Authors of a rather interesting start to the season, the Spurs can count on a nice mix between promising youngsters and veterans who do the job. In this second category, we obviously find Patty Mills, who is part of the furniture and who is particularly hot this year, so much so that he allows himself to take a record for Manu Ginobili.
It’s a stat that hasn’t necessarily been mentioned a lot since last night, but still means something. On the Blazers’ floor during MLK Day, Patty Mills put her name in the NBA record books by registering her 930th award-winning shot off the bench with the Spurs. The 32-year-old Australian has become the most prolific replacement in history behind the arc with one team.. And as history gets it right, Patty has passed San Antonio legend Mr. Manu Ginobili, who made 929 career 3-pointers in the substitute suit. Not nothing when we know the exploits achieved by the Argentine under the Texan tunic for more than 15 years. At Spurs for a good decade, Mills has started just 56 out of 611 games played with San Antonio, for statistics of 9.3 points in 20.5 minutes of play with a nice 39.3% parking success. Bringing a boost when exiting the bench through his outside address is a responsibility he knows well and he fulfills his role with great regularity, sometimes even getting hot in FIBA mode as was the case. Monday in Portland. With 21 points in 24 minutes at 8/11 shooting including 5/7 from distance, Patty burned the strings of the Moda Center, and the Spurs were able to secure a third victory in four games to take fifth place in the West. with a record of eight wins for six losses.
“I think this record means something about being able to understand your role and try to maximize that opportunity while remaining true to the player that you are.
Manu was the perfect example in the way he accepted his role. “
– Patty Mills
This kind of big perf off the bench, Patty has started collecting them since the start of the season. 21 points (5/6 away) against the Raptors in late December, 27 pawns (8/12 from the parking lot) on the Clippers’ floor two weeks ago, 21 units (5/8 behind the arc) in Minneapolis a few days later, in short he is not kidding the grandpa. We’ve only played for 14 games but Mills is now on his best career averages, with stats of 14.7 points (third scorer of the team) and 3.1 assists in 25.3 minutes, at 47.4% shooting including 45.7% from distance and 89.5% from free throws. Limit we are talking about a candidate for the Sixth Man of the Year trophy, Mills taking advantage of the absence of Derrick White on the backcourt to show that he has a lot of basketball in his hands. And since we are talking about a veteran who is a hit off the bench and award-winning shots, know that Rudy Gay planted his 1,000th career 3-point shot against the Blazers last night, finishing with 21 points in total at 5 / 8 from afar. The old people are still here!
A record for Patty Mills, which serves as a reward for her good start to the season but also for her overall contribution to the Spurs franchise. And given its current form, something tells us that it has not finished planting …
???????????????????? ????????????????????????????! ????@Patty_Mills is now the all-time leader in three-pointers made off the bench in NBA history with one team after passing @manuginobili earlier today.#ULTRAMoments | #GoSpursGo pic.twitter.com/xwk1jPKCAO
– San Antonio Spurs (@spurs) January 18, 2021
“There’s something there in understanding your role & trying to make the most of that opportunity at the same time still being true to who you are as a player. I think Manu was the perfect example of that & how he accepted his role,” Patty Mills on his bench role #gospursgo #nba pic.twitter.com/naPsX9wfxI
— JeffGSpursZone (@JeffGSpursZone) January 19, 2021
