It’s official. Tony Parker is done for the remainder of the playoffs after suffering a ruptured left quadriceps tendon in Game 2 against the Houston Rockets. The Spurs handily won that game even after losing Parker to injury, but they have another five games ahead of them to worry about. The Spurs may not have many issues moving past Houston without Parker, but they need these four players to step to the occasion.
Patty Mills
This is a no-brainer. Anytime Tony Parker is out of the lineup, Patty Mills becomes the starting point guard, and he must produce for the Spurs to win.
Thankfully, Mills played well in the eight starts he received during the regular season, averaging 12.1 points, 5.9 assists, and 2.3 steals on 40.4 percent shooting from three-point distance. Unlike Parker, Mills is more of a scoring guard, and he is more than capable of filling his void. The only problem now is that Mills' backup must fill his void as well.
Manu Ginobili
One thing the Spurs lose with Parker out is his ball handling and playmaking abilities. Kawhi Leonard will obviously be asked to take on those responsibilities, and Manu Ginobili can handle them as well. The 39-year-old Argentinian was horrible the first four games of the playoffs but has been rather effective since. However, they are going to need plenty of production off the bench from Ginobili now that Parker is out.
Pau Gasol
Another veteran that must step up is Pau Gasol. In Game 2, Gasol was most effective on the defensive end, recording 13 rebounds, four blocks, and a steal. Offensively, he was inefficient, scoring six points on 3-of-11 shooting. His offense throughout the playoffs has been atrocious, as he is merely averaging 6.4 points on 37 percent shooting.
The Spurs need Gasol to raise his level of play on that end of the floor to provide more assistance to Leonard, who has essentially been a one-man show. Now that Parker is gone, Gasol must average around 10-12 points to fill his void.
LaMarcus Aldridge
The biggest concern for the Spurs has been the awful play of LaMarcus Aldridge in the first two games of this series.
Although he scored 15 points in Game 2, it took him 14 shots. There is no way around it, Aldridge has to be the second best scorer on the team on a consistent basis for the Spurs to go deeper into the playoffs. He is their second best player, so there should be no reason for him to average 9.5 points on 38.1 percent shooting in this series.
