Tony Parker still an important piece to the San Antonio Spurs
Tony Parker was selected twenty-eighth overall in the 2001 NBA Draft, as a 19-year old. Several seasons and championships later, he still remains an important piece to San Antonio.
Tony Parker has come along way from his first season with the Spurs after he averaged 9.2 points, 4.3 assists and 2.6 rebounds per game.
Now in his 15th season with San Antonio, he now has to change the way he approaches the game. As his career is winding down, just like we saw with Tim Duncan, he has to turn his attention elsewhere.
Head Coach Gregg Popovich has already started limiting Parker. This season, he is playing the fewest minutes of his career.
He is also averaging 9.6 points and 4.3 assists per game–his lowest totals since his rookie season.
With the decline of his play, Parker has not been on many teams radar’s as of late to be the one to do damage to their teams. In fact, he was not included in SI.com’s preseason ranking of the NBA’s top 100 players.
The numbers may not be eye-popping as they once were in his career, but he still can take over a game.
Despite his decline on the offensive end, Parker has taken the role of a team-leader.
With a resume that includes winning multiple NBA crowns, NBA Finals MVP (2007) and NBA All-Star selections, Parker has been largely overlooked or under-appreciated by many.
Popovich who has been through the ups and downs with Parker, wants to make things clear.
Pop continues on and talks about that eery feeling he gets when Parker was not mentioned as one of the top five guys in the league.
As for Parker, he knows that times are changing, his body can’t react the same way it used to. He feels his role now is much bigger.
Exactly what separates every star player that has dawned the Silver and Black. Each have placed their egos aside and have done what is right for the team, not themselves.
Parker, who has been lucky enough to play alongside the likes of Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili learned first hand how to treat every player that comes on the team.
Parker though, knows there are going to be people that talk about his role and may or may not understand it but at the end of the day, he does what Pop needs him to do.
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