Spursx3 -- what NBA player doesn't play through injury? I'm not sure that there are very many players who aren't playing through tendinitis, etc. because of the demands of the game. The Spurs strength was supposed to be the strength of their bench and the ability for players to step up. I guess my problem with Parker's comments are how is he any different from Steve Nash? When Nash steps off the floor for Phoenix the Suns struggles tremendously -- Nash has been injured, still isn't 100% and the Suns have got to play him as many minutes as he can handle because without him the Suns are a mediocre team.Â
What NBA player doesn't play thru an injury? Just Shaq. But maybe the new and improved Heat Shaq will. B)
Randoph is making some sense. However while lots have to play thru nagging stuff, I don't want to see Parker, GNob or for that matter Nash or anyone else play thru an injury that is going to further damage them.
:hail: Devin Brown has been fantastic.
Not sure that Brent Barry is doing what the Spurs thought he would do.
He has some great games but overall he is playing good D and transition but very little O for the minutes he plays. Nor Horry, altho heaven forbid getting you three started on that again.
Randolph, the Lakers stopping Parker "over the years" would be better summed up as "1 for 2."
He's only been in 3 years. Toss out the rookie year. 2003 he roasted Kobme, DFish and the Lakers. Last year Parker along with the entire jumpshooting Spurs went entirely flat against Malone and Co. Concur they stopped them last year cold. We're still missing that Stephen Jackson-Stevie Kerr types that could snap the Spurs out of a shooting slump faster then you could say "Championship".
This years playoffs are a statement for Parker. But he needs the backup like he had in '03. SpeedyC, Kerr, Jackson (while not a backup a slumpbreaker). Devin Brown has already been great in the playoffs and will come thru again. Beno Udrih i think will come thru in the playoffs as a backup. Barry on O I dunno. I hope so.
What NBA player doesn't play thru an injury? Just Shaq. But maybe the new and improved Heat Shaq will.
Even Shaq plays with injuries -- he just has to be properly motivated -- something he WASN'T motivated to do last year (or the year before). People STILL don't seem to understand that the ONLY reason Shaq is having a year like he is currently having (2nd in the NBA only to Steve Nash, IMO) is because of the fact that he feels he has something to prove. If Shaq would have stayed in LA with the Lakers, he would be in worse shape than he was last year when Ben Wallace ran him all over the floor. With Shaq playing like he is currently, combined with Wade and the Heats role players, the Heat, IMO, have to be the favorites to come out of the Eastern Conference.
Devin Brown has been fantastic.
Not sure that Brent Barry is doing what the Spurs thought he would do.
He has some great games but overall he is playing good D and transition but very little O for the minutes he plays. Nor Horry, altho heaven forbid getting you three started on that again.
Devin Brown is a solid player -- not the player than Stephen Jackson was (boy, what a mistake THAT loss was) either offensively or defensively. He doesn't shoot as well, doesn't rebound as well, doesn't defend as well but he is a solid player. It's just that defenses are more concerned about TD, Manu and Parker than they are about Devin Brown (Rasho, Bowen, etc. all get more spacing and wide open looks because of their teammates).
the Lakers stopping Parker "over the years" would be better summed up as "1 for 2." He's only been in 3 years. Toss out the rookie year. 2003 he roasted Kobme, DFish and the Lakers. Last year Parker along with the entire jumpshooting Spurs went entirely flat against Malone and Co. Concur they stopped them last year cold. We're still missing that Stephen Jackson-Stevie Kerr types that could snap the Spurs out of a shooting slump faster then you could say "Championship".
Still trying to figure out what the heck you are talking about, Reality. I didn't say anything about the "Lakers "stopping Parker" over the years." What I DID say was that, as a defense, you focus on stopping TD -- make the OTHER Spurs beat you -- and the other Spurs haven't proven they can do that in a championship series. Parker was having a field day with GP -- mainly because GP is not longer half the defender he used to be -- but that's not a surprise since every team with a small quick PG gave the Lakers fits last year. What did the Lakers do to stop Parker? Cut off the drive and forced him to shoot -- Parkers outside shots come only as a confidence of his inside drive -- you take the inside drive away from he (Manu is the same way) and they won't make shots from the outside.
However, the Spurs are going to win with defense -- not outside shooting. The Spurs have some GREAT defenders -- TD, Bowen, Manu, Horry and Barry are all excellent defenders and that bodes well for the Spurs come time for playoffs.
I am probably the MOST surprised by Barry's lack of "fitting in" to the Spurs gameplan. This guy was EXACTLY what the Spurs needed, IMO. Great outside shooter, great defender, excellent in the passing lanes (defensely and offensively) and can knock down the three -- he is great in the open court -- however, the things that I have seen him do for YEARS just haven't really materialized in SA and for the life of me, I just don't understand why! IMO, this is one of the biggest puzzles of the 2004-2005 NBA year for me. Barry was EXACTLY what the Spurs needed but simply hasn't done it -- and I've seen Barry do everything I said he would do for years -- really strange.
