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I don't know how long I have left, but I'm sure it's not another 3 years
by Manu Ginobili
Thu Mar 23, 2017
SAN ANTONIO.- I know a lot of people like to use the phrase 'I don't have a lot left'. But I want to illustrate that the feeling is logical, and I've said it before. I really don't know how long I have left in the NBA, I just know it's not another 3 years (Editor's note: He'll be 40 on July 28th). And I also don't know for sure what I'm going to do. I enjoy what I'm living right now. I still haven't reached a mental state where my humor is affected by a good or bad game. I feel my performance improved almost 80%, even though I'm not where I'd like to be. I do put the work in, I try to play the best I can; sometimes it works out, sometimes it doesn't. I like the role I have, that keeps me healthy and on a team that, despite some up and downs, has a very solid record. I'm fine, with people I appreciate, so I can't ask for much more in that context.
The team helps me reach that state. I do have to be honest: our performances have been irregular for a while. We take four steps forward, and sometimes we take three back. It looks like we're slowly advancing and then we lost at home against Portland, then go to Memphis, where we should've shown a reaction or played our best game, and we play terrible again. When we felt the pressure rise up a bit, we started playing a bit better. We still aren't on our optimum state. That said, most other teams apparently are not either. We have almost 60 win... But it's true: there's that feeling that we're not playing well, that we don't play up to our maximum potential. Then we look at the standings, and notice that it's not that easy to have the record we have.
It's possible that all those feelings might be boosted because in 2014 we displayed a really high caliber version of our game. You know you can reach somewhere there and last season we won 67 games with a team that looked more consistent, and set a high bar. And it's reasonable, we have the team and potential to do something similar. It's true that throughout 82 games there's up and downs. Perhaps what happened this season is that it happened more often. But it's not really a barometer, because in 2016, with the 67 wins, we couldn't get out of the 2nd round in the playoffs. This season we're not as regular, that's true, but perhaps it'll help us to get better when we need it.
I've been told a couple of times that I've been seen more often on the bench talking to my teammates during timeouts. Honestly, it's not intentional. I think I do the same I've been doing the last few years and perhaps the cameras catch it more often. It's definitively not intentional or mandatory. I don't do anything new or special in that sense.
A lot of things that are happening with the team are not something I thought about or I prepared. Some ask me if I took the leadership role that Tim [Duncan] had and I really have no idea, because I don't have a clue what my teammates think about that. Nobody tells me, it's not like they come to ask me things when they need something. I feel I know some situations and I think there are certain times where it's better a teammate reaches out to talk to you instead of your coach. And when with Tony [Parker] we feel it's necessary to take care of something, we just do it naturally.
And on that track is how I take everything and I allow myself to enjoy, at times, how we play. We have a lot of talent and on the second unit we try to give the team a different kind of energy, some more agility and versatility. We found out that David [Lee] is an ideal player to play that way. He understands the game well. Con Pau [Gasol] it's the same thing. With him starting we practically never played together; not that he plays more minutes with the second unit, we're connecting more. The team is trying to get better in every game.
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Omitted the last paragraph that talks about Bahia Basket, his town's team.
Original article in spanish here:
http://www.lanacion.com.ar/1997399-n...-tres-anos-mas
If it's for the minimum, why not?
2 year contract. Do it RC!
Yeah, I still want him back in a bench role. Another year or two I would have no problem with, if it's for closer to the minimum salary.
He acknowledges the inconsistency too tbh
"I feel my performance improved almost 80%"
Is that a rough spot in translation, Nono? I can't figure out what he meant there. Improved from what? Does he mean he's still playing at 80% of what he used to?
I think he means he's still not at his best and he's doing 80% of what he actually feels he can do
He probably means he improved to 80% this year from his 30% the last few years.
Disagree btw. He improved to about 70% which is not bad
He could play 2 more years but Id give him 5 mins or less a game
So instead of turning the ball over 8 times in an NBA Finals game, he'll do it 6 times now?
Manu will be a great coach one day. Until then, he's still a solid contributor.
HOFer
Instead of your mom sucking six s last weekend she sucked eight. We all have our flaws.
2yrs/35M imho
7 year max deal tbh.
He's been very active and I am surprised at his level of play. He's definitely worth having on the roster from a purely basketball perspective (let alone the other factors like his standing with the organization.)
Dont count me out. It was actually 9.
Will his bald spot on his crown reach his forehead as an active Spur?
Actually he looks fine with the super short cut.
It's very interesting that he mentions the team's inconsistency and poor play of late. There's a feeling that despite their record they are not playing their best and they are aware of it and seem worried by it. Then he looks around and he realizes that the other contenders are not playing that well either. But it's a small comfort bc they would rather be better at this point than they are. It kind of summarizes how we feel about them too. Lol
He could play another season, but he should not get the juicy contract he got for several reasons. He took steep discounts to sign Lamarcus the season prior and it evened out. Now the Spurs are not indebted in that sense. He could fall off at any point right now. That's just the reality and he will need a young player or two that are capable of eating minutes up for him bc he needs a rest schedule and minutes managed. In a small deal why not?
Lmao triggered the fat Mexican
#OneMoreYear
He's been way better than some dudes in their twenties. It's amazing.
Manu on point as usual!
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