By Jeff Case, NBA.com
The creator of the Horry Scale, Micah Hart, has moved on from NBA.com-land. Still, his brainchild will live on. Now, only two days into the season, we have our first candidate of 2012-13 in Tony Parker.
For those that are new around these parts, the Horry scale examines a game-winning buzzer-beater (GWBB) in the categories of difficulty, game situation (was the team tied or behind at the time?), importance (playoff game or garden-variety Clippers-Nets game?), and celebration, and gives it an overall grade on a scale of 1-5 Robert Horrys, who is kind of the patron saint of last-second clutchiness.
For longtime Spurs fans, it might have been sweeter than usual to see Parker nailing a game-winning jump shot, if only because it wasn’t all that long ago that many questioned if Parker could add a reliable jump shot to his dangerous dribble-drive game.
How does Mr. Parker’s shot Thursday stack up? Let’s take a look.
Difficulty
As mentioned above, this is a now-routine shot for Parker — which was something you couldn’t always say about his outside game. We’d rate this one a medium difficulty, though, seeing as how last season’s shotblocking king, Serge Ibaka, was in the neighborhood and wasn’t that far behind in getting a hand on the ball. The shot could have been a lot tougher, though, had OKC All-Star Russell Westbrook not gotten lost on the pass from Danny Green to Parker, something that Charles Barkley and Kenny Smith took Westbrook to task for on “Inside the NBA.”
Game Situation
Score tied at 84 with 5.9 seconds left. Parker had nailed a 3-pointer with 28.4 seconds left to tie the score and OKC had a chance to claim the lead, but Kevin Durant had the ball stolen by Kawhi Leonard as Durant came off a screen (in another play that Charles and Kenny didn’t like).
Importance
This was the second game of the season for San Antonio and OKC’s season-opener, so the importance would seem muted. There is, of course, the fact that these were the teams in last season’s West finals … and that OKC came back from an 0-2 hole to vanquish the Spurs … and that these squads remain among the West favorites again. This game adds another chapter to the overall lore of the rivalry and may end up mattering come season’s end. The importance factor, then, is semi-high with a chance of super-high later in the season.
Celebration
Grade
3½ Horrys. It’s a well-executed shot and Parker proves that his game has plenty of range. The rivalry factor with OKC colors things and the potential future impact of this game to the West hierarchy beefs up the rating from what it would be were it any other game or teams (it’d probably be like 2 stars, IMO, if that were the case).
What do you think?
Catch up on every single game-winning buzzer beater during the season and see how it rates on the Horry Scale.
The funny thing is that a Clippers-Nets game isn’t a weak game anymore, so you could change the “playoff game or garden-variety Clippers-Nets game?” part in your article. Still, I’m happy that you still have the Horry Scale.
Considering his shot was not falling the entire game, I say this is a four Horry’s.
Pistons-Lakers. Worst teams in their respective conferences right now. Lol.
It was five stars considering the three pointer he made mere seconds before.
NBA commentators completely ignored the blatantly illegal screen by Duncan that that prevented the defender from getting to Parker. He held like it was WWE wrestling. That’ why this is no Horry type shot.
3 horry’s for timmy
Start the MVP chant for Parker now! He will be in the discussion at the end of the year, but since he is in SA he will get NO love… Start the movement, the guy is a finals MVP and now is the spark for the aging three. MVP, MVP!
Uhhh what about George Hill’s game winner with 2 seconds left? Doesn’t that count?
lol – it was just a regular shot – Westbrook got lost in his defense and it was a wide open look. Nothing special. Even pretyy much time on the clock. I do not understand why the Spurs are always so hyped up if the hit a bucket. And Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili in particular. They have a great coach though.
to john doe… all hyped up when they hit a bucket? the guy just hit the game winner. of course he’d be emotional. besides, he wasn’t even over the top. no jersey pulling, no chest-pounding, no taunting. just screams and walks away. nothing special, you say? that shot won the game. over the out-stretched arms of the reigning defensive player of the year. no, it probably doesn’t deserve 5 horry’s, but still a great shot.
I say 4 Horrys because, like previously mentioned, it’s their first match up since the Spurs were knocked out last season, the clutch 3 pointer by Parker to tie the game, and the icing on the cake with the game winning bucket.