Monday, October 26th, 2009...5:07 am
TrueHoop Network 2009-10 Season Preview: San Antonio
2008-9 Record: 54-28
Crystal Ball
The consensus prediction of the TrueHoop Network bloggers … and the best hopes of 48MoH.
Crowd Says: 55-27
We Say: 59-23
San Antonio Spurs, Mortal Splendor
During the Celtics heyday, Red Auerbach boasted a winning percentage of .719. In the modern era, Pat Riley’s Showtime Lakers played to the tune of .733. Phil Jackson’s Jordan Bulls dominated the 90s with an otherworldly percentage of .771. Jackson’s three-peat Lakers? .735. In his 12 seasons with San Antonio, Gregg Popovich, whose cynical disdain for the regular season runs more than skin deep, has, nevertheless, posted a winning percentage of .707. That’s the company the Spurs keep.
What should we expect this season? 58 wins and a run at the title. Same as every other year.
But if that comes off as cocksure bravado, it’s not. It’s just calculator-speak. It’s the safe assurance of a system that works, and players that work within it. It’s not a peacock spreading its fan; it’s a weatherman forecasting rain just after the thunderclouds clap.
Although I expect the Spurs to grind to their usual .700 season, this year’s team is different. The difference is that the championship baton has passed through three runners, and this season marks the start of their anchor leg. It marks the start of the end of the race.
And in this case, they may have saved their best runner for last. The Spurs revamped this summer, surrounding their core of Tony Parker, Manu Ginobili and Tim Duncan with needed relief in the form of Richard Jefferson, Antonio McDyess and DeJuan Blair. On paper, Coach Popovich has never had so much talent with which to work.
It’s ironic, then, that all that boring old patter about the Spurs being too old and injury prone rattles me this season unlike ever before. And why would that be?
In a word, legacy.
The Duncan-Popovich Spurs are nearing the end, the finish line is in view. What image will all those photo-finish flash bulbs record for future historians? The Spurs are racing against the league, and the they’re racing against the history of the league. Will we remember Gregg Popovich in the same breath as Red Auerbach, Pat Riley and Phil Jackson? Will the half-derisive moniker of “mini-dynasty” give way to a proper placing of the Spurs amongst the league’s greatest teams? Can Tim Duncan stay true to himself by quietly–and, yes–methodically emerging as the best player of the post-Jordan era?
No one is so crass to think the Spurs’ amazing run will thicken into empire; we have, after all, the Lakers and Celtics for that. But the hope remains that our perishing little republic will continue to shine, if only for a few moments more.
No You Can’t
Because celebrating success built on integrity is just plain un-American. Just like the Spurs. (Matt Moore, Hardwood Paroxysm).
After the Gold Rush
A stealth storyline heading into the season finds its genesis 80 miles northeast of San Antonio. Back in 2007 the Spurs purchased, as one of their unique projects, the Austin Toros. Their design: developing a true farm team in their neighbor to the north. The Toros front office is run by Dell Demps, the Spurs’ Director of Pro Player Personnel; on the court, the Toros feature the same offensive and defensive sets as the Spurs.
The Spurs’ training camp roster included 3 players who cut their teeth in Austin: Ian Mahinmi, Malik Hairston and Marcus Williams. Of those three, Hairston and Mahinmi are still will the team. Die hard optimists amongst the Spurs’ faithful see these players prominently featured on future rosters. The sober realist, however, sees something more shrewd. That person sees an inexpensive, system-smart core of players that could solidify the Spurs’ bench. Or at least an innovative method for getting there.
The Spurs made a name for themselves by finding star players in unheralded international draft picks, a practice that attracted no shortage of get-rich-quick imitators. Could the Spurs strike gold again by grooming rotation quality players in the D-League? It’s time for that story to come of age.
All-A-Twitter
“Today, the first dunk in 5 months!! It felt so goooood! Starting to get better. Can’t wait.” Manu Ginobili September, 2
On the Record
“If we don’t win it, I should probably be fired.” Coach Popovich commenting on the Spurs’ upcoming season from summer league.
The 2008-9 Almanac
Offense: 13th
Defense: 5th
Pace: 26th
Team Factor Strengths: Turnovers (1st), Defensive Rebounding (1st), Free Throws Allowed(1st)
Team Factor Weaknesses: Offensive Rebounding (3oth), Forced Turnovers (3oth), Free Throws Attempted(3oth)
The Play
Enlightenment (noun): the joyful uncertainty experienced by Spurs fans whenever their team’s priggish offense dies to give life to Manu Ginobili’s wizardry. 9.8 seconds left on the clock, Richard Jefferson inbounds to Manu Ginobili at halfcourt, two shooters in the corner, Tim Duncan flashes high for a screen…
The People’s Choice
From the moment he was dealt to Milwaukee for Richard Jefferson, everyone in San Antonio hoped to see Bruce Bowen return to the Spurs. But those days are gone. The Spurs won’t look the same without Bruce Bowen relentlessly harassing the league’s premier perimeter players and knocking down timely, cutthroat corner threes. The Spurs simply, somewhat heartlessly, shipped the best perimeter defender of the decade into retirement.
If You’re Watching the Bottom Line, You’re Watching This
The Spurs did not extend Manu Ginobili last summer, waiting on a confirmation of good health before adding years to his contract. The Spurs’ stall maneuver gave birth to a two-headed monster of intrigue. If Manu Ginobili returns to form, how much will he cost the Spurs next summer? On the other hand, do the Spurs have it in them to treat a re-injured Manu Ginobili as a 10 million dollar expiring contract?
38 Comments
October 26th, 2009 at 6:22 am
I must say my heart sank with your last paragraph. I hope it doesn’t come to trading Manu as an expiring contract.
October 26th, 2009 at 7:32 am
I think Manu deserves so much more than to be traded as an expiring contract.
I also guess that the front office isn’t so enthusiast to disrespect an idol of the SA latino community.
Best,
Nick
October 26th, 2009 at 8:13 am
Nick and Jordan,
I’m full of Manu love. What I suggested in the paragraph in question is *if* Manu re-injures himself would the Spurs then treat him as an expiring contract.
I suspect the team would rather gnaw their arms off than trade a healthy Manu Ginobili.
Sorry for the confusion.
October 26th, 2009 at 9:24 am
[...] Timothy Varner | 48 Minutes of Hell [...]
October 26th, 2009 at 9:28 am
The Play, oooooh The Play! I can’t wait for those moments. Last year Roger Mason made Christmas (along with a few other days) for me and I can’t wait to see this team develop and gel. Let’s get it on! Go Spurs Go!!!
October 26th, 2009 at 9:30 am
[...] Timothy Varner | 48 Minutes of Hell [...]
October 26th, 2009 at 9:38 am
[...] Timothy Varner | 48 Minutes of Hell [...]
October 26th, 2009 at 9:39 am
Help defense has to be stellar this year. However, my biggest worry is going to be the big man rotation. First, how do Blair and Haislip pan out? Second, what do we do if we play a bigger frontcourt? Especially with the likes of the other contenders (LA, Orlando, Cleveland, Boston) all touting a solid 3 7-footers. Malik Rose only worked in ‘99 and ‘03 because we still had Robinson, and we ran a Duncan/Robinson/Rose frontcourt. In ‘05 we had Duncan/Horry/Mohammed, still two legit 7-footers, in ‘07 we had Duncan/Horry/Oberto/Elson. Are we going to make a mid-season push this year for a Mohammed-like acquisition? Frankly, I find the likely rotation of Duncan/McDyess/Blair/Haislip (or Bonner) to be somewhat lacking in size, and that becomes a concern when you run into the the frontcourt rotations of the contenders:
LA: Gasol/Bynum/Odom
Boston: Garnett/Perkins/Wallace/Davis
Orlando: Howard/Lewis/Gortat/Bass/Anderson
Cleveland: Shaq/Ilgauskas/Varejao/Powe
Even with just some of the playoff prospects:
Portland: Aldridge/Oden/Przybilla
Denver: Nene/Martin/Andersen
I think this, now, more so than whether Richard Jefferson can play defense and any concerns on the wings, will be the biggest test of the Spurs.
October 26th, 2009 at 9:40 am
Of course, I don’t want to forget the obligatory Kevin Willis mentions as well.
October 26th, 2009 at 10:10 am
I wonder if the new Spurs will play in the style of the old Spurs, as it worked so well. But with more weapons and a deeper bench, it’s possible to see more facets of the game opening up.
Just a spare thought, I can see using Blair to create foul trouble for opposing big men, be it bench or starter. (I’m a big Pitt fan as well, so I’ll be cheering for every minute of Blair’s PT).
October 26th, 2009 at 10:11 am
[...] Timothy Varner | 48 Minutes of Hell [...]
October 26th, 2009 at 10:16 am
Jaceman,
I agree that lack of size is a concern for the Spurs. It appears to me that Pop and the front office are taking this team in a different direction (unless a trade happens). The Front Office appears to be building a team around good, young wing players such as Parker, Hill, Jefferson, and even Mason as opposed to building around size like they have in the past.
The Spurs will very likely have problems with the large front lines you mentioned, but will also give opponents fits with its backcourt. I believe the Spurs will improve drastically on offense this year (have the potential to be a top 5 offensive team) yet only improve a small bit on defense. I could be wrong, but I see the Spurs relying more on offense especially in the first half of the season while the kinks are being worked out on the defensive end, than relying on their defense.
To trade or not to trade Manu. That is the question. At 32 yrs old and coming off two seasons of injury, it will be much to expect Manu to return to his old reckless form. But therein lies the problem. His reckless drives to the hoop and all out disregard for physical well being is what made him the second best SG behind Kobe. Without that, Manu simply becomes a jump shooter and not a great one at that. I believe the days of Manu being a great player are at an end and wouldn’t mind losing him if we got young talent in return. Ex: Manu for Stephen Jackson and Anthony Randolf or Anthony Morrow.
Anyway, I’m sure many will disagree with my assessment of Manu, and I wouldn’t mind being wrong, but let’s all look at this objectively. Bottome Line: This is the most talented Spurs team maybe ever. This will be a great year and I expect big things come the second half of the season.
October 26th, 2009 at 10:33 am
In response to the worries about the size of our frontcourt:
I’m not worried about the lakers frontline. Nobody can really match up with Odom, but the lakers cant put their 5 best on the floor at the same time. If they trot out Bynum, Gasol, and Odom, who plays PG and SG? Artest at the 2? Kobe at the 1? Besides that, Bynum is still hit or miss at this point- he could be a 25/15 guy or he could be a 10/10 guy with 6 fouls. I think Ratliff (and maybe Mcdyess) can slow him or stop him, and Timmy has always been able to do the same thing to Pau. We may not have a matchup for Odom, but i’m ok with making him, luke walton, and vujajic have to beat us. I also think we can handle Portland and Denver (even though Nene always gives Duncan hell). Like Hobson said above, we have rebuilt around wings instead of size. But we still have alot of really, really good size.
October 26th, 2009 at 10:38 am
[...] about TrueHoop Network 2009-10 Season Preview: San Antonio [...]
October 26th, 2009 at 10:58 am
Ratliff and McDyess are both above-average, solid, and experienced post defenders. Both can be counted on to fight for position and be fundamentally sound… which is pretty much all you can do against a great post scorer anyway.
The only post player Jaceman mentioned that is scary for me is Gasol, although Boston’s depth is troublesome as well.
Gasol can shoot, score in the post, rebound, and pass at a very high level. There might not be a better finesse post player in the league now. (The closest is probably Duncan, and Yao when healthy.) Gasol makes everything easy for the players around him. He and Kobe are equal in importance to me for the Lakers now: neither can win big without the other, they both command double teams and open things up for each other, and thus the Lakers are the best team in the league until anyone proves otherwise.
Defeating the Lakers in the playoffs, with both rosters healthy, will take an epic defensive effort from the Spurs, particularly from RJ, McDyess, Ratliff, Tim, and Manu. Finley and Bonner won’t see as much playing time because of their defensive liabilities.
The particular difficulty with the Lakers is that you can’t simply get Gasol in foul trouble by pounding it to Duncan. Gasol can guard the weaker big, let the less important Bynum or Odom take the fouls, and continue to be aggressive on offense.
In short, it’s a big problem, one I’m sure Pop and R.C. are aware of and are planning to address if the current roster isn’t up to the challenge.
October 26th, 2009 at 11:05 am
Not sure what you mean with the stat about Free Throws – how can the Spurs be first and last at the same time? I assumed you meant 1st in FTA and last in FTM or FT%, but even first in FTA looks weird, since I think the Spurs have a history of not getting to the charity line quite as much as other contenders, and last year didn’t seem any different.
October 26th, 2009 at 12:12 pm
Tim,
I understood your point, that you were just wondering “what if” Manu re-injures and that you were not suggesting a trade or anything.
My comment was more a reaction to the possible scenario that you rightly put in front of us and on the options that you were describing.
My thought is the following.
I can see that, from a business point of view, if coming January Manu’s ankles show some worrying signs, a trade like the one Hobson13 suggested may look sexy. I would love to see Captain Jack back in a Spurs uniform and Anthony Randolph is a helluva player that I think will evolve in a superstar, provided that he gets outside of GS soon enough.
However, Manu Ginobili is just a totally different story. I would not trade him, even if injured, if he had 1 possibility in a million to play from the second round of the play off.
Notwithstanding all the love I have for many Spurs guys, starting from TD and down to Malik, and for other incredible players that populate the league (I’m just thinking of the Wades, Arenas, LeBrons, Pauls, Kobes of this world – amazing players we love to watch), the more I think about it and the more I realize that there is nobody on this planet I would rather have with the ball in his hands, 10 seconds on the clock, a broken game and a game seven of the Finals on the line.
Just a gut feeling, I f*ckin’ love this Argentinian and I have a nearly limitless faith in him and in the fact that, when it matters, he will be there, no fear whatsoever, his feet outside the arch and infinite options, those options only he can see, in front of him, even if his catch and shoot is not the best in the league, even if his ankles and knees are not as serviceable as they used to be and even if he actually lost his hair.
Maybe I just watch too many times “that 3″ (and you should know which one I am referring to).
Maybe one thinks I did not see that foul on Dirk.
I saw it and I always make the same thought: Manu was there, fighting as he was possessed, after having hitted one of those 3s and going for what can be arguably considered the right play, because that ball isn’t going in 99 times out of 100.
That’s why I don’t want to see the Spurs embarassing Manu by trading him as an expiring contract, as a player that just isn’t worth waiting for.
Because he’s Manu Ginobili.
October 26th, 2009 at 12:25 pm
Hobson13, I have a nitpick for you. While I agree that (1) Ginobili’s greatness is owed in large part to his driving ability and (2) he’s only a good jump-shooter, I wouldn’t say those are his only two attributes offensively. First, part of what makes him superb at finishing at the rim is his craftiness. I’ve never seen him as super-fast, but rather as an ace at changing direction and baffling defenses. (See PTR’s recent dissection of a drive that led to a Blair dunk as a great example). Second, the other offensive asset he has in great court vision–he’s blistered the ball to a wide-open Oberto (and now Blair) in the lane more times than I can remember offhand. So, while I agree that the loss of his ability to zip to the rim will diminish his game, I wouldn’t say that it eliminates the majority of his offense altogether. Though I may be wrong.
October 26th, 2009 at 12:44 pm
Tim,
Like nick, I saw the point you were getting across, and was just trying to realize how sinking that would feel to have him traded.
Also to Nick (italy),
Well said! Well said indeed.
October 26th, 2009 at 1:01 pm
Daniel B,
I do hope I am wrong about Manu. He’s seen some good times in the playoffs against top notch teams. I also agree with what you said about his craftiness and ability to change directions or make a very difficult cut to the basket. It is a huge offensive attribute of his and is a very rare style of basketball to play. However, in order to do both of those things, you must have healthy ankles. We’ve all been chomping at the bit to see this team, and now we’re only a few days away so let’s just see what he looks like. I hope he looks like the Manu of old, but I just don’t know…
October 26th, 2009 at 1:07 pm
[...] Timothy Varner | 48 Minutes of Hell [...]
October 26th, 2009 at 1:12 pm
As a true Spurs fan (although I am a big fan of the players as well, the Spurs come 1st), I could see why people would want Ginobili traded. In January, an injured Ginobili making 10 million a year could potentially be traded for a decent young player who could help us compete for the title. The same thing applies to his contract extension. It is ridiculous to repeatedly ruin the season because of injuries..esp when the same players get injured again and again.
October 26th, 2009 at 3:10 pm
I’d say 57-25… And hope that it’s enough to get home court. I know Pop would say it doesn’t matter, but that’s what I’m wishing for.
With a deep bench this season I expect the Spurs to cut the minutes of their stars and maybe rest them at the second day of back to backs. That way, they will be fresh come playoff time.
And I don’t want to think about Manu getting re-injured. I do hope all stays healthy.
October 26th, 2009 at 3:17 pm
I would like to see a Ginobli for Camby trade. I love Ginobli and he is one of my favorite players, but I agree with all those who have said that our frontline will be the real test. As much as it pains me to even think about trading Ginobli, we have a lot more pieces that can mask what Ginobli does. We need a secondary, defensive big man.
October 26th, 2009 at 3:38 pm
Honestly, to me, i really don’t see a problem with our frontcourt big men taking on the other teams’ frontcourt big men. looking at the other contenders’/playoff prospects’ rosters, these are the only legit 7′0″ guys:
Lakers: Gasol/Bynum
Celtics: None
Cavs: Shaq/Ilgauskas
Magic: None(yes, shocking, Howard is listed at 6′11″)
Blazers: Oden/Przybilla
Nuggets: None
all the other guys are either short of being 7 feet(being 6′11″ or 6′10″) or not even close to being 7 feet(6′9″ or lower), so our frontcourt of big men should be able to compete with them in size. now as for the Spurs’ big men matching up with the Lakers’ big men, i don’t see that as a concern. Duncan can handle both Bynum or Gasol(whoever is playing against him at that time, and Gasol has had his probems playing against Duncan). and with the combination of McDyess/Ratliff, they can handle either both Gasol or Bynum, again, depending on who’s in. and with Odom coming off the bench, I think if given the time, I believe Blair could handle a 6′11″ guy in Odom, seeing the fact that Blair can handle his own against the other PFs and even Cs with his toughness rather than his 6′7″ height. and Haislip could get some time against Odom too. So with that said, I don’t see a problem with it. in fact, I’ll guarantee the Spurs’ frontcourt big men are exactly right there to cause problems to the other contenders’ big men.
October 26th, 2009 at 4:11 pm
as for Ginobili being traded, I’ll be one starting the riot the second that happens. and Camby’s not even worth what Ginobili is, so that obviously won’t happen. and besides, Camby is a little older than Ginobili(a path we do not want to go back), and has his own injury to deal with last season with the Clippers, as we all saw it during a game against us. again i say, as a true Spurs fan, i think the frontline will be fine. and Jackson for Ginobili? like i said about Camby, Jackson’s not even worth what Ginobili is. I like Jackson a lot, but he is up there in age(almost the same age as Ginobili), and he might be a great shooter, but Ginobili is much better. and Ginobili still does things that are great in his own way, that even with those pieces we got can’t do(no disrespect to Jefferson, McDyess, and Blair because they can do great things their own way too). and I know it’s true. All in All, I do not wanna see Ginobili traded whether he’s healthy or not. and despite the fact he wasn’t healthy all last season and only played half of it, he still averaged 15-16 points. and if healthy, i think he’s still the 3rd best SG, behind Kobe and Wade.
October 26th, 2009 at 4:34 pm
Slowly back away from the Ginobili comment. Only if he is seriously injured would the Spurs even look at trading him, and maybe not even then….
October 26th, 2009 at 6:21 pm
Ryan,
No way can Blair guard Odom.
I love the guy, and he can hold his own in the paint against Odom, but it’s Odom’s slashing ability and 3 point range that makes him a difficult match-up.
Jefferson or Haislip (or Bonner???) probably have to guard Odom.
October 26th, 2009 at 10:10 pm
Chris K.
i’m not sure that Blair won’t be able too though. He needs some time to mentally adjust to the speed of the game, but he has shed weight since we drafted him (or at least looks it), and he has shown a good amount of quickness going for steals (and getting several, although getting burned a time or two as well). I think maybe by the end of the year its possible he could match up to Odom. He also has a really, really long wingspan (i think 7′3?), which helps when you are not as quick (think Ariza guarding Parker, Brooks, etc). Anyway- I would definitely like to see him try at the beginning of the year and in the playoffs. Plus, if they play all 3 (Odom, Gasol, Bynum) at the same time, i think it would be interesting to see Duncan, Mcdyess, and Blair or Duncan, Ratliff, and Blair working together on the floor defensively. All Blair (or really whoever is guarding him) would have to do is run him towards the help D.
October 26th, 2009 at 10:19 pm
and no way should we even think about trading anyone for camby. period. Ratliff fills that role, and i would think just as well as Camby would. Camby is injury prone and has definitely declined the past couple years. 5 years ago, if manu was hurt and camby was healthy, i’d say make the trade. But now, no way. As for any potential moving of Manu, i’d hate to see him go- but we just witnessed Bruce going, and i loved Bruce about as much as i love Manu. If the right deal comes, as far as i’m concerned the only untouchable right now is Tim, because i can’t think of a big i would rather have, even at this point in Tim’s career.
October 26th, 2009 at 10:50 pm
Maybe it’s just me, but I’m actually not too worried about Odom in the playoffs. Most of my memories of him are bad threes and horrible bricks. With Manu (especially him), RJ and McDyess, I feel optimistic.
October 26th, 2009 at 11:22 pm
Firstly, if you watch the 2005 championships, Tim Duncan had a hard time guarding Rasheed Wallace. I don’t see how Blair, who is 4 inches shorter will fare any better, especially with Kevin Garnett on the floor at the same time. While I agree that the backcourt is improved, the onus is all on Tony Parker. That’s the only patented advantage that the Spurs really have. While Manu does win out favorably in most matchups, I’m not entirely convinced that we’re hard and fast on top. In the case of Lakers, Kobe and Artest are both above average defenders, Odom will never play the SF slot, and the frontcourt will platoon between Odom, Gasol, and Bynum depending on needs. I believe that Blair is more of a post player and therefore will be hard pressed to simply keep up with Odom’s skill let alone his length. While there doesn’t need to be a stated advantage in the frontcourt, I would argue that there still needs to be comparable production. While Ratliff is effective, I don’t see him producing much, not to mention he’s also only 6-9, like McDyess. No knock on either, but honestly, how do they really expect to contest the likes of Shaq or Big Z? The issue isn’t when Timmy is on the floor, but when he’s off, and he’s going to be off a lot more often now that he’s older and needs more rest. So who shares the floor then? In the past it has been Malik Rose and David Robinson, Robert Horry and one of Nazr Mohammed, Fabricio Oberto, or Francisco Elson. You’re not going to tell me that McDyess and Blair on the floor at the same time are going to be able to be effective against above mentioned frontcourt combinations? While we’re trending towards the undersized power forward realm (i.e. Leon Powe, Brandon Bass, Glen Davis, Kevin Love, etc…) the Gasol/Bynum/Odom and Garnett/Perkins/Wallace rotations worry me the most. Even Varejao/Shaq/Ilgauskas could be bothersome. We should probably save speculations for further down the season, I don’t see Pop making dramatic changes from what has always worked. While we don’t have a “Bruce Bowen” type character per se, we probably will be anticipating something closer to what we saw in 2003 with Stephen Jackson and Manu on the floor. While we have an impressive backcourt of Parker, Manu, and Jefferson, again, I can only say that Parker is the definitive advantage, and even then, only against matchups like LA and/or Cleveland, where PG defense is weak.
October 27th, 2009 at 7:26 am
Regarding Manu’s injuries… His reckless style causes bumps, bruises and contusions, but nothing too serious or long term.
As far as his ankles, I don’t believe it is a case of “injury prone.”. The first injury occurred. Not a big deal except he rested rather than opt for surgery and rushed back to play for Argentina. Then the already weakened ankle was reinjured. I believe his other ankle injury was more related to being more cautious with the first ankle than a case of weak ankles. As long as the injuries are fully healed and he is mentally back, his ankles are no less likely to become injured than anyone else’s.
I think it is premature to classify him as injury prone. I think he’ll be fine.
October 27th, 2009 at 7:02 pm
The liitle things he does in the clutch are vital. Repeat after me: Ginobili is the Spurs only shot at a title. Without him they are just a good team.
October 28th, 2009 at 12:04 am
Re: Manu and injuries… The whole problem with ankle injuries IS that they make you more susceptible to further injury. Of course, I hope he doesn’t show any lingering weaknesses and returns to his devastating form of old.
That said, IF he at some point is shelved for the season (and only if there’s a miniscule chance of his contributing in the playoffs) I would possibly go for a trade. I love Manu but we have such a small margin of error if we’re to get one more ring for Timmy.
Finally, about the big men, seriously? While Gasol and the cavs frontline makes me think twice, I think our big men match up rather nicely now. Sure we’ll get burned some, but Blair has proven to be scrappier and a tougher matchup than I could have imagined (granted I don’t watch college ball that much). Given Dice and Ratliff’s saavy and especially Dice’s keep-them-honest jumper, I think others will have to worry just as much about us. Maybe I’m being optimistic, but damn I love our chances.
October 28th, 2009 at 7:49 am
Andy… Maybe I should have been more clear. Manu isn’t the only player who has suffered injuries to his ankles. Why isn’t anyone worried about Tony? He sprained an ankle or two in recent years. My point was that I think people are classifying Manu as if he’s gone through Grant Hill-like injury problems. I don’t consider Manu “injury-prone” just because of 18-month or so period of ankle issues, which I believe has more to do with rushing back to play rather than taking the time to properly heal.
October 29th, 2009 at 8:30 am
In terms of the inadequate size in the front court debate…
People forget that while although Blair is short for a C/PF, he has a 7′3″ wingspan which makes a huge difference when playing defense down low. Just look at the way he handled Thabeet all season last year. Blair is undoubtedly going to be a better post player (offensively and defensively) than Malik Rose ever was if his knees hold up.
January 11th, 2010 at 8:42 pm
[...] Timothy Varner | 48 Minutes of Hell [...]
Leave a Reply