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Wow. Surprised Manu was only as high as #5 on the lists.
This discussion only has to do with CURRENT nba players.
http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=5926209
Wow. Surprised Manu was only as high as #5 on the lists.
Im actually surprised they mentioned him... Good to see he's being recognized though. Jalen Rose was arguing with him the whole time when he mentioned Ginobili...
One of the things that made MJ, Bird etc and a guy like Horry clutch players was the plays they made off the ball and on defense in those moments. Something that arguably only Manu and Kobe have consistently shown in their careers, the ability to impact the game in the clutch in ways other than shooting.
Because the Spurs are so popular with the media?
Jesus... even he doesn't sound like he believes what he's spouting!
ESPN tries sooooooo hard to sell brand-name commodity players -- it's like watching out-dated instructional videos in a marketing class.
I'm not. Clutch to some people means they get lots of attention in big games. The Spurs players rarely get any respect. Writers have to painfully admit that Duncan is the greatest PF of all time, but they still find creative ways to ignore him at every turn just as they do the entire team, e.g. "quietest 20-3 start of all time" -Stein
Well, of course. Ginobili is not one of the usual suspects mentioned when it comes to elite clutch players. Not a big enough hype machine, so he doesn't count. Never mind what the stats say, it's apparently fun to continue to further this myth that Bryant is a more clutch player than him.
The reality is there isn't a better closer in the game than Ginobili. If you're talking last shot, that's different (statistically, Anthony is the best, even though the media likes to continue to pretend it's Bryant). But I'm talking last 6-8 minutes of a close game, who would you rather have with the ball in their hands than him? I'd take Pierce second.
Yeah while we're on the subject i have always wondered why we don't get this respect. Our team has been so great for so long and never have they gave us the respect due. They always just try to blow us off. Why exactly is that, just because we weren't as flashy as others or is it because of the team were on. Because if Duncan was wearing purple and gold with manu and tony im pretty sure they would have been considered the greatest team of all time by now...
i cant open that link at work, could someone post the list for me please coz yesterday i had a discussion with a laker fan on other forum and he says fisher is the best clutch player in history.....
Manu at the buzzer!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qum0F22NmXg
Yeah i completely agree with your response including peirce at no. 2. But the funny thing is when you mentioned about Bryant. Particulary the shot that came up in my head was the last shot of game 5 against Phoenix last year when Ron Artest bailed him out. Or his Game 7 finals performance of last year...
Yupp... I could sense some uneasiness when Bayless listed Ginobili at #5
Jalen Rose
5 Dirk
4 Carmelo
3 Wade
2 Pierce
1 Kobe
Skip Bayless
5 Manu
4 Carmelo
3 Pierce
2 Wade
1 Kobe
I was surprised when they mentioned Manu due to the fact the media isn't so friendly with the Spurs......
Skip Bayless loves the Spurs and is always talking about them so it's not really a surprise.
It's hardly surprising that the Spurs' start has hardly registered a beep on the national media's radar. That's just how it is. As Tim has alluded to before, the time when the Big 3 plus Pop retires (a sad, sad day), is the time to look back and really evaluate where they stand in history. Then, people will realize, if they are at all objective, just what this core group has achieved during their run. Too bad for them because they'll already have missed the great show that we Spurs fans have been watching and enjoying for years now.
The only thing that really annoys me about the lack of national media respect is the lack of coverage of their games in my local cable channel.
I agree. Manu usually gets the most love from analysts when I see the spurs play on t.v. Second, The whole point of the show is to have the most accurate list. If it means putting in a player thats not a superstar or not that popular, they usually will because it makes them appear smarter when their player proves them right later on. Plus, Manu just hit a big shot the night before. But! It is pretty stiff compe ion.Skip Bayless loves the Spurs and is always talking about them so it's not really a surprise.
Skip defending his Manu pick on twitter:
http://twitter.com/REALSKIPBAYLESS
Anyone who thinks Manu isn't current top 5 clutch doesn't watch him. Duncan calls him "our closer." Drives, dishes, step-backs, gets to line
From 2005-7, Manu was consistently in the top 3 clutch players statistically (can't remember exactly how they measure it, but it was pts and %s in last 2 mins I think). Injuries derailed his last two seasons, but right now he looks as good as he was back in his prime. He is definitely one of the top few clutch players in the game.
Bet he wishes he could have said that to Jalen Rose.
What is this "back in his prime" nonsense I always hear? Forget his age or the fact that he may not be quite as athletic as he once was (though he's close), this is his prime. His play this calendar year is right up there with 04-05 and 07-08.
I don't get it. If Duncan's play this season was up there with 01-02 and 02-03, would he not still be in his prime? Or is it all about age and athleticism? It should be more about efficiency and production.
Okay, let's compromise - he is effectively having a second prime. No doubting his play is up to the standard of 2005-07, even with somewhat diminished athleticism.
The reason I said "back in his prime" is age and athleticism - most player's athletic prime is their late 20s, and he is 33. It's rare for SGs not to decline by his age.
Its simple. He's just extended his prime. If prime is age and athleticism, then it would be more like 23-25 yrs of age. The point is to get smarter and more efficient until your physical outweighs the rest. I'd still take a 04-05 manu over a 10-11 manu, but he has altered his game with a deadly 3 point and playmaking ability. Very similar to Kobe. Kobe's best year was his 07 MVP year. people might complain blah blah blah, but to me, that year is the first year really "got it".Okay, let's compromise - he is effectively having a second prime. No doubting his play is up to the standard of 2005-07, even with somewhat diminished athleticism.
The reason I said "back in his prime" is age and athleticism - most player's athletic prime is their late 20s, and he is 33. It's rare for SGs not to decline by his age.
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