Spurs' Tony Parker starts in Game 1 vs. Heat
As many have expected all week and Tony Parker himself confirmed on French radio on Tuesday, the San Antonio Spurs point guard will be in the lineup and starting on Thursday night when the Spurs open their NBA Finals series at home against the Miami Heat.
Monitor showing spurs starters as Duncan, Splitter, Green, Parker and Leonard.
— Dan McCarney (@danmccarneysaen) June 6, 2014
Parker has been dealing with soreness in his left ankle stemming from a sprain he suffered in the first round of the playoffs and re-aggravated in Game 4 of the Western Conference finals. He was able to play through it in Game 5 and in the first half of Game 6 but sat out the second half of the team's series-clinching victory.
Obviously, his presence is enormous for the Spurs, as Parker is the engine of their dynamic offense. Even when the ankle was slowing him some, his production was sterling:
| Tony Parker | Pts/36 | Ast/36 | FG% | FTA/36 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | 20.4 | 7 | 49.9% | 4.4 |
| Round 1 v. DAL | 21.7 | 5.1 | 47.2% | 4.3 |
| Round 2 v. POR | 22.8 | 6.5 | 50.6% | 4 |
| Round 3 v. OKC | 17.1 | 6.2 | 49.3% | 1.5 |
In last year's finals, Parker averaged 15.7 points and 6.4 assists over the seven games but shot just 41.2 percent from the field. The Spurs will be hoping he plays closer to his ceiling than he did last year, but the important thing is that Parker's in the lineup, period, lessening the burden on Manu Ginobili, the streaky Patty Mills and the untested Cory Joseph.
Mario Chalmers plans to attack Parker and test his ankle off the bat, which is a story to watch in the early going, but the bigger test will be how Parker looks attacking off the bounce and initiating the Spurs' offense.