how much does Manu have left?

PhilasFinest · Post #1 » by **PhilasFinest** » Sat Feb 25, 2012 3:19 pm

hey, big manu fan but havent been able to catch alot of him.

I know he's been injured, and this season/lockout takes its toll on everyone...BUT

How much does Manu have left in your opinions?... 2-3 years of his usual level of play?

Ballings7 · Post #2 » by **Ballings7** » Sat Feb 25, 2012 7:48 pm

He was playing well early in the season

Post #3 » by **Nolan** » Sat Feb 25, 2012 9:48 pm

He's such a crafty and skilled player and he really doesn't really heavily on his athleticism so you'd think he could be effect for a lot longer. But on the other hand he's very injury prone and there's a point in a players career when enough is enough.

In the end I think he'll retire with Duncan and Pops whenever that is. All three of them going out together would be perfect for them and the franchise.

Donald Kaufman · Post #4 » by **Donald Kaufman** » Sun Feb 26, 2012 12:14 am

The injuries keep piling up, so who really knows? He can still play, he's a smart player and as a team we're not going anywhere without him.

And if those 3 retire at the same time like you suggest Nolan, I think I might have some major separation anxiety.

BFrizzy · Post #5 » by **BFrizzy** » Sun Feb 26, 2012 1:07 am

I think 2-3 years if he has the drive and his body holds. He did say not long ago that he plans to give it away in a couple seasons time:
viewtopic.php?f=30&t=1125878

That's going to be a weird day for me, I wont know who to idolize in terms of active players from that day...

Donald Kaufman · Post #6 » by **Donald Kaufman** » Sun Feb 26, 2012 10:04 am

James Harden seems to be the closest thing left in terms of current players that have the Manu gene.

SinJackal · Post #7 » by **SinJackal** » Sun Feb 26, 2012 3:49 pm

Nolan wrote:He's such a crafty and skilled player and he really doesn't really heavily on his athleticism so you'd think he could be effect for a lot longer. But on the other hand he's very injury prone and there's a point in a players career when enough is enough.

In the end I think he'll retire with Duncan and Pops whenever that is. All three of them going out together would be perfect for them and the franchise.

I might be in the minority here, but I think Gregg Popovich will stay a bit past Duncan retiring. it would seem almost like he was abandoning the team when Duncan left. They need something to keep everything held together once Duncan's gone. We'd probably still have Parker, but losing Duncan, Ginobili, and Popovich all at once would be a huge hit to the main core of the team. I think Popovich realizes that and wouldn't leave right as those guys do. I just get the feeling he'd stick around until he got the next core set up before handing over the reigns to his protege.

But I agree. 2-3 years, aka 2 1/2 including this year. That's how long I pegged Duncan for playing too. I suspect Ginobili will stick around until Duncan goes. I worry our team will fall to pieces without those 3 guys. I like Splitter, but he can't replace Timmy defensively.

Even now our team still blows on defense whenever he sits, but is quality when he's out there. Our defensive rating gets 8 points worse when Duncan's on the bench. :roll:

Donald Kaufman wrote:James Harden seems to be the closest thing left in terms of current players that have the Manu gene.

Harden doesn't have even close to the playmaking and defensive skills of Manu. He can score about as well as Manu though this year. His game needs more work to be considered on the same level. Let's not forget Manu has 3 rings and led the only team to defeat Team USA in the Olympics. The only reason Manu hasn't been averaging 24 PPG or so is because he played his entire career with Tim Duncan and Tony Parker, in a system with a coach that hates giving single players too many FGAs. Likewise for Parker. Look what he's averaged since Ginobili went down. . like 24-25 PPG. Fun fact: Parker averages over 30 PPG (33.6) when both Duncan and Ginobili are not playing. Those guys are better than their stats. They simply don't care about the hype that comes with them, they just want W's.

Ginobili has been one of the most underrated/best kept secrets for a long time. But yeah, one of Ginobili's best strengths is his ability to make his teammates better and drive/kick like a PG. Harden's best asset is putting the ball in the basket, with playmaking as a distant afterthought.

Post #8 » by **Nolan** » Sun Feb 26, 2012 6:24 pm

SinJackal wrote:I might be in the minority here, but I think Gregg Popovich will stay a bit past Duncan retiring. it would seem almost like he was abandoning the team when Duncan left. They need something to keep everything held together once Duncan's gone. We'd probably still have Parker, but losing Duncan, Ginobili, and Popovich all at once would be a huge hit to the main core of the team. I think Popovich realizes that and wouldn't leave right as those guys do. I just get the feeling he'd stick around until he got the next core set up before handing over the reigns to his protege.

Pops has said multiple times that he'll retire when Duncan does. It would be nice to see him hand over the reigns to someone else but I just don't see it happening.