Parker has always been upfront and honest, good read
http://www.ouest-france.fr/sport/une...34165_actu.Htm
Rough translation:
Tony, you have been injured a lot this year, how are you?
I'm fine. The plantar fasciitis and the injury at the left knee belong to the past.
Because of these injuries, your season has been complicated...
Injuries are part of a sportsman's career. That's the way it is. I've played eight years without major injuries with long term consequences, so I'm fine with it. Now, I'm back in good shape for the playoff. It's the most important.
How are the Spurs?
Fine. The team has had a lot of ups and down this year. We've struggled to find a good rhythm and that's why we end up at the 7th seed. We've played better for few weeks. I have a very positive feeling. We enter in the playoffs with confidence.
What are your odds against Dallas?
They have HCA but we have a lot of experience and we are back at our best level. It will be an interesting matchup.
Is the team ready chemistry wise?
Yes, we play well. We have lately won against some big teams like Denver or the Lakers after having been criticized the whole season. These critics were deserved because we weren't at our usual spot. When you are San Antonio, people expect that we end up 1st, 2nd or 3rd. But when we draw conclusions, it's still a good season. After all, we end the season with 50 wins.
Will you start against Dallas?
No. Pop want that I come from the bench. I will play the role of X-Factor but I will have the same playing time as others. Manu will start. He is playing great and is back at an all star level. It's logical that the coach continue to let him in the starting lineup. The team will play around him.
During the last game of the RS, SA lost against Dallas without really playing and without Duncan and Ginobili. Has Pop done it on purpose to face Dallas during the playoffs?
No, Pop only wanted to give some rest to Tim and Manu. We have very little chances to play someone else than Dallas in the first round. And we don't care who we will face in the first round. To play against Dallas, Denver or Utah in the first round change nothing.
Your contract will end next year. How do you see your future?
I don't really think about it for the moment. What I can say is that I've have no talk about it with Spurs' FO for the moment. We will see in July. Maybe they will want to give me an extension.
Like they recently did with Ginobili?
It's a very good news for the team. It's logical that Manu end his career in SA. He deserved it.
Will you play the WC with FNT this summer?
I don't know but it's clear I want to play with FNT. We will see Spurs' result during the playoffs but I still think about FNT.
Parker has always been upfront and honest, good read
Thanks, Bruno.
This part is interesting.
If Hill can't go on Sunday, will Pop actually start Temple to keep Tony in the X-factor role? He's a better choice than starting Mason, but starting such an inexperienced player would be unusual.
And you can see how Parker hate Manu in this interview.![]()
He's too nice with Manu, something's fishy
OK, maybe he likes manu but he's still a diva who would refuse to come from the bench. wait.....
Last edited by kace; 04-15-2010 at 03:27 PM.
TP will have a great series against Dallas, book it.
Sounds like Tony's blaming Manu for not getting 1-3 seed
This make me feel very confident. Right now I think everything is just mental. Our guys have to believe and with that statement from Tony I feel very good.
Where all the TP haters and their stupid B/S regarding the so called TP's ego ?
Come on guys come and post here to state once again that TP will never accept playing off the bench cauz he has a huge ego !
Love the honesty of Parker in all of his interviews.
I really believe this series will bring the best of him this year.
Excellent interview, excellent answers. Love the idea of tony off the bench, even without hill
They won't.
Most of those posts were in two parts:
1. Tony's ego won't allow him to accept a bench role.
2. Pop won't have the courage to do what's best for the team.
Usually stated with great certainty. Don't expect them to show up when evidence to the contrary is clear for all to see.
Nice interview. Gotta love how TP talks in interviews, as some other said, he is just to the point and honest. As for TP coming of the bench, hmm, I thought he would be a starter asap. We'll see how it works out.
Thanks for the translation Bruno!!![]()
I think he will end up playing as a starter at the end of our playoffs run, whenever that may be.
It could be but it seems pretty clear that it would be a Pop decision and TP doesn't care.
I love this team really.
Thanks, Bruno.
Definitely an interesting point Mel brings up . . .
The whole point of Tony coming off the bench is to keep continuity and maintain the all so elusive chemistry they've finally been able to find, so starting Tony for Game 1 would seem counterintuitive; their one break in the series (2 days) happens between Games 1 and 2 and sitting Hill for the first game would probably be wise (depending on the severity).
But could they really go with Temple; Pop would be the guy to do it . . .
I don't like the idea.
I'm not sure Pop will use TP off the bench if Hill is sidelined for the game but it seems pretty clear that the team and Pop want to maintain the chemistry they obtained recently and give the more touches possible to Manu and I'm perfectly fine with that tbh.
Wow the best thing Ive ever heard from Parker, the team will play around Manu. That made my day. I honestly think the Spurs and Coaches really know what they are doing this time around. Way to take one for the team Parker.Manu will start. He is playing great and is back at an all star level. It's logical that the coach continue to let him in the starting lineup. The team will play around him.
I understand why you are so happy.
This team now has 2 X-Factors. That's more than other teams and for the Spurs, since Guard play is such a strength, they can attack in waves.
Seeing Temple start would be crazy.
Parker hoping to compete in worlds
San Antonio Spurs' guard Tony Parker said Thursday he was hopeful of competing for France in the world basketball championships in Turkey this summer.
"For the moment, in my head, I'm going to play. We have to see first how far we go with the Spurs, what we're going to do in the play-offs," said Parker, as he prepares with his side for the NBA play-offs in Dallas on Sunday.
Parker has competed in all major tournaments with France since 2005, despite the fact that Spurs were unhappy with the time this kept him away from the NBA team.
The fact that Parker has had a lot of injuries this season - ankle, hip, foot and hand - had led to speculation as to whether the France captain would compete in the worlds.
Parker, whose contract with the Spurs concludes at the end of next season, added that he will start on the bench against Dallas on Sunday.
Meanwhile, rookie Dallas guard Rodrigue Beaubois, who will meet compatriot Parker in the first round of the play-offs, insisted the France team was his "objective" but without knowing if his club would free him for worlds.
"We haven't talked about it yet. We'll do that when it's time to make a decision. I don't know what the answer will be, we'll see," said Beaubois.
Other French NBA players like Nicolas Batum (Portland), Ronny Turiaf (Golden State) or Joakim Noah (Chicago) have also left their participation open.
Charlotte forward Boris Diaw is the only French NBA player certain to compete, while the others await to see how their teams fare in the play-offs.
France, fifth at the 2006 world championships in Japan, are in the same group as Spain, Lithuania, Canada, New Zealand and Lebanon for the world championships from August 28 to September 12.
There are currently 1 users browsing this thread. (0 members and 1 guests)