Tony Parker vs. Steve Nash: Canada beats France in this battle of the best international point guards

Basketball Digest, May-June, 2004 by Rick Barry

ITS TAKEN AWHILE, BUT I FInally found my first runaway "One-on-One." Going in, I had a sense that Steve Nash would have a significant advantage over the younger Tony Parker, but the gap is actually pretty wide, thanks in large part to free throw shooting.

Nash, in his eighth year at age 30, certainly benefits from his maturity and experience, while Parker, a 21-year-old third-year player, has all the tools, but has yet to develop his overall game.

Granted, Parker's rookie stats--9.2 ppg and 4.3 apg--as a 19-year-old were beyond anything Nash could compile (3.3 ppg and 2.1 apg in only 10.5 mpg), so if Parker continues to work hard and improve every year, he has the potential to become an elite point guard.

But my "One-an-Ones" are not about potential; they are about how a player is performing right now. And for now, there's no contest between the two. Here's a look:

OUTSIDE OFFENSE

(Nash 8, Parker 7)

Nash, one of the fastest jump-shooters Off the dribble in the league today, is a better shooter than Parker. Overall the two have similar field goal percentages, both hovering around 45% with Nash a shade higher, but the real difference surfaces from long distance. Nash is shooting .383 (.414 for his career) from the arc, while Parker has considerably less range and accuracy (.306 in 2003-04, .325 career).

Of course, because my benchmark for three point shooting is 30% (shoot any worse and I'm going to demand that a player moves closer to the hoop), even Parker passes muster. What's a bit worrisome, however, is that Parker tends to lose faith in his shooting and endures long stretches of games where he's no threat at all to score. For the Spurs to continue as yearly Finals contenders, that will have to stop. Parker must force defenses to pay the price if they decide to double down on the post and leave him open on the perimeter.

As for Nash, he earns some great style points as a shooter for his dribble-jumper. His size has forced him to perfect the skill. He's got a quick-trigger release, which provides an element of surprise and gives him a dangerous weapon. Plus, he's an assassin, as he elevates his game in the last five minutes to put teams away.

FREE THROW SHOOTING

(Nash 9, Parker 6)

The biggest gap on the board here is in the category most easily improved, free throws. Nash's career percentage of .892 is among the league's all-time best and should only increase--he topped 90% in 2002-03 and is nailing a career-best .916 in 2003-04.

Parker is another story entirely. While he did jump from .675 as a rookie to .755 last season, he's taking a page from the Tim Duncan-rollercoaster book of free throws and has dipped back to .706 this season. There's no reason for a point guard--or any other player--to barely crack 70% on an uncontested shot.

TEAM DEFENSE

(Parker 12, Nash 10)

Parker has the edge in this all-important 15-point category. Sure, it helps that San Antonio has been nothing short of the league's best defensive team from the second Parker slipped on a Spurs uniform, but he ably pulls his weight within Gregg Popovich's suffocating system. Parker understands how to play good team defense, using his quickness to get to a spot on the floor that shuts off his man and forces a kick-off pass. Parker rarely lets his man get past him into the paint and has the quick hands and feet necessary to help close gaps when another offensive player is making a drive to the hoop.

On the other hand, "good team defense" and "the Mavericks" are incongruous. Being the best defender on Dallas is damning a player with faint praise for sure. While Nash is not quite Dallas' best defender, he's played the game long enough to know how to make valiant, sometimes desperate attempts to plug the holes in Dallas' D. The fact that the Mavs seem to rely more and more on zones--as ff they will mask the team's ineptitude on that end of the floor--doesn't help Nash make much of a case as a solid team defender.

INDIVIDUAL DEFENSE

(Parker 15, Nash 10)

Neither player excels enough in this category to take advantage of the 15 points up for grabs, but both players have their strengths. Parker has probably learned more than he ever thought he would--in just three seasons, mind you--about defense under Popovich. Unfortunately, his quickness and ball sense don't translate into steals (0.68 slag in 2003-04), most likely due to the Spurs team philosophy of not taking unnecessary gambles into the passing lanes. If Parker chose to play as an Allen Iverson-style gambler, stabbing at every pass thrown on the court, Parker probably would get twice as many steals.

Nash has definitely improved as a defender over the years and wisely uses his experience and high level of energy to his advantage. Again, zone play tends to negate any sign of effective individual defense, but with that said, Nash does a decent enough job. He's far from being the weak defensive link on the Mavericks.

BALL-HANDLING/ PASSING

(Nash 9, Parker 7)

Nash is an extraordinary ball-handler. How many times have you seen him pick up his dribble? Like never. He dribbles along the arc, weaves through traffic, in and out of the paint, under the basket. You wonder if at times he would Just keep dribbling through timeouts and halftime if permitted. The thing is, Nash keeps his dribble for good reason: When the opening is there and it's time for the pass, he delivers.