Over the past five plus years, the San Antonio Spurs have become accustomed to other teams copying their lead and hiring their front office people.
With the Spurs hopefully eyeing a return trip to the NBA Finals, keeping Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili healthy should be a high priority. With news coming in from France about Tony Parker feeling tired after playing for the French national team perhaps limited minutes is in order heading into the new season for No. 9.
Something the Lakers might have in store for another point guard who has lots of miles on his legs – Steve Nash.
During an interview with Los Angeles Daily News, longtime trainer Gary Vitti was discussing the 2012-2013 season and the rash of injuries the Lakers went through.
When discussing the return of Nash, Vitti said the following:
“He might be a guy that would be better off reducing his minutes,” Vitti said of Nash, who played an average of 32.5 minutes per game last season. “Because he wasn’t himself last year, let’s see what he’s like in camp. We’re not going to beat the guy up.”
Keeping Parker in street clothes during pre-season games and limited minutes during the start of the regular seasson is a looking like a viable option that will benefit both the team and himself by giving Nando De Colo, Cory Joseph and Patty Mills more time on the floor. Each player will be given an extended look with the starting unit.
Keep in mind, Parker played roughly 30 minutes per game for Team France at the EuroBasket tournament. So it goes without saying, Parker needs rest considering the quick turnaround from playing with Team France to hitting the court for training camp in just a few days.
Also, as we saw last season, Parker started off strong but withered towards the end of the season. Wear and tear and fatigue may have set in last season for Tony since he also had a run with Team France.
So Spurs’ fans, do you think that Parker’s need for rest will help to yield a stronger team come playoff time?
