Posts tagged TonyParker at FanHouse

Though members of the fanbase may think drastic upgrades are needed, it would seem that the Spurs are prepared to primarily hold the course going into next season. The Spurs re-signed veteran guard Michael Finley on Friday, according to MySA.com. Terms of the deal were not available, but his agentreported tht the deal was for more than the league minimum. Considering that Finely is 35, I wouldn't imagine it's a very long deal, either.

Finley rejected offers from the Celtics and from overseas to take another year with Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, and the rest of Greg Popovich's crew. The signing is another indication that the Spurs are more willing to go with an aging version of their championship squads than to pursue what they see as more risky options (*cough* Jannero Pargo).

Finley played sparingly last season, getting his usual share of big shots in the playoffs, but it's clear that the dropoff is increasing. The Spurs lost Brent Barry, who was the most productive of the older crew, while re-signing Kurt Thomas and taking their sweet time with Robert Horry. They did add Roger Mason earlier in the offseason, but one man does not a youth upgrade make. The key to the 2008-2009 season for the Spurs will not only be the health of the big three (Duncan, Parker, and Manu Ginobili), but the ability of the bench's remarkably ancient contingent to provide meaningful minutes.

This offseason, NBA FanHouse will address important questions about the league. It will be a Summer of Answers. First up: the biggest draft busts of the decade.

The 2001 NBA Draft was pretty weak in terms of legitimate ballers who would be found contributing meaningful minutes for seasons to come. Sure, '01 gave us Tony Parker and Gilbert Arenas, but they went 28th and 31st overall respectively. Lottery picks that year were far from household names: Eddy Curry, Eddie Griffin, DeSagana Diop, and Rodney White were all selected in the top 10. But all of that doesn't make that year's number one overall selection, Kwame Brown, any less of a bust.

Before we lay out the evidence of Kwame's career suckitude, let's admit that he had quite a bit working against him coming into the league, shall we? He was the first player ever drafted number one overall directly out of high school (KG was taken fifth in '95), and to go along with that he had the pressure of being Michael Jordan's first draft pick as an executive of the Washington Wizards. Considering that Kwame turned out to have the mental toughness of a certain cake he destroyed one fateful night in Hermosa Beach, this was clearly going to be too much stress for the youngster to handle.

As his knee ankle injury contributed to San Antonio's exit from the conference finals this season, Manu Ginobili had been expected to skip international duty this summer. Of course, it's not any summer: it's one of those multiples of four, which means it's an Olympics year. Argentina is the reigning gold medalist; without Manu, there's little hope of winning again.

So while San Antonio would prefer Ginobili rest that knee ankle, Manu looks like he's doing everything he can to prove to the Spurs that he is alright. Jeff McDonald of the San Antonio Express-News has a dispatch on Manu's training in Argentina ... which features a Spurs assistant making the trek, as well.

Last week, Spurs assistant trainer Chad Bergman accompanied Ginobili back to Argentina, where the national team has begun scrimmaging in preparation for the Olympics. Ginobili has not participated in those workouts, but the Spurs have been pleased with his progress so far.

No timetable has been set for Ginobili's decision.

The Spurs have an odd relationship with their international stars. Manu and Tony Parker round out the franchise's cornerstones, but the organization last summer strongly insisted those two and Fabricio Oberto skip national duties to rest for the oncoming season. Parker convinced the team to let him play, but France finished eighth in the Euro Championship, and didn't even qualify for the pre-Olympic qualifier. We'd never hope for team-player dispute (especially not after the Toronto-Garbajosa saga), but San Antonio's stance on Manu's participation bears watching.

(Note: A previous version of this post incorrectly identified the location of the source of Manu's pain. We regret the error, and we apologize for unfairly maligning Manu's fully healthy knee.)

As his knee injury contributed to San Antonio's exit from the conference finals this season, Manu Ginobili had been expected to skip international duty this summer. Of course, it's not any summer: it's one of those multiples of four, which means it's an Olympics year. Argentina is the reigning gold medalist; without Manu, there's little hope of winning again.

So while San Antonio would prefer Ginobili rest that knee, Manu looks like he's doing everything he can to prove to the Spurs that he is alright. Jeff McDonald of the San Antonio Express-News has a dispatch on Manu's training in Argentina ... which features a Spurs assistant making the trek, as well.

Last week, Spurs assistant trainer Chad Bergman accompanied Ginobili back to Argentina, where the national team has begun scrimmaging in preparation for the Olympics. Ginobili has not participated in those workouts, but the Spurs have been pleased with his progress so far.

No timetable has been set for Ginobili's decision.

The Spurs have an odd relationship with their international stars. Manu and Tony Parker round out the franchise's cornerstones, but the organization last summer strongly insisted those two and Fabricio Oberto skip national duties to rest for the oncoming season. Parker convinced the team to let him play, but France finished eighth in the Euro Championship, and didn't even qualify for the pre-Olympic qualifier. We'd never hope for team-player dispute (especially not after the Toronto-Garbajosa saga), but San Antonio's stance on Manu's participation bears watching.

Crystal Ballin' takes a team-by-team look at what should, could, and probably will happen in the June 26th NBA Draft.

San Antonio has a solid foundation with Tim Duncan and Tony Parker, but for the most part, the rest of their roster has gotten very old all of a sudden. That's what happens I guess when you've been competing for titles for the last nine years. It would be great for the team to get some young talent who could step in and contribute right away, and for years to come as well.

Picks: #26, #45, #57.

Needs: Interior defense and rebounding, and someone who can spell Parker at the point guard spot.

Best case scenario: Mario Chalmers is still on the board, because he's experienced and could probably get some of those Jacque Vaughn minutes fairly early in the season.

Rajon Rondo's status among the great young NBA point guards will be discussed fully this summer, I suspect. It's a hard argument to make because no point guard in the league derives so much of his talent from the defensive end, and few are as well-rounded (21 points, 8 assists, 7 rebounds, 6 steals -- who let Andrei Kirilenko circa 2004 in this thing?!). As we've found out over the past couple years, defense -- on the individual level -- is really hard to measure.

It seems worth noting today that Rondo is youngest starter on an NBA champion since Tony Parker in 2003. Parker turned 21 during the Spurs' playoff run that season, and had Speedy Claxton to buoy him in the backcourt. This year, 22-year-old Rondo shared the point with Sam Cassell and Eddie House in the Finals, but still played over 30 minutes per game.

Myriad teams passed over Rondo in the 2006 draft for guys like Quincy Douby, Patrick O'Bryant, Mouhamed Sene, Cedric Simmons, and Oleksiy Pecherov. Rarely do guards or swingmen get drafted based on their defensive potential; when they do (Tayshaun Prince), the choices are criticized. And to be fair, it's dangerous for an exec with a tenuous hold on employment to pick a perimeter defender in the draft: if the team defense is no good (Knicks), then your potential defensive wiz kid (Renaldo Balkman) will have no chance to look alive. Gunners can score no matter how bad the team offense is. Disruptors require community help.

What players would Rondo's success endorse this draft season? Russell Westbrook would be the first name I'd find -- like Rajon, Westbrook's jumper has been questioned, but no one denies the brilliant athleticism and focused defense he offers. Lower-valued guards like Chris Douglas-Roberts and DeMarcus Nelson should be included in this conversation, as well. We'll find out next week if anyone thinks Rondo has greater implications.

You're beautiful, San Antonio, no matter what Chuck says.

But, yes, you're done. The games were close, but the series was not. Most eulogies started coming in Tuesday night, though everyone who knows stuff correctly insisted the Spurs wouldn't be punking out tonight. But as the finality of what is very likely the end of dynastic/dynamic run set in late in the fourth quarter, some extra emphasis on -- as Marv said -- the model franchise is required.

The Spurs had no business holding off the young bucks the last two seasons. S.A. was supposed to be old eons ago, but they outlasted Phoenix (youthful last year) and New Orleans (spring chickens). Grit, determination, and unequaled preparation can't win forever, and something about going out in five really gives you the feeling the Spurs won't win forever. Add in that S.A. got outSpurred -- with Pau Gasol owning the fourth quarter glass, and Kobe shredding Bowen all series long.

But Tony Parker's only 26, you know. R.C. Buford is still R.C. frickin' Buford. Tim Duncan's body remains resilient, Manu has an All-Star game in him, I can feel it. They won't top the championship odds next October, and a slip into 'fighting for a postseason berth' mode wouldn't shock. But the Spurs have been counted out before. Pay your respects, but don't think they're buried yet.

The only man in the NBA who can flop on a close-out.

It almost doesn't feel right talking about an elimination game for Tim Duncan, et al., does it? Sure, even numbered year and blah-blah-blah, but these guys are the San Antonio dynasty. They don't tend to lose, even when all the momentum has shifted against them (see: last series) and they look overmatched.

But here we are, with the Lakers up 3-1 and threatening to put this one away early. Oh, and of course, the Lakers are in Los Angeles, which probably won't make things much easier for the Spurs. The most interesting thing will be seeing how Phil and Kobe plan their attack, whether Mamba comes out firing or whether he tries to involve everyone else first.

Or maybe the most interesting thing will be how Manu Ginobili responds (especially in light of the new flopping rules) tonight; the Spurs are 1-3 in this series when he doesn't show up. Join us at 9 to see if the Lakers can close it out.

Do or die. Win or go home. Other clichés. The Champs are up against the cliff, and the Lakers have the spear pointed at their backsides. Manu! The Machine! Kobe! Bonner! Okay, maybe not Bonner. Either way, this should be fun this evening. In the latest in our continuing series, we look at five things to keep an eye on tonight in the Western Conference Finals Game 5 between the Los Angeles Lakers and the San Antonio Spurs.


1. Ginobility In Defeat: It's pretty clear Manu Ginobili is not 100%. And with him struggling as much as he has, it puts the Spurs in an even dicier proposition than just being down 3-1. The Spurs offense has eroded into the big three and the occasional shot from the supporting cast, and with a third of that on one leg, it effectively puts the pressure on the Spurs aging bench to produce. Granted, sometimes that results in Brent Barry scoring 23 points and nearly winning the game. But it also forces too many perimeter shots from players that are struggling with confidence in shooting and allows the Lakers to gamble more on pressuring Tony Parker on pick and rolls and attacking Tim Duncan with the double in the post. Ginobili is going to have to have three absolutely knock out games back to back to back if the Spurs are going to have a prayer of getting back in this thing, starting with Game 5.

2. Barry Barry Good To Me: Speaking of Barry, he's emerged as the Spurs' veteran shooter du jour for this round of the playoffs. Greg Popovich has a tremendous amount of respect and confidence in Robert Horry, but Big Shot Bob has lost most of his value, outside of trying to injure the other team's squad or drawing suspensions. Popovich needs energy, speed, and shooting, and Barry is supplying all of the above right now. We'll see if the Lakers dedicate more pressure on Barry with their rotations or continue to roll the dice on whoever is in the second pass shooter spot, Barry or otherwise.

In the latest of our continuing series, we look at Game 3 of the Western Conference Finals, as the Lakers visit San Antonio.

1. All eyes on Manu. (And Turiaf.) How bad is Manu's ankle? Bad enough the Spurs coaching staff considered locking him in the showers before Friday's Game 2. A warning regarding San Antonio's plausible plight with a continually gimpy Ginobili should be valued without my dictation, but: the Spurs desperately need Manu to play OK or better in order to win. The San Antonio Express-News' Spurs blog says Manu will again come off the bench, but has looked OK in shoot-around, for whatever that's worth.

2. San Antonio makes me board. The Spurs are a terrific defensive rebounding team, leading the NBA by a solid margin this year. As such the Lakers, a rather poor offensive rebounding team, has gotten only 12 o-boards in 72 opportunities this series, a 16.7% figure which would be dead last by a bundle over an entire season. L.A. has shot plenty well enough to negate the need for second chances, but you have to figure the top-flight S.A. defense will assert itself at some point. If that point's today, and L.A. isn't able to capture some key offensive rebounds, it could spell offensive doom.

Three more, after the jump.