Buck Harvey: Mess with Manu? Force of nature
San Antonio Express-News
Chip Engelland rebuilt Tony Parker’s shooting stroke, and he’s made Fab Oberto and others serviceable. But the Spurs assistant coach should have first looked at Manu Ginobili.
The Spurs’ staff jokes about Ginobili’s form, after all. When he shoots free throws they paraphrase from the movie “JFK.”
Back and to the right. Back and to the right.
But Engelland hasn’t touched Ginobili because, he said, “Why mess with Manu?”
That’s the franchise stance. Gregg Popovich lets him loose without much detailed instruction because, well, why mess with Manu?
That’s the way it is with a force of nature.
Kobe Bryant seems to understand, since he’s one himself. They’ve been tied together before, such as last year when they met in midair. Then with Ginobili defending, Bryant leaped forward, flinging his right arm backward and finding Ginobili’s face. What followed was the most prominent black eye of El Contusión’s career, as well as a one-game suspension for Bryant.
Told Bryant would also lose about $162,000 in pay, Ginobili smiled and had one question. “Am I getting anything?”
There was some discussion at the time that Bryant did this intentionally. But Bryant apologized to Ginobili as soon as it happened, and there was reason to believe him. During the 2005 All-Star Game, after all, Bryant called Ginobili his favorite player to watch.
Bryant probably liked watching Ginobili last week in Los Angeles, too. Then Ginobili culminated a blown 20-point lead in Game 1 by missing badly on a last-second 3-pointer. He followed that with an equally drab Game 2.
Bryant, meanwhile, continued as a force of nature. At no point during those two games did anyone see a similarity between the two.
There isn’t much to compare in athletic ability; Ginobili has joked in the past. But there is an inner drive that is undeniable in both, and that will be evident again later. Then Argentina, the gold-medal winner in Athens, will play the United States.
But that’s the summer. Popovich was more concerned with this series, and after the first two games he decided to concentrate on his failed offense. Instead of showing tape on defense to his players, which he nearly always does, Popovich went the other way.
Maybe this had something to do with Tim Duncan having a 22-21 night and with Tony Parker adding 20 points.
But Ginobili? Popovich can count on the inner drive in Ginobili, but not much else. Ginobili can giveth and he can taketh, and the Spurs have no choice but to watch and see which one it is.
Ginobili had blamed himself for everything that had happened in Los Angeles, and he’s written on his Web site about how he reacts to these disappointments. Sleep is rarely part of it.
Then there was the sore ankle and disfigured finger on his shooting hand. Had this messed with Manu?
What followed was vintage Ginobili. He scored more points in the first half than he did in the two games in Los Angeles combined, as threes began to fall as if he had willed them in. One on Sasha Vujacic had Vujacic looking at the scoreboard to see what had happened.
Bryant’s expression afterward suggested he’d once again been highly entertained. “He hit a lot of big shots, he hit one shot that just made me laugh,” Bryant said. “It was right in Sasha’s face. It was just great defense.”
Bryant, with his own damaged finger, added yet another comparison. Ginobili did all of this, Bryant said, again smiling, “with a nasty looking fingernail. It’s disgusting.”
By the second half Ginobili said he started to feel better, and a few of his stretching drives indicated as much. With that the Spurs had gone from being routed to routing, and Ginobili and Bryant were the same on the stat sheet. An even 30 points for each.
The only thing they didn’t do together was guard each other, and that’s a switch Phil Jackson could make for Game 4. It would make sense, too. Maybe the only way to stop one force of nature, after all, is with another.
Man, that's going to be hard.There isn’t much to compare in athletic ability; Ginobili has joked in the past. But there is an inner drive that is undeniable in both, and that will be evident again later. Then Argentina, the gold-medal winner in Athens, will play the United States.
I like the parallels.
Manu and Kobe probably have that same compe ive fire/ killer instinct.
But Engelland hasn’t touched Ginobili because, he said, “Why mess with Manu?”that's pretty cool.
He has a strange looking shooting form, but alot of lefties shoot that way...not sure what they would change about it.
all I know is he shoots in front of his face, I think. But it's the kind of shot where you can tell when it's going in.
Buck makes a good point. Phil will probably make and adjustment for game 4, and putting Kobe on Manu might be it, if not in the beginning, maybe in the second half.
And part of the problem is that Pop puckers up every time Phil makes a move. Hope the Spurs will be ready for it.
Phil is going to look to prevent Manu from getting early buckets hoping that Manu stays cold, so I think he won't start with Radmanovic defending him at the very least.
The best what Phil is doing is little adjustments in the game. Some details, like positioning of the players, some changes in passing angels etc.
This minor changes does a big impact on whole game.
It surprising the other team and forcing them do change a gameplan a bit. That's why everybody says that Phils is alwaya ahead with adjustments.
Exactly. Kobe is a top defender when he focuses, and I'm sure he'll be focused against Ginobili. Ginobili needs to play smart and not force the issue. That's when the offense needs to go through Parker/Duncan.
Eh, I doubt PJax will put Kobe on Manu. I know the national media likes to pretend Kobe is the best perimeter defender God has ever given the game of basketball but the few times PJax has put him on TP or Manu in the past, Kobe has been embarrassed. That's part of the reason why he always guards Bowen. TP once put a hesitation move on Kobe that almost got Kobe arrested for indecency.
LJ, watch out! Laker fan is going to throw a full fledged fit at you for blasphemy.
Btw, I agree with you.
Thats the way I shoot, the ball in front of my face. Downside of it is it can easily be blocked by a closing out D. Manu's shot is like darts thrown, easier to shoot when you have your target lined up in your sight.
Kobe is a great defender, but Manu is so awkward looking at times and a very crafty player and a lefty, so he's very hard to defend. He might be able to draw fouls on Kobe.
I don't think Phil would put Kobe on him for long stretches unless they were in a crucial game situation.
Sasha is doing a good job. The Lakers just need to do a better job of contesting his shots. You live with the results if Manu is hitting contested buzzer-beating fadeaway 3's. You can't let him get open looks though, that is unacceptable.
Phil played with house money last night hoping Manu would have another off night.
SuperManu...
That hit was scary..SuperManu...
I've never actually witnessed this alleged "lockdown defense" he's so known for. I've never seen or heard of him shutting down the opposing teams best offensive threat.
You don't see him on lebron, Dirk, nash, or even Manu. I guess he's good at stopping the opposing teams best defensive stopper though...
With Manu going bezerk on L.A, I expected such a hit.
Of course, it happened.
It happens everytime Manu has a great game, because he frustrates his opponents so much
YEah, I want to know what Manu was telling Ronny Turiaf..
" Hijo de **** "
The only time I've seen Kobe's defense make a difference against the Spurs was when he locked up Terry Porter. But since then, his attempts to guard anyone not named Bowen have lasted about as long as it took for the Spurs to run an iso for the player he's guarding.
The only advantage Kobe may have on guarding Manu is Manu not being healthy..I remember whenever Kobe was put on Wade, Wade would already have gotten away from him cutting to the basket for the easy layup.
Kobe can bother and lock down people in spots, but not for 48 minutes. He has hard time keeping up with guards like TP, Wade, and Manu would probably be crafty enough to take Kobe one on one. Luckily Manu is showing signs of health again. Mentally at least. If Manu has a great game in game 4, maybe they'll try Kobe on Manu in game 5.
I remember that. It was Tony's rookie year, and right after the summer 2001 disaster. Phil but Kobe on Tony to try to rattle him. Tony crossed over Kobe and literally blew by him, then jammed on the brakes. I thought Kobe was going to leap frog him. Foul. I think Phil took him off Tony immediately.
If Phil wants some of that, go for it. Manu is very crafty, and has those awkward looking moves to get through traffic or for an up and under shot, and he's great at drawing fouls.
Which is why Phil's being coy about hiding Kobe on Bowen.
I'm sure we'll see Kobe one on one with Manu. thing is both Kobe and Manu gets steals a lot from each other.
it'll either be Kobe crossing over Manu, humiliating him...Manu blowing by Kobe for an And-1... Manu reading it right, blocking the out of Kobe's shot..Kobe forcing Manu into a turnover and steal...and Manu returning the favor three possessions later.
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