As time passes, it turns into more durable to convey simply how good Manu Ginobili was. His longevity really hurts his legacy, as a result of a era didn’t get to see peak Ginobili. Their lasting impression is that of a wily veteran function participant. Others name him probably the greatest sixth males of all time — arguably faint reward to start with — and spotlight his selflessness however don’t think about him one of many high capturing guards of his era.
The fact is that in his prime, Manu was a star. He was as answerable for the Spurs’ success as any member of the Large Three. As Gregg Popovich stated in Ginobili’s jersey retirement ceremony, “With out Manu, there have been no championships.”
However is it potential to go additional than that when taking a look at Manu’s significance to these title groups? Within the newest episode of his sequence of video essays about offensive legends, Ben Taylor of Considering Basketball asks, was Ginobili really the MVP of the Spurs’ dynasty?
It’s a incredible video that presents arguments that ought to sound acquainted to followers who have been round throughout these days, however Taylor does an ideal job of utilizing each sport footage and stats to point out how distinctive Manu’s offensive sport was, how essential his presence was to the Spurs’ success and the way regardless of coming off the bench, he was usually the distinction between victory or defeat for San Antonio.
It’s good to see Manu get that sort of affection years after his retirement. Too usually he’s in comparison with nice up to date bench scorers like Jamal Crawford and Lou Williams when he clearly was a lot greater than that. There have been the explanation why Manu wanted to be a sixth man for the Spurs to succeed and arguably for him to increase his profession, however he was probably the greatest at his place within the league for years and he elevated his manufacturing and affect within the playoffs. He was additionally not a defensive legal responsibility, which Taylor touches on, in contrast to lots of gamers who come off the bench however play heavy minutes. Ginobili not being a starter is just not what defines him and focusing an excessive amount of on his function as a substitute of his immense expertise is clearly a mistake that many nonetheless make.
Now, the central thesis of the video that Ginobili was secretly a celebrity and arguably as essential as Tim Duncan throughout the championship years is just a little onerous to simply accept at face worth even for hardcore Manu followers, however it’s well-argued. Even should you disagree with it, there are worse methods to spend 20+ minutes than watching Ginobili highlights from the glory days!
