Self-assured mind-set
Among the most striking sights in the 2017 National Basketball Association Playoffs have been those of the Spurs keeping their hands up — to the point of exaggeration — whenever they defend the Rockets’ James Harden one on one, especially from beyond the three-point line. Needless to say, their conscious effort to get their arms as far away as possible from the Most Valuable Player candidate is a concession to his outstanding foul-baiting predilections and, more importantly, an acknowledgment of the difficulties faced in officiating contact between him and his defender at any given time.
Certainly, the Spurs’ commitment to order and control enables them to stay the course. The Rockets have run pick-androll play after pick-and-roll play to get Harden the matchups he wants, but he will invariably find himself in situations where even his smarts don’t produce cheap calls and easy trips to the foul line. That said, there is one stalwart in black and silver who can’t help but go against the grain. In a sea of disciplined soldiers under Gregg Popovich’s tutelage, Manu Ginobili stands out.
For the most part, Ginobili’s active hands — or, to be more precise, active mind and body — are why he often winds up guarding the inbounds pass. Remember the final play in Game Two of the Spurs-Thunder semifinal-round series last year? He did exactly that, drawing an offensive foul BEFORE the ball went live. Unfortunately, no whistle blew, perhaps because his foot was on the line as he harassed Dion Waiters. In any case, it underscored his self-assured mind-set; he has to, and will, do something — anything — in his aim to help the cause.
Needless to say, not everything has gone Ginobili’s way. In a few instances, he lets his aggressive nature get the better of him. To this day, Spurs fans recall how he took them on a rollercoaster ride in the last minute of Game Seven of the 2006 West Semifinals. First, he got them on a high when, on a tied score, he buried a cold-blooded triple with 32.9 seconds left and no teammate ready to rebound. On the very next sequence, however, he gave all of the points back when he saw fit to run from the perimeter and help defend Dirk Nowitzki, who had already shaken off Bruce Bowen and was about to lay in the ball. His attempted swipe hit arm instead of leather, leading to a three-point play, overtime, and, ultimately, a loss.
In a nutshell, Manu will be Manu, which explains why he remains a vital cog for the Spurs. He’s all of 39, a prime candidate for the rocking chair at the end of the season, and yet his value continues to be beyond question. Ask Popovich, who, in a nod to how much the good far outweighs the bad, once noted that “I stopped coaching him a long time ago.” And, creditably, he delivered in the crunch the other day, producing needed baskets and, crucially, a contest-sealing block that, in typical fashion, could have had undesirable consequences. To come up with the swat, he had to allow Harden to get past him, and then he had to jump prior to the shot being taken. As he himself admitted, “I found myself very close to the ball, so I went for it. Very risky. It was a risky play, but it was also risky to let him shoot, so I took my chances.”
Moving forward, Ginobili figures to burn significant rubber for the Spurs. With top dog Kawhi Leonard ailing, his worth as both a generator and disruptor will be highlighted today. He’ll be energetic from the get-go, and he’ll constantly initiate the action. He’ll play the odds. He’ll buck the odds. Which is to say he’ll be himself. Enough said.
Ginobili figures to burn significant rubber for the Spurs. With top dog Kawhi Leonard ailing, his worth as both a generator and disruptor will be highlighted today. He’ll be energetic from the get-go, and he’ll constantly initiate the action. He’ll play the odds. He’ll buck the odds. Which is to say he’ll be himself. Enough said.