Hey Guys! Long time lurker, first time poster. I was just mindlessly browsing through NBA stats today, when I saw that Tony Parker was leading the league in 3p% with 66.7%. Now this stat is obviously skewed by the small sample size (he is 8 of 12), and Tony will never be consistently lights out from deep, but I was surprised to find out that TP was actually a lot better 3p shooter than I thought, as he shot a respectable 37.1% last year.
I was always a little worried about how effective Tony would be in a couple years after he had lost a step or two, but it's a little comforting to see that he is putting in a concerted effort to improve himself. I think this improved 3p shot will better help the transition from the Tim,Tony,Manu years to the Tony,Kawhi,Whomever years that are coming in the near future.
This got me thinking though...Do you guys think that this improvement was the product of years of training with Chip Engelland, or did Tony just recently start putting in the work, as he knows that he might not be able to rely on his quickness as much anymore? Would an improved 3p stroke have helped TP (and the team) in the past, or do you think that it might have caused him to be less aggressive to the bucket, and thus stall the offense out? Sorry if this has been talked about before, but I just thought it was an interesting stat/ensuing discussion.
P.s. I feel dumb for not reading/seeing the Tony Parker thread that was just started 2 days ago. Flame me if you must.
Last edited by KawhiMCA; 11-13-2014 at 12:23 PM.
Hi. Welcome to the board. (Well at least as a poster). To answer your question, I think it is both. I think he has worked a lot with Chip (and on his own) because he knows he can't rely on his speed forever, AND because he would be more valuable off the ball if he could hit the corner 3. I was impressed with the shot he made last game from the top of the key. Good to great, my friend.
most important is that time and time again he is able to hit difficult clutch threes in the fourth quarter of games ...
Tony having a consistent 3-pointer only makes him that much more dangerous, as defenders can't sag off of him at the arc anymore. This will only open up driving lanes which will either get Tony more easy shots at the basket, or will break down the defense on the pass out. Parker doesn't even have to be a fantastic three-point shooter...if he can maintain a respectable .375 out there, defenders will be forced to honor the shot.
I think Pop is going to keep that weapon fairly in reserve until the playoffs. But it definitely looks solid. Parker's release is good and he usually hits nothing but net. Positive signs. I bet his FT shooting improves as well.
MVParker that's all
He has been working out it must be frustrating when almost the whole team can make treys and you cant being a PG, seeing guys like bosh or Ibaka shooting 3s was enough for him I guess.
it just shows that the guy has worked his shooting ... 66% is really impressive
He had plenty of time to work specifically on this this summer.
MVParker
GOAT imo
I don't think we want Parker to shoot many threes, even if he hits a good clip. Too many threes means he isn't driving and breaking down the defense as much as usual and instead spotting up. Who dishes to him if he's spotted up? Normally he takes threes only when it's an offensive rebound or an extra pass after the defense is moved around a lot.
Those were my initial thoughts as well Mr.Body. With the team and offense constructed as it is, penetration is the number one key in keeping the offense fluid. I certainly don't want TP taking stepbacks or threes in transition.
Personally, I think it bodes well for the offense that Tony has become a willing and capable shooter when the need arises. I do have a feeling that he will take many more threes over the course of the season and into the future as Kawhi becomes more and more integrated into the offense. So far this year, Kawhi's midrange and postup game have been money (that fadeaway from the elbow last night made me drool). If teams start to respect Kawhi more, I wouldn't mind seeing Tony let a few more go from deep. It certainly adds another dimension to the offense when he can hit those shots consistently. It definitely has me interested in seeing the offense evolve over the coming weeks.
If Parker were Curry-esque at 3's, I think his game would be rounded enough that he could easily be declared a top 5 all-time point guard (I actually think that Curry is top 10, right now). Parker's FG% runs prove that he is historically dangerous inside. If he were to become historically dangerous outside (a la Curry), I'm sorry, but he would be unstoppable.
He still wouldn't be on the level of Oscar Robertson or Magic Johnson, but Parker with a Curry-esque 3 point shot > John Stockton, Steve Nash, Pete Maravich, Bob Cousy, Mark Price, Curry, C3P-O, and Isiah Thomas.
Book it, Danno.
Curry has an outside shot at being the greatest PG ever. He is ing off the charts. Probably won't get there because of his size will make him a less than stellar defender, although Magic is considered the GOAT and was a subpar defender.
Parker has consistently averaged only one 3 point attempt per game in the last four years, but averaged 1.5 attempts per game in the last two playoff seasons... I see him heading in the direction of taking more 3 pt shots per game because he has clearly become a better shooter as his career has progressed and in the last two seasons, he has shot above 80% from the free throw line for the first time since joining the Spurs. I think a couple more attempts per game will only open up the floor for him, and for a quick player whose legendary foot speed will eventually slow down as he gets older it makes perfect sense.
Manu was about the same age as Tony when Pop transitioned the Argentine from a primarily slashing-oriented game to more of an an outside game.
Your post is better than half the trolling around here so dont worry
I've already mentioned a few times during the last year and a half that he needs a three point shot.
I said last season that it was bordering on negligent that he hadn't developed one and added it to his arsenal. Shortly after I said that, he starts shooting some in the playoffs, so I was kind of happy to see that. For me though, there is really no excuse why he didn't add it a few years ago considering he's been working with one of the best shooting coaches on the planet. It really would open up his game, save some pounding on him not having to go inside and almost make him unstoppable if the defense can't leave him open at the the three point line.
I vaguely recall reading 5 or 6 years ago that he was slowly going to add it to his game, but for some reason they never did. I'm not sure if that was Pop's decision not wanting him to shoot them or not?
He really needs one against teams with players like Ibaka. When a team has athletic bigs that can close ground quickly, it's much harder to shoot those midrange shots when quick athletic defenders can close ground quickly and not allow him to get those midrange shots off.
We can see the changes of aging stars. Players take different roles during their careers regardless of their primary position, like some power forwards turning into centers over the years. Point guards like Tony need to evolve their games through the years, in a couple of seasons he will no longer be the explosive guy who carves up defenses and he'll need to add new weapons, a consistent three point shot would certainly help his new role as contributor in other areas of the game.
I think its not about whether he shoots the three or not, but more about the way the offense runs.
Tony dun shoot off-the-dribble threes, pull-up threes etc. The only 3s that he shoots are spot-up threes.
And if he gets to shoot more spot-up threes in a game, it means that he didnt have the ball, which means the offense is coming from someone else, or just better ball movement in general. and thats a good thing.
This kind of 3-point shot, is not going to "help" him with his defender, because defenders already do defend him at the 3point line, and only sag off when he dribbles through a screen, the defender can go under the screen, knowing that parker would not stop his dribble to shoot the 3.
I think Tony can keep attaking the way he does/did for a long time, he relies in change of gear and direction more that pure speed and avoid the defense more than Manu who looks more for the and 1 imo..
Manu takes a lot more hits (on offense AND defense) than Tony, that's a huge difference on their body.
Even if Tony runs more miles than Manu and hit the floor more, he knows how to fell and stamina is work basicaly.
If he adds a 3pts shot as reliable as his mid range shot, whitch is far from the case, he can stay elite a few years.
he shouldve had a double double today, i dont think they counted his last assist to cojo for a 3
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