|
A number of NBA players have bright futures ahead of them, but few are as bright as that of Tony Parker.
That may seem like an odd statement considering his pedestrian numbers of a year ago. As a 19-year-old rookie, Parker averaged 9.2 points and 4.3 assist per game.
However, there are two reasons to think he's capable of much more. The first was his playoff performance. Going up against experienced hands like Gary Payton and Derek Fisher, Parker raised his scoring to 15.5 points per game on 46 percent shoooting. More impressive was how he did it, repeatedly using his electric quickness to get to the basket.
Second, consider the phrase "19-year-old rookie" again. Parker's 15.5 point average in the playoffs is a lot more impressive when one considers his age. To put it in perspective, the player to whom Parker is most often compared, Kevin Johnson, had similar numbers at age 19, averaging 12 points and 4 assists a game -- in college.
In fact, it's hard to come up with a single player in the history of the game who was a starting point guard at the age of 19. Parker's youth makes it easy to underestimate how much time he has to grow into a star player. He shouldn't hit his prime until around 2010, if you can believe that.
He'll have great company between now and then. The Spurs' roster includes reigning MVP Tim Duncan and newly arrived Argentine star Emanuel Ginobili. Better yet, San Antonio has enough salary cap room to add another superstar to the roster next summer.
All of which means Parker should have plenty of scorers around him to help boost his assist total, an area that was lacking during his rookie campaign. There are other areas of his game to quibble with -- his jump shot is missing the "jump" part and he's still improving as a decision-maker -- but Spurs' fans' main wish for is for him to boost his playmaking skills.
If he can do that, the sky is the limit. Parker's ability to get the basket should make him devastating on pick-and-rolls, and his 3-point stroke is accurate enough to make people pay for double-teaming Duncan. Defensively, his superb quickness helps him make up for an unimposing build.
Frame all of that in the context of a player in uncharted waters -- a 19-year-old rookie from overseas coming in to run the show for a championship contender. With his burst of quickness off the dribble and unusual composure for his age, Parker is a rising star on a team that should be on the short list of title contenders for several more years.
-- By John Hollinger, CNNSI.com
| 
