Ladies and gentleman, I present the most ignored superstar in the NBA: Tony Parker.
While he may not be in this year’s MVP conversation with the likes of LeBron, Carmelo and Durant, anyone who saw Parker’s dismantling of the once-vaunted Lakers in Game 2 of their first round series might wonder why this is the case. His impressive stat line from Wednesday night’s game (scoring 28 points, 7 assists and 4 rebounds on 9-for-20 shooting from the field) only tells a partial story of his dominance on the floor, especially in the second half, proving that he is still the engine that makes the Spurs 15-year-old championship train go. Oh, and he’s still playing through several nagging injuries.
Twelve years and three NBA titles into his playing career, Parker has quietly become one of the league’s most dependable playoff performers from a historical perspective. While he certainly has had help, with past and present teammates including Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili and David Robinson, there’s no mistaking just how good Parker’s year-by-year postseason numbers are. Including the first two games of this year’s Spurs-Lakers series, he has averaged 19.0 points, 5.1 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game, all while shooting nearly 50% from the floor in his playoff career. He also helps anchor what is routinely one of the stingiest defenses, per 100 possessions in the entire league. At age 30, Parker has gone from being a beneficiary of playing on a superstar-driven team to being one of its irreplaceable cornerstones, and he’s only now moving through the prime of his career.
The question might be this: how long can he keep it going? With the careers of fellow Spurs stalwarts Duncan and Ginobili most likely coming to a close in the next season or two, it will be up to Parker to keep the Spurs’ winning tradition alive. The organization, known for its savvy drafting and emphasis on internal player development, will likely maintain its small-market status quo, meaning that the likelihood of a Miami-esque Big Three materializing at the Alamo is very slim.
Having said that, if there’s any point guard who can thrive in that sort of situation, it’s Parker; by combining speed, driving ability, a decent mid-range game and the ability to consistently get to the foul line. When he’s on, Parker is one of the most dangerous players in the game today. With the likes of Steve Nash and Allen Iverson playing well into their late-30s, there’s no reason to believe that San Antonio’s masterful maestro will be slowing down anytime soon.
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Photo Credit: Wiki Commons, CC
