Johnny RIngo is having a historic run right now... he's on that 2003 Tim Duncan, 2012 Joe Flacco, 2012 Jonathan Quick, 2014 Madison Bumgarner level at the moment. These types of streaks don't happen very often.![]()
When big men age, they either get forced into retirement, or they learn how to score more from the outside than they used to. Antonio McDyess was a good example of that, but there are lots of them over the years. Tim can't dominate the middle like he did. He's still a good player - a very good player - and he still gets good numbers. But he isn't playing the same game anymore. He gets shut down in the blocks by players that he would have eaten alive just a few years ago. He doesn't draw double teams like he did. All the things that allowed him to make his teammates better.
Parker may be playing hurt, I don't know. But he can't get the corner on defenders right now - not with any consistency. Not nearly often enough.
Manu is like an old golfer. They can still dazzle, for a round or two. Enough to make you think that they are still the player they once were. But they can't do it for four rounds in a row, to win a tournament. Manu still has flashes of brilliance, but he's not the dependable go-to player that he was. If you don't believe that he really has lost something, pay close attention to how often the defenders are refusing to bite on his pump-fakes. He's not as quick, not as sharp, and not as intimidating. The announcers used to laugh at how guys must not have read the scouting report, because they just kept biting on his pump fake. It's not fooling them anymore. At least not the better players. He used to be so quick that they just reacted out of instinct. He's not that quick now, and he's having to work more for what he gets. There was a time when the other players KNEW he was going left, but couldn't stop him from doing it. Now they can, as often as not.
It would help if Tim would/could put that 15-footer-off-the-glass back into his arsenal. He used to shoot it a lot, and he was almost automatic with it. The angle is different, because it's off the glass. And if he could force defenders to respect that shot, he could get some space with fakes. He still won't dominate the paint like he used to, but he could at least force some help defense, which would open the other guys up more.
Tony needs to find that floater he used to shoot. That shot forces defenders to meet him further from the glass, or give up the floater uncontested. Right now, opposing defenses are playing their game, and camping in the Spurs passing lanes. Since Parker can't consistently take it to the hole (at least right now), that floater would at least force the defenses to react a little more, and keep them from collapsing on him in the paint quite as much. But mostly he needs to be able to get the corner, and actually get out AHEAD on the fast break. I don't know if that is coming back or not. But if it isn't, it's going to be a short post-season.
Manu should... consider what he wants to do next. He's always had so much junk in his game. He's not going to re-make himself at this point. And he can't be who he used to be on a consistent basis. If you're happy seeing him do it occasionally, enjoy yourself. But don't about the other nights. It was a pleasure and a privilege to watch him all these years.
There are reasons one or two people are playing poorly, but the reason the entire team is rests on Pop. It has to. Pop is not pushing guys to improve, guys are slacking off, they see the end of the tunnel and think Pop won't be there anyhow.
Tony doesn't deserve . He's not a transcendent star like Duncan. The Spurs were more than willing to trade Bruce at the end of his career. Tony doesn't deserve any special treatment either. Especially after he gave up on the team back in 2011 with the BS "we're not contenders anymore" comments. Not to mention his career as an unreliable playoff performer.
Parker as a mentor? Tony isn't Robinson. He's a selfish heroballer - A French Kobe. Guys like that make for poor teachers. Cojo's a good example. Tony hasn't done for his development. He's stunted it more than anything after Cojo showed a lot of promise back in December.
The front office was incredibly lazy this year. I can understand wanting to keep the team together but there's nothing wrong with upgrading talent like Ayres/Daye/etc. I find it hard to believe they couldn't find anyone better than those two with the MLE.
What's worse? Richard Jefferson's contract or Manu earning $14,000,000 in 2013?
One was a ty contract when the Spurs weren't contenders, the other one cost the Spurs a ship + handicapped them from signing role players
How the did you just compare Bruce Bowen to Tony Parker? Bowen bounced all over the NBA and would have been out of the league long before he actually did retire had Pop not found such a good use for him in his system..
I can see this will be a total waste of my time..Parker as a mentor? Tony isn't Robinson. He's a selfish heroballer - A French Kobe. Guys like that make for poor teachers. Cojo's a good example. Tony hasn't done for his development. He's stunted it more than anything after Cojo showed a lot of promise back in December.
Dude has autism. Just learn to ignore him like we all have
Neither are as bad as Tony's $45 mil deal which has yet to kick in.
Bowen was all-NBA defensive 2nd team prior to joining the Spurs, he wasn't a scrub..
No team was going to pay him that much. I agree that Parker "deserves" to be a Spurs, but even Duncan waited until the off-season to see what the Spurs could get in free agency before signing a deal that made the numbers work. Parker could have done the same thing and still made off with a nice payday. As it is, his contract pretty much killed free agency for the next two years. He didn't deserve the max the team could give him for his final years.
No other Spurs got that big of a contract at this stage of their career (decline, not age). Not David, not Tim, not Manu.
I knew you were going to jump on that. TGY tossing softballs.
Realistically, although the Spurs would probably never trade him, do you think any team would bite and take Parker?
From 1997-2001 he played for the Heat, Boston, Philli and back to the Heat. He was also traded to Chicago and immediately waved by them.
Yeah let's give Tony a 43 million dollar contract to play the Jacque Vaughn mentor role.![]()
I know, but he made the 2nd all-NBA D team with Miami in his final year, he made something of himself prior to joining the Spurs..
We can blame the Spurs for offering that much I suppose but he was never going anywhere and was always going to count for a lot on the books.. It is like the Yanks overpaying for Jeter late in his career.. He had done a lot and it was mostly loyalty and seeing to it he ended his career there..
Problem here is you're seriously overrating Tony while at the same time underrating Bruce. He was, overall, more important than Tony in the 2003 and 2005 le runs.
Yes. I think Sacramento would welcome him would open arms. Brooklyn would probably take him for one of their horrible contracts.
With his limitations he needed to play for a coach that had a system he fit into perfectly.. He could never play for an offensive minded team he just would never get the minutes. Those early Spurs teams especially were all about grinding you down on D.. By 2003 to his credit he added that corner 3 to give them something on offense.
I wish the Spurs would bring Anderson back instead of Williams. I know that he is not going to be a difference maker this year but get him playing against NBA talent already.
This season cannot be pinned on any one player. The team collectively looks worse. Tony and KL still look injured. Tiago has been a s of his former self. Danny Green is on a month long shooting drought. Mills has the at ude but his shot isn't there and I am not sure it can come back in time. Manu is just old and gives us a good game every 3-5 games.
The Spurs have given me more than I could have hoped for after we went down to the Grizz several years ago. Who would have thought a WCF and two finals appearances after that debacle? I hope we can get our together and make one last run at least to the second round but after this year it is over. Tim might come back but the Spurs will need to be in full rebuild mode. The good news is we might get a decent pick this year because it looks like maybe ten teams might have a better record than us when it is all said and done.
Absolutely not.. Utter nonsense.. A season is about more than what happens in the NBA finals..
pretty much. Impact is similar too at this point in Tony's career.
Vaughn career BPM: -4.2
2015 Parker BPM: -3.0
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