McDonald: Parker: I might not play this summer

[lurker23]

It'll be interesting to see if the new CBA influences how the Spurs approach TP's extension talks. Without any comment whatsoever on my part about Parker or his importance to his team, the Spurs might be reluctant to give him another 5 years starting in 2011-12, considering that's the same year player salaries are slated to decrease significantly.

[mathbzh]

At least when Manu was playing for Argentina, they were a contender. It was hard for anybody to argue with him playing when he came home with the gold, or when he went back to defend it.

Parker is pissing away his Spurs career over a French National Team that will probably not even qualify, and will get quickly swept aside even if they do.

France is obviously not a contender (I don't see them beating USA or Spain).
But they lost only one game (Spain) last year.
If you add Noah and Pietrus and with the kids (Batum, De Colo, Traoré, Diot and maybe Mahinmi or Beaubois) getting better with experience, this team could be good.

[Brazil]

Actually it had one guy incorrectly stating that Parker couldn't pass who was immediately corrected. Stop whining about it and it'll die the death it should have five posts ago.

touché

[Dex]

France is obviously not a contender (I don't see them beating USA or Spain).
But they lost only one game (Spain) last year.
If you add Noah and Pietrus and with the kids (Batum, De Colo, Traoré, Diot and maybe Mahinmi or Beaubois) getting better with experience, this team could be good.

I'm not saying the French team is terrible; they've got more talent than ever.

Still, until they can prove otherwise, they are still a tier behind the elite FIBA teams like USA, Spain, or Argentina. France might have an exciting run in them, but I'd be utterly amazed at anything more than that.

[DesignatedT]

he better not play.

[baseline bum]

I hope not. I really don't want the Spurs to be forced to trade Tony, but the ball is in his court this summer.

[Obstructed_View]

I hope not. I really don't want the Spurs to be forced to trade Tony, but the ball is in his court this summer.

Agreed. This was the season the Spurs went deep into their pocketbooks because Parker wanted more talent, and he hasn't taken care of his end of the bargain.

[Biernutz]

Tony said he might not play summer ball after a injury filled NBA season.
Coming up on a contract year?
Note* to Tony --see Manu's new contract...............

[Chieflion]

So he is just saying there is still a chance he might play this summer. He should scratch that idea totally out of his head.

[bigfan]

Its about time he smells the coffee.

[RuffnReadyOzStyle]

It better affect his decision.

We'll see what his priorities are. If he concentrates on the Spurs, I'd be for the Spurs extending his contract. If his priorities aren't on the NBA, trade him at some point next season and start the rebuilding process.

Yup, although I would have started the rebuilding process at the deadline by grabbing Thomas and starting to play Hairston and Mahinmi regular minutes.

[Bruno]

You see it seems like Tony is flip flopping this. I talked to sources close to Tony at the start of the season and it sounded like a done deal that he was not going to play this summer. Now I don't know. I'm still siding with my source that he won't play, but you never know when it comes to the French.

No offense Bruno.

I have no problem with Parker deciding not to play this summer.

[Spursmania]

We'll see what he ultimately decides. I still think there's a good chance he plays this Summer, but I hope he doesn't.

[ElNono]

I hope Ian doesn't play either. He's logging a lot of minutes as it is, and we need him fresh for next season.

[timaios]

I have no problem with Parker deciding not to play this summer.

I think it will depend of the other french players.
IF all the best french players are agree to play together for the first time, (Noah + Batum + Pietrus + Diaw etc...) and IF Parker is healthy, I am 100% sure he will play the 2010 FIBA World Championship.
But Batum & Noah, because of their injuries this year, will have some problems to convince their clubs to play this summer.
And if Parker doesn't play, i think Diaw & Pietrus will not play either.

At the end, we will have a "B" team in the 2010 FIBA World Championship... And USA and Spain will play with all their best players as usual.

[timaios]

Haha I meant the part about "you never know with the French."

So Brett Favre is french.

[scottspurs]

Please don't play Parker. If he plays he will get hurt and have another crappy season for the spurs and it could be goodbye to Parker after next season.

[lurker23]

So Brett Favre is french.

"Favre was born in Gulfport, Mississippi, and raised in the small town of Kiln. He is of French and Choctaw ancestry"

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brett_Favre

[Brazil]

"Favre was born in Gulfport, Mississippi, and raised in the small town of Kiln. He is of French and Choctaw ancestry"

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brett_Favre

[timaios]

"Favre was born in Gulfport, Mississippi, and raised in the small town of Kiln. He is of French and Choctaw ancestry"

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brett_Favre

Continue to think that way and you will realize that all americans are french !

[ducks]

At least when Manu was playing for Argentina, they were a contender. It was hard for anybody to argue with him playing when he came home with the gold, or when he went back to defend it.

Parker is pissing away his Spurs career over a French National Team that will probably not even qualify, and will get quickly swept aside even if they do.

so if france had a chance to win it all
it would ok for you any how

it would not be for me

[TIMMYD!]

I hope Ian doesn't play either. He's logging a lot of minutes as it is, and we need him fresh for next season.

Yeah, we don't want him worn out for next season.

[ElNono]

Yeah, we don't want him worn out for next season.

I guess the joke was pretty lame. You're the first to pick up on it.

[duncan228]

Column for Thursday.

Spurs' Parker might not play for France
Jeff McDonald

So far this season, Spurs guard Tony Parker has missed games with sprains to both his ankles, plantar fasciitis in his left foot, a strained hip muscle and food poisoning.

He chooses to look at the bright side of all this.

“I think I've already had everything,” Parker said. “The percentages have to be with me now.”

Given his season-long bout with seemingly every page in the New England Journal of Medicine, Parker is beginning to think maybe he shouldn't press his luck this summer.

Parker said Wednesday he hasn't yet ruled out playing for France in the FIBA World Championships in August, but for the first time strongly hinted he is considering skipping them.

“I think it's finally catching up with me a little bit,” said Parker, who played with France at Eurobasket last September. “What it tells me is I'm going to have to make decisions about my priorities. At the end of the season, I'm definitely going to sit down and look at what happened this year and make sure it doesn't happen again.”

That news should be well received by coach Gregg Popovich, who Parker says has already counseled him to spend the summer relaxing on a beach somewhere.

After a 2008-09 season that saw Parker set career highs in scoring (22 points per game) and assists (6.9 per game), make his third All-Star team and earn his first All-NBA honors, his production has slipped this season. He is averaging 16.6 points and shooting 48.7 percent, his lowest numbers since 2004-05.

Parker says his determination to return to an All-Star level will weigh heavily on how he decides to spend his summer.

“It's definitely going to affect my decision,” said Parker, who turns 28 in May. “I still want to play (this summer), because I still want to go to the Olympics (in 2012). But after 30, it would be tough.”

No soup for you: Parker says he's discovered the culprit for the bout of food poisoning that kept him out of Friday's loss at Houston — a bad bowl of tortilla soup he had the night before.

That delicacy now joins crème brulée, the French dessert responsible for keeping him out of Game 6 of the 2003 Western Conference finals, on Parker's “do not eat” list.

“I'm only going to eat Eva's tortilla soup,” Parker said, referring to his wife, Eva Longoria Parker.

Injury update: Antonio McDyess (sore left knee) and Keith Bogans (dislocated left ring finger) participated in non-contact portions of practice Wednesday and remain on target to play Friday against New Orleans.

[spursfan09]

Please Tony don't play.