Manu Ginobili Remains as Important and Unpredictable as Ever to Spurs
The San Antonio Spurs’ Manu Ginobili remains a mystery.
I’m not talking about his talent, because it should be fairly obvious to all that he possesses tons of it. Rather, the manner in which Ginobili chooses to use his gifts is what produces question marks.
The 6'6'' Manu is wildly unpredictable. Will he break away from the play? Gamble on defense? Ignore head coach Gregg Popovich? And yet, he's been a perfect fit for the Spurs.
There’s just no way for teammates or opponents to know, and boy does it give him an edge. He’s always been the proverbial X-factor, but let’s take a look back at his career and see how he’s evolved.
Crossovers and Dunks
Long before even setting foot on an NBA court, Ginobili was a star. San Antonio selected Manu with the No. 57 pick in the 1999 draft and kept him stashed away in Europe. By 2002, the Spurs felt it was time to bring him in.He helped Argentina hand Team USA its first loss at the 2002 World Championships since the Americans began using NBA players.
Manu had terrific ball-handling skills and demonstrated a great level of athleticism. I wouldn’t accuse the Spurs of being unpatriotic, but it’s probably fair to assume they loved what they saw from Ginobili against the United States. He showed no fear against NBA players and was constantly on the attack.
NBA.com’s Scott Howard-Cooper offered this appraisal of Ginobili’s performance in 2010: "Ginobili was everywhere. There just was no way to know the extent of the preview, that it was the first look for most in North America of a unique talent who would play a pivotal role in delivering three titles and making San Antonio, along with the Lakers, the dominant team of the first decade of the 2000s."
Ginobili joined the Spurs and backed up Stephen Jackson at the 2-guard. Considering Manu was fresh off the World Championships and it was difficult to project how he would adjust to the speed of the NBA game, Popovich brought him along slowly.
Ginobili only averaged 7.6 points in 20.7 minutes per game during his rookie year.
Once the bright lights of the postseason came on, though, Ginobili became a seemingly maniacal king slayer. Despite coming off the bench, he felt comfortable attacking every player on a Los Angeles Lakers squad that was trying to win its fourth consecutive title.
Manu produced 11.7 points and 2.5 assists in 24.7 minutes per game against the Lakers, while shooting 51.2 percent from the field and 61.5 percent from long range.
Ginobili broke off plays to creatively attack defenders off the bounce and finish at the rim with authority. His play led to the demise of the Lakers, and San Antonio went on to win the championship.
Just like that, a reckless star was born.
Popovich has mostly kept Ginobili in a second-unit role throughout his career (except for the 2004-05, 2005-06 and 2010-11 campaigns where he started over 55 games in each), in an effort to preserve his 2-guard. He’s only cracked the 30-minute barrier on average twice (2007-08 and 2010-11 seasons), which has kept him fresh for playoff runs, where the real magic happens.
An argument could be made that he’s been the best postseason 2-guard not named Kobe or Dwyane Wade over the last decade. Ginobil's playoff statistical output, performances in big games coupled with his rings certainly warrant his inclusion in the upper echelon of 2-guards.
| Season | PER | Pts/36 | Ast/36 | Stls/36 | FG% |
| 2002-03 | 15.0 | 12.3 | 3.8 | 2.2 | .386 |
| 2003-04 | 22.2 | 16.7 | 4.0 | 2.2 | .447 |
| 2004-05 | 24.8 | 22.3 | 4.5 | 1.3 | .507 |
| 2005-06 | 21.5 | 20.2 | 3.3 | 1.6 | .484 |
| 2006-07 | 21.9 | 19.9 | 4.4 | 2.0 | .401 |
| 2007-08 | 17.1 | 19.5 | 4.3 | 0.6 | .422 |
| 2008-09 | 21.4 | 19.8 | 6.1 | 2.7 | .414 |
| 2010-11 | 22.3 | 21.3 | 4.3 | 2.7 | .443 |
| 2011-12 | 17.0 | 18.6 | 5.2 | 0.9 | .448 |
| 2012-13 | 16.5 | 15.6 | 6.8 | 1.5 | .399 |
| 2013-14 | 20.3 | 20.3 | 5.8 | 2.2 | .439 |
| Average | 19.9 | 18.7 | 4.8 | 1.7 | .436 |
During his younger years, Popovich entrusted him in late-game situations where he came through time and time again. For instance, many remember Game 5 of the 2005 NBA Finals as the Robert Horry game, but few might recall that Ginobili had the assist on the game-winning basket.
Once the Detroit Pistons’ Rasheed Wallace trapped Manu in the corner, the 2-guard quickly responded by feeding an open Horry.
That kind of decision-making is the reason why the coaching staff feels confident down the stretch of games with the ball in Ginobili’s hands. He delivered again in Game 7 of the 2006 Western Conference Semifinals against the Dallas Mavericks. Manu capped a comeback by nailing a three-pointer to give San Antonio the lead late.
On the flip side, bad Ginobili showed up a few possessions later when he fouled Dirk Nowitzki and allowed him to convert a three-point play that sent the game to overtime where Dallas ultimately prevailed.
That sequence of events captures Ginobili’s career perfectly. He’s always been a moment away from the biggest and worst play of his career. The combination of errors and hero plays produced one of Popovich's all-time great quotes in May 2013. Manu nearly tossed away Game 1 of the Western Conference Semifinals to the Golden State Warriors by taking an ill-advised shot late in the game.
However, he rebounded by drilling the game-winning shot, which prompted Pop to say: "I went from wanting to trade him on the spot to wanting to cook breakfast for him tomorrow morning," Popovich said. "That's the truth. When I talk to him and say, `Manu,' he goes, `This is what I do.' That's what he's going to tell me. I stopped coaching him a long time ago."
THe more things change, the more they stay the same. Ginobili's implosion during the 2013 Finals is one of the reasons San Antonio failed to win the title that year, but he bounced back the following season and helped the Spurs claim the crown.
At age 37, his skills have eroded with time, but he’s still the mysterious player he’s always been.
Jumpers and Floaters
San Antonio’s backup 2-guard has become a little slower and less athletic in the latter portion of his career, but he’s still important to the Spurs’ success.
Sure, the team operates now like a fine-tuned machine that was created for basketball, but the right pieces are still mandatory.
The Spurs seemingly operate as one, with everything flowing perfectly because that’s what Popovich demands. Manu is a big part of that because of his ball-handling, passing (6.8 assists per 36 minutes last season) and shooting (46.9 percent field-goal shooting last campaign).
He no longer attacks the rim with reckless abandon and regularly dunks over defenders, because he’s evolved in conjunction with the decline of his physical state.
Still, Ginobili keeps the ball live and continues to dish out remarkable passes to teammates, which explains why San Antonio had the best playoff offense last year, according to ESPN.com.
Grantland’s Zach Lowe offered this take in May:
"He’s still pretty much the only player who can get away with breaking the offense and not having Gregg Popovich look like he wants to murder somebody.
His wild drives and outrageous passes are otherwise anathema for the Spurs, whose offensive system is an acutely constructed machine that runs with Peyton Manning–esque precision — except when Manu decides to pursue something that seems beyond possibility until the moment it actually happens.
"
He’s relying a little more on jump shots and floaters, without sacrificing too much in terms of efficiency. Don’t get it twisted, Ginobili still dropped the hammer on the Miami Heat’s Chris Bosh during the Finals, but that’s no longer the norm.
Manu fits within Pop’s motion offense, but he isn't overwhelming opponents as much anymore.
He’s more of a role player now, as opposed to a star. And yet, Manu will continue to decide games because he’s a threat for a throwback performance.
For instance, in Game 1 of the 2014 Finals, Ginobili dropped 16 points and 11 assists on the Heat. He had similar numbers in Games 2 and 5, but he had a dud in the fourth contest (seven points and four turnovers).
His energy and playmaking off the bench will still impact games when he has it going, and the unpredictable nature of his game will continue to catch people by surprise.
The ascension of Kawhi Leonard will push Manu to the background ever so slightly, but he will continue to remain relevant and important to San Antonio’s success. Even in limited minutes, he’s the best second-unit player on the Spurs, and he will continue to swing series, while also occasionally looking like he’s sabotaging them.
Manu being Manu is just awesome, and the Spurs will take him as such. The latest title run is proof that he still affects San Antonio's title window.
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