Can Tony Parker Finally Put San Antonio Spurs Back on Top?

Believe in Tony Parker.

The San Antonio Spurs' point man has carried his team out of the Western Conference and into the NBA Finals, and he's not done yet.

Whether the Spurs face the Miami Heat or the Indiana Pacers doesn't matter. They have an opportunity to secure the fifth championship of the Tim Duncan era and the fourth of their Big Three's dynasty. And why? Parker.

San Antonio's success is predicated upon selflessness. At no point will one player be thrown under the bus (unless that bus is Gregg Popovich's wrath). The Spurs win and lose as a team. But make no mistake that Parker is the one shouldering the majority of the workload. 

Duncan has been superb. His 17.8 points, 9.2 rebounds and 1.7 blocks per game in these playoffs have been vital to San Antonio's championship-seeking run. Yet even he'll admit the Spurs' title hopes hinge on Parker.

"He's amazing and he's evolved so much over the past couple of years," Duncan said of Parker following San Antonio's Game 4 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies (via Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports). "To get back to this point with him at the helm, I'm just going to do everything I can to get these four games in and try to win four more for both of us. 

Parker's importance is lost on no one in the Spurs' locker room. He has steered them in this direction by having what can only be considered the one of the best playoff showings of his career.

For the playoffs, Parker is posting 23 points, a career-postseason high 7.2 assists and 1.2 steals a night on 47.5 percent shooting, all of which are marks that exceed his career averages. They're also marks that have given him a piece of history.

Only four other NBA players have ever played 10 or more playoff games in a single postseason run and managed to average at least 23 points, seven assists and one steal while shooting 47 percent or better from the field and 37 percent from deep.

Their names? Larry Bird, LeBron James, Michael Jordan and Gary Payton. Or, three Hall of Famers and a future Hall of Famer.

Parker just been that sensational. And against the Grizzlies, he was even better.

Through four games he put up 24.5 points, 9.5 assists and two steals on 53.2 percent shooting, including a 68.8 percent clip at the rim. His incisive passes left Memphis scrambling and he reached the rim with ease.

Game 4 in particular was a performance to remember. To go along with six assists, Parker hit on 15-of-21 from the field for 37 points, 11 of which came in a series-clinching fourth quarter. 

Parker's performance with the game on the line was unparalleled. He willed the Spurs to victory. And he did so against a team that ranked second in defensive efficiency during the regular season. 

Statistics only tell part of his story, though. Parker has been amongst the most elite of point guards and NBA players in general for quite some time, even if we failed to admit it. Something else has to account for his unbridled efforts, because that's what's truly mattered—his diligence.

Parker is playing for more than just his fourth championship. He's playing for Duncan's fifth. He's just playing for Duncan in general.

"Timmy means a lot to me," Parker explained (via Spears)." I learned so much from him. From the first day I arrived in San Antonio he's always had my back. He's a very good friend, very close to me on the court and off the court."

"Our first championship we were riding him," he added. "He was our franchise. I feel very blessed because now it's my turn to try to bring this team to the end. If I can do that for him, it would be … unbelievable."

Never underestimate the profound impact playing for someone other than yourself has.

Parker vowed to bring Duncan back to the finals, and he has. Now, that the Spurs are there, the point guard has no intention of becoming complacent. Merely reaching the championship round isn't enough. He wants more. Leaders always do.

It doesn't matter if it's the defensive-juggernaut stylings of the Pacers or the firing-on-all-cylinders version of the Heat the Spurs see next. They can win against either them, South Beach's prolific Big Three included. Riding Parker, San Antonio can get back to the top.

"I'll get you back to the NBA Finals," the point man told Duncan after losing to the Oklahoma City Thunder last year (via Spears). "We aren't done. You aren't done."

Tony Parker isn't done, which means the Spurs aren't either.

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*All stats in this article were compiled from Basketball-Reference and NBA.com unless otherwise attributed.