Tony Parker reminds us all that he’s still a top point guard

by

AT&T CENTER — Both the captains of their teams, Tony Parker and Chris Paul met face-to-face at center court for the first time on a night of the two men attempting to mirror each other up and down the AT&T Center floor. Pleasantries were exchanged and instructions given by NBA officials just before tip-off of the San Antonio Spurs’ 109-84 win over the New Orleans Hornets.

The meeting concluded and Tim Duncan, Parker’s co-captain, ran to the front of the team’s layup line — making sure to mess with Sean Elliott, doing the pre-game TV broadcast, on the way. Normally three steps behind Duncan, Parker lingered near mid-court to continue his dialogue with Paul. Two players near the apex of their powers at the NBA’s most important position. Friends and rivals, the pair exchanged some lighthearted trash talk before returning to their respective ends of the floor.

To most, the competition between Paul and Deron Williams is the league’s preeminent point guard battle. Both true point guards with the distinction as the best player on their respective teams vying for that same title at their position. Tony Parker is usually an outsider looking in on that discussion.

Not thought of as a traditional point guard thanks to the system he plays in — though his stats this season my beg to differ — Parker’s assist numbers suffered during his career because the San Antonio Spurs offense does not rely on him penetrating and using one pass to find an open shooter. Instead, ball movement is key.

Parker’s name is thrown into the ring as a Top-5 point guard just a handful of times per season, and usually only when the French point guard is fully healthy. Otherwise he’s a forgotten man on the league’s point landscape. Not definitively regarded as the best player on his team, thanks to Duncan’s greatness and Manu Ginobili’s Manu Ginobili-ness, Parker’s season averages of 16.8 points and seven assists per game this season are easily overlooked.

But on Sunday night Parker did his best to remind all those at the AT&T Center and watching on TV that he can be considered a member of the elite. Parker led the Spurs with 19 points and eight assists in just over 26 minutes of play against a New Orleans team fighting a traveling stomach virus. DJ Mbenga missed the game with sickness and David West was inactive for the Hornets last game against New York Knicks.

“I just wanted to be aggressive,” Tony Parker said after the game. “I had a stretch of games not being myself and I was not playing good basketball, so the last two games, I just wanted to be aggressive and make stuff happen for myself and for my teammates and get back to how I was playing at the beginning of the season.”

And boy, did Tony Parker make stuff happen. Parker darted in and out of New Orleans’ defense early in the game, usually ending possessions with points for himself or a teammate. Parker had already produced nine points and four assists when Ginobili checked into the game for him with a shade over a minute left in the first quarter.

On the other end of the floor, Parker stepped up to the challenge of defending Paul. Parker made himself a nuisance to Paul and did his best to contain the uncontainable. Paul scored 16 points on 5-13 from the field and handed out eight assists in 32 minutes of play, though a handful of those minutes were after Spurs starters had parked themselves on the bench for the night. Paul also ended up with four turnovers.

“I just wanted to be aggressive, try to make it hard on [Paul], try to make it difficult, stay in front of him and make sure he doesn’t get those easy passes or easy lobs that he usually gets,” Parker said.

Parker did have one luxury that Paul did not. Parker had the aid of George Hill on the defensive end. When Hill checked into the game mid-way through the first quarter, Parker was afforded the opportunity to slide over and guard Willie Green while Hill defended the Hornets’ All-World point guard. Paul wasn’t so lucky, he was stuck on Parker for the majority of the game, save for a few possessions.

“I thought [Parker and Hill] gave a lot of effort, to the point where Chris had to work for everything he got and that’s all you can do with Chris,” Spurs Head Coach Gregg Popovich said after the game. “If you make him work for everything, there’s nothing else you can ask for.”

Pop may be a bit hyperbolic. There’s plenty more he can ask for from Parker, and he does. But as the Spurs have learned over the years, Parker can handle it.

  • http://www.bpifanconnect.com Alix Babaie

    Tony Parker is definitely an All Star this season! He has been the motor, along with Manu that has been keeping this team running strong all season. The Spurs made the best decision in quite a while by securing TP and not listening to the morons who are anti-Parker demanding he get traded.

  • 92blazada

    Yea, Parker is definetly a valuable piece of this Spurs team. He can layup almost at ease, shoot the midrange jumper, and occasionally hit the three. He may not be Manu, but he contributes in plenty of other ways. I’ll take him over Hill almost everytime. The player I’m thinking we should trade eventually is Blair. I love his rebounding, but he doesn’t provide the length or the mid range shooting that is needed to compete against say the Celtics or Lakers.

  • td4life

    “Not definitively regarded as the best player on his team, thanks to Duncan’s greatness and Manu Ginobili’s Manu Ginobili-ness”

    Nobody displays more Manu Ginobili-ness night in and night out than Manu Ginobili. Respect.

  • BayAreaSpursFan

    I love me some Manu Ginobili-ness!

  • Hollywood Jones

    48MOH,

    This paragraph has me thinking…

    “Not thought of as a traditional point guard thanks to the system he plays in — though his stats this season my beg to differ — Parker’s assist numbers suffered during his career because the San Antonio Spurs offense does not rely on him penetrating and using one pass to find an open shooter.”

    Can you elaborate on why the system precludes him from being a top point guard? I would say he was considered top 3 or 4 a few years back but his momentary decline in health for the past few seasons, in combination with the rise of many younger PGs, led to his disappearance from discussion.

    I’m not even sure what the “system” is/was as it seems to evolve over the years. I think Parker has the ball in his hands plenty for him to get assists. He is so good at scoring in the paint I can see why he doesn’t need to pass, but I’ve thought that was more his personal choice of score versus pass, not some directive coming from Pop. I can’t imagine Pop not wanting Parker to pass more in theory.

    I don’t have the stats but are you indirectly saying that the Team assists numbers are usually high but Parker’s are not?

  • DieHardSpur

    @Hollywood Jones

    In a system such as the Spurs Offense, it is driven off of a point guard who can “dribble-penetrate and score” at will to break defenses down (no assist). Once this happens 2-3 times early on, the point guard starts a “drive-and-kick” offense. Usually, most teams are good enough to recover and guard the “kick” man (3 pt shooter). that three point shooter then makes the extra pass to another open shooter (no assist). While Parker is 100% involved in creating these plays, he doesnt get the assist/credit.

    Also, in years past, the Spurs have relied on Mr. Consistency (Timmy) to create from the post. Timmy, more often than not the last 10 years, has drawn the double team in just about every situation. When the double team is drawn, Tim is stellar at making the pass to the open man (assist).

    In a more “open” offense, or “running” offense, there is much more opportunity to set a man up in the pick/roll or pick/pop situations, which is the primary reason Steve Nash/Jason Kidd/Deron Williams usually post such incredible assist numbers. While I am not knocking these guys ability to play the game, it is just not as difficult if you are only setting up 1-2 players.

    Clear as mud yet?

  • DieHardSpur

    If you look directly at the Team Assists, this will speak volumes to the “extra pass” I was referencing.

  • Hollywood Jones

    DHS,

    Thanks for responding. I understand this theory but have difficulty completely accepting that’s why Tony’s assists have been down over the years.

    I think the players create the system more than the system creates the players. Obviously for role players they have specific parameters, like camping out for the corner three and spacing the floor for penetration and post play. I get that. But I think the system is built around Parker penetrating and scoring because that’s what he does well. If he was a better passer I think Pop would roll with that.

    Avery had no problem getting more assists playing under Pop. So to blame the situation on the “system” isn’t a full answer for me, but I understand it’s part of it.

  • DieHardSpur

    @Hollywood Jones

    Avery also ran a plain and simple pick&roll offense through the suprememly athletic and dominant David Robinson.

    If you look, basketball history will show you that a good poing guard with an elite athletic/dominant big man can get you a ton of assists/points.

    Avery/Robinson
    Nash/Staudamire
    Stockton/Malone

    Robinson and Malone were both scoring title holders as well as Nash and Stockton being assist title holders. The way we utilized Timmy throughout his career has been supremely different than that of the careers of Malone/Robinson.

    I believe Pop thought it was more important to gear his offense through Timmy’s abilities than through Tony’s.

    Just my take.

  • Bushka

    Tim has long been the focal point of the offense although this season we have obviously gone away from 4 down.

    When you have such a dominant low post player who is also a fantastic passer out of the double team you go to him early and often.

    I don’t really subscribe to this positional purity idea either. The idea that if a player doesn’t get the right numbers on paper then he can’t be that “guy”.

    I don’t see much evidence around the league for the “pure” Pg idea, or the “pure Centre”. I have serious doubts it exists anywhere apart from the collective consciousness of the fan base.

    Every top PG has his own unique set of abilities, I’ve long thought focusing on the elementary parts of the box score to be counter productive.

    The spurs run a system with three excellent passers Manu, Tony & Tim. When it hums it really hums. Blending those disparate talents is a lot more important than the assist numbers in my opinion.

  • DieHardSpur

    @Bushka

    “The spurs run a system with three excellent passers Manu, Tony & Tim. When it hums it really hums. Blending those disparate talents is a lot more important than the assist numbers in my opinion.”

    100% agreed.

    This also explains why we are consistently in the top for Team Assists - and Tony not averaging 10 a game.

  • Flavor

    Bushka: Thank you! you said what i’ve been thinking for a while… I believe that while the we the fans are looking out there and thinking “we could use another PF/CENTER, we need more bigs, etc.” the Spurs FO looks strickly @ players and doesn’t look to fill team spots by “positions needed,” but rather by what the indivdual brings to the team as a whole…

  • Greyberger

    As for whether Tony is (back?) among the best five or three or x poing guards in the league -

    I think it’s understandable that he often ends up on lists as an ‘honorable mention’ beneath the top tier, usually Chris Paul, Deron Williams, Rajon Rondo and this year, Rose or Westbrook.

    What these young players have in common is their teams would be hard-pressed to generate any offense without them. They’re always the number one option in the backcourt, and if another guard is taking a shot it’s likely an assist from them.

    Well, San Antonio’s offense is better than the offense in Utah, OKC, Boston Chicago or NO. We have two star play-making AND shot-making guards, an embarrassment of riches not unlike what the Lakers have with big men.

    Manu Ginobili is the reason why Tony Parker doesn’t have to play the minutes, post the usage%, or define the offense the way that Paul and Rose do… although we all suspect Tony and Manu could shine brighter apart and each make bad teams decent, it’s not something we should spend a lot of time thinking about.

    For years Pop spaced our guards’ minutes by having Manu play while Tony rested, and now (I suppose the bench is finally good enough when both are resting) they both start. Moving Manu back to the starting lineup probably had a lot to do with a guy named George Hill. Again, embarrassment of riches.

  • Bushka

    Exactly my thinking Greyberger.

    Our guard depth is now where it needs to be. Trading Tony last season would have been a disaster this year.

  • junierizzle

    CP3 and DWill can fight over the “best PG” title. I’ll take TP’s 3 rings and Finals MVP any day of the week. Not to mention he has a shot at a fourth this year. Yeah I said it.

  • notasgoodasoncewas

    One thing I would like to add. Look at how well Tony plays when he plays what is considered the elite. 9 times out of 10 he ethier out plays them or plays just as well.

  • andy

    with all due respect to parker’s skills and production, i think it’s only this year that he’s cemented his status as an elite pg. yes, he’s been good to great, but with the injuries and the wear on his treads, it was reasonable to question him. this puts all doubt aside.

    honestly, one thing i relish about being a spurs fan is the anonymity. call me a wallflower, but i’d rather quietly win and get the job done than have squawking heads yelling themselves blue over whether we deserve consideration as the best or not. leave that to l.a., miami, chicago, and new york. same goes for positions. tim isn’t the best because talking heads are yelling it from the mountains. it’s what he’s been doing night in and out.

  • AmyfromLA

    @andy

    I agree w/u 100% about getting the job done quietly! =) I’m not big on the flare and hype either, else I’d be a Laker fan.

    I love my Spurs!!!!!! =)

  • ITGuy

    Go Spurs Go!!

  • rob

    From the first time he played in a Spurs game I knew Parker was going to be good.

    Some players just have that “it” factor.

    Perhaps Tony isn’t done maturing. And in his maturization process…he eventually may be recognized as a top PG by outside sources.

    But as others have said…who cares about national recognition as an individual player…history will show that Parker was key to winning championships.

  • lutherwarm

    Honestly, who cares if he’s considered a top pg or not? Last I checked, this is a TEAM game and indivual accolades mean nothing unless you win the big one. TP has not only won the big one, he’s won it three times over. His skills set is very unique and unlike D-Will, Rose, Rondo, or Westbrook, TP plays exclusively below the rim which makes his production even more remarkable. While he may not be most people’s idea of what a PG should be, I’d take him 10-10 times to start my team.

  • Flavor

    Manu and Parker are not from America, and Nash is from America Junior which is why those two cats don’t get as much love… IMO

  • desispur

    @Flavor:
    Isn’t Nash from Canada?

    The biggest improvement in Tony’s game recently is that whenever his opposing player goes “under the screen” and Tony shoots the 18 footer most people believe that the shot is going in. I personally can’t remember as a fan being this confident of Tony’s jumper.
    I agree with notasgoodoncewas: When was the last game that Tony was outclassed by an opposing point guard?

  • deispur

    Apologies to Flavor: I did not notice your sense of humor.

  • desispur

    Apologies to @Flavor. Did not notice your sense of humor.

  • MG20TD21

    Tony can get it done. He will drive to the basket and when the opportunity arrives he will dish it to the open man for the shot. What I have to offer to this thread is that Tony is playing great D this year. He is doing what he always does when he is healthy. Tony has never been a leader in stats. He has the ability to take over a game, with his speed, with his passing ability, or his ability to more reliably hit an open 14 footer. assists are up, which is a marker for the Spurs using him to run a more up tempo offense.

    As for his defense. Tony has been playing with more fire on that side of the ball this year. The easiest stat to see is his steals per game. He has 1.6 per game this season, up from .5 last season. He has made a concerted effort to step up his defensive effort this season. He is consistently outplaying his matchup, not every night, but the majority of the first quarter of the season. He has shown extra hustle and desire on the defensive end this season.

    Whether or not Tony is one of the best point guards in the league is a non point. He is the best point guard the Spurs system could have. He is a great fit when playing with tim or manu. Beyond that, Manu and Tony are the most productive backcourt in the league.

    It’s a team game, and the Spurs are set to have a great season. The test will come against the Lakers in the playoffs. We will need Tiago. Tiago is the key. As long as we stay healthy, the only thing we need is a defensive big to go 25-30 minutes against Pau/Lamar, and assuming he is healthy Bynum. That’s the test. Clearly the Spurs can run and defend with anyone, but our frontcourt needs to get better to beat the Lakers frontcourt. Tony and Manu are better than Kobe and Fischer. But our frontcourt has been exposed a couple times this season. If K-Love and Darko can get it done, (maybe a Darko fluke) but K-Love was unstoppable both games, we need to bring more playing time to Splitter so that he is ready to face the likes of a Pau or Odom. Tony is great, and Manu is Manu. If they stay healthy our bench can hang with anyone, except maybe the Lakers. Those boys be big, and Odom can spread the floor. Timmy can only do so much. I believe in him, I think Timmy can step up and give us 3 great games in a 7 game series. I hate to say it, but he is not the man now, he may be able to conjure up some offensive magic, he will ALWAYS be a defensive force, but I don;t think he has the ability to do it 7 games in a row. And I think that Manu and Tony can carry a game, but we will need a big to bang down low against the Lakers. As much as I love Blair, I don’t think he can get it done. If we keep using Dice like we have been he will be worn out as well. It’s time to give Splitter more time, lose some games if that’s what it means, but, allow him to develop his NBA game. And hope. Hope he can be a defensive force. He has the potential. Hope we stay healthy.