Now, I realize it's pretty early on in the season to be talking about a team from a historical perspective, especially in the NBA where people always tend to forget what happened 3 years ago (for instance, a lot of people don't remember just how much of a BEAST Tracy McGrady was circa 2002. Go look up his stats and then pick your jaw up off the floor). But I digress. The Spurs aren't even halfway into the season, but I'm already having to clean my glasses off to make sure they aren't homer-fogged yet.
I have to honestly say that this is one of the best backcourts I've ever seen in the NBA. Yes, Neal and Anderson are completely unproven players. However, Manu, Parker, and Hill have all stood in the forge. They're tested. Who saw Hill as a legitimate Kobe-defender when he first came to San Antonio? I know we bandied the hype last year about how long he is on defense, but this is a legit 6th man of the year candidate... he probably won't get it due to less than mind-blowing stats, but even so...
I honestly have to fumble around for a while to remember a team that was so loaded at the guard position. The Bulls team obviously, because they had Jordan and he was more than enough made them formidable by his lonesome. But I think back... the Lakers are out, because they have no one at PG (and haven't for a while). The Pistons were pretty awesome, but who would take Rip and Chauncey over Parker and Manu? Ray Ray came to the Celtics past his prime, and is aging now that Rondo has come into his.
Think back. If the backcourt continues to play like this, don't they deserve some recognition?
Even with limited games as a sample size, James Anderson gives the Spurs FIVE guards who average more than 7 points per game. Hill, Parker, and Manu average 11+ a game, and the 3 combined shoot around 48% from the field, including threes. They combine to average 14 assists per game with only 6 turnovers, despite being the creation for most of the offense. And they're doing this in around 31 minutes per game average.
In a guard dominated league, doesn't this make a kind of sense? The Spurs have arguably (or perhaps not) the best backcourt in the NBA right now, and the best record.
What backcourts in the past stick out in your mind, and how do they compare to Parker, Manu, Hill, Neal, and soon to be Anderson?
Isiah Thomas and Joe Dumars
Kevin Johnson and Jeff Hornacek
Stockton and Hornacek (again)
Maurice Cheeks and Doug Collins
Clyde Drexler and Terry Porter
Derek Harper and Rolando Blackman
Earl Monroe and Walt Frazier
Honorable mention:
Johny Dawkins and Hawkins
Gary Payton and Hawkins
Derek Harper and John Starks in 1994
Rod Strickland and Willie Anderson were nice for a second. Oh yea don't forget Vince Carter and Jason Kidd with the Nets
Pretty hard to top Frazier/Monroe or Thomas/Dumars.
Norm Van Lier and Jerry Sloan for the 70s Bulls are a forgotten good paring.
Tim Hardaway and Mitch Richmond were paired for a couple of years.
George Gervin and James Silas
Ice / Silas
Magic / Byron Scott
Ony in fast break situations or when Scott was open for a 3
Magic was like 95% of that backcourt
Magic was a PG if I recall correctly. That gang was pretty formidable.
Yes he was, but if you look at the other backourts mentioned in this thread, the Lakers one is the only one featuring a scrub
the thing that we are forgetting is Cry Havoc isn't just talking about starters but the bench guys also
Jerry West and Gail Goodrich.
Heres something for older Spurs fans. Johnny Moore/Alvin Robertson. This backcourt was a "could of been great backcourt", but because of Johnny Moore getting that strange disease "desertfever" , he never was the same player after becoming sick. Great backcourt for alittle while anyway. Moore could score and run the fast break, and Robertson was a great defender, very athletic. Moore and Robertson could of been one of best backcourts in the 80's, if not for Moore's strange illness.
True, true
Then the Pacers had a great backourt in 95
Jackson, Miller
Scott and Workman off the bench
I'm not saying that Byron Scott was a Hall of Famer or anything, but the guy did lead the Lakers in scoring on a championship team while shooting 53% from the field. I don't care how many layups or open threes he got, that is producing.
Tony and Manu.
, aside from Isiah n Dumars maybe, this is def one of the best if the not the best all time backcourts.
Honorable mention to chauncey n Rip as well...
Tony and Manu definitely belong in the discussion.
Frazier/Monroe
Thomas/Dumars
West/Goodrich
Magic/Scott Magic/Nixon
Jordan/whoever played next to him
Yeah, he did his job very well, I agree
Jason Kidd + Dirk Nowitzki
Parker, Ginobili, Hill and Neal are fantastic, no doubt.
Bob Cousy, Sam Jones, KC Jones, an old Frank Ramsey and a young Hondo Havlicek as a swing 2/3!
Walt Frazier, Barnett, Mike Riordan and Bill Bradley as a swing 2/3..then in the early 1970s add Earl "the Pearl" Monroe and Dean "the Dream" Meminger. Now that was a backcourt!
Jerry West, Gail Goodrich, Archie Clark and Walt Hazzard were very good.
Isaiah Thomas, Joe Dumars, Vinnie Johnson and Mark Aguirre as a swing 2/3.
As far as depth goes, Tony, Manu, Neal, and Anderson are definitely in the conversation, especially when considering such depth.
Zeke, Dumars, and the Microwave were pretty awesome.
Kidd, VC were, too, but there's no depth there.
Really not much depth with Magic and the Fakers.
BJ/Paxson/Kerr and Jordan.... meh. Not athletic enough to stop Tony/Manu/Hill.
dunno why u calling out tmac as a comparison when he was obviously a one man team in orlando, and the way he lighted up the scoresheet was very fluidly...
imo him prime, the way he played was more entertaining then kobe, wade and lebron...
People may laugh, but TMac in his prime, and healthy, could put up points without breaking a sweat. The guy was smooth as silk.
Us Spurs fans should know how fast TMac could put up points.
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