Lurker,
I'm just curious on your take on this, when teams begin to work a defensive plan against the Spurs -- which Spur do you think is the first person the opposing team focuses on in their defensive strategy? Which Spur is number 2 in the defensive planning? Do you not think that opposing teams are more focused on stopping TD then Parker then Manu? Personally, if I have to focus on two players -- I'd rather focus on TD and Parker -- I'd see if Manu can beat the team by himself.
Also, it might bear pointing out Manu doesn't guard the opposing teams best player -- that job always falls on Bruce Bowen.
There is no diss intended simply pointing out that Manu isn't at the same level that Kobe is -- my son is a huge Manu fan (and I STILL let him live in the house although I won't allow him to own a jersey -- that father of the year award simply isn't worth it having a Spurs jersey in my house) but even he doesn't see Manu at the same level as Kobe.
Also, if winning gold elevates a player to the top of the league -- then Scola must be one of the best PF's in the league -- he had as much to do with the Argentine's winning gold as Manu did.
Oh, one last thing -- I'd say the "Suns playoff collusion" comments are directed at one person on this board -- the same person who has to come up with a collusion for anything the Lakers have ever done positive. He certainly wouldn't be putting those collusion comments on the Spurs when things happen for San Antonion (like ejecting players from the opposing squad, picking a ping pong ball against the odds -- that kind of thing) -- the Lakers have had more than their fair share of breaks in the past (trades that garnered the Lakers picks for Magic, Worthy -- trades that added Wilt, Kareem, Shaq choosing LA because he wanted to further his acting career, adding Shaq which enabled the Lakers to trade Vlade for the pick for Kobe, etc.) -- however, when you start down the "collusion" road than everything is open to collusion. I know the Spurs didn't tell Stern to eject Suns players -- if you are going to live by the law then you have to enforce the law all the time. It was a bad choice by Stern -- but if you start down the road of collusion than you have to open up everything for collusion, it's a bad road to start down (and we ALL know who can't help but throw in collusion with every post -- and he just happens to be a Spurs bandwagon fan).