Battle of best point guards begins: Chris Paul and Tony Parker at loggerheads - NBA Update
Heading into the Western Conference semi-finals after beating Memphis Grizzlies, Chris Paul knew that he will be meeting his perfect match, Tony Parker of San Antonio Spurs. As it turned out Parker was expecting the same, after
the Clips 7th game he texted Paul.
“Congratulations. See you soon”.
San Antonio Spurs and Los Angeles Clippers will be competing in the semi-finals. This places two of the NBA’s best point guards at loggerheads for the ultimate glory. Paul and Parker both share a lot of commonalities. They both
played a cardinal role in their respective team’s success and escalated to the top 5 MVP players list; Paul was voted 3rd and Parker secured the 5th position. They even averaged the same scores in the regular season. Parker had 21.0 points,
6.5 assists and 3.5 boards per game while Paul averaged 20.4 points, 7.1 assists and 5.7 boards per game.
“Yeah, it’s a great matchup,” Parker said, “but at the same time, I can’t focus on that. It’s the Spurs against the Clippers. That’s the most important thing.”
Or perhaps he knew about the contingency plan that his team held for Paul. In the 2nd round’s 1st game Parker was not assigned with the defensive assignment on Paul. Rather Coach Gregg Popovich appointed Danny
Green on that post. The towering player kept Chris on D and Parker was unleashed to do the damage, he dished out 11 assists and set the table for his sharp shooters. The job was done with a pretty ribbon on the top, Spurs’ handed a 108-92 defeat to Clippers.
Though Parker netted 7 and Paul collected only 6 but it had a different effect on their respective teams. For Clips Chris is like their lifeline, his performance is essential for their vitals. While Parker can still keep Spurs
going by only providing.
The 1st game made two things evident, Paul has to score and score big to keep Clips in the picture and Parker doesn’t necessarily has to be that lethal on scoring to keep his team wining.
Pops projected the same and devised his strategy accordingly, Tim Duncan and Emanuel Ginobili did the damage, Green kept Paul busy and Parker provided. This turned out to be a perfect recipe to subdue shorthanded Clippers.
For long Spurs relied upon Tim Duncan in the post but this year Parker assumed that role. He did an amazing job, averaging a team high 18.2 points in 5 postseason games. On the contrary Paul also had averaged 18.6 points but his
role stretches from provider to lead scorer.
Chris basically helped his team to stand on their feet, the way Blake Griffin became a sensation after his addition and as a result Clips made into the 2nd round for the 2nd time in history is a testament
of his benign force.
The games from this point onward will ultimately revolve around point guards, as for now Spurs discovered a way to shut Clippers’ system down. But Paul and Clips will find a way in the upcoming games; however, for fans it is a
treat to see the two in action.
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