Reply With Quote
The haters are gonna be on you like white on rice, CMG.
Spurs' Parker turning into deeper threat
Point guard seeing success from perimeter; opponents haven't noticed until too late
By Mark Rosner
AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF
Friday, May 05, 2006
The NBA has its Basketball Without Borders outreach program to the world, but one of the league's foreign players has been restricted by boundaries.
Tony Parker, the 23-year-old Spurs guard by way of Paris, has not been adept at consistently making shots from the perimeter.
Which is why Parker found himself on Tuesday with an invitation from Sacramento to take as many open jumpers as he wanted. Knock yourself out, kid.
Parker accepted the offer and scored 21 points during a 109-98 victory that gave the Spurs a 3-2 edge in the best-of-seven playoff series that resumes tonight in Sacramento. Parker said he will be fine despite a bruise on his right thigh that he suffered early in the game on Tuesday.
Seven of Parker's eight baskets were perimeter shots, the shortest from 10 feet, the longest from 32, just ahead of the buzzer that ended the first quarter. The most important evidence of improvement during his fifth season is that Parker hit five shots from between 16 to 19 feet, the ones he needs to make for the Spurs to succeed.
"If they're going to give me the jump shot, I have to take it," Parker said. "Especially when they leave me wide open."
Opponents tend to do that with Parker, most noticeably in the playoffs. They constrict their defenses, protecting the basket against the advances of Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili and Parker, all adept at scoring inside.
Parker's excursions to the basket were so successful this season that he led the Spurs in scoring with 18.9 points a game, earning his first trip to the NBA All-Star game. His 54.8 field-goal percentage ranked third in the NBA, the first time a point guard finished that high since 1974-75. Golden State's Butch Beard ranked second that year with 52.8.
Still, most guards need a reliable jump shot to excel. Parker's poor perimeter shooting contributed to the Spurs' second-round loss to the Los Angeles Lakers in 2004. Even when the Spurs won championships with him as the starting point guard in 2003 and 2005, Parker spent key periods of games on the bench.
After defeating New Jersey in the 2003 Finals, the Spurs angled for Jason Kidd, the Nets' point guard who was a free agent. Kidd turned them down.
Last year, the Spurs didn't cast for a replacement point guard, they hired a shooting coach.
Chip Engelland came highly recommended, having worked with former Spur Steve Kerr, the most accurate three-point shooter in NBA history.
Engelland adjusted Parker's grip so he could make better use of his thumb. He now releases the ball similarly to his wildly successful teardrop runner shot in the lane.
Parker didn't appear to need much of a jump shot early in the season, when he was making enough layups to lead the NBA in points in the paint for more than a month and half, a category usually dominated by larger players.
Eventually, opponents adjusted, backing off Parker to discourage him from driving. He maintained his scoring prowess by becoming a more consistent shooter.
"If people sag back on him, he has to be able to hit that shot," Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. "I'd say about midseason he developed the confidence, and we developed the confidence to run things for him to get those shots."
Said Parker, "I've been knocking down my shot all year long. I'm feeling great."
Even so, as the playoffs approached, when Parker was asked by a San Antonio reporter if he had something to prove, he said, "Absolutely."
He's done well so far, leading the Spurs with 20.4 points a game in the Sacramento series, hitting half of his shots. Parker struggled in just one of the five games, hitting 4 of 13 shots in Game 3.
One element missing from Parker's repertoire is three-point shooting a en. Parker hit just 31.5 percent during his first four seasons (the league average last year was 35.6). This season he reduced his attempts considerably, taking just 36 treys (converting 11) after averaging 197 in his first four years.
Popovich said adding a more reliable three-point shot is probably the next phase of Parker's development, although the coach added that might not be necessary.
"We've been fairly successful without it," Popovich said.
Indeed, Popovich will take Parker as he is, a player largely responsible for the Spurs setting a franchise record with 63 victories during a season when Duncan and Ginobili endured injuries.
"He's been our most consistent player," Popovich said. "The guy who's held it together for us offensively, gave us that punch to sustain the record we've sustained."
Code:Tony Parker's career stats Year FGM-FGA Pct. 3PT-3PTA Pct. FT-FTA Pct. 2001-02 268-639 .419 61-189 .323 108-160 .675 2002-03 484-1,043 .464 82-243 .337 219-290 .755 2003-04 423-946 .447 62-199 .312 191-272 .702 2004-05 539-1,118 .482 43-156 .276 210-323 .650 2005-06 623-1,136 .548 11- 36 .306 253-358 .707
The haters are gonna be on you like white on rice, CMG.
Hey, I was jumping all over TP during game 3, so I'm doing the "fair and balanced" thing.The haters are gonna be on you like white on rice, CMG.
For a second I thought it said Austin316.com, thy should make that their address
"He's been our most consistent player," Popovich said. "The guy who's held it together for us offensively, gave us that punch to sustain the record we've sustained."
Interesting, I hadn't realized Tony was averaging such a high number in this series. And yet, many people on the forum have already started proclaiming their annual "Tony Parker is useless" in the playoffs/during crunch time statements.He's done well so far, leading the Spurs with 20.4 points a game in the Sacramento series, hitting half of his shots. Parker struggled in just one of the five games, hitting 4 of 13 shots in Game 3.
Right. And, it doesn't matter what he does, it is not enough. They say, "He must score XX points a game." He does that and it's, "Well, in order to be a top-notch point guard (like they'd know one if he kicked them in the shin), he's gotta have XX assists a game." He does that and it's on to something else. They are never happy. Even when you show them statistics that prove he's compe ive with other point guards in the leage (and better than most), they still .Interesting, I hadn't realized Tony was averaging such a high number in this series. And yet, many people on the forum have already started proclaiming their annual "Tony Parker is useless" in the playoffs/during crunch time statements.
NO RESPECT!Right. And, it doesn't matter what he does, it is not enough. They say, "He must score XX points a game." He does that and it's, "Well, in order to be a top-notch point guard (like they'd know one if he kicked them in the shin), he's gotta have XX assists a game." He does that and it's on to something else. They are never happy. Even when you show them statistics that prove he's compe ive with other point guards in the leage (and better than most), they still .
SPURS GO OUT THERE AND EARN EVERY OUNCE!!!!!!
Weird. For a second I thought it said "throat", not "thread', and was like "jeez, are they ever gonna quit with the "brokeback" threads???"
There are currently 1 users browsing this thread. (0 members and 1 guests)
Posting Permissions
