Tag: Player

Manu ranks No. 16 among SI.com’s top NBA players

Spurs guard Manu Ginobili was ranked 16th by SI.com’s Point Forward in its list of the NBA’s top players.

Ginobili will end up being the Spurs’ highest rated player in the listing.  Earlier, Tim Duncan was listed as No. 23 and Tony Parker was 26th.

SI.com’s Zach Lowe has been revealing the top players in the NBA in regular order over the past several days. He is judging players on their two-way abilities, regardless of salary or team context. Lowe says the listing is where the players are ranked at this moment, heading into the 2011-12 season.

Here’s what Lowe has to say about Ginobili:

16. MANU GINOBILI
SG, San Antonio Spurs
Age: 34
2010-11 Stats: 17.4 PPG, 43.3 FG%, 34.9 3PT%, 4.9 APG, 3.7 RPG, 1.5 STL

“There’s almost nothing not to like about Ginobili, and had he played more minutes, I could easily have flipped him over the next guy — and perhaps even the guy after that. He’s a great all-around player who has been the driving force in San Antonio for a couple of years now. He has long been one of the league’s best big-game and big-moment players, and that ‘skill,’ to the degree that it is a skill at all, seems only to get better as Ginobili ages.

“Being ‘clutch’ probably isn’t a real, permanent skill. But players like Ginobili have an easier time appearing as clutch because they can hurt an opponent in so many ways. He can attack in isolation. He runs the pick-and-roll like an elite point guard, threading gorgeous pocket passes to Tim Duncan or using his weird hesitation dribbles and Euro-step (Manu-step?) techniques to create space. He can finish well at the rim. He hits an above-average mark . He can make threes both off the catch and off the dribble, the latter of which is a rare skill. And when a defender overplays his left hand, Ginobili will cross him over to the right, get in the lane, cross back to his left and do something so crazy that you’ll want to re-watch it instantly.

“You can quibble with his shot selection now and then, and argue that he shouldn’t be taking more than six threes per game. Those are fair nitpicks, but they’re still nitpicks.

“On defense, Ginobili is a rangy, whip-smart 6-foot-6 creator of chaos. He is always near the top of the league in steals, and it’s easy to mistake him for an irresponsible gambler when he suddenly leaves his guy to swipe the ball from an unsuspecting sap 15 feet away. But if you watch carefully (and long enough), you realize that Ginobili’s gambles are based on his knowledge of an opposing playbook and anticipation of what action is about to happen. It’s gambling almost without risk, and Ginobili might be better at it than anyone.

“He’s also fundamentally sound, smart and active. You don’t play any other way for the Spurs. San Antonio has been one of the best two-way teams for a decade, and Ginobili has been at the center of that. The concerns about durability and minutes are legitimate, and they keep him here.”

It’s an accurate assessment of Ginobili’s  relative skills and his importance to the team. Right now, Ginobili is the most valuable player on the franchise. And Ballard’s ratings reflect that influence on the team.

Here’s a listing of SI.com’s top 100 so far. The final 10 players will be revealed on Tuesday.

TOP 100 NBA PLAYERS … SO FAR
RANK
PLAYER
POSITION, TEAM
100.
Brandon Roy
SG, Portland Trail Blazers
99.
Tony Allen
SG, Memphis Grizzlies
98.
Nick Collison
PF, Oklahoma City Thunder
97.
Shane Battier
SF, free agent (Memphis Grizzlies)
96.
John Salmons
G-F, Sacramento Kings
95.
Louis Williams
G, Philadelphia 76ers
94.
O.J. Mayo
SG, Memphis Grizzlies
93.
Ty Lawson
PG, Denver Nuggets
92.
Wilson Chandler
SF, restricted free agent (Denver Nuggets)
91.
Mike Conley
PG, Memphis Grizzlies
90.
Hedo Turkoglu
SF, Orlando Magic
89.
Raymond Felton
PG, Portland Trail Blazers
88.
Wesley Matthews
SG, Portland Trail Blazers
87.
Roy Hibbert
C, Indiana Pacers
86.
Jameer Nelson
PG, Orlando Magic
85.
Andrei Kirilenko
SF, free agent (Utah Jazz)
84.
DeAndre Jordan
C, restricted free agent (Los Angeles Clippers)
83.
Ron Artest
SF, L.A. Lakers
82.
Thaddeus Young
F, restricted free agent (Philadelphia 76ers)
81.
Nicolas Batum
SF, Portland Trail Blazers
80.
Danilo Gallinari
SF, Denver Nuggets
79.
Chris Kaman
C, Los Angeles Clippers
78.
Rodney Stuckey
G, restricted free agent (Detroit Pistons)
77.
Arron Afflalo
SG, restricted free agent (Denver Nuggets)
76.
Grant Hill
SF, free agent (Phoenix Suns)
75.
Stephen Jackson
G-F, Milwaukee Bucks
74.
Jrue Holiday
PG, Philadelphia 76ers
73.
George Hill
G, Indiana Pacers
72.
John Wall
PG, Washington Wizards
71.
Andre Miller
PG, Denver Nuggets
70.
Marcin Gortat
C, Phoenix Suns
69.
Emeka Okafor
C, New Orleans Hornets
68.
Anderson Varejao
F-C, Cleveland Cavaliers
67.
Serge Ibaka
PF, Oklahoma City Thunder
66.
Andrea Bargnani
F-C, Toronto Raptors
65.
Jamal Crawford
G, free agent (Atlanta Hawks)
64.
Jason Richardson
SG, free agent (Orlando Magic)
63.
Caron Butler
SF, free agent (Dallas Mavericks)
62.
Shawn Marion
F, Dallas Mavericks
61.
Tayshaun Prince
SF, free agent (Detroit Pistons)
60.
Devin Harris
PG, Utah Jazz
59.
Chauncey Billups
PG, New York Knicks
58.
Jason Kidd
PG, Dallas Mavericks
57.
David Lee
PF, Golden State Warriors
56.
Kyle Lowry
PG, Houston Rockets
55.
Jason Terry
SG, Dallas Mavericks
54.
James Harden
SG, Oklahoma City Thunder
53.
Al Jefferson
F-C, Utah Jazz
52.
Luis Scola
PF, Houston Rockets
51.
Danny Granger
SF, Indiana Pacers
50.
Elton Brand
PF, Philadelphia 76ers
49.
Brook Lopez
C, New Jersey Nets
48.
Ray Allen
SG, Boston Celtics
47.
Luol Deng
SF, Chicago Bulls
46.
Paul Millsap
PF, Utah Jazz
45.
Carlos Boozer
PF, Chicago Bulls
44.
Monta Ellis
SG, Golden State Warriors
43.
Joakim Noah
C, Chicago Bulls
42.
Kevin Martin
SG, Houston Rockets
41.
Stephen Curry
PG, Golden State Warriors
40.
Marc Gasol
C, Memphis Grizzlies
39.
Gerald Wallace
F, Portland Trail Blazers
38.
Andrew Bynum
C, Los Angeles Lakers
37.
Andrew Bogut
C, Milwaukee Bucks
36.
Tyreke Evans
G, Sacramento Kings
35.
Tyson Chandler
C, free agent (Dallas Mavericks)
34.
Josh Smith
F, Atlanta Hawks
33.
Lamar Odom
F, Los Angeles Lakers
32.
Joe Johnson
SG, Atlanta Hawks
31.
David West
PF, free agent (New Orleans Hornets)
30.
Andre Iguodala
G-F, Philadelphia 76ers
29.
Eric Gordon
SG, Los Angeles Clippers
28.
Rudy Gay
SF, Memphis Grizzlies
27.
Rajon Rondo
PG, Boston Celtics
26.
Tony Parker
PG, San Antonio Spurs
25.
Al Horford
C, Atlanta Hawks
24.
Nene
C, free agent (Denver Nuggets)
23.
Tim Duncan
PF, San Antonio Spurs
22.
Chris Bosh
PF, Miami Heat
21.
Kevin Love
PF, Minnesota Timberwolves
20.
Carmelo Anthony
SF, New York Knicks
19.
Amar’e Stoudemire
PF, New York Knicks
18.
Steve Nash
PG, Phoenix Suns
17.
Kevin Garnett
PF, Boston Celtics
16.
Manu Ginobili
SG, San Antonio Spurs
15.
Paul Pierce
SF, Boston Celtics
14.
Blake Griffin
PF, Los Angeles Clippers
13.
Zach Randolph
PF, Memphis Grizzlies
12.
Russell Westbrook
PG, Oklahoma City Thunder
11.
LaMarcus Aldridge
PF Portland Trail Blazers

Peers applaud Spurs great Gilmore

By Mike Monroe
mikemonroe@express-news.net

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. — Spurs great George Gervin remembers his first game against the Kentucky Colonels during his rookie season in the ABA.

The 20-year-old Gervin had joined the Virginia Squires for the final half of the 1972-73 season after leaving Eastern Michigan University.

Early in that first game against the Colonels, one of the ABA’s best teams, Gervin found himself sprinting on a fast break. Two strides past midcourt, he wheeled toward the basket, grabbed a pass and then took one long, loping stride. He rose and extended his right arm to roll the ball off his fingertips with just the right spin, certain it would settle softly into the net.

Before the ball had gotten more than a few inches from his fingers, Gervin watched a huge hand appear, as if from nowhere, to smack the ball into the stands.

Gervin’s signature shot, the finger roll, had run smack into the “A-Train,” rejected by Artis Gilmore, the 7-foot-2 center who had caught up with Gervin from behind.

“We’d all heard Artis could block a lot of shots,” Gervin said. “But I didn’t know the cat could run the floor like that. I could put that finger roll up and over just about anybody, but Artis, well, he was something else. Man, Artis even blocked one of Dr. J’s (Julius Erving) dunks in that game. He really made his presence known.”

Years later, Gilmore would join Gervin in San Antonio, where he played for five seasons and represented the Spurs at two NBA All-Star Games. Tonight, he will represent the Colonels, the Chicago Bulls and the Spurs when he is inducted to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame as a member of the Class of 2011.

Gilmore will become the third player with strong Spurs ties to reach the Hall, preceded by Gervin (1996) and David Robinson (2009).

His presence there is long overdue, and it took the establishment of a new committee, convened for the express purpose of recognizing the ABA, to finally pay proper homage to a player who scored 24,941 points and grabbed 16,330 rebounds in 17 ABA-NBA seasons.

While he enters as the first to be chosen by the new committee, Gilmore’s entire body of work is Hall worthy, including his two seasons at Jacksonville University. There, he averaged 22.7 rebounds, an NCAA record that still stands, and led the Dolphins to the NCAA championship game in 1970.

Snubbed by the Hall for nearly two decades, Gilmore never expressed bitterness at his exclusion. At a pre-induction news conference Thursday, however, emotions nearly got the best of him. Acknowledging what an earlier enshrinement would have meant to his mother, who died six years ago, his eyes watered and he had to pause before continuing.

“I’m a very emotional guy,” he said. “I express my emotions. But for my grandkids I need to try and hold it together.”

Gilmore was 33 by the time he arrived in the Alamo City in 1982, the best days of his career behind him. Nevertheless, Gervin recalled the excitement that surrounded his arrival.

“The big fella coming to San Antonio really lifted our spirits,” Gervin said. “He was still a dominant force when we got him. With him, we always felt we had a chance to defeat the Lakers. We felt that matchup with him and Kareem (Abdul-Jabbar) gave us a competitive center in the middle.”

Bob Bass was the Spurs general manager who acquired Gilmore.

“After we made that deal, we were able to stay with Jabbar,” Bass said. “Defensively, he could do a job on Jabbar. I will tell you this: After he joined the team, I felt like when you walked out of the building after a game against the Lakers you didn’t feel like Jabbar had just dominated, like he had in past years.”

Gilmore believes he did what the team expected of him in that matchup.

“Yeah, Kareem and I matched up pretty well,” he said. “But Magic Johnson and James Worthy, well that was kind of overpowering in those particular areas.”

It was his domination of the ABA for five seasons that led the new committee to put his name forward for enshrinement.

Why did Gilmore pass on the established league in favor of the fledgling ABA?

Growing up with eight siblings in a three-room house in tiny Chipley, Fla., Gilmore had picked cotton and watermelons from a young age to help feed the family. When the Colonels came calling, with promises of a six-figure salary, the choice was easy.

“Back then, nobody in Chipley dreamed of being in any Hall of Fame some day,” he said. “Back then, the dream was to get out of the cotton fields and be able to put food on the table.”

Gilmore was both ABA Rookie of the Year and MVP in 1971-72, when the Colonels won 68 games. But not until Hubie Brown was hired to coach the team in 1974 did the Colonels realize their full potential.

An assistant to Larry Costello on the 1971 NBA champion Milwaukee Bucks, who featured Abdul-Jabbar (then known as Lew Alcindor), Brown brought with him the inside-out, half-court offense that had optimized Abdul-Jabbar’s dominant skills.

“We had a rule, as with Kareem,” Brown said. “Every third time down the floor, (Gilmore) had to get the ball in the post with a play, and he backed that up because in the ABA he shot over 60 percent, and in the NBA he still has the record, No. 1 (59.9 percent). And he never tried to do things just to get up shots. He did what he did best, and the fact he could be a team player defensively, with the rebounding and shot-blocking and stay within the offense and shoot such a high percentage, that’s a staggering stat.”

In their first season under Brown, the Colonels romped to the 1975 ABA title, losing only three of 13 playoff games. They beat the Indiana Pacers in the ABA Finals 4-1, with Gilmore scoring 28 points and grabbing 33 rebounds in the series clincher.

When the Colonels folded in 1976, Gilmore became the No. 1 pick in the ABA dispersal draft, going to the Bulls. Chicago went from 24 victories to 44 in Gilmore’s first season, but had only one more winning season during the six-year stint in Chicago.

Could that have been the reason he never gained traction as a Hall of Fame candidate in the past?

“I couldn’t answer that,” Gilmore said. “I don’t know why.”

And finally, as of tonight, it no longer matters.

Unfortunately for Canada, Bonner still not Canadian

Canadian national basketball coach Leo Rautins really, really wants Matt Bonner to play for his team. One problem: Bonner is still not Canadian.

The Spurs forward has been trying for years to gain dual citizenship, and he would seem to have a cut-and-dried case considering he’s married to a Canadian, has a Canadian daughter and grandfather and lives most of the offseason in Toronto.

His nickname — “The Red Rocket” — is decidedly Canadian,  homage to Toronto’s public transit system.

But Bonner is still not Canadian, and thus ineligible to play for Canada in various Olympic qualifying tournaments. The feet-dragging has left Rautins almost apoplectic, (h/t to for the find).

“I see a lot of Canadians who are less Canadian than Matt Bonner,” Rautins told the Canadian newspaper. “His daughter’s Canadian. His wife’s Canadian. His grandfather’s Canadian. He’s got a home here. When he’s not playing for the San Antonio Spurs, he’s here (in Toronto).”

Bonner’s bid to become officially Canadian has been His motives go beyond basketball.

A native of Concord, N.H., who was granted permanent residency status in 2009, Bonner has requested citizenship in order to simplify his frequent border crossings.

A chance to perhaps one day play in the Olympics would be a pleasant side effect.

The main obstacle to Bonner obtaining citizenship, according to the London Free Press piece, seems to be the unfortunate fact that he spends most of his year in the United States. Considering he plays for the Spurs, that seems to be an unavoidable fact of life.

The Canadian basketball federation has pressed this point to the federal government, but so far unsuccessfully.

“Trust me, we’ve tried everything,” Rautins told the London Free Press. “I feel bad for Matt. I don’t know if there’s anybody who wants to play more (for Canada) than he does.”

If this seems like more hand-wringing than necessary over Matt Bonner, consider that Joel Anthony is the only player on Canada’s 17-man training camp roster with any NBA experience. The infusion of any amount of NBA talent would certainly be welcome.

For now, Rautins will have to be content to coach Cory Joseph, the Spurs’ first-round draft pick in June and Bonner’s soon-to-be NBA teammate. Joseph was born in Toronto. Bonner got there as fast as he could, but perhaps a bit too late.