Talent/skills...IMO Parker is above average; in your opinion he's not.
Right--above average, not great, not awesome, not all-NBA, not Top 3, not Top 5.
But underlying those skills is a decent amount of talent or athletic ability.
Right--a
decent amount of talent, not great amount, large amount, huge amount, all-world amount, just decent.
Lurker you're making our argument for us!
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What about the other 10-12 players that are supposedly more talented than Parker?
Fine, Lurker, since I was the guy to bring out the names, I'll go ahead and make the case, playing by your rules, of course. We seem to be in agreement that Parker doesn't sniff Nash or Kidd's jock, let's take those two names out.
Baron Davis -- Over the last 4 years, Davis has nearly doubled Parker's career assist total. Career steals double Parker's, he outrebounds Parker, and has converted six times the 3 pointers made in 25 less games played on average. To say nothing of the fact that he led a rag-tag, undisciplined, bottom-feeding 8th seed and masterfully unfolded one of the greatest playoff upsets OF ALL TIME!
Chris Paul -- Once again, more assists, more steals, more rebounds, has a long range game (you know what, I'm going to consider that Parker does NOT have a long range game--I mean when he hasn't attemted more than 40 in either of the last two years and still has converted at a 35% clip--it just doesn't exist and as a guard, I'm going to hold it against him--like I do for Devin Harris, Avery Johnson, Brevin Knight, Andre Miller, or any other guard that does not have this most basic of skills, since comparing Parkers's stats with these guys will be silly, I'll just state they have a long range game under each). Back to Paul, oh yeah, better FT shooter, he has a greater PER and comparable TS% for all you rave about Parker's 50% from layup. And he's three years younger for all you rave about Parker's youth.
Chauncey Billups -- Billups had 8 seasons of sub-par assist numbers to drag his career average down and STILL has the same career average as Parker. Has less TOs per game even though he's primary ball handler on his team, Parker defers to Ginobili as ball handler quite often. Is about 72 million times the free throw shooter Parker is. Once again (and you'll be hearing this a lot) has a long range game. Billups has had 2 All-Defense selections, Parker zero. Billups has 2 All-NBA selections, Parker zero.
Stephon Marbury -- Let's throw in the last two extremely Mediocre years by Mr. "Starbury"
For his career, he still scores more, passes more, steals more, shoots a better free throw, has a long range game, AND (and this shocked me truthfully) has a higher PER. Both are two-time All-Stars but Marbury was 2-time All-NBA Third Team.
Mike Bibby -- Okay, he passes more, steals more, shoots better free throws, has long ra--this is getting repetitive and boring. EVERBODY on my list does these same basic point guard things better than Tony Parker. I'll mention when a player doesn't, how's that.
Deron Williams -- Review how much better Chris Paul is, statistically, than Tony Parker and know that many respected basketball communities consider this guy better than Paul. Posting 9.3 apg (almost double TP) at the tender age of 23 is pretty good.
Mo Williams -- You laugh at me that I would even dare to have the AUDACITY of stating this guy "probably" has more talent that Tony Parker. Would it interest you to know that the ONLY thing this guy didn't do better than Tony Parker last year was score, hmmmmm?
Kirk Hinrich -- ISN'T EVEN A FULL FREAKIN' POINT GUARD and has averaged more assists every single year than Tony Parker's best season! Defensively he's superior to Tony Parker (as is everyone on this list with the exception of Marbury, Mo Williams, and Mike Bibby) and has an All-Defensive selection to prove it.
and lastly but most ridiculously . . .
Gilbert Arenas-- Let's forget about the fact that Arenas averages more points, more rebounds, more assists, more steals, more ft attempts, better FT percentage, more 3 pointers made, better 3 point percentage, and sports a higher PER. Let's forget about ALL that. Next time Parker drops 60 points in one game, you be sure to let know--case closed.
There . . . Nash, Kidd, Davis, Paul, Billups, Marbury, Bibby, D Williams, M Williams, Hinrich, Arenas. 11 guys statiscally proven to be better than Tony Parker in almost all facets of PG play, except FG%. And excuuuuuse me if I aesthetically prefer most of these guys 45% ability to shoot from ANYWHERE rather than Parker's ability to shoot 50% from layup.
