USA TODAY: Tony Parker has to realize the Spurs aren't his team anymore

[PopTheGOAT]

Durant was Guarding Parker.... Probably for that reason, so he could switch off if that happened. You can tell the backup plan was a screen by Duncan to get Adams on Parker, as he immediately runs over when the play falls apart.

You can say it's not rocket science, but I would bet OKC would have switched and had Durant switch to Kawhi. So I don't see how he could've gotten a better shot than Parker did, creating space against Adams like he did. Kawhi again in the 4th, seemed tired.

They definitely would have switched, but my point is Kawhi would've had the ball

[look_at_g_shred]

why didn't the spurs run that backdoor play with Tim/Tony ?

[gambit1990]

teams that play the spurs want parker dominating the ball because that keeps it outta the hands of our two best players.

part of the reason i want him coming off the bench. as a scorer.

[YGWHI]

It would help if Kawhi would stop passing back to him with 5 seconds on the shot clock because Kawhi isn't a creator, and often finds himself with the ball in one hand and the thumb on his other hand stuck up his ass. PArker missed shots and opportunities, but he gave the ball up on at least one of those, and The New Face Of The Franchise didn't want to have anything to do with trying to win the game for us. Hot potato...take the ball back please.

That was a bad angle for Kawhi and he thought he shouldn't force the play. He was wrong.

The Spurs need him to force things instead of Parker, at least if Kawhi misses the shot, it's a learning process for him in those game-late situations.

But it was just one play.

What happened with Parker in the whole 4th quarter? OKC didn't deny Kawhi the ball during 12 minutes...Why Parker can't keep Kawhi going? Why Parker can't make plays for him?

[bklynspursfan]

They definitely would have switched, but my point is Kawhi would've had the ball

I'm going off memory here, but TP had hit a couple shots prior to that right? I know he missed a FT, but I thought he hit a couple big shots prior to that. Kawhi was relatively quiet, idk. I feel like a guy who hasn't shot for most of a quarter getting the last shot is risky business. I think if anything, they should have ran the play through Kawhi. Inbound to him and let him work from the beginning.

Pop obviously had the ball in Parker's hands and wanted him to read the defense, and I think he did a good job of that. I also think he factored in TP had hit a couple mid range shots that quarter as well

[bklynspursfan]

Great post. Some other poster posted a printout of each play indicating Parker taking the shot but that particularly play show how the spurs tried to run a two plays for Kawhi and neither worked. Parker was forced to take the shot. BTW. Parkers shot wasn't a bad look either. Just didn't go in.

Agreed

[YGWHI]

That shot was a contested 2 pter. The shot OKC wanted over everything else. There was no second denial by russ. Kawhi was coming out top, and Parker faked the pass to him and took off, he knew what he wanted to do before the play ever developed. This is why he does very little for long stretches of time on offense. He has little developmental skills or patience.

Kawhi should have got that ball, LMA set him up twice to get it. Everyone knew it should go to Kawhi, even Parker. When you're purposely going against the gameplan foe your own wishes, you're detrimental to the team. A pg like that has never been successful. Only play making pgs have been, or playing next to a play making sg. Time to replace him, if you want to keep the team chemistry right. You can't expect your superstars to be humble and enforce a team mindset when your player past his prime won't let go.

Kawhi should have been more vocal about it as well. He needs to tell Tony his place tbh. If he can't, he isn't ready to lead. We will see what Kawhi made of tonight. I expect a strong game.

Is this really necessary? A player should call other teammate out/put him in his place to get the ball? Kawhi shouldn't have to do it.

A true point guard knows he has to keep his main scorers going, he shouldn't keep the ball away from his scorers, and how to make plays for them

Why a 10 years younger guy has to be vocal to get the ball from the vet point guard? Parker should know what is his job/role.

[bklynspursfan]

No, no, no, we must stick with the narrative that Parker is to blame. Gotta put up the play-by-play with no context of shot clock, players on the floor, et cetera to help emphasis that he lost the game!

Parker is to blame for everything wrong with the Spurs, not Timmy/Manu being too old, David West being too small or Kyle Anderson being too ty. Nope, not any of those things because it's all Parker's fault.

It's one of the more annoying things on this site....

[bklynspursfan]

Is this really necessary? A player should call other teammate out/put him in his place to get the ball? Kawhi shouldn't have to do it.

A true point guard knows he has to keep his main scorers going, he shouldn't keep the ball away from his scorers, and how to make plays for them

Why a 10 years younger guy has to be vocal to get the ball from the vet point guard? Parker should know what is his job/role.

Except, Kawhi wasn't going. Nor was LMA... Neither had it going. Parker had at least hit a couple shots to start. Look at games 1 & 2. He kept feeding those guys cause they had it going. Same with Game 3 with Kawhi.

If neither has it going..... Then what? And the last couple 4th quarters, they've been pretty quiet.

[SupremeGuy]

USA Today taking a on parker

[gambit1990]

no one in this thread is suggesting parker is responsible for all our team's problems. stop deflecting tbh.

[YGWHI]

I'm going off memory here, but TP had hit a couple shots prior to that right? I know he missed a FT, but I thought he hit a couple big shots prior to that. Kawhi was relatively quiet, idk. I feel like a guy who hasn't shot for most of a quarter getting the last shot is risky business. I think if anything, they should have ran the play through Kawhi. Inbound to him and let him work from the beginning.

I wonder Kawhi was quiet...Because Parker was taking shots?

Anyway, it's obvious if a player doesn't have the ball in most a quarter, he gets cold.

The issue is Parker/Pop can't have one of the two main scorers of the team without shots in many minutes of the 4th quarter.

[YGWHI]

Except, Kawhi wasn't going.

Kawhi made two shots in the last quarter and then for almost 4 minutes, he didn't touch the ball. It's hard to keep going when the team and PG don't look for him in that many minutes.

And again. You really think that Kawhi needs to be vocal to get the ball? His teammtes have to pass him the ball.

Durant is a quiet guy, doesn't ask for the ball, but his teammates know they have to pass him the ball. The same with Thompson, Derozan, any scorer in the league.
They don't need to ask for the ball, their teammates look for them.

[gambit1990]

for the series, westbrook is averaging 10.4 assists to parker's 5.3. even durant is averaging 5. we could lose parker and let durant play pg for us

[bklynspursfan]

I wonder Kawhi was quiet...Because Parker was taking shots?

Anyway, it's obvious if a player doesn't have the ball in most a quarter, he gets cold.

The issue is Parker/Pop can't have one of the two main scorers of the team without shots in many minutes of the 4th quarter.

C'mon man. You cant seriously blame Kawhi being quiet in the 4th cause Parker was "taking shots". Let's not forget he's got the toughest task on defense all game, so if he is winded it's not surprising.

He took like 4 shots prior to that last one. I'd hardly call that enough to make Kawhi quiet. Kawhi took 3 or 4 shots, not including that last heave.

[PopTheGOAT]

I'm going off memory here, but TP had hit a couple shots prior to that right? I know he missed a FT, but I thought he hit a couple big shots prior to that. Kawhi was relatively quiet, idk. I feel like a guy who hasn't shot for most of a quarter getting the last shot is risky business. I think if anything, they should have ran the play through Kawhi. Inbound to him and let him work from the beginning.

Pop obviously had the ball in Parker's hands and wanted him to read the defense, and I think he did a good job of that. I also think he factored in TP had hit a couple mid range shots that quarter as well

I want to start by saying that I'm pretty happy with how Parker has played this series. If he had hit those shots at the end, the narrative would be way different right now.

Parker shot 4-12 and hit one FG in the 4th. The part in bold is the problem. The runner up MVP was not involved in the offense down the stretch. Some may argue this is due to fatigue, but that's not true imo. Kawhi was 12-21, Aldridge wasn't feeling it, so the guy wearing number 2 unquestionably has to have the ball the close the game.

[SASdynasty!]

well he's the starting pg so it's the least he could do only averaging 5.6 in the 2016 playoffs so far.

Yah which is pretty good when you're only playing 26 minutes a game. That's 7.5 per 36, which is good. Oh, also the next closest guy on our team is averaging 2.6 APG.

[313]

Lol Kawhi being denied by a guy five inches shorter than him on the biggest possession on the season.

[SASdynasty!]

for the series, westbrook is averaging 10.4 assists to parker's 5.3. even durant is averaging 5. we could lose parker and let durant play pg for us

Westbrook is playing 10 more minutes a game and shooting way worse from the field than Parker. No thanks.

[SASdynasty!]

Lol Kawhi being denied by a guy five inches shorter than him on the biggest possession on the season.

He's not denied...Parker gets these guys the ball all the time down the stretch and somehow finds the ball back in his hands. They need to learn how to get free and create their own shot in crunch time at some point.

[bklynspursfan]

Kawhi made two shots in the last quarter and then for almost 4 minutes, he didn't touch the ball. It's hard to keep going when the team and PG don't look for him in that many minutes.

And after his 2 shots he hit you're referring to, it went " Parker Miss - Aldridge Miss - Duncan Miss - Aldridge Miss - Parker Make "

And that first miss by Parker was a forced 3 with the shot clock winding down cause Kawhi passed it to him- http://on.nba.com/27hA59z

So he did have the ball after he hit those 2 shots.... I don't get why this site has all this animosity towards it's own players, it's just ridiculous. If you actually look at what happened, you'll see it's not as bad as you're making it in your head.

[manu2timdynasty]

This article is spot on but, Tony is gonna have a big game.

[bklynspursfan]

I want to start by saying that I'm pretty happy with how Parker has played this series. If he had hit those shots at the end, the narrative would be way different right now.

Parker shot 4-12 and hit one FG in the 4th. The part in bold is the problem. The runner up MVP was not involved in the offense down the stretch. Some may argue this is due to fatigue, but that's not true imo. Kawhi was 12-21, Aldridge wasn't feeling it, so the guy wearing number 2 unquestionably has to have the ball the close the game.

I think Pop should have drew it up that way then. They've drawn up plays for Kawhi (remember his game winner in Orlando?) They've inbounded him the ball and let him create, but that didn't happen, and those blaming Parker are just crazy. TP didn't draw up that final play.

[YGWHI]

You cant seriously blame Kawhi being quiet in the 4th cause Parker was "taking shots".

But I can blame Parker because he didn't involve/look/make plays for Kawhi in most last quarter.

[look_at_g_shred]

Kawhi needs to yell at parker for the ball. No one else's fault but his.