What Would the San Antonio Spurs Do Differently Without Tony Parker?

It has recently been reported that Tony Parker has a mild hamstring strain, which he seemed to have suffered in the middle of Game 3 (via ESPN). He's questionable for Game 4, which isn't exactly the best news for San Antonio Spurs' fans.

In fact, it's hard to imagine what a Spurs team without Parker would look like. Ever since he joined the team in 2001, Parker has only played less than 70 games in three of his 12 seasons—four if you include the lock-out shortened 66-game season.

He missed most of those games earlier in his career, when the Spurs looked a lot different than they do right now, and Tim Duncan was still carrying the bulk of the load.

In Game 3, the Spurs won the game because of their role players, not because of Parker. He only went 2-for-5 from the field for just six points, but he did dish out eight assists in just 27 minutes of playing time.

The Spurs are clearly capable of defeating the Heat without Parker, but can they do it for the rest of the series if Parker is unable to play?

Swing the Ball More

The Spurs' offense has transformed over the years, but ball movement around the perimeter and finding the open shot is something they've always done. From Sean Elliot and Bruce Bowen in the corner to Danny Green's three-point prowess from all over the floor, the three-point shot has always been effective for Spurs.

In a situation without Parker, the Spurs will need to rely on this system more than ever. At times during the game, Parker could call isolations for himself and create his own shot for consecutive possessions because he's just that good of a player. Without him, the Spurs don't have a true playmaker on the team who could create their own shot or create it for his teammates.

Manu Ginobili could take over some of the playmaking duties, but he's not the same as he was during his prime. He's 35 years old and age and injuries throughout the last few years have slowed him down. Cory Joseph is too young and inexperienced to have the same effect as Parker.

Run More Inside-out Offense

The inside-out offense that the Spurs run was much more fluid and effective years ago when Tim Duncan was still dominating in the paint.

Duncan has slowed down a bit, but he's still the biggest player on the floor and commands double teams at times when his shots are going down. As Duncan aged and Parker started to blossom into one of the premier point guards in the NBA, the need for an inside-out type of offense decreased as the team relied on Parker to create opportunities for the rest of the team.

With Parker out of the lineup, the Spurs will most likely go back to running the offense through Duncan in the post and surrounding him with shooters, which they already have in Danny Green, Kawhi Leonard, Matt Bonner and Gary Neal.

Duncan is still the second-best player on this team, so he will turn into the first option if Parker isn't playing.

Manu Ginobili Will See a Bigger Role

Manu Ginobili has struggled this postseason, and struggled is an understatement.

There are times in the playoffs where he just couldn't take care of the ball like he used to. He's averaging 10.9 PPG and 5.0 APG on a mediocre 38 percent field goal percentage during the playoffs (per Basketball Reference).

If the Spurs are without Parker, then Ginobili is the next best player who could create plays and takeover a game. He hasn't had a single great performance in the playoffs thus far, and it's unlikely that he will snap out of his funk in the Finals against one of the best defensive teams in the league.

However, they will need Ginobili to step up in place of Parker and run the team himself. His 7.1 assists per 36 minutes is actually a playoff career high, so he's certainly capable of being the primary ball-handler on this team.