He is as good as any in the non PG category. Can't really compare him to some of the all time great PG's though that made their living on passes.

The Bird comparison is the best one for Manu imo. He is a guy that simply saw the court differently than everyone else. He knew where all the players were all the time and where they were going. He was looking to score first but he could recognize an open teammate that no one else could see as well as anyone. The fact Manu is left handed also adds some flair to his passes as the angles look different, fwiw I would bet he could have been a great QB with his vision and arm. Manu has as high of a basketball IQ as any player in the last 20 years in the NBA, Duncan and Nash are right there as well.

Manu has more "WTF just happened and how did we score" moments than anyone I can think of. Like other people have said, he's very good at knowing what is going to happen before it does, and he's even better at taking advantage of those insights in an unconventional manner.

Nash will dish out great passes, but if you're watching on tv you can usually see him set up the play and you know where the ball is going, it's just not always an easy pass to get it there. His skill is setting up the defense with the dribble and taking advantage of the choices he forces.

With Manu, he'll have the ball on the wing and without warning, fire a short-arm pass under one defender's arm and over another defender's arm to a teammate you thought was completely out of the play for a wide open layup. It's not just where people are and where they are going, it's where their eyes are, how focused they are, are they on balance, etc. You can see the same thing on his layups.

I agree with the last few posts. Manu comes up with stuff out of nowhere. It's a surprise and exciting.

Highlight reels don't do justice to great plays seen in real time. Dilutes/desensitizes the thrill (this is applicable to a lot of players in a lot of sports).

HOw many times has Manu thrown a pass between a defender's legs?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YDTETgNMBRA

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lxFnfteqaTE

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EwVgXgIBud4&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vaMZ6PAU2mc

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aP9ZsJkVc0U

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vFLq2IeKFPA&feature=relmfu

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9A_n_Kq1O7w&feature=relmfu

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3L1V7wk5Afs


Dude is sick.

Loved him embarrassing Garnett.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W6oDheQltmQ&feature=fvst

And Wade
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v_WkjkCuP4g&feature=fvst

And LeBron
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=25lbjxV7s-8&feature=related

And Durant
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hm9Y-vqZsEo

And a Tyson Chandler ally-oop
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wQdzsyZDtF4&feature=related

And Kobe
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OG6Ys1jksxM



OH yeah, a pass or twono:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=97EzOdPOUNw&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KJ7afGsXgwI&feature=fvwrel

That Durant block is a thing of beauty.

Throw Bill Walton into the mix.

where is the best of all time- the Shaq shakedown in 2003

Guitarsoup

Nash and Kidd et al. are better passers in that they set career records for assists, and that is their primary function on their teams.

That said, I have seen few plays from those guys that match the same kind of "holy ****" factor that some of Manu's passes have. In that regard, I think White Chocolate, Maravich and Bird were also "more exciting" passers than Nash and Kidd.

We're talking about two different things and I did a poor job of clarifying that in the beginning.

[This message has been edited by MassAggie97 (edited 4/25/2012 9:37a).]

He's also one of the best non-passers of all time:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OYxwaPcWNcM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KW3CgJV3T0U

[This message has been edited by MassAggie97 (edited 4/25/2012 9:44a).]

Bird was an exciting passer because he saw things that 99% of the rest of the league couldn't. Watch any Bird highlight video. He court vision/awareness are light years ahead of everyone else.

Boom

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nvVEwGnD4h4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0iT1cVI007w

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AANgAldwAdM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9rfazfxrP6o

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D1fVXUzF0_E

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U-LyRdkYYrc

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EgEU4CesEnU

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hTeDIQgE36U

T mac? You must me joking.

He's not even in the top 15 all time in great passers.

That doesn't change the fact he is very good.

LeBron James is a more "exciting" passer than Manu.

quote:

---

LeBron James is a more "exciting" passer than Manu.

---

Credibility=gone

Larry Bird was one of the best I've seen. The guy made everyone around him so much better. He got guys such easy shots

Bump.

That over the shoulder/behind the back pass was ridiculous. Right on the money.

Magic Johnson
Pistol Pete
Arvydas Sabonis for a big man.

Ginobili makes at least 1 amazing pass per game. I'm not sure that behind-the-shoulder pass was even his best one yesterday. I'm almost partial to the "suspend the ball in mid air and let Tony run under it" pass. Somehow he freezes the defense and Tony is the only guy on the floor that can get to it? Perfectly place, in the paint, in front of the rim, and none of the defenders can get to it???

Another fantastic pass Manu had yesterday was the one he floated to Splitter off a PnR. Splitter blew the layup, but just like the Parker pass, that thing was perfectly placed and just seemed to hang in the air till Tiago ran up under it.

One of the commentators called him "Manu the Magician," and I'm inclined to agree.

Yeah I forgot about that pass to Splitter. I was yelling at Splitter through the TV because I knew we wouldn't see a replay on that pass since he blew the layup.

He also had a really nice bounce pass to Blair on the pick-and-roll. His pick-and-roll passing is outstanding. He seems to make a play even when I think the defenders have the passing lanes covered up.

I think he makes the pass based on the defenders' eyes, not their position. The defender thinks he has shut off the passing lane so he looks to find the cutter or whatever and Manu throws it right through/around/over to the cutter.

And I can't believe Splitter blew that layup. Throw it down.

anyone have a vid where Manu throws the ball like a baseball right into spitters hands while the defenders backs are turned?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FpIgF-8BECk

It was to Bonner, not Splitter.

thanks sharkenelo.

[This message has been edited by Dave Robicheaux (edited 4/30/2012 5:02p).]