This season marked just the fourth time in the Tim Duncan-Gregg Popovich era where the San Antonio Spurs exited the postseason after one round of competition. Understanding what went wrong is more about diagnostic accuracy than finger-pointing.
But however one frames the fallout, point guard Tony Parker will shoulder his sizable share of the blame. And the franchise's near-term fate may now hinge on a return to form that's anything but guaranteed at this increasingly late stage of his career.
Can Parker do it again?
Injuries to his ankle and Achilles may be largely responsible for Parker's forgettable performance against the Los Angeles Clippers. Something was clearly amiss.
The six-time All-Star seemed more like a role player during the opening round, averaging just 10.9 points and 3.6 assists against a far superior Chris Paul. Some outings were more painful than others, and the few signs of life were all for naught. Parker scored a combined 38 points in Games 4 and 7—both losses.
And he inexplicably tallied just one point in 30 minutes during a ...
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Article written by Stephen Babb