Monroe: A Washington lobby: Parker's convincing night

[duncan228]

They edited the headline to just: Parker's convincing night

A Washington lobby: Parker's convincing night
Mike Monroe

Before he could get on the AT&T Center floor for a head-to-head battle against Washington's Gilbert Arenas on Saturday, Spurs guard Tony Parker had to win a battle against his coach.

Convincing Gregg Popovich his sore left ankle was sound enough to allow him to play his All-NBA-caliber game was the more difficult fight.

“Like always,” Parker said, “he wanted me to rest for another two weeks. I was, like, ‘Too long.' After two games, I was already tired of being on the bench.”

Parker missed four of the previous five games with a sprained left ankle. His re-entry in the Spurs' starting lineup produced 17 points, eight assists and six rebounds.

“Tony surprised me,” Popovich said. “He had more athleticism on that ankle (than I expected). He said he was ready to go, and everybody else said he was ready. I didn't want to bring him back too early, but he had his quickness, and I thought he did a fine job out there.”

Heavenly days: Former Spurs center Fabricio Oberto was back in uniform for the Wizards for Saturday's game.

Popovich, for one, was delighted to see him.

“He's one of those guys you're around, and you know he's going to heaven, and you're going to ,” Popovich said. “I don't know what to say, aside from that. He's just a great human being; somebody everybody falls in love with. Everybody enjoys being around him. He's so kind to everybody, you just miss seeing him.”

What does Oberto miss most about the Spurs?

“I miss the chemistry, and the friends, like Manu (Ginobili),” Oberto said. “We're still in touch a lot. We call each other, but it's kind of hard. But this is a great experience, also, just trying to adapt myself to another team, trying to learn a new way to play. It's different.”

Oberto, who wore No. 7 in San Antonio, took No. 21 for his Wizards uniform, explaining it was an homage to his former Spurs teammate, Tim Duncan.

Tip your servers: Wizards coach Flip Saunders, incensed at a blocking foul called on Oberto in the second quarter, responded to a subsequent miss by Spurs center Theo Ratliff by yelling, “ball don't lie,” the sarcastic line made infamous by Rasheed Wallace, who Saunders coached with the Pistons.

Referee Derrick Stafford, who had made the call, turned to Saunders and retorted: “Hey, Flip, if you want to be a comedian, go ahead, because I can be funny, too.”

[Blackjack]

Welcome back, TP.

I really think him having to sit back and watch the team helped him a great deal. I remember hearing him comment coming into the season about how he was going to have to be more of a distributor and how his game was obviously going to change with all the added talent, but that's just not Tony.

Tony isn't the pure-point; and there's nothing wrong with that. What he does, he does as good or better than anyone in the league and if he's not doing it, he's a s of the player we've come to know and love.

I know most were attributing the slow start to the long summer, and I'm not denying it had it's part, but I think the mindset he had coming into the season and the tentativeness that it allowed to enter the equation had arguably just as big an effect.

Pop was surprised by the athleticism he showed right off the bat, as was I, but the confidence and purpose in which you play tends to allow you to perform at a higher level physically as well.

Whatever the case, it was nice to be reminded of the player that came into his own last year and hopefully it's a good harbinger of things to come..

[Dex]

Oberto, who wore No. 7 in San Antonio, took No. 21 for his Wizards uniform, explaining it was an homage to his former Spurs teammate, Tim Duncan.

That's pretty cool. I had noticed the jersey number and had my su ions, but wasn't really aware that was the reason he chose it.

[duncan228]

That's pretty cool. I had noticed the jersey number and had my su ions, but wasn't really aware that was the reason he chose it.

Oberto, when he was traded and chose the number:

"I chose number 21 because it's the day of my birthday but also in honor of Tim Duncan. He was the player I followed the most and after having him as a teammate, I value him much more"

[Chieflion]

He looked like he was back to full speed. Lets see next game if this holds up.

[HarlemHeat37]

What a difference it makes when Parker is playing like the actual #1 offensive option..everybody else falls into place, it makes things so easy on every level..

[Danny.Zhu]

Oberto, when he was traded and chose the number:

"I chose number 21 because it's the day of my birthday but also in honor of Tim Duncan. He was the player I followed the most and after having him as a teammate, I value him much more"

Cool.

[taps]

Oberto, who wore No. 7 in San Antonio, took No. 21 for his Wizards uniform, explaining it was an homage to his former Spurs teammate, Tim Duncan.

Wow, class move.

I remember when somebodyasked Fab last year about all the DNP's he was racking up his answer was, succinctly, "I'll do whatever it takes to help the team win." Can't help but think he is in some way glad that his trade at least went toward keeping this team in contention.

Pop's right, I feel like the biggest piece of compared to this guy. Thanks for sinking the dagger in our last Finals win.

[Bukefal]

Gotta love TP!!!

Nice to see Oberto actually playing sometime

[ElNono]

Tip your servers: Wizards coach Flip Saunders, incensed at a blocking foul called on Oberto in the second quarter, responded to a subsequent miss by Spurs center Theo Ratliff by yelling, “ball don't lie,” the sarcastic line made infamous by Rasheed Wallace, who Saunders coached with the Pistons.

Referee Derrick Stafford, who had made the call, turned to Saunders and retorted: “Hey, Flip, if you want to be a comedian, go ahead, because I can be funny, too.”

LOL @ this...

[Riverwalkman]

Flip Saunders is a mediocre coach, he can't teach defense. Any team who wants to waste time may hire him.

[Rummpd]

Flip Saunders = a legend in his own mind

[Riverwalkman]

Flip Saunders = a legend in his own mind

Wizards should fire him and hire Byron Scott.

Jamison, Butler, Arenas will play good as Kenyon Martin, Jefferson and Kidd.

[Interrohater]

Wizards should fire him and hire Byron Scott.

Jamison, Butler, Arenas will play good as Kenyon Martin, Jefferson and Kidd.

+1
Any team needing a good head coach would be wise to look into it.

[spursfan09]

I think with Tony's aggression early on and the confidence helped the rest of the team fall into place.

[YoMamaIsCallin]

Wizards should fire him and hire Byron Scott.

Jamison, Butler, Arenas will play good as Kenyon Martin, Jefferson and Kidd.

Byron Scott is vastly overrated. He had a multiple all-star team in New Jersey and couldn't even make a showing in the finals in two tries. He lost the team in New Orleans after doing a piss-poor coaching job in the playoffs multiple times.

[ffadicted]

We should trade him now that he's on top of his game and his value is high

right guise right right?

[boutons_deux]

The scary aspect of Tony's ankle injury was that it was again the left, and he did nothing more than plant it to push off to the right, and the ankle, weakened from repeated abuse?, just couldn't supply the rigidity, and rolled outwards.

[boutons_deux]

The dramatic surprise was Tim distributing so effectively (not his primary job), on top of Tony's assists. It looked like Tim was intentionally looking to pass rather than shoot or drive.

Getting everybody touches on offense gives them energy and motivation to participate in team defense.

[duncan228]

The dramatic surprise was Tim distributing so effectively (not his primary job), on top of Tony's assists. It looked like Tim was intentionally looking to pass rather than shoot or drive.

I think his passing is the most under-rated part of Duncan's game.

His comments on it last night.

On if he was trying to pass more - "No actually, I came out trying to shoot tonight and I found out that I couldn’t make a shot so I thought passing might work better for me."

On possibly playing point guard - "I’d love to – I have been trying to work that for the last 10 to 12 years and it hasn’t worked. I am going to continue to do what I do and hopefully every once in a while I can help guys make shots."

Post game interview:

http://www.nba.com/spurs/multimedia/091121_duncan.html