Manu The Forgotten?




When you think about the San Antonio Spurs, what comes to mind? Tim Duncan? Tony Parker? The Tony Parker and Eva Longoria split? Their league leading record? So many things come to mind when you think about the Spurs but the last few nights have been a demonstration of the glue guy that keeps it all together, Manu Ginobili.

Manu has always kind of gotten a bad rap. He is known as a flopper, a complainer and also being reckless as his style of play always seems to leave him banged up. By skipping his national team duties and resting in the off season for once, Manu looks revitalized. He showed flashes of being a top ten player in the league again last year but injuries got in the way once again. This year, knock on wood, he looks to be feeling great and leading the Spurs at the age of 33. He has cashed a few game winners lately and this is another demonstration of his clutch play and importance to his team. He can be unstoppable with the ball in his hands but there are so many more intangibles to his game. He is a great passer, ball handler, is good in the passing lanes and can make buckets from all kinds of angles from anywhere on the court. His talent is undeniable but he has always been a shadow of sorts.

I think that avid fans appreciate Manu. People on the outside that have a casual interest probably only see him for the stereotypes that I listed previously. Duncan is the best power forward ever and Tony Parker has always been a damn good point guard but Manu's skill set has been integral to the success of the Spurs. As his health goes, the Spurs go. Every NBA team needs a guy that you can clear out with and let loose and any team could use a guy that is a virtual Swiss Army knife.

The last few nights and a couple game winners later further illustrate my point. In a league full of sudden parody and nobody really jumping out as the MVP front runner, Manu has to be in these initial conversations. Anything can happen over the duration of a season but as of right now, Manu is playing fantastic basketball and he deserves recognition for it. Timmy is fading into the sunset but Manu is still creating chaos on the court in a good way. You may not like the flopping of the crying but you cannot deny the talent.