Now, Is Manu an All-Star? He'll have to be a coaches selection, but he ought to be

[RobinsontoDuncan]

His game saved the us big time. Without him torching Phoenix for 50 pts we would have been a lost cause after the first period, he played strong all night.

[whottt]

Manu and Parker are both legitimate All Star Candidates.

It just depends on how many guards they put on the All Star team...there's no rule that says there can only be 5 guards, the East had like 6 guards last season...and Manu can also play SF.

So if you assume the automatic bids are Tmac and Kobe, with Nash being a no-brainer...Ray Allen will make it

That leaves Bibby, Manu and Parker, both Manu and Parker have just as much a case of the AS game as Bibby...actually, they both have more of a case IMO.

Both could be All Stars and it wouldn't be a joke or a disgrace if either were.

[Brodels]

I still say no. Kobe, Nash, Allen, and McGrady are all locks. If Kobe can't play, it might open a door.

But even if another Spur makes it, I still think it won't be Manu. Manu had a big game last night, but Parker's been playing better lately and has arguable been the second-best point guard in the conference.

I don't think either will make it, but if another Spur goes, I think it will be Parker.

[whottt]

Even if Kobe can play, there's no rule that says there can only be 4 or 5 guards....last season the East had 6 guards/GF's.

[spursfaninla]

Parker hurt his case by scoring 2. All-star level guys just dont' do that.

Usually because they are the best player on their team, and are forced to "shoot their way out of it"...luckily we didnt' have to endure that.

That said, I hope he gets more serious consideration than I'm predicting, along with Manu.

[T Park]

SFILA

When youve got the flu, its tough to come out and have a 'Good game"

You could tell he wasn't himself last night.

He might be better for Sacramento.

It might not be better till New Orleans a week from today.

[spursfaninla]

I actually didn't get to see this game, I went to see Huckleberry Finn done by a deaf troupe.

Met a lady, too

I was VERY happy to hear about our win, and how Manu had a career game. This is a sign that manu should be a 20 ppg scorer, IMO. His efficiency is great, so what is holding him back?

Parker. He needs touches too. And Duncan, of course. The other guys shouldn't get as many, then, and these three should play like Minny's big 3 last year...

20 each, please....

[waly.mg]

Manu is an All Star in the Big Games and TP in the Small Games

Manu was the Top Scorer vs Miami (29), Seattle (21), Suns (48), Wolves (22) and Sacramento (18), 5 of the Top Teams, plus Denver and GSW

Others Big games scores: Kings: 24, Dallas: 22, Phoenix 13, Houston 13, Seattle 18, Detroit 18, Dallas 11, Lakers 18, Lakers 13 (Garbage)

Big Numbers for Big Games

[ALVAREZ6]

Manu has always been an all-star, I said it all season long.

Last night, he proved that he could start the ASG, screw Kobe.

[ALVAREZ6]

Manu just doesn't get to shoot the ball as many times as he would on a different team because the Spurs are a really deep team.

If Manu was on the Sixers, he would average closer to 20+ points.

[1Parker1]

Manu is an All Star in the Big Games and TP in the Small GamesManu was the Top Scorer vs Miami (29), Seattle (21), Suns (48), Wolves (22) and Sacramento (18), 5 of the Top Teams, plus Denver and GSW

Others Big games scores: Kings: 24, Dallas: 22, Phoenix 13, Houston 13, Seattle 18, Detroit 18, Dallas 11, Lakers 18, Lakers 13 (Garbage)

Big Numbers for Big Games

That's not true. I love how everyone is so hard on Tony all of a sudden. Tony has played ALL STAR level at big games also. Games 1 and 2 vs LA last year, our first game against the Suns this year, against Wolves he scored 21, etc. BOTH Tony and Manu deserve to be All Star's in my opinion. People like Kobe and McGrady get voted in simply because they are franchise players and are the center of their team, they must take at least 20 shots a game, hence their higher stats. Manu was unbelievable last night and Tony has been unbelievable for the past 10-15 Spurs games. It's not accurate to say that Mnau shows up for the big games and Tony for the small games.

[Ghost Writer]

Parker is nowhere close to being an All-Star. He's still a skinny SG with ball-handling skills. His playmaking has improved some, but he's still up and down.

Manu is an All-Star.

Walton said that there's only about 3 players int he NBA right now that he'd trade Manu for.

Mike Breen said that Manu should make the All-Star team.

Manu consistently brings it night after night and is capable of special performances like last night.

Udirich is reprising Claxton's "bail out little Tony" role.

[SequSpur]

Udirich is reprising Claxton's "bail out little Tony" role.

Definitely agree with this quote. I was concerned that the Spurs were going into another season with no backup pg. After last year's revolving door at that position, I had no hope, especially after signing an unknown kid from Rasho's back door. Who woulda thought?

Beno proved last night that he won't back down in tough situations and dude showed tremondous poise.

Now, one game doesn't make an allstar, but Manu definitely made a serious bid to get in. Parker was evidently sick, he really looked dazed to me. But over the long haul of wins, Parker has been much more consistent and allstar proven than Ginobili has.

Ginobili played in control last night, looked like the Gold Bar tin Dude that he is. Maybe this is the game that puts him into s om. If he comes out next game and drops 10 and 4 turnovers and 2 quarters of Pop lashing.... he can go to Cancun for the allstar weekend.

[whottt]

What horse , Parker has been carrying this team for the last month and after 1 bad game you guys trash him like he never shows up to play.


Parker scored 2 points? That's fine, but on the season he is still averaging nearly 16 PPG and 6 asssists and shooting near 50%.

You guys are ing stupid if you don't think other players have bad games....no one hits their averages every game.

[Kori Ellis]

I agree with Whottt. Tony have been averaging 20/7 over the past couple weeks and carrying the Spurs when no one else was showing up. He had a rough first half last night. And then when Beno was running the offense so well and the ball was going to Manu so much, there was no place for Tony. Having that kind of depth is a blessing.

I think Tony was much closer to being an All-Star than Manu was (up until last night) because Tony is becoming one of the top point guards in the league and there are so many good shooting guards. But now because of Manu's game of a lifetime, he'll garner some more coaches votes. In the end, probably neither one of them make it if Nash and Kobe are both healthy and going.

[adidas11]

I think Tony has a better shot than Manu, and I doubt both players will make the All star team.

I understand your thinking Whott, about how it would be possible for both guards to make the team. Placing Manu as a "small forward". But the only difference in your using the Eastern Conference reference, is that in the West, there are lots of forwards and power forwards that statistically deserve to make the team as well.

After the 5 All star starters, the remaining positions are chosen as 2 guards, 2 forwards, and 1 center. The remaining two positions can be any position. That gets you your twelve positions.

So let's look at it from the guard perspective. After Kobe and McGrady are chosen as the starters, Nash and Ray Allen are locks for the first two guard positions.

That leaves the other two "open" positions as a possibility for Manu and Parker.

Tim Duncan and KG are your starting forwards...

That leaves the two mandatory forward positions. Nowitzki and Stoudamire can be punched into those (unless Stoudamire is chosen as a *center*)

Who else do we have that plays forward in the West? Webber, Carmelo, Brand, Rashard Lewis, and others come to mind.

And one great game does NOT an All Star make. If that were the case, then Damon Stoudamire would be a lock for the All Star team as well...

I think Manu is FAR on the outside, looking in...

[S4Spur21]

Tony and Manu should go why:

They are great team members
They arent about ME ME ME ME
They help other team members get better
They play Defense.

thats why both should go..

[adidas11]

Tony and Manu should go why:

They are great team members
They arent about ME ME ME ME
They help other team members get better
They play Defense.

thats why both should go..

Uhh...S4Spur21, those are precisely the reasons why a player doesn't make the All Star team.

[RobinsontoDuncan]

yeah addidas is right, players who play team ball dont go to the all-star game, Tim is an exception but the offense is still molded around him.

[whottt]

adidas...12 guys make the AS team...

So this season...

How about 6 guards, G/F's...4 forwards and 2 Centers...

My All Star Roster is this...

G/GF's:
Kobe
Tmac
Nash
Allen
Manu
Parker

F's
Duncan
Garnett
Nowitzki
Amare

C's
Yao
Miller


Works for me...especially since Amare is actually playing Center this season, Miller is actually more of a forward, and Duncan is both.



If you think Marion, Peja or Webber deserve to go, then kick Miller off and take one of them instead, we'd still have guards and forwards to burn.


The only guy that has any semblance of an argument to be ahead of Parker and Manu is Marion...I don't think Bibby has as much of a case as either of them...and Peja is actually having kind of a crappy season compared to previous years.

Essentially the argument comes down to if the Kings, Spurs or Suns are more deserving to have multiple players going...one of those teams will have more than 1 player...

IMO the Spurs have the best case for mutiple players being chosen...

[RobinsontoDuncan]

yeah but i think both peja and marion deserve serious consideration

[RobinsontoDuncan]

Dont forget, Marion played out of his mind yesterday too.

[whottt]

The thing is...the team needs to have two legitimate PG's...Neither Kobe or TMac are a legitimate PG...Nash is one...so then you have to choose between Bibby and Parker for the back up slot...Parker is having a better season, his team is having a better season..and on top of that Bibby looks like the ass end of a dog and will drive viewers away just out of sheer ugliness.


So then we have to figure out how Manu gets on the team...well a lot of people want to see Manu in the AS game...a lot of people who know a lot about the NBA...

[smeagol]

Beno proved last night that he won't back down in tough situations and dude showed tremondous poise.

Lets see . . . what word best describes the above quote . . . "backpedaling" maybe . . .

Or maybe I can use a phrase: "I'm a moron for criticizing Beno from day one, without even having seen him play, simply because he is an unknown from Slovenia, not a proven NBA back-up PG".

Sequ: The good thing is that it takes a big man to admit his mistakes. You've admited one of your huge mistakes, the question is are you a big man?

[RobinsontoDuncan]

WTF are you talking about smeagol, Sequ didn't admit to a damn thing, he didn't go out and say, "well, i guess i was wrong for saying we ought to trade Beno, or saying he was soft, or cheap euro-trash that cant play, or that pop is a cheap bas for not getting a prooven backup PG."