has been a physical beast since before he even played in the league.

Wade 2006: 6'4, 212
Manu 2010: 6'6, 210

Same size, same style....one is a superstar every night, the other isn't.

Its not style, fam. Dude just can't keep up.

[z0sa]

Manu lost no aggressiveness, but the stats don't lie: following the injury in Game 3, his production plummeted.

He was clearly affected by the nose, for whatever reason. I blame breathing issues as well, among other things.

[picc84]

Manu lost no aggressiveness, but the stats don't lie: following the injury in Game 3, his production plummeted.

He was clearly affected by the nose, for whatever reason. I blame breathing issues as well, among other things.

So you are blaming the nose for his play.

Who did that? Be specific.

Spurs fan on some schizo .

[ElNono]

I actually think he played well. Even with his bad shooting he put up a couple of 27 point games in this series. The Suns basically blitzed and played hard hedges on him all series long, so he did what you do in those cases, pass to the open man. Unfortunately, the open man was most often or Bonner, and their clang-fest. We did a lot of that with Nash for stretches, but one of Frye, JRich or Grant Hill always made us pay.

[Leetonidas]

Wade 2006: 6'4, 212
Manu 2010: 6'6, 210

Same size, same style....one is a superstar every night, the other isn't.

Its not style, fam. Dude just can't keep up.

I love Ginobili but you're making a re ed argument. The fact that you're even trying to compare him to D-Wade shows what a beast he is. And yeah it totally was his nose, look at the stats. Before he broke his nose he was beasting, afterwards, not so much. For a player who takes a beating every night, a broken nose is going to affect his play because he can't just drive with reckless abandon all the time because if he gets hit in that nose, he's done.

And no, they're not the same size. Wade is two inches shorter, but two pounds heavier. He has a bigger build, 2 inches does make a decent difference, especially in professional sports.

[Muser]

Why is Laker fan saying Wade > Manu like it's a bad thing?

[z0sa]

So you are blaming the nose for his play.

Do you deny there is a major statistical dropoff following the injury?

Spurs fan on some schizo .

Maybe if you didn't ignore a major injury to someone's face, there wouldn't be a need to correct you.

[picc84]

Of course i'm comparing him to Dwade. Thats the point, at times he can look like the best player in the league, comparable to Wade. But time and time again, he reverts into playing like , while the other stars of the league remain consistent in their efforts for the most part.

This has been happening for a long time. You can't blame it ALL on injuries, guy. The fact of the matter is, Manu dropping off against the Suns is something that could be expected anyway. His nose only provides you with a convenient excuse for it.

No hate, he's one of my favorite players in the L. But this is what dissapoints me about him so much.

[j.dizzle]

Manu decided to play like Paul Pierce at the wrong time.

[picc84]

Who did that? Be specific.

He was clearly affected by the nose, for whatever reason. I blame breathing issues as well, among other things.

[ElNono]

Not even Tony got into the paint that much in this series. Which goes to tell you that you really need some shooters to spread the floor. We didn't have them, they did.