Why Tony Parker's Play This Season for San Antonio Spurs Deserves More Attention

Tony Parker may be one of the NBA's 10 most hated players, but at the moment, he's also playing like one its 10 best.

The Spurs made a statement in an 11-point victory over the dominant Oklahoma City Thunder Saturday evening, and Parker proved that he unquestionably belongs on the Western Conference's 2012 All-Star team.

Parker scored 42 points and played an otherwise perfect game that included nine assists, two steals, a rare block and no turnovers. He did it against the long arms of Russell Westbrook and a typically active Thunder defense, the same defense that held Parker to four points on 1-for-8 shooting when the teams met on Jan. 8.

This time, Parker became only the fifth player this season to surpass 40 while handing the league-best Thunder only its fifth loss. As San Antonio embarks upon a nine-game road trip, Parker's heroics gave a jolt of confidence to a team hoping to bring home its fifth ring while Tim Duncan's still around. It was also a dynamic reminder that even without Manu Ginobili, Gregg Popovich's team can compete with anyone.

Tony just became a little more hated, at least in Oklahoma.

Parker is widely respected, but often forgotten in conversations about the league's best point guards. He's averaging a career-high 7.6 assists per game and quietly putting to rest the notion that he's really more of a "scoring" guard.

Even more impressively, when compared to other high-volume passers, Parker rarely turns the ball over. His 2.6 turnovers a game compare favorably to Derrick Rose (3.2) or Steve Nash (3.4) and very favorably with the likes of Deron Williams (4.5) and Russell Westbrook (4.1).

Parker is also scoring over 18 points a game, and over 20 during his last 10 games. As some predicted shortly after Ginobili's injury, Parker has flourished as San Antonio's first option. At 29 years old, he still has the quickness to get in the paint and finish with a wide array of crafty moves, and his mid-range game isn't bad either.

Some have charged that Parker's shooting percentage of 45.5 percent isn't as efficient as it usually is, and that's technically true. He typically shoots the ball at 50 percent or better. Again, though, his current rate looks quite good when measured against other elite point guards (Rose at 45.9, Westbrook at 45.4, or Deron Williams at 40.6). Most observers will also note that a lot of players have suffered from uneven starts, thanks to the lockout.

Parker has already had a career that most would envy, but this season may turn out to be his finest yet.

His 21.17 player efficiency rating places him in a tier of elite point guards just behind the insuperable Chris Paul and Derrick Rose. If recent trends are any indication, those numbers should continue to improve. With backup T.J. Ford out until March, Parker will continue to play significant minutes (he's averaged almost 36 over his last 10 games). 

Yet, numbers are only half the story. Parker scored 16 of his 42 points in a decisive third quarter that watched the Spurs push their lead over the Thunder to 18. He then scored another 10 to keep the Spurs in front as the Thunder flirted with a fourth-quarter comeback.

Tony also got to the free throw line 12 times, demonstrating a renewed aggressiveness that clearly frustrated Oklahoma City. He also adjusted his game to compensate for the Thunder's tall interior defense, frequently employing his "tear drop" floater to score over the top of Ibaka and Perkins.

If you missed this performance, seeing the complete highlight reel is a must.

Parker has come up big in clutch moments all season long, often saving his best for late-game sequences when his team needs him most. The Spurs are, after all, largely a collection of good spot-up shooters who struggle to create their own offense when opposing teams clamp down. With Ginobili sidelined, Parker has had to play like a fearless superstar in these moments, and he has.

Of course, the real test for Parker and his Spurs lies ahead. The nine-game "Rodeo" road-trip has historically served as an opportunity for Popovich's team to bond and find their groove ahead of the post-season. In this tightened schedule and competitive Western Conference, the urgency for Parker and company to come together has never been greater.

For any Spurs fan, nothing short of another title will qualify as real success. Those fans should remember that Parker was a Finals MVP once before—if he continues playing at this pace, he very well could be again.