ESPN First Take - Danny Green on NBA Finals & LeBron James

[spursparker9]

Danny believes that if they got pass LAC, the Spurs would be in the Finals instead of GSW

[Uriel]

Great interview. Green is soft-spoken, but he's eloquent and very knowledgeable.

It was also funny hearing him single out Parker as a reason for the Spurs' lackluster season.

[FromWayDowntown]

At one point he refers to the Spurs organization as "they."

[Cowboys_Wear_Spurs]

Great interview. Green is soft-spoken, but he's eloquent and very knowledgeable.

It was also funny hearing him single out Parker as a reason for the Spurs' lackluster season.

Green doesn't like Parker. You can tell. I don't blame him because Parker has a frequent tendency of being the Spurs cog offensively, and defensively, Parker will criticize others, but when he is sucking balls, like in the Clips series, he doesn't take himself out of the game despite his ass getting own over and over again.

I think everyone knows that Parker was the reason the Spurs didn't get pass the Clips. I would have been completely pissed off seeing Parker on the floor (playing injured) and getting owned over and over again, when he could have been a good teammate and deferred to Mills and Cojo.

Parker needs to get it in his head, he ain't in his 20's anymore.

[SupremeGuy]

I'm going to be pissed if we lose Green, tbh.

Especially while we're still handcuffed to Parker's horrible contract; that damn thing just keeps looking worse and worse.

[cd98]

I think Green will most likely be a Spur next year. Only way that doesn't happen is if Spurs sign a big-time free agent, but I look at that possibility as around 20%. We just need to get another backup small forward (Brewer) and some depth in the front court and we are good to go.

[apalisoc_9]

Green doesn't like Parker. You can tell. I don't blame him because Parker has a frequent tendency of being the Spurs cog offensively, and defensively, Parker will criticize others, but when he is sucking balls, like in the Clips series, he doesn't take himself out of the game despite his ass getting own over and over again.

I think everyone knows that Parker was the reason the Spurs didn't get pass the Clips. I would have been completely pissed off seeing Parker on the floor (playing injured) and getting owned over and over again, when he could have been a good teammate and deferred to Mills and Cojo.

Parker needs to get it in his head, he ain't in his 20's anymore.

[cjw]

He's also continuing to be active in the community - flood relief + his camp. It's not like he packed his bags to spend his FA summer back at home in Long Island.

He'll be back if contract is compe ive. If Danny gives them a chance to, Spurs will match anything that's not $13+mm.

[Sean Cagney]

I'm going to be pissed if we lose Green, tbh.

Especially while we're still handcuffed to Parker's horrible contract; that damn thing just keeps looking worse and worse.

I agree, if we lose him I will be upset as well.

[timtonymanu]

Green doesn't like Parker. You can tell. I don't blame him because Parker has a frequent tendency of being the Spurs cog offensively, and defensively, Parker will criticize others, but when he is sucking balls, like in the Clips series, he doesn't take himself out of the game despite his ass getting own over and over again.

I think everyone knows that Parker was the reason the Spurs didn't get pass the Clips. I would have been completely pissed off seeing Parker on the floor (playing injured) and getting owned over and over again, when he could have been a good teammate and deferred to Mills and Cojo.

Parker needs to get it in his head, he ain't in his 20's anymore.

Yep. Duncan and Manu refined their game when necessary. Unfortunately, I don't expect Parker to do the same and he probably thinks he needs to play at MVParker level to contribute.

[DBMethos]

Great interview. Green is soft-spoken, but he's eloquent and very knowledgeable.

It was also funny hearing him single out Parker as a reason for the Spurs' lackluster season.

[hooperflash]

Go to church bruh, tbh

[UZER]

Yep. Duncan and Manu refined their game when necessary. Unfortunately, I don't expect Parker to do the same and he probably thinks he needs to play at MVParker level to contribute.

What exactly has Manu refined? He still tries to plays like he's 25 out there.

[tholdren]

danny green has balls the size of dust-mites. He is a system player that can only be effective in offenses with great spacing and fundamental players who pass the ball. Those options are limited in the NBA. Is he a great fit for the spurs, certainly. Is he worth 10s of millions. No. He's one dimensional and pussyfoots around.

[SpurPadre]

danny green has balls the size of dust-mites. He is a system player that can only be effective in offenses with great spacing and fundamental players who pass the ball. Those options are limited in the NBA. Is he a great fit for the spurs, certainly. Is he worth 10s of millions. No. He's one dimensional and pussyfoots around.

They don't call him long for nothing. Would agree with you about everything else if it weren't for the fact that Danny's defense is elite and against guys like Curry, it's simply invaluable.

[exstatic]

What exactly has Manu refined? He still tries to plays like he's 25 out there.

Naw. The turning point was when he had that ankle injury that cause him to miss the end of the 2008-2009 season and the playoffs that followed. He's still reckless with the ball, but no longer so with his body. He goes into traffic all the way to the rim almost never now, and dunks with decreasing frequency. His career probably would have ended in 2-3 years if he hadn't brought his game down below the rim and away from the basket.

[Ice009]

Naw. The turning point was when he had that ankle injury that cause him to miss the end of the 2008-2009 season and the playoffs that followed. He's still reckless with the ball, but no longer so with his body. He goes into traffic all the way to the rim almost never now, and dunks with decreasing frequency. His career probably would have ended in 2-3 years if he hadn't brought his game down below the rim and away from the basket.

Pretty good explanation. Manu's game was always going to the rim, and going to the rim hard. If you can't see that he doesn't do that anymore, then I don't know what to tell people like Uzer. Like you said, he's still reckless with the ball, but he just doesn't go the rack at will anymore and throw his body around like he used to. That's a big change that he's made to him game. Unfortunately, IMO, I think the Spurs need that type of player which is why I wanted them to sign someone that can create and get to the rim and draw contact.

Kawhi, as good as he played at times this season, didn't really take it to the rack much. I'd prefer that he get to the rim and try to finish and/or draw fouls instead of taking all those jump shots, or at the very least mix it up a bit between jump shots and going to the rim. I just don't know if Kawhi's handles can get good enough for him to be a penetrator. We really need one or two to balance out the team IMO.

[Beaverfuzz]

What exactly has Manu refined? He still tries to plays like he's 25 out there.

This.

[UZER]

Naw. The turning point was when he had that ankle injury that cause him to miss the end of the 2008-2009 season and the playoffs that followed. He's still reckless with the ball, but no longer so with his body. He goes into traffic all the way to the rim almost never now, and dunks with decreasing frequency. His career probably would have ended in 2-3 years if he hadn't brought his game down below the rim and away from the basket.

He doesn't go to the rim as much because he cant physically get around players, not because he's not still trying to. A lot of his turnovers are still from driving, getting cutoff then trying to make a desperate or sneaky pass.

Defensive players just let him walk into his own turnovers now because they know once they cut him off, he will still try a pass that's an 8 in difficulty on the scale, a pass that the old Manu could make, but old Manu can't make.

[Sean Cagney]

Yep. Duncan and Manu refined their game when necessary. Unfortunately, I don't expect Parker to do the same and he probably thinks he needs to play at MVParker level to contribute.

The difference is like AI Tony Parker relies on Speed and his driving sets up the rest of his game, if he can't penetrate he gets shut off and he starts bricking outside shots and is pretty much useless. If he had an automatic mid range game that would change. He has shown flashes of being able to hit that mid range J at times and even got better at it, but last year his game was just all off and that was not even present. I think he regressed with age on that shot, lets hope I am wrong and he comes back next year slimmer and actually has the legs to shoot that mid range at a decent clip when they shut off the lane (I would not hold my breath being he is playing this summer).

He doesn't go to the rim as much because he cant physically get around players, not because he's not still trying to. A lot of his turnovers are still from driving, getting cutoff then trying to make a desperate or sneaky pass.

Defensive players just let him walk into his own turnovers now because they know once they cut him off, he will still try a pass that's an 8 in difficulty on the scale, a pass that the old Manu could make, but old Manu can't make.

His passes at times or just when he stumbles and loses the ball just make me shake my head to no end, not sure how he turns the ball over so easily without being touched but he seems to go it more at a higher clip than earlier in his career. The mind is willing but the body is not at times with Manu. I love the dude to death and he is one of my all time fave Spurs but what you said is true.

[ElNono]

What exactly has Manu refined? He still tries to plays like he's 25 out there.

Uh? Went from being one of our top scorers to one of our top assist man, leading the best bench in the NBA just a mere season ago...

Both Tim and Gino changed their games a lot over their careers. Much more cerebral players now, which is what you need to do to stay compe ive in this league while being an asset to your team.

[ElNono]

He doesn't go to the rim as much because he cant physically get around players, not because he's not still trying to. A lot of his turnovers are still from driving, getting cutoff then trying to make a desperate or sneaky pass.

Defensive players just let him walk into his own turnovers now because they know once they cut him off, he will still try a pass that's an 8 in difficulty on the scale, a pass that the old Manu could make, but old Manu can't make.

The "old Manu" didn't make those passes. The old Manu drove to the rack and threw it down. Today's Manu is an older version of the evolved Gino, the playmaker. And sure, this Gino is not the difference maker he used to be. That doesn't mean he hasn't changed his game as his athleticism has faded.

[ElNono]

Pretty good explanation. Manu's game was always going to the rim, and going to the rim hard. If you can't see that he doesn't do that anymore, then I don't know what to tell people like Uzer. Like you said, he's still reckless with the ball, but he just doesn't go the rack at will anymore and throw his body around like he used to. That's a big change that he's made to him game. Unfortunately, IMO, I think the Spurs need that type of player which is why I wanted them to sign someone that can create and get to the rim and draw contact.

Kawhi, as good as he played at times this season, didn't really take it to the rack much. I'd prefer that he get to the rim and try to finish and/or draw fouls instead of taking all those jump shots, or at the very least mix it up a bit between jump shots and going to the rim. I just don't know if Kawhi's handles can get good enough for him to be a penetrator. We really need one or two to balance out the team IMO.

Kawhi can be that guy, but he has a lot of work to do, including some footwork, which is still suspect, and finishing at the rim. He has power and being a youngster, speed. He'll get there.

[Sean Cagney]

The "old Manu" didn't make those passes. The old Manu drove to the rack and threw it down. Today's Manu is an older version of the evolved Gino, the playmaker. And sure, this Gino is not the difference maker he used to be. That doesn't mean he hasn't changed his game as his athleticism has faded.

NONO I agree but he still tries to do some of the stuff he did when he was younger and that is when he gets in trouble and 1 times out of ten it still works. He has changed some but sometimes the mind is willing but the body is not. Manu only knows one speed sometimes and he just cant pull that off anymore, sadly. Great compe or and love him to death.

[Mikeanaro]

NONO I agree but he still tries to do some of the stuff he did when he was younger and that is when he gets in trouble and 1 times out of ten it still works. He has changed some but sometimes the mind is willing but the body is not. Manu only knows one speed sometimes and he just cant pull that off anymore, sadly. Great compe or and love him to death.

Forgive Manu plis, he is old.