Parker talks to Esquire about playoff style

Written by Michael A. De Leon on May 24, 2013 15:00.

Tony Parker Fashion and style have long been part of the NBA, especially in a league filled with star power. It's also showed a glimpse at some questionable style choices, from Paul George showing up to his postgame presser looking like he just stepped out of a lime jello mold to the wacky suit choices some players sport on draft day.

San Antonio Spurs guard Tony Parker has been associated with style since he landed in the NBA as a fresh-faced 19-year-old from France. Being the son of a model never hurt, but Parker's draft day decision to go with the "Regis" look got him on best dressed draft lists on several media outlets.

Luckily for the Spurs and fans, Parker's fashionable wardrobe decisions were still far from his best talents on the hardwood.

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Coach K: Ginobili one of the great players in the world

Written by Quixem Ramirez on May 24, 2013 13:30.

Oftentimes, it's easy to just believe that Team USA is infallible with their disposal of talent -- which comes with the territory of having 12 of the best athletes in the world on the same squad. But they are indeed capable of mistakes and any well-coached international team, with a hard-and-fast system executed consistently enough, can topple what is widely considered the premier program in international play.

United States head coach Mike Krzyzewski doesn't take winning for granted. Krzyzewski has only lost one game in his 63-game tenure as head coach, and his team hasn't dropped a game in 50 consecutive matches.

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De Colo very frustrated with lack of playing time in the postseason

Written by Jeff Garcia on May 24, 2013 12:00.

Being an NBA rookie is hard enough but being an rookie with the San Antonio Spurs is another thing.

On a team with veterans such as Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker and a hard-nosed coach like Gregg Popovich, a rookie has to impress if he wants to crack the rotation and see steady minutes. Something rookie guard Nando De Colo is experiencing right now.

Nando played in 72 regular season games but saw his time on the court dwindle as the season progressed. He went from playing in 16 games in December to nine game in April to three games in the postseason where he has only totaled nine minutes. And now that he is not even suiting up for games in the playoffs nor has played in the Warriors and Grizzlies series, Nando is finding it very frustrating and it isn't sitting well with him.

In an interview with French site La Voix Du Nord, Nando vented about his lack of playing time with the Spurs.

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(Video) Spurs' Kawhi Leonard: It's good team had a close game vs. Grizzlies

Written by Jeff Garcia on May 24, 2013 10:30.

The San Antonio Spurs are up 2-0 on the Memphis Grizzlies in the Western Conference Finals as the scene shifts to Memphis for Game 3. However, Game 2 wasn't an easy win for the Spurs. Memphis made a huge rally to force overtime but the Spurs squeaked out the win.

While Spurs fans may have been sweating the narrow win, Kawhi Leonard says it is good the team had a close game and said coach Popovich was happy the team got the win but did point out the team's flaws.

Leonard was a guest on the Jim Rome Show and spoke about the narrow win and more including how the loss to the Thunder in last season's postseaon run still lingers in his mind, his thoughts on coach Gregg Popovich saying he is the future face of the franchise, playing in Memphis and the hostile crowd, and more.

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Duncan, Parker named to all-NBA teams

Written by Jeff Garcia on May 23, 2013 18:00.

San Antonio Spurs' Tim Duncan and Tony Parker have been selected to the 2012-13 all-NBA first and second team respectively.

Duncan received 45 first-team points and joined LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Kobe Bryant and Chris Paul on the first team. Parker is joined by Carmelo Anthony, Blake Griffin, Marc Gasol and Russell Westbrook on the all-NBA second team.

Duncan averaged 17.8 points, 9.9 rebounds, 2.7 assists, and 2.7 blocks during the regular season while Parker notched 20.3 points, 7.6 assists, and shot 52% on the season.

For Duncan this marks his 10th selection on the all-NBA first team and for Parker it marks his second selection to the second team.

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Stein: Leonard will likely be invited to Team USA mini-camp

Written by Quixem Ramirez on May 23, 2013 16:30.

Kawhi Leonard may have slipped to the 15th pick in the 2011 NBA Draft, where the San Antonio Spurs promptly grabbed him in a draft day deal, but

he has already garnered league-wide respect for his rapid development -- improving upon his college 3-point percentage by nearly 13 points (37.5 percent shooting from behind the arc in his first two seasons). All of this, despite an inconsistent release and the athleticism of wing defenders capable of bearing down and eliminating his space to shoot.

According to ESPN's Marc Stein, Leonard will likely be invited to Team USA's July mini-camp, headed by Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski. Leonard will join 23 high profile young players including 2012 No. 1 overall pick Anthony Davis, Klay Thompson, Harrison Barnes and Larry Sanders.

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Conley: Parker's playmaking puts defense 'at its mercy'

Written by Trevor Zickgraf on May 23, 2013 15:30.

The first two games served as a reminder that the Spurs' offense is a Tony Parker first offense and that when he's aggressive, it's a really good offense. Game 2 was a prime example of how Parker, despite having a dreadful shooting night, stayed aggressive and found his teammates on his way to 18 assists. Memphis Grizzlies guard Mike Conley, Jr. said after the game that Parker's playmaking has put the Grizzlies defense on their heels.

"Well, on pick-and-rolls, they had such good spacing that it allowed him (Parker) to manipulate and move the ball different ways, get into the paint and draw-and-kick," Conley said. "When you have a guy that's able to create plays like that for other people, it really puts the defense at its mercy."

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Spurs-Warriors draw historically poor TV ratings

Written by Quixem Ramirez on May 23, 2013 14:00.

Many people enjoy watching the San Antonio Spurs -- their convoluted motion-based system is capable of producing points in a hurry -- but there is

still a sizable subsection of America that cannot stand the Spurs and their "boring" brand of basketball. (Ignoring the fact, of course, that they have finished among the top seven in offensive efficiency in three consecutive seasons.)

Without the allure of either Kevin Durant's Oklahoma City Thunder, Chris Paul's Los Angeles Clippers and Kobe Bryant's Los Angeles Lakers -- each were prohibitive favorites in the Western Conference prior to the regular season -- ABC TV ratings dropped significantly last week according to Sports Media Watch.

Sunday's Game 4 tilt between the Spurs and Golden State Warriors registered a 3.4 rating (5.3 million viewers). Those numbers represent a 29 percent decrease in viewers from last year's Heat-Pacers series and 36 percent from the Lakers-Mavericks series in 2011 via Awful Announcing. Knicks-Pacers drew identical ratings on Saturday, too. The Players Championship on NBC, by comparison, received 7.6 million viewers.

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Ginobili: Grizzlies' late-game rally might inspire them in Game 3

Written by Quixem Ramirez on May 23, 2013 12:00.

It took seven quarters, in which the Spurs outscored Memphis by 34 points, but the Grizzlies may have found a viable solution against San Antonio's

pack-the-paint strategy -- spread the floor with Jerryd Bayless and Quincy Pondexter to make them pay for doubling Zach Randolph in the post.

Another fortuitous circumstance -- the nominally foul-averse Tim Duncan, averaging 2.5 fouls per 36 minutes this season, picked up his fifth personal foul with 7:36 remaining in the fourth quarter -- attributed to the Grizzlies' fourth quarter rally. With Duncan on the sidelines, they rattled off a 15-2 run in the final eight minutes to bring the game to overtime.

A well-rested Duncan scored six points in overtime to put the finishing touches on a narrow 93-89 victory in Game 2. But, instead of heading home searching for answers, Memphis already has tangible evidence that San Antonio is mortal.

If the Grizzlies late rally is the impetus behind an inspired Game 3 performance, don't be too surprised. Spurs guard Manu Ginobili wouldn't be surprised either.

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Video: Spurs' 'Big 3' speak on Game 3 vs. Grizzlies

Written by Jeff Garcia on May 23, 2013 10:30.

The San Antonio Spurs and Memphis Grizzlies will have two more days to rest and make adjustments heading into Game 3 this Saturday.

The Spurs held a practice yesterday and Tony Parker, Manu Ginobili and Tim Duncan spoke more on the overtime win versus Memphis in Game 2 including Memphis' late rally, and more.

Parker on MRI on aching calf, team role players, playing defense and more.

Duncan on crediting Parker in the series, team shooters, Grizzlies' playoff expereince and more.

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