Spurs: Tony Parker appreciation thread

[DMC]

God forbid you give the Spurs any credit. Put an asterik next to any sucess they've ever had. And the only reason the lakers rebuild so quick is because they are the golden child of the nba. Look no further than the gaysol trade the last time they sucked.

You're likely having a hyperglycemic, donut sugar induced psychotic episode brought about by your body's overproduction of insulin and the fat surrounding your heart and clogging your arteries making it even more dangerous for your well being. You should lie down and drink water. No doubt you're experiencing poly ia as a result, causing a snowballing effect as you force more and more of these creamy donuts down your gullet.

[Perry Mason]

This is actually a decent take. Spurs are still playing the rare instance card, where in the rare instance all teams are subpar or injured, they can make the Finals and maybe if the other team folds, they can win. It's a legit strategy, but will peter out before they win anything and the Lakers will be prominent again before the small market Spurs.

"Rare instance card"? That's a loaded insult, not an intelligible category. By definition, all teams other than the eventual champion are "subpar" or "injured." And all teams have a player with an injury somewhere. I can de-legitimize almost any champion for any season using your "logic".

The Spurs' strategy since the end of the 2010 season has resulted in three 1-seeds and one 2-seed. They have gone to the Western Conference finals and then the Finals, where happenstance prevented a 5th championship. No "injury" or "subpar play" by Miami allowed the Spurs to take Miami to the very brink. The only other team to make the conference finals or the finals in the last two seasons is Miami.

The Spurs' strategy since 2011 is working better than any other available strategy. There are 30 NBA teams. Since 1990, only 8(!) teams have won a le. Only slightly more have made the finals. And yet the Spurs---a tiny market avoided by all big-name free agents---made the finals last year, and the conference finals the year before.

There are basically two strategies for championships; transcendent talent or team ball. However, they are not exclusive, so teams generally fall on a spectrum between the two. The Spurs relied more heavily on the transcendent talent of TD from 1999-2010. As that strategy began to fail them, they went to team-ball (and innovated in so doing).

Most fans, including presumably you, prefer to pursue brand-new transcendent talent as the primary strategy. And yet, every year virtually every other team pursues just that, and they fall flat on their face. Only 8 teams have won in 25 years! What are the chances you get the best talent? A once-in-a-generation talent is just that. So if you aren't the lucky SOB that drafts Duncan, Lebron or MJ, you are left with the only other viable strategy - team ball and the best players you can find. Obtaining a transcendent talent via free agency is the only other option, but good luck with that if you aren't the Lakers.

This isn't just some theory. In only the last 10 years, two teams have won championships using this approach, Detroit and Dallas. And the Spurs were at the cusp just last year. I can also make an argument for the 2008 Celtics. Otherwise, it's been the Kobe/Shaq/Duncan/Lebron show. The team-ball concept works even better when you have a transcendent talent on the latter half of his career, like Dallas with Dirk in 2011. And like so with the Spurs and Duncan.

Someday, the Spurs will blow it all up when they feel they no longer have good-enough talent to win with a team ball approach. Then, tanking and getting a top pick is the best option, despite providing a franchise only an infinitesimal chance that the pick ends up being a transcendent talent.

[daslicer]

Most fans, including presumably you, prefer to pursue brand-new transcendent talent as the primary strategy. And yet, every year virtually every other team pursues just that, and they fall flat on their face. Only 8 teams have won in 25 years! What are the chances you get the best talent? A once-in-a-generation talent is just that. So if you aren't the lucky SOB that drafts Duncan, Lebron or MJ, you are left with the only other viable strategy - team ball and the best players you can find. Obtaining a transcendent talent via free agency is the only other option, but good luck with that if you aren't the Lakers.

I agree with what you said but would also like to add that its even harder for the Lakers to steal transcendent talent due to the new CBA. Had this CBA existed during the 90's there is no way the Lakers would have been able to steal Shaq from the magic considering Shaq would have been restricted FA under this CBA. Nowadays you have to wait 8 years to steal a top talented player considering the way the these rookie deals are set up. Miami was able to steal Lebron mainly because they had Wade in place to lure him had they not had him there is no way Lebron goes there. Doubt the Lakers will have a superstar in place to steal a once in generation player.

LA is a great location but it doesn't guarantee that they will be able to build a contender anytime soon. A lot of it depends on the management and how they build the team. Just look at the Knicks I would say NY is even a bigger destination then LA for players but the ownership has still managed to make a bunch of terrible moves the last 14 years that has resulted in mediocrity. They have given out max deals to the wrong type of players such as Marbury,Mello, that has resulted in only get out of the first round once. They have also done a plethora of stupid trades that didn't work out. I believe the Lakers will be no different then the Knicks since now they are run by idiots in Jim Buss and Mitch Kupchak.

Even if they get the number 1 pick this year it still won't be enough to bring them back to glory. None of these guys in this draft are generation players like Lebron,Duncan,Shaq. With Kobe's terrible contract and the fact that no superstar wants to play with him has already handicapped them. With that being said my bold prediction is the Lakers aren't winning a le this decade. This decade will be pretty much like the 90's for the Lakers which means they will be irrelevant.

[DMC]

"Rare instance card"? That's a loaded insult, not an intelligible category. By definition, all teams other than the eventual champion are "subpar" or "injured." And all teams have a player with an injury somewhere. I can de-legitimize almost any champion for any season using your "logic".

The Spurs' strategy since the end of the 2010 season has resulted in three 1-seeds and one 2-seed. They have gone to the Western Conference finals and then the Finals, where happenstance prevented a 5th championship. No "injury" or "subpar play" by Miami allowed the Spurs to take Miami to the very brink. The only other team to make the conference finals or the finals in the last two seasons is Miami.

The Spurs' strategy since 2011 is working better than any other available strategy. There are 30 NBA teams. Since 1990, only 8(!) teams have won a le. Only slightly more have made the finals. And yet the Spurs---a tiny market avoided by all big-name free agents---made the finals last year, and the conference finals the year before.

There are basically two strategies for championships; transcendent talent or team ball. However, they are not exclusive, so teams generally fall on a spectrum between the two. The Spurs relied more heavily on the transcendent talent of TD from 1999-2010. As that strategy began to fail them, they went to team-ball (and innovated in so doing).

Most fans, including presumably you, prefer to pursue brand-new transcendent talent as the primary strategy. And yet, every year virtually every other team pursues just that, and they fall flat on their face. Only 8 teams have won in 25 years! What are the chances you get the best talent? A once-in-a-generation talent is just that. So if you aren't the lucky SOB that drafts Duncan, Lebron or MJ, you are left with the only other viable strategy - team ball and the best players you can find. Obtaining a transcendent talent via free agency is the only other option, but good luck with that if you aren't the Lakers.

This isn't just some theory. In only the last 10 years, two teams have won championships using this approach, Detroit and Dallas. And the Spurs were at the cusp just last year. I can also make an argument for the 2008 Celtics. Otherwise, it's been the Kobe/Shaq/Duncan/Lebron show. The team-ball concept works even better when you have a transcendent talent on the latter half of his career, like Dallas with Dirk in 2011. And like so with the Spurs and Duncan.

Someday, the Spurs will blow it all up when they feel they no longer have good-enough talent to win with a team ball approach. Then, tanking and getting a top pick is the best option, despite providing a franchise only an infinitesimal chance that the pick ends up being a transcendent talent.

The Spurs won 4 of those championships, and except for the Pistons, transcendent talent won the rest. Even Dirk is a transcendent talent, became untouchable in that post season. That equates to "rare occurrence" in years where Spurs were relying on team ball to win. So what's the issue with my use of the term?

Spurs don't have the best talent in the league. They don't have the most athletic players. They don't have the highest payroll. What they do have is a system that allows them to be as healthy as possible while maintaining a good record. That gets them some home court advantage in the playoffs. Imagine trying to win game 7 in Dallas, or having the 1st two games of the 2nd round in Portland. They've had luck being matched up with teams that are not at full strength, like in 2012, and they destroyed those teams yet were backdoor swept by a team with a worse regular season record but healthy players.

They are a strong team, but there's almost always a stronger team in the league on both sides of the Mississippi, and the Spurs bypass them through injuries or suspensions or whatever.

[DAF86]

I'm still not fully confident on this year's TP. Truth be told Portland just didn't defend him at all last night. They went over the screen and the big man defending the pick and roll just packed the paint offering Tony wide open 16 footers all game long and he still missed a lot of shots. Last year's TP would have dropped 40 on that "defense" without even playing the 4th.

[rogues]

It's remarkable how these Spur fans climb into a train tunnel every post season and think the light at the end of the tunnel is anything less than a train.

..

[midnightpulp]

[DMC]

Tony just doing what Tony does.

[sook]

parker haters really test the bounds of low intelligence.

[TDMVPDPOY]

parker haters really test the bounds of low intelligence.

explain the reason why a 17pts lead went down to single digits game 3 clown

[lefty]

^
Exactly

Once again an Enriquesque 2nd half

[HI-FI]

I got my issues with Parker as well but he's been something else lately. still heroballing too much in the second half, but least Pop got on his ass and cooler heads prevailed.

[lefty]

LET'S WAIT AND SEE

[sook]

explain the reason why a 17pts lead went down to single digits game 3 clown

Explain why the game was in double digits in the first place.

anyways you're the exception. Ironically, while you spew the most parker hate, you are the only person that is tolerable when doing so.

[TDMVPDPOY]

Explain why the game was in double digits in the first place.

anyways you're the exception. Ironically, while you spew the most parker hate, you are the only person that is tolerable when doing so.

so ur saying with double digit leads u can start to be reckless on the court? where you give the other team a chance to make a come back?....

[FkLA]

So basically put a taller defender on Parker and there's a good chance he goes into the fetal position. What a tbh.

[Jacob1983]

Best point guard in the NBA probably the last 10 years.

[FkLA]

Best point guard in the NBA probably the last 10 years.*

*Unless he's being defended by someone 6-5 or taller

fify jake the snake

[midnightpulp]

And he's back to being called Enrique again.

[ElNono]

And he's back to being called Enrique again.

Gino sure as isn't bailing him out again... he better get this game out of his system quick

[benefactor]

Better he does it in this game and not in a game 5 where the Spurs would have to go back to OKC to try to close it out.

[TDMVPDPOY]

u asslickers still believing in this clown...lmao

[lefty]

Best point guard in the NBA probably the last 10 years.

[Clipper Nation]

Hoops Czar upstairs with the but but Finals MVP against Boobie Gibson!!! bads

As I've said before, Enrique and Choke Paul are basically one and the same, tbh... Enrique was just lucky enough to get drafted into a better situation AND to have Speedy Claxton and Steve Kerr to clean up his mess so he could coattail-ride to a couple rings early in his career

[TDMVPDPOY]

enriques quote for the playoffs, all or nothing will be another wasted season

i guess his living upto his words as always