Is Tony Parker Officially Back for San Antonio Spurs?
The San Antonio Spurs will certainly take their five consecutive wins, but it's another streak that likely has them equally enthused. Point guard Tony Parker has tallied at least 19 points in three straight games, including a season-high 32 points in Sunday's 116-105 victory against the Chicago Bulls.
The 32-year-old's made at least 57 percent of his field-goal attempts in each of those games, attacking with poise that seemed to elude him just last week.
"He's been in that mode for the last two or three games and feeling pretty confident about his health," head coach Gregg Popovich told reporters after Sunday's contest. "He was very explosive today and played a decent number of minutes, too. I think he's where we would like him to be."
Which is to say, Popovich thinks he's back—back to the All-Star form that helped the franchise secure its fifth championship a season ago.
Back to the scoring and attacking from all over the floor, adeptly finishing with floaters, jumpers and high-difficulty layups.
Whether it's a permanent return to form remains to be seen, however.
A Hamstring, Some Rust and Two Months to Forget
Parker hasn't missed a game since Jan. 3, but he was subsequently limited to single-figure scoring nine times in January and February. He averaged just 11 points per contest during the former and 12.5 for the latter—both under a 14.5 points-per-game average that ranks as his lowest since a 2001-02 rookie campaign.
The six-time All-Star brought February to a close with a particularly dismal stretch, failing to tally double-figure points four times in five games. During that span, he topped 23.1-percent shooting just once.
Let's put it this way. Parker's had enough rusty games to lower his field-goal percentage to 47.1 percent this season, down from last season's 49.9 percent and 2012-13's 52.2 percent.
Parker kind of, sort of, blamed the downturn on lingering effects of a hamstring injury he suffered on Dec. 5 against the Memphis Grizzlies.
"I don't even want to use that as an excuse," he told reporters amid his downturn last month. "I don't feel great. Everybody knows it. Coaches know it. But hey, that's everybody. Everybody's got nagging stuff. It's been a tough year for me since I got back from the nagging injury."
The not-quite excuse is reflected in the numbers. Since Parker suffered the injury, his production and efficiency have declined after a fairly decent November.
| Month | Games Played | PPG | FG% | APG |
| November | 14 | 16.7 | 50.3 | 5.9 |
| December | 5 | 12.8 | 53.8 | 3.8 |
| January | 13 | 11.0 | 40.7 | 4.1 |
| February | 11 | 12.5 | 39.6 | 5.0 |
There have been moments of improvement throughout the last two months, and pessimists will welcome Parker's recent upturn cautiously. He looks like he's back, but is it for good—and, most importantly, who will show up in mid-April?
The Timely Return
Let's get one thing straight. Hasty as it may be to declare Parker's resurgence official, it's even less reasonable to believe the last two months have been a sign of the 14th-year veteran's end times. This isn't about a precipitous decline or old age.
If that nagging hamstring injury is indeed to blame, we may now be glimpsing light that was always at the end of the tunnel.
"I'm still dealing with some stuff, but I'm going to fight through it," Parker told reporters after Sunday afternoon's game. "I'm tired of talking about it. I kept saying I'm going to fight through it, and I would rather play than stay out."
The results haven't always been pretty, but perhaps they were necessary. Playing through pain has given Parker the opportunity to impact a few games and gradually rediscover his rhythm well in advance of the playoffs (which begin in April).
Popovich made due note of Parker's progress after Friday's 24-point outing against the Denver Nuggets.
"Tony looks good," he told reporters after the contest. "As I said before the game, I think he is healthy. He is getting his rhythm back, which can help you get your confidence back. So, I think he is what we need to have."
The first step for Parker was last Wednesday's 8-for-14 performance against the Sacramento Kings, a showing in which he scored 19 points in 25 minutes. It was the second time in less than a week Parker dropped 19 points on the Kings, perhaps evidence of a veteran building confidence against a short-handed backcourt missing starter Darren Collison.
The Derrick Rose-less Bulls presented a similar opportunity on Sunday, and—to his credit—Parker took full advantage against the likes of Aaron Brooks and Kirk Hinrich.
When Parker's in-between game is working, the Spurs are a different team. And it was working against the Bulls.
"I do think he needed (a game) like this," sixth man Manu Ginobili told reporters of Parker's outing. "Because he did struggle for a couple of weeks with confidence, not feeling that great about his game. He was already starting to pick it up.
"Having a game like today is great. So we’re all very excited, for him and for us. Because we really need him to score."
No amount of sound San Antonio ball movement can replace Parker's production. He gives Popovich a weapon inside and outside of the paint, a versatile threat who can create for himself and others. When everything's going right, Parker can go head-to-head against any star floor general.
Kawhi Leonard may be this team's best all-around two-way player, but the offense still comes down to Parker.
So it's telling that said offense has posted no fewer than 112 points in each of the last three wins. Parker is the difference between an elite and average offense—and its ability to contend in the weeks to come.
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