Paul, Parker and the importance of Point Guards

[Darkwaters]

In the second Sunday game I covered, Tony Parker simply eviscerated the Brooklyn Nets in one of the most astonishing performances I have ever seen in person. Gregg Popovic talked before and after the game about how remarkably well his point guard had been performing and acknowledged that having Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili out helped give Parker the spotlight he more regularly deserves. Even without starters that can create their own offense, Parker managed to keep everyone involved while also forcing the defense to handle his scoring with 29 points on 12-for-21 shooting. What’s more, he assisted on 11 baskets without a single turnover. In total, Parker managed to have a hand in more than half of the team’s baskets despite playing less than five minutes in the fourth quarter. While some may try to give credit to the excellent system, what Parker has been able to do without a full complement of players has been nothing less than awe-inspiring so far this season. After the game, Popovic talked about how Parker should be in the group of players talked about for the MVP and while I would not go so far as to include him in that echelon since his defense stands out as a flaw, his remarkable season deserves plenty of note and adulation.

http://basketball.realgm.com/blog/22...f-Point-Guards

[BG_Spurs_Fan]

Just another guy who has watched the Spurs for the first time ( and probably last ) this season. LMAO @ calling out Parker for his defense

[SpursIndonesia]

his defense stands out as a flaw

Parker ain't a defensive stopper, but he certainly isn't FLAWED when talked about his defense, especially nowadays.

[Shifty]

You can't expect much Spurs' inside from someone who can't spell the coach's last name.

[will_spurs]

Parker can't defend and Kobe is a defensive god... so much bull that gets repeated ad nauseam by clueless writers.

And LOL to the guy saying he wouldn't put Parker in the MVP race, yet Parker was voted #5 last year and is having an even better season this year...

[freetiago]

Parker isnt a great defender
but he can play to a system perfectly
he doesnt take much risks if any and can force guys baseline or wherever theyre suppose to go

ive noticed though that when Parker is really motivated then he becomes an elite defender
last year when they were talking about him not being an all star, he went out and killed most other top point guards during that stretch til the all star game

[Obstructed_View]

Looking just at the shooting percentages of the starting point guards Parker's faced since the beginning of the year, they've all happened to have rough shooting nights since the Hornets and Lakers games. Tony was lucky that he didn't have to bother defending those guys, since they had as many shots as points, and we all know that's just random and has nothing to do with a defender.

[Roger Freemason Jr.]

Parker is one of the best defenders at the PG spot.

[Cry Havoc]

Parker isnt a great defender
but he can play to a system perfectly
he doesnt take much risks if any and can force guys baseline or wherever theyre suppose to go

ive noticed though that when Parker is really motivated then he becomes an elite defender
last year when they were talking about him not being an all star, he went out and killed most other top point guards during that stretch til the all star game

Parker is a great defender for a PG. There just aren't many PGs that are even average in defense compared to the other positions. It's a tough place to play D especially in this era of Pauls and Irvings and Parkers.