Why is Tony Parker getting a pass?

[Skull-1]

That's not what I saw in game 6. The Spurs had a 10 point lead entering the 4th quarter until Pop decided to bench Tony TD and Kawhi, where the lead was subsequently erased in minutes. The Spurs were playing catch-up until Parker's step-back 3 and subsequent score to take the lead within the final minute. Call it luck or whatever but the Spurs shouldn't have relinquished the lead once Parker put them ahead with 57 seconds left.

It's madness to proclaim his drop in production can be possibly the biggest reason they didn't win. He was slowed down significantly after the hamstring pull in game 3. And he had LeBron draped all over him for significant parts of the series. They were in position to win the le - they should have won the le.

It's not like if the Spurs won people would say they won 'in spite of Parker'. That's definitely the case for Manu though - if he did literally anything right that game, they probably win. Even with Manu's horror show, they still should've won. It took the biggest comedy of errors in NBA Finals history to reverse that.

My ten-year old daughter was yelling at Pop not to put in Manu. She was right. As soon as that washed up fool went in and the Real Big Three (Duncan, Parker, Leonard) went out, the lead was gone.... Sickening.

[Skull-1]

All Manu had to do for us to win was change one stat in a positive direction by one number.

Instead of 9 points and 8 turnovers...Spurs lose.

10 points and 8 turnovers...Spurs win!

Or

9 points and 7 turnovers....Spurs win!





I am aghast at that stat line and I saw it live. WTF?

[Skull-1]

Double dribble. Travel. Should not count.

[Skull-1]

Parker had the entire defense keyed on him and he still went ape a few times, he had LeBron ing James, one of the best perimeter defensive players, on him most of the time and he was playing with a calf injury. gtfo with this , as far as on the court Manu was the worst player in the Finals

This. I have always been a Manu fan and really not big on Parker (except when the Kidd trade idea came up early on--Tony way better and I knew it then) but this is a severe truth bomb. Well aimed, sir.

[Skull-1]

Parker at least showed up and didn't shoot us in the foot like Ginobili did. 45 assists/15 turnovers. 3/1 ratio is excellent, especially for a dude playing on a bad hammy. Ginobili: 12 turnovers in last 2 games alone and barely half the total assists for the series. Not to mention less points on a crappier FG% and barely showing up in the first 4 games, having one good game, then ting the bed the game after to us.

It'd be dumb to fault Parker when he was good throughout the playoffs and was the only reliable perimeter playmaker on our entire team in the Finals. Dude had to carry a huge responsbility because everyone else was killing us when they handled the ball. Despite that, 3/1 assist/turnover ratio. People don't blame the guy 'cause he was good.

A-f...ing-men!

[Skull-1]

Pop could go the John Kundla route and no one would remember him that well.

So true.

Dang there is a mafia in here of smart MFs (TGY, Kidd k, hater, real truth, gold standard, Sean Cagney, etc.)

[Skull-1]

People keep reminding that TP was hurt.
I honestly don't get how a certain select few want to place the blame on just a few individuals when it has been clearly shown that it was a combination of screw ups by the whole team!

you disappoint me, bro. You have character enough to admit you're wrong but you still clings to this blind loyalty thing.......


Manu was the deciding factor. , just dribble the ball for a shot clock violation once instead of a TO and we win Game Six.....

[Obstructed_View]

KBL looking like KBP. Bads.

[cd021]

Nope Im not one of these NASF. I seen this team win les. Anything short of that is a failure.

Make the playoffs. Win the last game you play. That's all I ask.

Don't care about the regular season anymore. Parker always chokes in the playoffs. Been like this since 01. And stealing TIm's 4th finals MVP sealed it for me.

Parker didn't steal the Finals MVP from Duncan in 07' Parker outplayed him.

In the past 6 seasons (since we last won 07)Parker has averaged 19pts, 5.2 asts, and 46% FG in 72 games for a 41-31 record (.570)

07-08-Lost game 1 at L.A with Duncan having a triple-double and a 15 point second half lead. Lost game 4 because of a non call on Brent Barry who was fouled attempting a 3 pointer. Lost to Lakers in 5 games.

08-09-Manu missed postseason. Parker average 28.4 ppg, 5 asts, and 54%FG. After Parker and Duncan our 3rd best player was Roger Mason Jr. We lost to Dallas in 5 games.

09-10-Missed key stretch of second half of season, Manu and Duncan helped us make it in as the 7th seed. Parker helped us upset the Mavs before we were swept by the Suns. The biggest issue was our lack of spacing. Phoenix could double Parker, Manu and even Duncan because RJ couldn't hit corner 3's. He has to take 17 footers (which he still missed).

10-11-Parker and Manu were co-scoring leaders heading into the 1st round. Playing against a younger, more athletic, longer defensive team. They upset us in 6 games. Parker still managed 19.7 ppg, with Conley and Allen hounding him.

11-12-Lead team in scoring and assists in en route to first WCF in 4 years. Lost in part becaue of lack of scoring at 2 guard, allowed Brooks to switch Westbrook on Green and move Thabo Sefolosha on Parker. Coupled with excellent p&R defense by Collision, Ibaka, and even Perkins. Parker was tasked with leading the Spurs over a more talented team. He came up short but 3 of our 4 losses were close games.

12-13- Had the best post season of his career (in my opinion) leading us to the Finals hit essentially the game winner in game 1, exploded in game 5 for 26pts, and came up clutch in game 6. Struggled in game 7 with hamstring injury.

I think I debunked your theory that Parker doesn't show in the post season.

[Agloco]

Any one of those 6 things don't happen, we are hoisting a banner and having parades. Get some perspective please. If all of those situations were 50/50 situations, it would make it a 1.55% chance the Heat win that game. We lost. It was heartbreaking and extremely unfortunate that it happened. But don't blame a front office that put a team together with a 98.45% chance of winning the NBA Finals for not winning the championship.

This tbh.

There's an amazing lack of perspective in these parts.

[xmas1997]

you disappoint me, bro. You have character enough to admit you're wrong but you still clings to this blind loyalty thing.......


Manu was the deciding factor. , just dribble the ball for a shot clock violation once instead of a TO and we win Game Six.....

Actually if you read the Steve Nash interview on this forum you will better understand my point of view and why I say that the most reasonable assessment of the events places the blame on the whole team regardless of whether you are keeping score of particular mistakes.
In any case it is over now and done with, and pointless IMHO to keep belaboring the issue, time to move on and look to the coming season.

[kobyz]

yes he did shoot the game winner. but in my opinion and analysis we beat the Warriors even if we lost game 1.

And moreover Manu played like crap that game, was worst player on the floor...

[xmas1997]

And moreover Manu played like crap that game, was worst player on the floor...

So what? What can you do about it except whine about it over and over again? It still won't change the outcome.
Time to move on and focus on the upcoming season! The last one is ancient history now and there is nothing you or antone else can do to change it, period!

[kobyz]

So what? What can you do about it except whine about it over and over again? It still won't change the outcome.
Time to move on and focus on the upcoming season! The last one is ancient history now and there is nothing you or antone else can do to change it, period!

Ahh ahh, But Manu ruined also the upcoming season with the money he took...

[xmas1997]

Ahh ahh, But Manu ruined also the upcoming season with the money he took...

Pure BS.

[resistanze]

I agree with you, Pop was a dumb in games 6 and 7 and Manu was the Heat's best player on game 6 but still he played more or less on the same level he played all season long and during the other playoffs series (11.5 ppg, 38% shooting during the first three rounds and 11.6 ppg on 43% shooting during the finals with all the other stats being about the same, yep including the TO's).

Yeah, the Spurs would have probably won if Pop would have kept his head out of his ass or if Manu would have done anything positive on game 6 but they would have also won if Parker had played anything close to the level he played at all season long during the finals. Pop, Manu and Tony are the three biggest reasons for the Spurs not winning the championship but only Pop and Manu are the ones getting the blame.

Or, if Danny Green could make a 3 pointer any time in games 6 or 7, if we're going that route.

But I don't see how Parker playing better could've significantly altered the series. I mean, was there a chance for the Spurs to win in 5 games? I doubt it. Their chance in this series was probably always going to be in game 6, and as we agreed, they should've won it. Bottom line is that's it's Parker who had the full attention of the Heat's best defender, not Manu or anyone else. Being hobbled, he still put them in a position to win the le in game 6, and didn't even turn the ball over. He wasn't at his best but he's probably at best the 6th highest reason they lost the le. He's nowhere near as culpable as Pop (biggest reason by far) or Manu (should've been benched, not his fault after a certain point).

[ElNono]

Or, if Danny Green could make a 3 pointer any time in games 6 or 7, if we're going that route.

But I don't see how Parker playing better could've significantly altered the series. I mean, was there a chance for the Spurs to win in 5 games? I doubt it. Their chance in this series was probably always going to be in game 6, and as we agreed, they should've won it. Bottom line is that's it's Parker who had the full attention of the Heat's best defender, not Manu or anyone else. Being hobbled, he still put them in a position to win the le in game 6, and didn't even turn the ball over. He wasn't at his best but he's probably at best the 6th highest reason they lost the le. He's nowhere near as culpable as Pop (biggest reason by far) or Manu (should've been benched, not his fault after a certain point).

We were good enough to win it, errors and all. We just didn't get a couple of bounces to go our way on a fairly even matchup. Not the first time it happened to us, and probably not the last. The blame game is silly, IMO, because errors happen all the time, on every game. I'm completely sure Pop and the players tried to coach/play as best as possible to win, and that's all you can ask.

[DAF86]

Or, if Danny Green could make a 3 pointer any time in games 6 or 7, if we're going that route.

But I don't see how Parker playing better could've significantly altered the series. I mean, was there a chance for the Spurs to win in 5 games? I doubt it. Their chance in this series was probably always going to be in game 6, and as we agreed, they should've won it. Bottom line is that's it's Parker who had the full attention of the Heat's best defender, not Manu or anyone else. Being hobbled, he still put them in a position to win the le in game 6, and didn't even turn the ball over. He wasn't at his best but he's probably at best the 6th highest reason they lost the le. He's nowhere near as culpable as Pop (biggest reason by far) or Manu (should've been benched, not his fault after a certain point).

6th highest reason? Which were the other 5 excluding Pop and Manu?

I think you're giving your first impression way too much credit on the analysis of the series. I'm sure that if I hadn't gave you the stats you would have thought that Parker averaged 20 ppg or something like that.

Spurs were way too close of winning the championship, a lot of things could have made that happen. The team making one more FT on game 6, grabbing a rebound at the end, Lebron or Allen missing one of their shots, Green maintaining his three point shooting, Splitter playing better, etc. but the three biggest aspects are Pop, Manu and Tony. Parker was the best player of the team all season long, the team went as he went, if the Spurs were pretty damn close to winning it all with him scoring 15 ppg on 41% shooting I think it's fair to say that they would have won it all if he had played more or less at the level he played all season long and for most of the playoffs.

And BTW, why does everybody seem to leave game 7 out of the equation, that was a 2 pts game with 42 seconds to go?

[look_at_g_shred]

Game 1

[resistanze]

6th highest reason? Which were the other 5 excluding Pop and Manu?

I think you're giving your first impression way too much credit on the analysis of the series. I'm sure that if I hadn't gave you the stats you would have thought that Parker averaged 20 ppg or something like that.

Spurs were way too close of winning the championship, a lot of things could have made that happen. The team making one more FT on game 6, grabbing a rebound at the end, Lebron or Allen missing one of their shots, Green maintaining his three point shooting, Splitter playing better, etc. but the three biggest aspects are Pop, Manu and Tony. Parker was the best player of the team all season long, the team went as he went, if the Spurs were pretty damn close to winning it all with him scoring 15 ppg on 41% shooting I think it's fair to say that they would have won it all if he had played more or less at the level he played all season long and for most of the playoffs.

And BTW, why does everybody seem to leave game 7 out of the equation, that was a 2 pts game with 42 seconds to go?

Not at all. I think you're trying to ignore the fact he was playing injured for most of the series because either you don't want to believe it or you don't want to 'let him off the hook' so to speak. But it was clear in watching his lack of explosion throughout the series and his over-passiveness that he was gimpy. Also when you're the primary focus of the best perimeter defender in the series (and top 3 in the league), I wasn't expecting him to produce superstar numbers - Lebron was horrendous by his standards for 75% of the finals, but he also the entire ficus of the Spurs defensive gameplan. Timmy was either single covered or hit with soft double teams the entire series - they were fine with him trying to beat the Heat. Again, unless you think the Spurs were gonna win in a sweep or 5 games then I'm not sure what else TP could've done to alter the series that he didn't do by the end of game 6.

And TD was the best player on that team the whole season. He was the defensive anchor and probably the true DPOY, while experiencing a revival on the offensive end. But I know the point you were making anyways.

[DAF86]

Not at all. I think you're trying to ignore the fact he was playing injured for most of the series because either you don't want to believe it or you don't want to 'let him off the hook' so to speak. But it was clear in watching his lack of explosion throughout the series and his over-passiveness that he was gimpy.

Supossedly he was injured since the Golden State series and that didn't prevent him from performing pretty well on that series and the next one, against the best defense on the league. Maybe he got even more injured I don't know but that's not the point. The point is that if Parker would have produced at his usual level the Spurs would have won the series.

Also when you're the primary focus of the best perimeter defender in the series (and top 3 in the league), I wasn't expecting him to produce superstar numbers - Lebron was horrendous by his standards for 75% of the finals, but he also the entire ficus of the Spurs defensive gameplan. Timmy was either single covered or hit with soft double teams the entire series - they were fine with him trying to beat the Heat.

Well, that's also why I hated that hero ball stint Parker had at the end of the game (mainly at the end of the 3rd quarter when the Spurs had all the momentum in the World). If you're injured and against the best perimeter defense in the league, why do you keep forcing up? Keep doing what got us there, moving the ball, finding the open shooter, feeding Timmy on the post, etc. Would have been nice to give Leonard the ball on the post a bit more too.

Again, unless you think the Spurs were gonna win in a sweep or 5 games then I'm not sure what else TP could've done to alter the series that he didn't do by the end of game 6.

What did Parker do at the end of game 6? Hit 3 out of 11 shots? Yeah, he hit two HUGE back to back baskets (including a flukey three with the clock winding down after 23 seconds of needless dribbling) that should have been enough to win it but that doesn't mean he played well at the end of the game, maybe if the Spurs would have kept doing what they were doing we wouldn't have needed hero ball.

And TD was the best player on that team the whole season. He was the defensive anchor and probably the true DPOY, while experiencing a revival on the offensive end. But I know the point you were making anyways.

That's arguable, either way the point stands. If Parker would have played more or less at the level he played all season long the Spurs would have won.

[Brazil]

stop blaming Manu Blame Parker also normally it's always TP's fault and Manu is gold no matter what

[DAF86]

.

That's funny 'cause that's what you're doing

lol "stop blaming individuals"
lol I already ted long and hard on Manu
lol Parker ted the bed and you know it

Just deal with it like I did with Manu, I still like them both and Pop. But they ed up, happens.

[Brazil]

That's funny 'cause that's what you're doing

lol "stop blaming individuals"
lol I already ted long and hard on Manu
lol Parker ted the bed and you know it

Just deal with it like I did with Manu, I still like them both and Pop. But they ed up, happens.

If you have a look I didn't blame any individuals for this loss. You all are playing the guilty game, I don't.

Just deal with the fact that the team lost.

[DAF86]

If you have a look I didn't blame any individuals for this loss. You all are playing the guilty game, I don't.

Just deal with the fact that the team lost.

Yeah, I know and good for you but I do play the blaming game and Pop, Manu and Tony deserve it, tbh.