Tag: San Antonio Spurs

Maxwell has harsh assessment of Shaq’s eroding physical skills

Boston analyst Cedric Maxwell didn’t have much good to say about Shaquille O’Neal’s return to the lineup in Game 3 of the Celtics’ playoff series with Miami.

O’Neal has been hobbled with an injured calf since he was hurt in early April. And when he returned to action Saturday, the 39-year-old Neal hobbled like he was too heavy and too old, according to Maxwell. O’Neal produced two points, an assist and a steal in eight plodding minutes.

“He looks bad. If he was a horse, they would take him out right now and he’d be glue tomorrow,” Maxwell said on . “He can’t run and physically he’s limping on that leg. Here’s a tremendous athlete who’s played all his career and has not had these kind of problems. 

“At the end of the day if you have a bald spot on one of your tires your car isn’t going to run right. And that’s a bald spot on the tire for him. Essentially, he looks like he’s got one of those walking boots on when you break your toe.”  

Yes, that’s the same Cedric Maxwell who used to wave the towel for everything Boston back in the day.

Now, he’s too busy snapping it on O’Neal’s hobbling and heavy frame as the Celtics prepare for Monday’s game against the Heat.

Buck Harvey: Parker better as a silent partner

Just outside security, on the way to baggage claim in San Antonio’s newest airport terminal, is a large video screen.

“Tony Parker, client,” are the words on it.

Parker is pictured wearing a suit, as well as an expression that suggests he, while wearing the suit, could take Jason Kidd off the dribble. Parker has lent his name to a San Antonio-based business group that handles insurance, mortgages and “wealth management.”

So what if this company suffered a bad quarter? Would Parker be as blunt as he was last week about the Spurs?

Or would he remember he’s being paid by the group?

If anything, what Parker said at a Paris press conference last week is the consensus. “Our team can still perform at the highest level,” he said of the Spurs, “but next year I don’t think we can play for the title.”

Charles Barkley said that during THIS season. Vegas will soon say that about the next.

Parker’s opinion also fits with what he said last September. Then, he announced “this will be our last real chance to win a title.”

Just as his reasoning then was based on Tim Duncan’s age, Parker referred to that again last week. This time, he added Manu Ginobili to the list ? of the elderly.

Those of us who write about the Spurs for a living appreciate Parker’s candor. And if Parker would take that a step further, and tell us what he really thinks about Richard Jefferson, then we’d have something juicy to write about next week, too.

But even while Parker was right, he was also wrong. He distanced himself from failure, and he also distanced himself from those who pay him millions.

Parker likely didn’t mean anything by it. He wasn’t cleverly trying to get traded, as some have suggested. This was Tony being Tony. When he gets in front of the French media, he often acts the part of the country’s biggest NBA star.

He also forgets South Texas can still hear him from across an ocean. Parker talked, after all, as if Game 1 against Memphis never happened.

If Duncan and Ginobili were the ones being candid, they would ask how much age had to do with the Spurs’ failure that night. Had Parker played well in the opener — or if he had merely made an open jumper with 30 seconds left — the Spurs’ postseason might have changed dramatically.

Duncan and Ginobili know they are getting older. They likely wonder, too, if they will ever win another title. But they would sell the other side publicly, that a 61-win team should be able to contend again if management finds some help.

Being competitors, they would never admit they have no chance. They wouldn’t admit that as employees, either, and that is Parker’s disconnect. He’s like a lot of athletes. His guaranteed salary separates him from the business of basketball.

He earned more than $13 million this past season, and less than a year ago, he signed a four-year contract under the terms of the old collective bargaining agreement. He’s set.

His franchise, however, isn’t. The Spurs will not only be trying to sell tickets in a slow economy, they will also be entering a labor impasse that won’t sell a thing. For a small-market team ready to suffer a lockout to get better business conditions, it’s a crossroads.

Parker should empathize, since he owns a piece of a professional French franchise, ASVEL Basket. But he’s nothing more than an investor. He doesn’t make his money in a suit, and the only “wealth management” he knows comes from the checks the Spurs send him.

He’s what the airport signage says he is. A client, a face, a pitchman.

Not a partner.

bharvey@express-news.net

Eastern finals matchups, keys to victory

Express-News NBA writer Mike Monroe profiles the key players and matchups in the Eastern Conference finals between the top-seeded Bulls and No. 2 seed Heat, who lost all three meetings to Chicago this season by a combined eight points.

POINT GUARD

Heat: (0) Mike Bibby 6-2, 13th yr – The worst defender among all starters left in playoffs, and he’s about to face the MVP … He’d better shoot better from long range (23.5 percent) than he did in first two rounds.

Bulls: (1) Derrick Rose 6-3, 4th yr – Playoffs production (28.8 ppg, 8.2 apg) better than the regular season (25.0, 7.7) that earned MVP Award … Shooting, however, is down (44.5/33.2 on 3-pointers in season vs. 40.0/25.4 in playoffs).

Edge: Bulls

SHOOTING GUARD

Heat: (3) Dwyane Wade 6-4, 8th yr – He’s had some problems with migraines in playoff run, but he’s been a headache for opponents, averaging 26.2 points, 7.6 rebounds and 5.0 assists … 3-point shooting has dropped in playoffs to 25.0.

Bulls: (6) Keith Bogans 6-5, 8th yr – He’s picking his spots to shoot playoff 3-pointers and has been so accurate (48.7 percent) that the Heat will have to game plan to limit his open opportunities. This fact alone makes him a factor.

Edge: Heat

SMALL FORWARD

Heat: (6) LeBron James 6-8,8th yr – His strong finish in close-out game against Celtics answered questions about his crunch-time edge. … After averaging 24.2 points in first round, scoring jumped to 28.0 in five games against Celtics.

Bulls: (9) Luol Deng 6-9, 7th yr – No Bulls player has logged more playoff court time than Deng, 43.2 minutes per game. … Solid playoff scorer (16.7 points) and rebounder (6.5), it’s his defensive excellence that keeps him out there.

Edge: Heat

POWER FORWARD

Heat: (1) Chris Bosh 6-11, 8th yr – After averaging 19.8 points in first round, he slipped to 12.8 against Celtics’ stiffer defense but was Heat’s top rebounder against Boston. … Solid pick-and-roll defender will be vital at defensive end.

Bulls: (5) Carlos Boozer 6-9, 9th yr – Bothered some by “turf toe” during conference semifinals. … Playoff scoring (11.8 points per game) way off from regular season (17.5), but rebounding virtually the same (9.5 per game).

Edge: Heat

CENTER

Heat: (50) Joel Anthony 6-9, 4th yr – A very athletic defender and quick to get on the boards, which is precisely what is needed against Noah. … Averaged 6.2 rebounds in conference semis against Boston, making himself a significant factor.

Bulls: (13) Joakim Noah 6-11, 4th yr – Bulls’ emotional leader also is their top rebounder (10.4 per game in regular season and playoffs) and an outstanding outlet passer. Always looking to lead Rose on the way to the basket.

Edge: Bulls

BENCH

Heat: G Mario Chalmers’ ability to defend Kyle Korver and Bogans, even Rose, makes him most important reserve … Bench bigs provide little, though Zydrunas Ilgauskas looms as an X-factor if Anthony still starts … James Jones is a 3-point threat.

Bulls: F Kyle Korver keeps foes from doubling Rose by demanding a defender at the arc. … Omer Asik’s toughness has made him a surprise factor … Ronnie Brewer’s defense and Taj Gibson’s rebounding make them X-factors.

Edge: Bulls

COACH

Heat: Erik Spoelstra 3rd yr – He’s already beaten Tom Thibodeau’s mentor, Doc Rivers, but this is a big series for a guy who is going to take a lot of heat (pardon the pun) if he can’t get the team and its talents into the NBA Finals.

Bulls: Tom Thibodeau 1st yr – The guy won the Coach of the Year award and has his team playing lock-down playoff defense. … His use of bench has been masterful, and he’s smart enough to know Rose is a great closer.

PREDICTION

Heat in six?

* * *

HEAT VS. BULLS KEYS TO VICTORY

M-V-P vs. M-V-We: This series should probably be sponsored by the True Value Hardware chain. Of the five remaining playoff teams, none relies more on one player than the Bulls, who lean heavily on MVP Derrick Rose to generate offense, especially in crunch time. Though two-time MVP LeBron James finished third in this year’s voting, many believe 2006 Finals MVP Dwyane Wade has just as much impact.

Roll that pick: The Bulls rely heavily on pick-and-roll action, especially with Carlos Boozer and Joakim Noah. The Heat’s big men, Joel Anthony and Chris Bosh, are adept at defending the pick-and-roll, “showing” out to force the dribbler — usually Rose — farther from the basket than he wants. How this action plays out will go a long way towards determining the series winner.

Ex-Spurs, X-Factors: Spurs fans often averted their eyes when Keith Bogans launched 3-pointers during his days as a rotation player in 2009-10. Now he’s a starter for the Bulls and was a positive factor from long range in a few playoff games leading to this series. Then there’s Kurt “Big Sexy” Thomas. In what should be a defensive series, he has a chance to be a factor on the interior.

– Mike Monroe