ESPN has once again run out of story ideas, and they have resorted to play the reliable "let's make a list of great NBA shooting guards/players/competitors/gamblers/personalities/assholes and pretend Jordan is not a lock for the top spot" card.

The results are a trifle baffling to me.  George Gervin is the 4th best shooting guard of all time?  Really?  He's famous for two things:  the finger roll and never, ever, EVER playing defense.

More than any other position, a discussion of shooting guards rarely, if ever, involves defense.  For instance, the nearly insufferable duo of Mark Jackson and Jeff Van Gundy got into a Manu Ginobili vs. Tracy McGrady debate during the recent Spurs vs. Suns telecast.  Defense was not mentioned a single time.  It's half the game last time I checked; seems to warrant mentioning.

According to ESPN's panel of experts*, Tracy McGrady is the 17th best shooting guard of all time, two spots ahead of Manu.  20th on the list is nancy boy Ray Allen.  Yes, thank you, can I have some more.

*Sports is the only field where participation qualifies you as an expert.  Botanical experts are people who study plant life, academics with botany PhDs.  Your grandma, despite the beauty of her gardenias, is not an expert.

I am going to miss Brent Barry.  He was our best shooter and his fast break abilities were eclipsed only by Parker and Ginobili.  My feelings regarding him vs. Finley are common knowledge around here.  Who's better or worse obviously doesn't matter now, but it didn't matter before the trade, either.

Pop wasn't going to play Brent Barry.  In fact, ever since Brent arrived I always got the impression that Pop played him begrudgingly, like a bad husband who goes shopping with his wife just to complain about how much he hates shopping.  With Brent's injury and the emergence of Ime Udoka as a useful bench player, The Cooler had little hope of ever seeing the floor.

As for Elson, he never seemed to grasp the defensive system; Pop gave up on him months ago.

So the Spurs gave up two guys who Pop wasn't going to use and got Kurt Thomas.  What I like about Kurt Thomas reads very similar to the list of what I don't like about Oberto.

1.  Rebounding.  This year Kurt Thomas is averaging 16.7 rebounds per 48 minutes.  If he statistically qualified that'd be good for 6th in the NBA.  Oberto's at 12.6 boards per 48 minutes.
2.  One-on-one defense.  Kurt Thomas got absolutely destroyed by Tim Duncan last year and is overrated as an individual defender.  But he's certainly better than Oberto who's downright awful.  The only way he gets a stop is by drawing an offensive foul.
3.  Outside shooting.  Kurt Thomas can make the 18 foot jumper from all angles.  Oberto can make the 10 foot jumper along the baseline.

The obvious question is where are Thomas' minutes going to come from?  I'm (of course) hoping from Horry see's more time on the bench.  But what is more likely (and stampler mentioned this on the phone) is that Pop will go small less often.

Link.  My thoughts will come later.  Yours can come now.

By the way, I guarantee you some writer at ESPN will take the following angle (not because it's necessarily true, but because it's obvious and easy):

"The Lakers, Phoenix and Dallas all make bold moves acquiring bigger names; in some instances ignoring whether or not they fit into the current system and trading away valuable future pieces.  The Spurs make the small, clever move that tweaks the team without giving away anything of value.  These are the types of the moves that win chips."

Manu Ginobili (The Sickness, Opus, etc.) Grade:  AA+++^^+

What can be said that has not already been said?  How about this?  The man's play has given me an erection three different times this season. And one of those times I was wearing my Pope-blessed erection proof Chastity Chaps!

Tim Duncan (The Cornerstone, Timmeh!, etc.) Grade:  B+

He's coming along after a lazyish start.  Hasn't been hurt all that much.

Tony Parker  (The Wee Frenchman, Frenchie McWonderbutt, etc.) Grade:  B

He was pretty freaking awesome before he hobbled his ankle.  And that shit with him doing Grease with Eva was funny as all hecky-shucks-darn.

Matt Bonner (The Gingerhead Man) Grade:  B

Maybe it's been my imagination, but I swear he hasn't sucked.  I swear.  However, if you consider how little playing time he's gotten, and who Pop's playing in his place, well, he must of sucked the suckiest donkey balls ever sucked.

Pop (Coach Wino) Grade:  D-

The only thing saving him from an F is the fact he hasn't physically injured Manu yet.

Robert Horry (Ear Muffs, etc.) Grade:  G

Horry's proving it's ok if you suck balls as long as it's the coach's balls your sucking.  Sorry.  That was gross.  Just picture that.  Eww.

Michael Finley (Conspicuously Devoid of a Nickname as Far as I Can Remember) Grade:  C

He tries hard all the time.  His multi-directional fadeaways give me the runs.

Jacque Vaughn () Grade:  D

During the RRT I nearly threw my effing shoe at my tv because that horrible color commentator kept going on and on about how well he'd been playing.  He sucked balls.  Check his stats.  They were awful.  He just shot the ball a lot out of sheer embarrassment.  If Tony Parker played that way he'd be tarred, feathered and shipped out of town.

Fabricio Oberto () Grade:  B-

Thoroughly uninspiring but sucks way less than Elson.

Bruce Bowen () Grade:  B-

Not shooting all that well lately and takes way too many jump shots.  Bruce, just because you practiced your running left hander all summer doesn't mean you get to shoot it every time you're open.

I'm out of time.  Sorry Brent.  Get well soon.  Everyone else hasn't mattered. [Edit: Sorry, Ime, you matter, too.]

I follow the Spurs and have missed only a handful of games since the beginning of 04-05 season.  I know the strengths as weaknesses of the team as a whole.  I know what type and which specific defenders give our individual players trouble.

Maybe the acquisition of Jason Kidd helps the Mavericks as a whole.  Maybe the Mavericks were getting overpowered by larger point guards or needed help on the glass.  Maybe they needed a guy to brick wide open jumpers.  I don't know.  I don't follow the Mavs.

But I follow the Spurs and can say unequivocally and without a doubt that the Mavericks no longer have a shot to beat the Spurs in the playoffs.  Allow me to quote the esteemed Michael Erler:

Mr. Erler is absolutely right.  Parker's poor play against the Mavs has been almost entirely due to the defense of Devin Harris.  He guards Tony better than any other player in the NBA and it's not really close.  He draws charges, he squeezes around screens and he takes it right back at Tony on offense.  

Now the Mavericks have traded Tony Parker's kryptonite for Jason Kidd.  His defensive strengths are his ability to defend bigger guards and his rebounding proficiency.  Neither of these things will help him stay in front of Tony Parker, something he has no hope in doing.  The Mavs may have bettered their chances against the likes of the Lakers and the Suns, but they better hope they don't face the Spurs in the playoffs.

Ginobili on the front, Erler on the back:

Part of me really wanted to put the quote on the front and the photo on the back, but I thought more people would like it this way.

And yes, I know Ginobili isn't white. Stampler's point is still the same: the people who clamor for the days of Bird are missing someone built in his image. No, he's not the quality of player Bird was. But he's a truly great player who's won everywhere he's played. He's probably the fiercest competitor in the league and he plays like his opponents' names and stature don't matter to him. He doesn't care. He really, truly, doesn't give a shit (except when he stuffed Lebron's weak ass shit; he might have cared then).

He just fucking plays.

He's underpaid. He just plays. He's benched. He just plays. He takes cheap shots. He just plays. His coach repeatedly throws him under the bus. He just plays.

P.S. Zazzle may yank this shirt pretty quick. I don't know. My understanding of copyright law is that this is perfectly legal. I wouldn't do it otherwise.

The Spurs don't play again until Tuesday.  I'm up to my ears in life.  I'm guessing Stampler's busy hitting on tramps at his bar.  In other words, you ain't gettin' much from this blog for a while.

Anyways, I need to know your favorite Manu Ginobili photo.  Find it online and post it in the comments.  You can just post the link or use some fancy html like so:

<!img src="http://sportswrap.berecruited.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/05/Manu%20Ginobili.jpg">

That, without that first exclamation point, gives you this:

Sorry, I don't have the energy to do this injustice justice.  Here's what Henry Abbott of True Hoop had to say:

(Iverson was voted in.)

Manu's the only player in the top 10 in PER not to make the squad.  Makes you question your faith in the Flying Spaghetti Monster, doesn't it?

Since I'm getting this post up so late I will not be taking contest predictions.