Playoff Picture: San Antonio Spurs
By Luke Duffy
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Tony Parker
This team is close to being Leonard’s;, he’s assumed a bigger role on the offensive end and is a key contributor. But, as always, the old timers have found a way to keep it rolling for one more year. Statistically this hasn’t been Parker’s best season, but at 32 years of age he’s not as old as many think.
He always finds ways to turn it up in the playoffs, so much so that you could say he was this team’s most consistent performer when they won it all last season. He passes well, defends relatively well, knows when to score and knows when to get his teammates touches. His IQ is through the roof, has been for years.
There’s nothing this guy hasn’t seen, and his big game composure is up there with the best of them.
They say the truly great ones add to their games the older they get, and this is true of Parker. He’s always had a pretty stroke, but was far from a consistent three-point threat. He doesn’t get to the basket quite as easily as he used to. This year though, he’s shooting a sizzling 42.7 percent from beyond the arc. This adds another layer to Parker’s game.
In the past, you couldn’t quite sag off of him on the defensive end, but you could live with some of the shots he took. Sometimes they went in, sometimes they didn’t. Having that kind of three-point efficiency though, changes things for this team offensively. It opens up the play for the likes of Leonard and Duncan to have easier paths to the basket.
Expect the right play from this guy at the right time every night.
Next: Business As Usual For The Spurs