Season Player Wrap-Up: Manu Ginobili

Jun 6, 2013; Miami, FL, USA; San Antonio Spurs shooting guard Manu Ginobili (20) reacts during the first quarter of game one of the 2013 NBA Finals against the Miami Heat at the American Airlines Arena. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

Combo guard6-6, 21011 seasons

Per game: 11.8 ppg, 3.4 rpg, 4.6 apg, 1.3 spg, 0.2 bpgShooting: 42.5 FG%, 35.3 3-pt%, 79.6 FT%Advanced: 19.0 PER, 4.5 win shares, .155 ws / 48 mins

Game five on the 2013 NBA Finals, Manu Ginobili arrived.  Many fans were waiting through-out the playoffs for a break-out game from him, and 24 points and 10 assists later, that game proved that when Ginobili comes out and plays his game, the Spurs have a great chance of winning.

What Ginobili does on the court can make you cringe, then, make you gasp in relief.  This of course is how I felt during the Finals this season.  After that game five performance, Ginobili went away, when we needed him the most.

via Dan McCarney, Spurs Nation:

Dec 8, 2012; Charlotte, NC, USA; San Antonio Spurs shooting guard Manu Ginobili (20) during the second half against the Charlotte Bobcats at Time Warner Arena. Mandatory Credit: Curtis Wilson-USA TODAY Sports

It wasn’t all his fault, as many of the critics currently calling for his head — or at least his retirement — would have you believe. Tony Parker (9 for 35) and Danny Green (2 for 19) both wilted badly over the final two games, while Tim Duncan scored just five points in the second half of Game 6. Not even head coach Gregg Popovich was immune, drawing major heat for his late tactics.

I am guilty for feeling this way.  To this day, what haunts me the most is what Ginobili was doing towards the end of game seven that pretty much wrapped it up for the Miami Heat winning their back-to-back title.  I know, LeBron James went crazy but it should of never been that way if Ginobili would of taken care of the ball.

Turnovers, after turnovers, after turnovers.  You never jump to pass the ball……never.  This is what he did when he went down into the lane during game seven to try and pass to Tim Duncan when it was picked off.

Okay….I am not going to put us all through that heartbreak again.

All that aside, you can say that Ginobili has his own style of play and when he is on, he helps out the team the best he can.  That game five performance I thought would break him out of the slump that he was in during the playoffs.

It didn’t.

We move on though. Ginobili signed a two-year extension with the San Antonio Spurs and I for one am excited that the big three will be able to finish their careers with one another, the only way any fan would want.

Finishing up his eleven year career (all with San Antonio), he is averaging 14.9 points, 3.9 rebounds, 4 assists, and 1.9 steals per game.  His post-season averages are outstanding in his career as well.  15.6 points, 4.4 rebounds, 3.9 assists, and 1.4 steals per game.

In his eleven year career, here is a look at some of the awards and honors he has dawned:

2 All-NBA 3rd Team

2010-11 2007-08

All-Rookie 2nd Team

2002-03

3 NBA Player of the Week

03/29/2010 02/24/2008 03/11/2007

1 NBA Rookie of the Month

Mar-2003

1 NBA Sixth Man of the Year

2007-08

1 Olympic Appearance

2012

1 Olympic Bronze Medal

2008

1 Olympic Gold Medal

2004