Ranking Tony Parker's 5 Most Dangerous Offensive Moves

Despite losing to the Miami Heat in the 2013 NBA Finals in heartbreaking fashion, the San Antonio Spurs' Tony Parker is still an offensive beast.

The All-NBA Second Team guard had a career year this season, posting his most offensive win shares (7.1) and highest free-throw percentage (84.5 percent) of his career. Parker was also the only player since 2009 not named LeBron James to average 20 points per game and 7 assists per game while shooting over 50 percent from the field.

To get to the level he is currently at on the offensive end, Parker has developed five specific go-to moves that make him unguardable at times.

While statistics on each of the moves are not available, I will be ranking Parker's moves on the criteria of how often he seems to use the move combined with how successful the move usually is. Shooting statistics from different parts of the court are available from Vorped, and will be used as support.

I have watched part or all of every Spurs regular season and postseason game this season, along with over 30 minutes of Parker's season highlights, so the ranking will be based mainly on what I saw from Parker this season.

Honorable mention moves: Corner Three-Point Shot, Skip Pass for an Open Corner Three

5. Pull-Up Jump Shot Dribbling to His Left

Go to 0:59 on this video to find a perfect example of Parker's pull-up jumper.

This move often involves a screen coming over on Parker's right side. Parker will fake using the screen, but then cross back over to his left, at which point he rises up for a jump shot.

Watch at 0:27, 0:39, and 2:40 of this video to see more of Parker's left-drifting jumper, these times without a screen.

Although Parker uses this move frequently, it isn't his most dangerous in the sense that the shot does miss often.

Parker shot 47.5 percent (57-for-120) during the regular season on mid-range shots in the left-center side of the court, which is where he most often takes this shot from.

However, that is still a great percentage for a mid-range jump shot, especially considering many of them are contested.

The pull-up jumper after dribbling to the left is definitely a dangerous move that defenders have to watch out for.

4. Pick and Pop with a Big Man

Watching at 5:20 of the embedded video will give you a pretty good idea of what I'm referring to here.

Parker will get a screen from a post player (in this case, Tim Duncan) near the top of the key, then the big guy's man (Marc Gasol) will hedge on the screen to discourage a drive or open jumper from Parker while Conley is fighting through the screen.

By the time Conley is back on Parker, Gasol has not recovered back to Duncan, who Parker hits for a wide-open jumper.

Parker has never been a wizard passing the ball, but his assist numbers have risen (7.7 and 7.6 per game in the last two seasons) because he has learned to use his scoring ability to become a better passer.

You'll also notice at 7:54 in this video how the threat of Parker scoring forces Omer Asik to help Jeremy Lin with the Duncan screen, and Parker wisely finds Duncan for the open shot.

You can see Parker executing the pick-and-pop with Boris Diaw and Matt Bonner at 8:30 and 10:35 in this video.

Sometimes the basic pass is the best pass, and Parker has learned that through the years.

The only reason this play isn't ranked higher is because the play relies on the focus and skill of other players too much. Parker's pass is only half the battle.

3. Wrong-Foot Layup

The play where Tony Parker executes his wrong-foot layup is at 0:17 in the embedded video. If you pause the clip at 25 seconds, you will be able to tell that Parker clearly jumps off his right foot despite attempting a right-hand layup on the right side of the hoop.

If you have ever watched a middle school basketball game, you'll know that Parker didn't invent this move. Young basketball players have had trouble mastering layup footwork for years, particularly on the side of their weak hand.

The difference between the middle schoolers and Parker? Parker does it on purpose.

By jumping off the wrong foot, the defender is caught off guard and mistimes his block attempt. Because the defender is usually between Parker and the basket, the leg he doesn't jump off does a great job of shielding the defender from reaching across Parker's body to block the shot. If they do reach across, the referees will most likely call a foul.

Another example comes at 2:26 of this video, where Parker render's Joel Anthony's shot-blocking ability useless by jumping off the wrong foot. Anthony had to choose between letting Parker score, or fouling him.

That's the sort of lose-lose situation all defenders have to face with this move.

2. Teardrop

Are you surprised that this is not at No. 1?

Much has been made of Tony Parker's teardrop shot in the past. Back in 2009, Aaron Navarro at Bleacher Report even called it the second-best signature shot in the game. The embedded video will help justify that selection for you.

Parker's teardrop wasn't quite as automatic this year, as stats have indicated.

Parker usually releases his teardrop from the outer half of the paint, in that seven to 15 feet range. According to Vorped, Parker shot 51 percent from that outer half of the paint in 2011-2012. However, that number dipped below 43 percent this season.

Making that dip even more curious is that Parker shot more than four percent better from the field overall this year. I guess the teardrop just wasn't falling for him as consistently.

Even so, you've got to give this shot credit for how much it has helped his game throughout the years.

1. Spin Move and Layup

I feel sorry for Andrea Bargnani in the embedded video. Tony Parker just puts him in the blender.

While Parker doesn't use this move quite as much as some of the other ones on this list, it seems like he never misses when he does, thanks to his amazing quickness, balance and soft touch.

When he spun around Bargnani, he did it starting from the left side of the court. But he can also do it on the right side, as he showed here and here.

And of course, there was the huge spin he put on Norris Cole in the fourth quarter of Game 1 of this year's Finals.

It's not every day that a 6'2", 185-pound player can shoot 64 percent at the rim at the NBA level. But that's Tony Parker for you, and his spin move and layup are a huge reason why.