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But again, I think the key has been versatility. The Spurs for a long time now have had Parker, a shooting guard in a PGs body, and Ginobili, a PG in a SGs body. That's a nice luxury to have.
In the playoffs if we are short any of our main players, we're sunk. I agree about Leonard's D especially when a guy like Parker isn't 100%. I've just been following the team way too long to be worried or draw conclusions in January.relax. I actually think you're right but Leonard is the exception. Our defense is noticably worse without him. Backup SF is a luxury we do not have.
But again, I think the key has been versatility. The Spurs for a long time now have had Parker, a shooting guard in a PGs body, and Ginobili, a PG in a SGs body. That's a nice luxury to have.
Did you mean to say deflate? I think it's the perception of fans that inflates the high usage PG, not the Pop/Bud system. Of course, it's alway good to have the highest quality player possible at every position. But lots of passing/ball movement/cutting is really a return to old fashioned basketball as much as it's Pop's system... It's part Princeton Offense, part Triangle Offense , part "Euro," part UCLA High Post Offense, etc. In fact, I'd argue Pop doesn't necessarily have "a system," as in one single system. He has adapted numerous times throughout his coaching career. Early on, they pounded it inside relentlessly to Duncan. Later he let Tony and Manu make more decisions while others spread the floor by staying at the three point line. Last year, with three aging stars and a group of younger guys and Boris Diaw, ball distribution became the focus. If the Spurs were to land DeMarcus Cousins or Anthony Davis, I'm sure Pop would adapt again and start re-emphasizing passes into the post.
I agree somewhat. I don't think Parker would have ever flourished as a SG because he isn't dangerous enough from beyond the arc. And I totally agree that having a passer like Manu makes up for Tony's deficiency there.
But just wondering if Spurs haven't been overpaying for a position that could have been filled by someone not as flashy. Or winning more rings with a true play maker at that position.
I definitely think paying a quick PG big money heading into his mid 30s was a case of rewarding his past performances. I always thought Duncan would follow Kareem as a guy who could still be effective far into his 30s-- both of them relied more on fundamentals & BBIQ than athleticism, but for as long as I've been watching basketball, the first players to lose effectiveness are the quicker, shorter guards. In Parker's case, I think a big thing he can do it shoot the three more frequently-- he has shown in the past three years the ability to hit it, and could be a more of a consistent threat than someone like Iverson, who after his quickness was gone was pretty bad.
Yep on rewarding him for the past. That being said, I have prematurely called an end to TP for a couple of seasons in a row and he came out and proved me wrong. His improvement in hitting the short jumper went a long way to extending his shelf life. But his reliance on quickness combined with his inability to pass is eventually (maybe now) bringing his usefulness to an end. IMO.
Hopefully, now that I said that, he'll come on strong the rest of the year. But the Spurs definitely missed the window to get some serious value out of him in a trade.
The Hawks are my second team. Yes, Teague is Parker like. Yes, Schroder is a vastly improved backup PG (#3 PG last year). But this year's Hawks improvement is mostly about Horford. The last time Horford was healthy, Johnson and Smith were fighting for the ball. This is the first time Horford has been healthy when the team was playing team ball.
Horford and Millsap are one of the better undersized front courts this league has ever seen. Last night was a typical Millsap game: 18 pts, 10 rebs, 3 assists, 2 steals, 2 blocks. He has been having games like this all year. He's essentially a bulky small forward with a swing player's versatility, but also enough toughness to guard PFs who are usually at least 3-4" taller than him. Pairing up him and Kawhi would be ideal, but every indication is he really likes his teammates and coach a lot and probably won't leave in free agency.
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