San Antonio Spurs guard Manu Ginobili was a guest on Argentine radio show Todo Red yesterday and was asked about several topics, from the addition of Stephen Jackson to his health.
Ginobili, who was a rookie with the Spurs when he played alongside Jackson during the 2003 Championship campaign, said he was excited about Jackson’s return to the Spurs.
“I’m excited. I got along with Jackson very well,” Ginobili said (via translation). “We played one year together. It was 54 years ago more or less (jokingly). I have a very good relationship with him, just as Tim and Tony do. We were all on that team.”
Ginobili also said Jackson comes to the Spurs with a lot of desire because he spent several years in bad situations, especially most recently with Milwaukee where he and coach Scott Skiles clashed.
“I’m happy and excited,” Ginobili said. “I hope he improves the team.”
Ginobili also told the radio show that he cannot play two games in a row and that he has to take care of himself. He also said the goal is not to worry about scoring points or playing time in the next five or ten games, but to be healthy for the playoffs.
“I do not want to have another setback and miss another two weeks. because at this point it would be like losing the whole season,” he said.
With plenty of players, including the newly acquired Jackson along with Danny Green, Kawhi Leonard and Gary Neal able to play shooting guard, the Spurs have the luxury of being able to continue monitoring Ginobili and limiting his minutes.
Fortunately for the Spurs, two of the other big three seem to be hitting a groove lately.
“Tony is impeccable. He is playing at a superlative level, managing the game and taking over when he needs to,” Ginobili said about teammate Tony Parker. “He must be one of the five candidates for MVP this season and he is one reason why we are second in the West. Tim (Duncan) in recent games has been good. He’s healthy, motivated and playing well.”
Ginobili also went on to give his thoughts on Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, Blake Griffin, and other players.
Durant and Westbrook are physically different: two guys who play with speed and ease that everyone could cost you but they do it naturally. But in that group are also (Dwyane) Wade and LeBron (James), and Derrick Rose. Or you see Blake Griffin and he scares you. Cannot believe it. When you think he can not jump higher, you receive see it once more. And when it believes it can be faster, as were Chris Paul or Tony Parker, are Rose and Westbrook. And when we thought no one after Amar’e Stoudemire could not jump higher, LeBron came.
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