re: NBA Nightly Thread 2/25: Philips Arena is leaking

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He's just not right physically or mentally right now though, and I don't know if he is going to come back from it

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I always kind of expected Tony's eventual decline to be more abrupt than Timmy's or Manu's. Tim's game was never high impact/athletic so it's easier for him to still play at this level. Manu in his prime was just as explosive as TP, but his playmaking skill and passing ability/court vision have always been his most lethal weapons, and why he's remained effective even though athletically he's probably been on a decline since 2009/10 or so.

TP is one of those guys who we've literally run into the ground. Out of necessity, and because that was the way to make him most effective. Even before he became a better shooter/finisher around the rim, his speed was his killer attribute and Pop used it first as a changeup to shock teams out of keying on Timmy's 4-down sets, and then as the cornerstone for initiating the motion offense SA has perfected since about 2011.

The shame about TP is his best years were the "worst" of the big3 era, from about 2007-2013. He basically carried us while Manu was in and out with injuries and Timmy was in the midst of transforming his body and his game for longevity's sake. So, TP was left to put up video game numbers while his supporting cast consisted of players like a past his prime Michael Finley and washouts like Keith Bogans.

It's a shame, but I don't think Parker will ever get his universal due, even among many Spurs fans.

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Robinson sacrificed a lot for the Spurs. IIRC, he didn't even have to come to SA after he spent two years in the Navy?

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I'm not sure about the specifics (I was too young ), but yeah, he always had weird clauses in his contract because of his military service. He definitely could have leveraged his way out of SA pretty quickly, and looking back at the underachieving teams he was on, it's a testament to his loyalty to the organization that he didn't.

This franchise is likely the Memphis Spurs if Five-Oh doesn't stay in SA and convince a young free agent Timmy to do the same, tbh.

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Seemed like one of the more genuinely good guys of the league.

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He was my role model growing up. My friends wanted to be "like Mike," but I was a Robinson guy from jump street

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I'll tell you now AD is cut from the same mold

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I've seen young blood in action, and I have to agree. Love his game and his demeanor

Y'all better throw him blank checks for the rest of his career. He's that kind of guy, I think, for NO

No offense to RTR, of course

Oh he will get paid anything he wants in this city. It just sucks he seems stuck to Monty and doesn't understand we could bring in someone even better to mentor him. That will be the crux going forward with this team. How do we make AD happy but firing Monty

Good point. I've said this before, but that's also why I think Harden will be effective a lot longer than Westbrook in the future.

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How do we make AD happy but firing Monty

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That might be something that will depend on AD's maturity about the business of basketball. Believe it or not, Pop was not well-liked when he took over as coach of the team. The players and fans liked Bob Hill, even though Hill had proven he couldn't get the job done.

Obviously it all worked out, but only because the players like Robinson were willing to rally behind the new guy for the greater good. Way easier said than done at the professional level.

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HOU coming for the #2 spot.

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And get rewarded with playing San Antonio or the Thunder. Y'all can have it

Yeah winning the division would be cool, but I'd rather avoid those two teams

Yeah I don't believe that for a second