Tony Parker reminded us Wednesdaythat he is still Tony Parker. He was playing for France and had scored all of four points near the end of a close game against Australia, when he did this:The play was pure Parker: ahigh-arching shot off the dribble that won a big game. Parker uses his understanding of angles as well as anyone in NBA history. He also wins as much as just about anyone in NBA
Patrick Beverley Jersey history.This 76-75 France victory against Croatia in the group stage of the Rio Olympics' men's basketball competition reinforced who Parker always has been as well as who he is now.MORE: Parker is a four-time champion, six-time All-Star and one-time NBA Finals MVP. He did all of that for the Spurs. He is 34 and coming off a season in which he started 72 games for a team that won a franchise-record 67.Yet some wish Parker were the one retiring, rather than 40-year-old Tim Duncan. The buzz has been there for two years now: Tony Parker doesn't quite have it anymore, the Spurs are better off with Patty Mills, the backcourt isn't good enough to win in this environment, the NBA has moved past players like Parker, he's not fast enough, he's a defensive liability.The weird part is, those naysayers tend to be Spurs fans. Outsiders tend to defer when it comes to the Spurs. Gregg Popovich knows what he's doing, and the succe s doesn't ever stop. The franchise has never mi sed the postseason in consecutive years, going
Wesley Johnson Jersey all the way back to its days as the Dallas Chaparrels in the ABA. By the end of next season, the Spurs probably will have the best all-time winning percentage, surpa sing even the Lakers. In short: If you're looking on from the outside, you don't feel compelled to nitpick at San Antonio's absurd succe s.MORE: The naysayers have a few valid points, though. The Spurs inarguably have produced better without Parker on the floor. Mills, whose Team Australia beat Team France in their Olympic opener, is a better shooter in an era when
Avery Bradley Jersey floor-spacing is a premium. Last season, the Spurs were 0.7 pointsper 100 po se sions better with Mills on the court than off, while they were 1.6 points per 100 worse with Parker on the court than off.Parker is not good at one-on-one defense, though Popovich's schemes have worked to his advantage and prevented him from being a liability. Parker has spent his entire career using his ridiculous quickne s to penetrate, find open pockets in opposing defenses and either score or force them to collapse, leading to teammates being open. He's not as quick as he once was, though, and his a sist rate and at-the-rim scoring have slipped noticeablyin the past two seasons.The complaints register similar to Heat fans arguing that the team was playing better with Dwyane Wade off the court and Goran Dragic controlling the offense during last regular season. The playoffs rolled around, and Wade reminded everyone that he is still Dwyane Wade.MORE: And Parker is still Tony Parker. He's changed his game quite a bit over the past few years, deferring offensive responsibilities to Kawhi Leonard and spending last year working on newfound pick
Montrezl Harrell Jersey -and-roll chemistry with LaMarcus Aldridge. Mostly, he's become a really efficient, low-volume shooter: He made 41.5 percent of his 3-pointers last year, taking 0.9 per game after years of being derided as an awful shooter.Low volume is the best way to describe Parker now, for the Spurs and for Team France, which he guided to its first European championship in 2013. Parker's six points Wednesdaycame on five shot attempts, and he let former Spurs teammates Nando De Colo(22 points)and Boris Diaw (11 points, nine rebounds and nine a sists)carry most of the offensive burden.Parker makes $14.5 million next season and$15.4 million in 2017-18. The contract he signed in 2014 was a bargain; he was coming off being the starting point
Landry Shamet Jersey guard and leading scorer for the NBA champions. With the expanding salary cap, that money means he is making what a decent starter should make, and he's at least a decent starter.MORE: There still exists a need for Tony Parker to be Tony Parker, though. Let's hope the naysayers saw that shot above. Let's watch as Parker proves yet again next NBA season that he can provide the spark when his team needs it most.
The Wall