Manu Ginobili Is Overrated

[HarlemHeat37]

what?..

how exactly has the Lakers strategy been to take out Manu? I haven't noticed that..

I've noticed they're doubling Duncan half the time, and playing him 1 on 1 half the time..swarmed him in the 4th in game 1, and swarm him near the end of the shot clock..I've noticed they're trying hard to close the lane so Parker can't get inside and beat them with layups..

what have they done to stop Manu though? it's just solid 1 on 1 and team defense..I don't think LA's strategy is focused on Manu in any way, he's just injured and being defended well by Vujacic and the team..I don't see the focus on him though, and they haven't needed to anyways..

[Iggyemu]

what?..

how exactly has the Lakers strategy been to take out Manu? I haven't noticed that..

I've noticed they're doubling Duncan half the time, and playing him 1 on 1 half the time..swarmed him in the 4th in game 1, and swarm him near the end of the shot clock..I've noticed they're trying hard to close the lane so Parker can't get inside and beat them with layups..

what have they done to stop Manu though? it's just solid 1 on 1 and team defense..I don't think LA's strategy is focused on Manu in any way, he's just injured and being defended well by Vujacic and the team..I don't see the focus on him though, and they haven't needed to anyways..

I dunno if a result of the Spurs role players not being able to make shots but to me it seems that when he drives the lanes are closed up. When he gets by his man the Lakers are not afraid to get in front him at the risk of leaving shooters. Maybe its not a focus as it is more a result of the Spurs' inept role players. But the Lakers are doing a good job on Manu and it isn't just 1 on 1 defense.

[austinjw]

I love all these manu is hurt comments. He himself has said that he's capable of playing better than he's been playing. Dude has a minor ankle injury and a hurt fingernail. It's not like he has a bad back and a torn ligament in his finger, o wait that's Kobe.

Seriously, if you're on the floor and playing then injuries, however minor they may be, aren't an excuse. The truly great players have overcome those injuries during the crunch time and risen to the occasion when it mattered most.

No one's saying Manu isn't a great player. I just find it hard to believe that he was somehow the third best 2 guard in the league this year. That's what I'm referring too. He is too inconsistent to be relied on. It's not like there is a middle ground either. Either he's amazing, ala game 3, or he's dreadful, like he's been in the rest of the series the rest of the series.

[Sedale Threatt]

I think I read somewhere, maybe on Yahoo.com by the Spurs former beat writer, that they did an MRI on Ginobili and they found no structural damage. His ankle injury is apparently a flare up of some kind of chronic bone bruise or arthritic condition he's had since 2002 or so.

You can tell that he's off his game to a certain extent, but it's not like he's Kevin McHale limping through the 1987 playoffs with a broken foot. Nor do I buy the "Manu's tired" junk. Dude only plays, what, 30 minutes a night, had a four-day rest between Game 6 and 7 of the NO series, and all of a sudden he's worn out? Sure.

[Bob Ortegal]

AustinJW with his insights from the bandwagon!

[GuyverX]

I love all these manu is hurt comments. He himself has said that he's capable of playing better than he's been playing.

This is the Spurs mantra. No excuses. When Duncan had the flu during the New Orleans series, neither he nor Popovich said anything about it. This is also the case with Manu. He's being classy and doesn't want to make excuses for his horrible play but the fans and the media know that he just isn't right out there. He played great game 3 because his 3-point shot was falling but he's really been limited to what he can do off the dribble.

The Spurs don't make excuses for losses. Even with the no-call with Barry and Fisher at the end of game 4, Pop took the high road and said there was no foul when even the TNT guys all agreed there was one.

Even if he himself doesn't say anything about his ankle, it's affecting his play big time and that's the truth.

[NO-KG-AI]

Spurs don't have to make excuses, they have plenty of people to come and do it for them. I should have known Chandler and West shutting Duncan down to the tune of 5/3 would be twisted somehow.

[Blame Rasho]

Spurs don't have to make excuses, they have plenty of people to come and do it for them. I should have known Chandler and West shutting Duncan down to the tune of 5/3 would be twisted somehow.

Yeah... we all know he was 100% that game... You are better than that...

[NO-KG-AI]

I just think it's funny that no one heard anything about sickness until AFTER he dropped a clunker.

You would think we would hear about it, in case he drops a 20/20, he could be propped up. That's how sickness works in the NBA, whenever a player is sick, everyone looks for a big game.

If no one is making excuses, why did we have to hear about it after the fact?

[austinjw]

AustinJW with his insights from the bandwagon!

Wow, you got some really good insight yourself. Any other meaningful comments you care to add?

[Blame Rasho]

I just think it's funny that no one heard anything about sickness until AFTER he dropped a clunker.

You would think we would hear about it, in case he drops a 20/20, he could be propped up. That's how sickness works in the NBA, whenever a player is sick, everyone looks for a big game.

If no one is making excuses, why did we have to hear about it after the fact?

Well the logical answer is that someone asked what is wrong with TD...

[NO-KG-AI]

Re-cap:

No flu talk

Tim Duncan drops 5/3

"Wow, that was great D on Duncan"

"Oh he has the flu, aint you heard???!?!"

This is the Spurs mantra. No excuses. When Duncan had the flu during the New Orleans series, neither he nor Popovich said anything about it.

The Spurs don't make excuses for losses.

That's all im saying, if no one was making excuses, or we didn't hear about it, how come I know about it?

[LakerFanMan]

All this injury talk is pretty irrelevant. Manu is overrated even when he's completely healthy. Damn good player obviously, but 2nd best SG in the league? Or even top 5? I don't think so. He's just not a star. He'll give you 15-18 (in his best season) a game and great D, but he's not going to carry a team throughout a season or any of that.

[Ern III]

-= original quote snipped =-



Cry me a river..

You're already out of your depth.

[Malinhion]

I think people are very split on whether he's a roleplayer or a star.

I'm inclined to lean towards starm but then I realize that he doesn't have the stats, he's the 3rd best player on his own team, and I can't rationalize calling 6MoY a "star" even if he does win it multiple times.

[Gutter92]

Ginobili is an unorthodox player. Very fun to watch, very good when hot.

Inconsistent though, as clearly pointed out in the Lakers series.

I'm not worried. I think Game 5 will be a bounce back game for him.

No, I do not think he is over rated, although his inconsistency may prompt people to think so.

[HarlemHeat37]

Spurs don't have to make excuses, they have plenty of people to come and do it for them. I should have known Chandler and West shutting Duncan down to the tune of 5/3 would be twisted somehow.

I didn't make any excuses and a lot of Spurs fans here didn't..he had a bad game..you're wrong though, Chandler has become overrated after that series..he's being compared to Elton Brand..so I'm pretty sure many people took notice to Chandler's great D on Duncan in that series, and didn't dismiss it because Tim was sick..

[Reks]

Well when he has his A game and healthy, he is as good as any other SG not named Kobe.

When healthy and on their A games I find D Wade and T-Mac can blow him out of the water.

[GuyverX]

Re-cap:

No flu talk

Tim Duncan drops 5/3

"Wow, that was great D on Duncan"

"Oh he has the flu, aint you heard???!?!"

-= original quote snipped =-



That's all im saying, if no one was making excuses, or we didn't hear about it, how come I know about it?

Ever heard of insiders? Guys like Peter Vecsey get paid to dig up the dirt. They talk to everybody in the organization. Trainers, towel boys, security...if there is something even remotely wrong with a $100 million dollar star they will know.

And yeah, if Duncan drops 25/20 instead, there would be no talk but the media wants answers as to why Duncan just had a career playoff low and off they go digging.

[NO-KG-AI]

-= original quote snipped =-



I didn't make any excuses and a lot of Spurs fans here didn't..he had a bad game..you're wrong though, Chandler has become overrated after that series..he's being compared to Elton Brand..so I'm pretty sure many people took notice to Chandler's great D on Duncan in that series, and didn't dismiss it because Tim was sick..

Oh I'm with you on that. The entire team went from incredibly underrated, to overrated within a span of a few months, save for Chris Paul.

But Tyson does deserve all the credit for that, I dunno what got into him that series, but he was great, even the shots Duncan hit were so incredibly difficult, that he couldn't build a rhythm.