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He already came of age last year...
Okay, so it seems a bit superfluous to say that a player who's already been on the All-Star team is having a "breakout" year, but Parker seems to be well on his way to the next level. His rapping about breaking ankles is now a daily reality, and he's got more energy than ever before.
He's not scared to penetrate late in games any longer. He has built his stamina up where he has enough energy left over to have the extra gear in the 4th. His jumpshot looks very steady and is forcing players to guard him out farther from the hoop. His passing has obviously improved, as his 14 dimes against Utah left the taste of sparkling wine in the mouths of Spurs fans. His confidence is there this year, better than ever.
However, two areas remain that Parker has perhaps improved more in than any others.
The first one is obvious. Defense. Put simply, the kid can guard anyone who's even close to his size right now. He's got incredibly quick hands and doesn't let his man get around him often. He's become our 3rd lock-down defender, which is just scary.
Secondly, I've noticed that Parker has learned this year how to really read and gauge pick-and-roll situations. He doesn't force his way around anymore, like the old Parker. That wore him down having to use 100% of his speed to get to the rim. Now, he's ready for the pick and he knows how to run off of it. He's far from hasty any longer, in fact, he looks serene and patient, just dribbling around behind a Duncan screen, waiting for his man to commit. Then -- shoom, he's gone, right to the tin. He's also learned to differentiate between the distance he can make up on any help defense and pass out of it if need be.
His stats for the playoffs are excellent: 19.5 points on 46% shooting, although he's avg. 55.56% against Utah, 3 rebounds, 1.23 steals, under 2 fouls per game, and 6.8 assists per game. He's doing this all while guarding the likes of AI, Bell/Barbosa, some of the fastest players in the league.
Say what you want about his shooting percentages, Parker is playing against the best guards in the league right now, and is doing more than just hanging with them. I think he's solidified himself as one of the best point guards in basketball. But perhaps it's more than that. Parker is just 25. He could easily be one of the best players in the NBA soon.
Now, if we could only get him to stop rapping.
He already came of age last year...
So far, so good. However, he still needs to continue to produce the rest of the playoffs. If he lays an egg from here on out, no one will remember any progress he's made.
His poise has improved, as has his jump shot. I still think his passing and decision making are average but he well makes up for it in other areas on offense and defense.
The defense aspect is really the part that Parker has improved a lot. Defensively, Duncan, Bowen and Parker now form the corner stones for Spurs.
like i use to say, where were Nash at 25??
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