Monday, March 22nd, 2010...11:34 am
The Spurs silver (and black) lining: Tony Parker prepares to lend a hand
It may be a prevailing theme this week with four games against quality teams, but last night’s game against the Atlanta Hawks had all the intensity of a playoff game.
Unfortunately for the San Antonio Spurs, the outcome could be a prevailing theme as well. It may not take the most astute analysis to state that Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili are very good, but it’s equally apparent that they’re simply not enough against the best teams in the NBA.
And for those disappointed in last night’s performance, is it fair to expect any more? There has been a lot of blame tossed around for the Spurs inability to beat elite teams this season, from small ball to role players struggles, but the simplest answer is the NBA is a league of stars and the Spurs are playing without a full deck.
Presently, Duncan and Ginobili are master craftsmen while the rest of the roster are merely tools at their disposal. In other words, the rest of the roster can make shots or finish at the rim, but each of their skill sets are predicated on Duncan or Ginobili putting them in a position to succeed.
Even the greatest craftsmen with the finest tools would struggle without comparative manpower to competing companies. Enter Tony Parker.
According to Mike Monroe at the Express-News, Tony Parker has made some strides in rehabbing from his broken hand:
Then Parker flexed his injured right hand, boasting that he had gone through shooting drills without even a hint of pain from the fractured fourth metacarpal that has had him on the injured list since March 6, when he suffered the break.
“It didn’t hurt at all, Pop,” Parker said, flexing the hand. “Not even a little.”
Popovich reminded Parker of the importance of allowing the bone to heal fully before he tries to play again, and Parker nodded his acquiescence.
Encouraged by his pain-free shooting, the All-NBA point guard has circled the final week of the regular season for his return.
To expect the Spurs to beat healthy, elite teams jockeying for top playoff seeds without Tony Parker is to forget, or simply not appreciate just how good Parker really is.
Putting things in perspective, if the Magic were to lose Vince Carter, they’re not winning a title but it wouldn’t be Ryan Anderson’s fault. Same with the Lakers and Odom, Denver and Billups or Dallas with Terry.
Those are some major pieces, and Parker has proven at times he can be a far more dangerous weapon than all of them.
Because Duncan, Ginobili and Parker haven’t been seen together for almost three seasons it’s easy to forget that they were once the standard the rest of the league aimed to catch up to. And now that they have, it’s ludicrous to expect a Spurs roster featuring only one or two them as they have all season to be an elite team.
The best rule of thumb in analyzing teams is you are what your record says you are. And without the Big Three, the Spurs are a mediocre team. But can they be more?
That the Spurs were able to compete with the Hawks is a testament to Duncan and Ginobili and the continued improvement of the pieces around them. Parker could very well be the piece that puts them over the top.
If Tony Parker is able to make it back for his circled date, the Spurs would have games against Denver, Minnesota and Dallas to re-acclimate Parker into the starting lineup with Ginobili, Richard Jefferson, Duncan and Antonio McDyess.
For all the improvement Hill has made, and it has been substantial, his skill set still lends itself to being a great role player as opposed to a star playmaker.
The Spurs might be in survival mode right now, but if they can make it to the playoffs with Ginobili back, Duncan still great and a shortened rotation that keeps the Spurs strongest pieces on the floor longer?
An extended playoff run could find itself in the healing hand, and rested legs of Tony Parker and a finally reunited Big Three.
118 Comments
March 22nd, 2010 at 11:42 am
ROGER MASON JR HIT A SHOT…..what is it gonna take to keep rmj on the bench…even if hairston put up 0 points at least his defence and athleticism is a presence compared to rmj giving nothing at both ends of the floor
March 22nd, 2010 at 11:45 am
Timmy and Manu were great last night; it was a shame to let that one get away.
If we could get TP for that last week, I really am optimistic as a 6 or 7 seed, we could make a run in the playoffs.
March 22nd, 2010 at 11:46 am
In order for NBA teams to win championships, they need to peak at the right time. Lately, this has been the peak of the Spurs season. In order to win it all, they need to peak at Everest level, not McKinley level, which is what I’ve seen. With Parker out until playoffs, he won’t be able to run the #1 offense and the rotation should stay as it is. But I believe Parker, if healthy, to be able to change roles with Manu, and can provide efficient offense from the bench for this postseason and give the Spurs the necessary bench advantage. The Spurs need to find a way to develop large leads early, and not fall apart and lose those leads, in order to succeed.
March 22nd, 2010 at 11:47 am
George Hill has pulled off some tremendous passes in recent games- he looks like he’s picking up some of Ginobili’s tricks!
The reason the Spurs lost the game last night was because of Atlanta’s 21 offensive rebounds. Hollinger made a point earlier in the season that Atlanta was one of the league’s top offenses not because they shot well or got to the line an extraordinary amount, but rather because they create so many extra possessions with offensive rebounding.
This was a coaching issue. The Spurs needed A+ defensive rebounding last night, and Pop only played Blair, who is an A+ defensive rebounder, 12 minutes. McDyess only played 17 minutes. THAT was the difference last night.
March 22nd, 2010 at 11:50 am
I find it hard to agree that this team is peaking on any level. The best team that we’ve beaten lately is who? Miami? Regardless, I want Tony back as soon as he is healthy enough to go, and not a second sooner.
Just wanted to get my two cents in before the “Trade TP” back and forth got started.
March 22nd, 2010 at 11:56 am
Tony Parker Bashers, Still wanna trade TP away now ?
March 22nd, 2010 at 11:57 am
TD and Ginobili are really good!! So is Jamal Crawford, dude is a one man acrobat team. Other than the outcome, that game was a pleasure to watch with great plays being executed on both ends. Would have liked to have seen George Hill come through with some clutch shooting though, that could have made the difference. But whatever. Great plays on both ends.
Did I mention that Ginobili and Duncan are really good? Shame we had to take a loss on this game.
March 22nd, 2010 at 12:01 pm
The Atlanta game was a coaching loss.
Again, wrong players playing, wrong players sitting. Game over…
He is Popovich. He can blow games due to poor decisions. He can play inferior players, while benching suprior ones. I get it.
But, to be able to do it (for an entire season)with absolutely no media scrutiny is quite a feat. Guess it is truly about who you know. Wonder who he knows?
Pop must actually be the “All Powerful”!
I bow down…..
March 22nd, 2010 at 12:08 pm
@Ballhog
What were you watching bro? No Poppovich, Hairston, Mahinmi, or Bonners lost this game.
This game was a simple case of who was the better team last night……on the court, not the bench. The Poppovich conspiracy-coaching theory is all about you man.
March 22nd, 2010 at 12:17 pm
Ballhog, you are a broken record.
March 22nd, 2010 at 12:29 pm
You can blame this loss on offensive rebounding by the Hawks. But the SPURS were still up by 4 with about a minute left. Other teams may have been blown out.
MANU did have a huge turnover that let the Hawks tie the game. HE was still amazing but instead of icing the game they turned it over. Then they can take the lead if BONNER hits a clutch 3. He missed it. And Hill missed one as well.
It was one of those games that could have gone either way. It’s just magnified because obviously the SPURS are the 7th seed.
I have seen every game this season except for @Memphis(They won). I can honestly say that I feel good about how they are playing. They look sharper and don’t make as many of the mistakes that they were making earlier in the season. Plus, 17 of their losses have been by 7 points or less, that’s a good sign. They are competitive. If TP comes back and plays at least like he did in the four games before his injury, then The SPurs are going to make some noise in the playoffs.
One last thing, GHILL, I love the kid but he hasn’t been as aggressive lately.
I can’t believe people wanted to trade TP.
March 22nd, 2010 at 12:31 pm
“Can they be more?” - It is on this that I hang my hat and hopes. Pop now has a rotation. The defense is more consistent. Manu is himself. RJ is no longer an empty box score. Hill is genuinely improved. Playoff TD arrives after Tax Day. If we can add a healthy Parker to this mix, the answer to the question is “yes” and the result will be advancement in the playoffs regardless of seeding.
March 22nd, 2010 at 12:39 pm
Parker off the bench would give him the chance to be an unbelievable spark plug, especially teamed with players such as Bonner and Mason who would both thrive with Parker’s drive and kick game.
But NOWAY should he come back and be starting, the only times that we have seen any life from Richard Jefferson is when Parker is not playing and I would much rather us get something out of Jefferson vs starting Parker and getting zero from Jefferson.
The only other option that would make sense is sending both Jefferson and Manu to the bench and that is a little too drastic if you ask me.
March 22nd, 2010 at 12:44 pm
@ Cory Clay: why couldn’t you start Parker, Manu and Jefferson, bring Hill off the bench for Manu or RJ halfway through the first quarter, and then bring Manu off the bench to end the first/start the second with the bench?
The issue isn’t necessarily that RJ plays worse with Parker, but that he’s simply a lot better with Manu. Everyone is. And Hill off the bench would get the opposing defenses focus off of him, which has hampered him in the Hawks and Magic games.
March 22nd, 2010 at 12:47 pm
@ Daniel.
I looked at Blair’s minutes and was surprised, too.
But after looking at Blair’s post-all-star-break numbers, he’s really dropped off at the boards. When’s the last time you’ve seen Blair have a really big night on the glass? I don’t know what the problem is, but he’s not playing like he was earlier.
March 22nd, 2010 at 1:29 pm
Al Horford outplayed and outhustled us virtually all by himself yesterday..along with Marvin Williams who had an outstanding game, Johnson who scored when it mattered most (I was surprised he didn’t hit at the end of regulation though).
I am now officially more afraid of Jamal Crawford than Jason Terry. He showed moves yesterday I didn’t even know he had. 6th man of the year without a doubt.
I don’t know if I am already prepared for another game tonight. This season is so bad for my karma!!!
Go Spurs……!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
March 22nd, 2010 at 1:51 pm
As much as it will help to have Tony back, he wouldn’t have changed the outcome of the Hawks game. The Spurs gave up 21 offensive rebounds and outside of Manu couldn’t hit a three. Yes, Parker is an offensive sparkplug that creates huge problems with his ability to drive, but offense wasn’t the Spurs problem (outside of missing 16 of 24 threes, which Parker wouldn’t have helped much in that area). The Spurs shot over 50% from the field and scored 105 pts in regulation. Manu played out of his mind, Duncan was good, and even Jefferson was ok.
With all that said, the Spurs main problem is that we have no young, athletic big to match up with the Al Horford’s and Josh Smith’s in the league. Bonner isn’t athletic enough, McDyess is too old, and Blair needs another 3 inches in height. Our secondary problem is that we with Mason having a BAD year and Bonner being wildly inconsistent, we really have no great 3 point shooter to space the floor. Damn I wish we could trade for Anthony Randolf and Anthony Morrow! The Warriors are stupid, maybe we can cobble some trade together this summer…
March 22nd, 2010 at 1:51 pm
Is Raja Bell on the market, or what?
I guess it’s too late for an addition, and I don’t even know if Bell is anywhere close to healthy.
And it may be off topic.
March 22nd, 2010 at 1:54 pm
@Jesse Blanchard
Here is my thing with Parker, he is obviously an elite scorer but his distribution of the ball leaves alot lacking in my opinion. Obviously Parker is an elite player and is a one man offensive wrecking ball, unfortunately that leads to alot of other players standing around and/or spotting up.
I don’t know if the holes in Parker’s game come from his developing on a team that on his first couple of seasons had two dominant post options or more so from the fact that he has never played with an above the rim/high flyer type of player. Whatever the cause, we have to look at the fact that Parker just does not create easy baskets for players moving around the basket. Now if you’re spotted up along the 3pt line, Parker will without a doubt suck in the defense and kick out to an open shooter which is why I think Pop started Finley and Bonner for as long as he did.
In fact if we take a further look into Parker and Manu playing together in tandem you can see why Pop has elected to bring Ginobili off the bench. Manu has such a high basketball IQ that he knew how important it is for Parker to get off to a strong start that he would basically defer at the beginning of games while Parker and Duncan did most of the damage. This is a waste of what Manu brings to the table and is the reason that he has been brought off the bench. Of course it is easier to keep tabs on Manu’s minutes when he doesn’t start but I have no doubt that Pop and Manu have had a conversation about Parker and how important it is for Parker to get into a good offensive flow due to the fact that he doesn’t really affect a game any other way.
Now this hasn’t been an issue at the end of close games b/c Manu has such a clutch mentality along with the fact that he shoots a much higher Free Throw % than Parker or just about anyone else that has worn a Spurs uniform during this run that it would make no sense to try to argue for anyone else being the primary ballhandler.
Now back to the current discussion about Parker coming off of the bench goes back to the fact that having Parker start off the game with Manu and Jefferson would basically be forcing those players into a Finley/Bowen combo respectively. That, to me is a waste. If the Spurs are to be succesful this year they must squeeze out the most of every single player. We must play to each player’s strength. It is noticeble to me that Jefferson has been very verbal in the difference of the style of play that has been on display since Parker’s injury, almost to the point that I wonder if he’s sending out a hidden message in his statements to remove some of the blame of his horrible season off of solely his shoulders. When Jefferson feels that their is no chance he is going to get the ball on a break or in a halfcourt set and is only being used as a diversion his effort level decreases significantly. I don’t want to take the chance of seeing this version of Jefferson again this season.
Playing Parker off the bench would allow him to play with players that excel with his style of play namely spot up shooters such as Bonner, Mason and Mcdyess. These are all players that benefit with Parker sucking the defense in while they stay in one spot waiting for the kick out.
With Manu you would have your more active players such as Jefferson, Hill, and Blair. These players excel when moving around the basket with a player who is able to thread the needle a get them the ball in a tight spot.
In any other situation I think Parker would have a big problem coming off the bench, the fact that he is coming back from an injury so close to the playoffs, is the rare time that I think he would realize how bad he would look if he had any type of issue with how Pop acclimated him back into the lineup.
March 22nd, 2010 at 1:56 pm
@Daniel -
I think you are on to something regarding last night’s loss being impacted by - AGAIN - bad coaching and personnel packages. Blair should have played more last night. For a young guy, he really brings his hardhat to work every night. However, it is a shame that Pop jacks around so much with his playing time — Something you don’t want to do with a young, talent player - I am sure my man Blair is confused. If this guy falls off the wagon and starts smoking that high grade pot, don’t be surprised.
In my opinion, Pop can no longer get it up sufficiently. He has really been limp all year, its somewhat embarrassing. Despite his past glories, he reminds me of an old boxer who although his mind is willing, he can no longer let his hands go.
As a result, the Spurs are a border line lottery team. Any coach who would publicly state that Keith Bogus is the cornerstone of the team is very delusional.
Moreover, I am wondering if anyone has taken the time do some P.I. work on Keith Bogus to make sure he is a real NBA player as he seems everything but. The guy just shows up out of the blue and Pop puts him in the starting lineup. I would bet the ranch that Pop scooped this guy up from the East side of San Antonio. His on court play makes me want to vomit.
If this type of lackluster play continues, I am going to switch over and become a Mavs fan as the coach, coaches with intensity and the players, play with intensity.
March 22nd, 2010 at 2:01 pm
I have to agree with ballhog on this one. Pop was trying to win the game with offense (Bonner) when he should have been trying to win it with defense (McDyess). McDyess is a much better defender and defensive rebounder. He had 10 rebounds in limited minutes. How many did Bonner have? You have to have confidence in your defense and ability to get stops when it matters. How far they go in the postseason is going to depend on their defense.
March 22nd, 2010 at 2:12 pm
? - By the way, did you guys see both Joe Johnson and Jamal Crawford when they looked up and saw the DEFENSIVE STOPPER, Keith Bogus on them? Oh my, they did whatever they wanted, whenever they wanted - I see no real tricks of the trade from him, never denies that catch, never funnels to help defenders, never run his man off the three line, no steals, and definitely no hoops. Whenever this guy is in the game the Spurs are playing 4 on 5 basketball.
I marvel that the Spurs Nation continues to allow Pop to insult their basketball intelligence. Thanks Pop! you have put the Spurs on a head on collision for the lottery. You guys continue to smell Pop’s poot if you like, but I have had enough of this nonsense.
March 22nd, 2010 at 2:23 pm
I look at Bogans and I don’t see anything close to Bruce Bowen. It may be possible to get there but I think it will take alot of work. Bowen was meticulous in how he played defense. Maybe the Spurs need to hire Bowen as a defensive coach.
March 22nd, 2010 at 2:27 pm
@ all the POP haters.
He isn’t the one that turned it over in the clutch, MANU was. He didn’t miss the wide open 3, Bonner, HIll and Bogans Did.
Besides, have you ever stop to think that things could be worse?? The Spurs are th 7th seed with a real shot at the 4th seed. And they’re play has been up and down.
The other teams, Jazz, Thunder, Suns are playing at their best, they ain’t gonna get any better and the Spurs are only a couple of games behind.
March 22nd, 2010 at 2:29 pm
Bigballs, I agree with the Bogans situation. He really provides nothing for the team. This is Bogans’ 5th different team in 7 years and to my knowledge, no other team wanted him at the beginning of the year. That should tell you something right there. I guess Pop thought he could be Bruce Bowen part II. He isn’t great at defending (doesn’t have the size or athleticism to defend many of SG and SF in the league) and gives the team a goose egg on the offensive end. We would have been much better off to take our lumps with Hairston by playing him at the beginning of the season in an attempt to get him more experience. Malik is a better athlete and has a bit more size. However, with us fighting to hold onto the 7 seed, we can’t afford to play an inexperienced guy. Pop made the mistake at the beginning of the season and it’s just too late to correct it now.
March 22nd, 2010 at 2:30 pm
BigBalls,
Please go be a Mavs fan. Enjoy the championships.
March 22nd, 2010 at 2:36 pm
Tony parker is not a poor distributor of the ball.
The spurs do not require the second coming of Magic Johnson.
We have always gotten our looks out of excellent execution, it’s why the spurs have over the course of their championship seasons been so deadly when it got all hard and tough. They executed the other team to death, made the extra pass and found the open shooter.
That’s a team ethos.
TP has never had problems playing the pick and roll with Tim and hitting the roller, or moving the ball along the perimeter to a corner 3.
What we need from TP, is dribble penetration, breaking down opposition defensive patterns, and upping the pace in transition.
When he plays with aggression, and goes into attack mode, he creates huge issues and positively affects the outcome.
Apparently I will continue to smell Pop’s poot. Because I for one don’t understand what you guys are seeing this season that hasn’t been in evidence for the past 10 years.
Pop experiments, tinkers, pays the regular season absolutely no respect whatsoever, and treats it as his personal playground.
Whatever.
In his mind, he has rational reasonable measures for doing so. There is ALWAYS a method in his madness. The man has lived, breathed and succeeded in his chosen profession for his entire adult life for a reason.
If you are after instant gratification go get a massage. It has been ever thus in spurs town.
March 22nd, 2010 at 2:43 pm
@Bushka, are you serious? You’re using the fact that Parker can run a successful pick and roll with the best PF of All Time as your defense?
Uhhhhhh, ok.
March 22nd, 2010 at 2:45 pm
@ juniorizzle…
Cant believe people want to trade TP? Why? We all know damn well where the holes are. MIDDLE. Is TP going to get us rebounding and interior D?
People call Ballhog a broken record, but how many times have we read the Bonner +/- theory? OR the injury bug?
So what, we have injuries and we’re old. We have to change the way we play and adapt. This isnt 2000. You cant just NOT ADJUST. You cant just EXPECT TIM to win the games on both ends.
Broken record? Maybe. But so is the coaching
March 22nd, 2010 at 3:10 pm
@Daniel: I agree, we definitely got killed on the boards and should have used Dyess & Blair more.
March 22nd, 2010 at 3:15 pm
@Corey.
Are you serious?
Your saying Parker is not a good enough distributor of the ball?
At which point were you going to ponder the fact that we won all those titles with him being exactly the same style of player he is now?
At which point do you realise that we don’t need him to play the selfless Mark Jackson with some extra pace role. We don’t need him to focus his game on finding open looks for substandard players?
We need him to be healthy/in attack mode/ and play within the spurs system, with the same freaking players he has been with for years. I.E Tim, Manu & a bunch of role playing guys.
March 22nd, 2010 at 3:18 pm
Bigballs
It wouldn’t matter who was guarding Joe Johnson or Jamal Crawford…..them boys were gonna light us up regardless if Bogans, Hairston, or the Pope were guarding them.
Johnson is a perennial all-star and Crawford is straight-up lights out and will win 6th man of the year award. The game was 2 plays from being won or lost by either team and everyone is complaining about the coach. Unbelievable! Am I the only one, win or loss, who appreciated how well last night’s game was played by both teams. Great plays at both ends. Ginobili and Duncan, two of the best (top 5 all-time for Ginobili, Duncan best PF ever) at their positions demonstrating pure awesomeness……..Horford and Crawford, tremendous display of grit, execution and hustle. Truly a great game where BOTH teams rose up to the occasion. The better team won last night.
March 22nd, 2010 at 3:25 pm
@Corey
Just so you don’t feel like i’m flying off the handle here and giving you nothing but anecdotal evidence (ala most of the people on this board).
http://www.teamrankings.com/nba/stat/assist-per-turnover-ratio
We currently rank 4th in the entire league in Assist to turnover ratio.
We do this because we run an offence not reliant on one human to create everyone elses opportunities.
Last season when TP played the entire year in the most ridiculously heavy useage of his career we ranked….
wait for it….
First.
In total assists per game we currently rank 5th total in the NBA.
What this tells us is two things.
Firstly that the spurs have always been reliant on team passing. Something that is glaringly obvious when you have a PF who averages nearly 4 assists per with monotonous regularity.
Secondly that we take care of the ball surprisingly well.
Finally
Assists per FG made is the killer stat.
Because this shows how many of our points came with a little help from a friend.
6th overall.
We don’t need more creative passing.
We need better D.
We need a 7 foot friend for Tim Duncan who likes to swat the **** out of shots and intimidate.
We need to do that while holding onto TP simply because a guard rotation of George Hill plus parts wont get it done in the search for a championship.
The roleplayer we need (we don’t need a star) is a tall angry man who can rebound and block shots plus play good man D.
March 22nd, 2010 at 3:27 pm
@colin.
100% correct. The fact we competed against a red hot elite playoff contender (hands up if anyone else didn’t think they’d be writing that about Atlanta this season), to the last grain of sand was a wonderful thing.
Just a month ago we had an empty gas tank. This is a team thats tied for third in the East we’re talking about.
March 22nd, 2010 at 3:31 pm
@ Colin and AP
This is not an angry town hall meeting. Get past it.
As for the point, which is what caused the Spurs to lose to the Hawks in OT last night,
Answer: Popovich
I agree with bigballs all the way. This coach won yesterday, in a different time, under different circumstances.
I mean, come on guys, lets get real about what we saw last night.
We saw more Bogans. This guy is not an NBA player and I have no idea why he is here? The defense thing is a hoax. Bonner plays better defense, which says an awful lot.
As bigballs stated, when Bogans in in the line up, we are playing 4 on 5.
Mcdyess benched in favor of Bonner, against the super athletic Atlanta Hawks, in the clutch, down to the wire?
Spurs getting beat down to the white meat on the offensive boards to the tune of 21, and he brings in Bonner?
Bogans cant guard Crawford or Johnson, at all, and he wont give Hairston a shot at it?
Duncan and Jefferson are getiing mauled by Horford and Williams, Yet, no zone defense?
Finally, the last meaningful possesion. What was the play? What was drawn out? Was it a clear out for Ginnobli?
Playing Hill 41 minutes?
Cutting Blair’s minutes. Seems Blair has no idea of his role from game to game. This is more vintage Pop. Loves to get into players heads. Seems to love to let them know who is in charge. Who has the POWER!
This coach has literally robbed Mahinmi. There is no way that he should not be playing on this roster. No way.
As for Malik Hairston. He must be a great guy. To be able to sit on the bench and watch the biggest opportunity of his life slowly fade has got to be gutwrenching for him. Especially when the guys that play in front of him are lesser players.
Bring on Avery!
March 22nd, 2010 at 3:32 pm
Mcdyess missed at least 3 defensive rotations last night- probably why we never saw him after the 3rd quarter. Say what you will about Bonner’s D, but at least he closes out on 3 point shooters.
I would have rather had Blair in to close the game, though. He may be short, but hes just as athletic as Horford and his wingspan is probably about the same too.
March 22nd, 2010 at 3:34 pm
@Ballhog
“Bonner plays better defense, which says an awful lot.”
don’t make this about bonner unless you want another essay attack!
March 22nd, 2010 at 3:34 pm
@Bushka
The Spurs won titles b/c of the stability and all around greatness of Tim Duncan and the clutchness of Manu Ginobili, don’t think otherwise.
Like I’ve said before, Parker is an offensive wrecking ball as a scorer but if you think he is anywhere close to one of the top or even an above average distributor you are kidding yourself.
Watching Spurs games it is easy to understand why Pop has teamed Parker with players such as Bonner and Finley, b/c they are stationary players that stay in one spot so when Parker cannot score it is an easy pass for him to make.
During the Spurs title runs Parker was at best the 3rd maybe 4th best passer on the team behind Manu, Brent Barry and possibly Timmy.
March 22nd, 2010 at 3:38 pm
Watching yesterdays game made me want to hit my head on the wall. You could see the loss coming from a mile away. Why is Pop so stubborn? We were getting killed on the defensive boards. Mcdyess although limited offensively wasn’t giving up so many offensive boards. Pop really needs to give Ian some playing time to help out duncan. Hopefully Parkers ego wont get in the way of him helping out later. If we can have his points off the bench, it would help out the first team a lit in maintaining leads.
March 22nd, 2010 at 3:39 pm
I don’t know why you keep thinking i’m saying he is a top distributor.
I am saying this and nothing else.
The spurs don’t need him to be.
The spurs have a style of offence that is all about precision and execution, with safety valves like Manu & Tony for when things break down.
What I was outlining with those stats were TEAM statistics.
Our team as an overall entity is fine at creating shots for itself. We don’t need a stereo typical pass first low offence point guard.
That kind of guard will not function well in the spurs system.
March 22nd, 2010 at 3:43 pm
@Ballhog
We already know your opinion man without even having to read your posts. The game comes down to two plays separating a W and L for BOTH teams and you’re complaining about the coach.
Poppovich didn’t tell TD to turn the ball over at the end of the half for a bucket nor did he tell Manu to turn the ball over for the Hawks to tie the game 105-105.
That last play in the corner got a shot for a 40+% 3 pt shooter. Ginobili had no angle to shoot as he was behind the backboard. Hindsight is always 20/20.
The one thing we may agree on is that Blair should have played more last night, not McDyess. McDyess was having a hard time getting around at the defensive end with all of those quick guys and missing rotations. That alley-oop with Josh Smith in the first half where McDyess was caught with his back to the ball pretty much highlighted that fact.
March 22nd, 2010 at 3:44 pm
Can anybody appreciate a well-played game?
March 22nd, 2010 at 3:48 pm
I’m so unconvinced on Ian being NBA rotation quality. He has had a lot of run over the years and never been able to break into either the Spurs or the French National team.
3 Pts & 1.5 rebounds were his international stats.
Whatever your feelings he is a free agent. If we throw playing time at him for any reason other than we win the title all we’re doing is prepping someone elses’s low rotation post player for free.
March 22nd, 2010 at 3:58 pm
@ Ballhog,
Just out of curiosity, do you really think we’d be better off with Avery? Why? I like the little General, but he’s lost more Finals than Pop.
March 22nd, 2010 at 4:15 pm
Playing Bogans is a waste of time. Hairston clearly should be getting his minutes.
Not putting McDyess back in the game killed us on the rebounding and as a result cost the Spurs the game.
March 22nd, 2010 at 4:36 pm
@ AP
I like Avery’s competitive fire.
I like that he will not play scrubs, ever.
I like that he demands defense and intensity.
I like that as a former player, he can relate to these guys and understands how to get the best out of them.
@ Colin
You’re a funny guy. keep it comming…
@ Bushka
Whats with the cheap shots? Do they do something for your ego or what?
You remind me of a chimney,
Always blowing smoke.
I’ll tell you what highspeed,
If the Spurs beat even one (+500) athletic team with Matt Bonner and Kieth Bogans getting over 25 minutes,
I will glorify you to everybody in here. I will insist that your posts rock. That you are truly, “The Man”. That you arent some pitiful excuse comming in here to vent your frustrations on the Spur Nation.
Until then, Y0u can “kick rocks” with the lil sissyman comments and get back to talking basketball.
We only talk Spurs here stud.
March 22nd, 2010 at 4:40 pm
I agree with Corey Clay. I’ve been saying the same thing for awhile now. TP is the epitome of what teams look for in a 6th man in the league these days.
March 22nd, 2010 at 4:50 pm
@Hopson13
Hop, you are right on re Bogus. I can’t believe more Spurs Fans haven’t identified this fallacy with this guy. No one wanted this guys at the beginning of the season and Pop threw him a $1.03 life line. Can you believe that imposter makes a mil per year ? Yikes!
March 22nd, 2010 at 4:53 pm
Matt broke his hand on 12/19 and played his next (limited) minutes just over 4 weeks later on 1/18.
Tony broke his hand on 3/6 so in theory could play on 4/4 against the Lakers. Matt played with a brace for at least a week, though, not sure Tony’s game is amenable to that. Still, it’s great to hear he has no pain. Tuning up in those last 2-3 regular season games would be very helpful.
March 22nd, 2010 at 4:58 pm
what what what?
Wtf are you talking about?
March 22nd, 2010 at 4:59 pm
What cheap shot?
March 22nd, 2010 at 5:01 pm
Ballhog,
Saw one of your post re bonner at the 3 spot. Very insightful on your part. Some will say that bonner is not athletic enough, but that is precisely why you move. He is the Spurs best outside shooter and he does not match up with any 4 or 5 in the league. Yet, at 6’10″, he is a nightmare - on the offensive end- for most 3′s in the league. Occasionally, when he musters enough courage, he will put the ball on the floor around the basket, then pop up with that little one hand jumper - he can get that shot anytime. With a little confidence, he could be pretty good at that. You know, brushing off curl picks, then getting that little 10 -12 footer. This is a higher percentage shot and he would get to the line alot more.
I was fan in the stand in 1974, when the genius of Bob Bass moved a then skinny, 170 lb forward named George Gervin to the off guard spot. Gervin then really began an all out assault on the ABA in those last years and when he hit the NBA in 1976-77 - he was a force that could not be stopped - with great, great, great skill, but also he was a mismatch every night for the opposing off guard. Lately in Gervin’s career, at he lost a step, he excelled for another 5 or 6 years just coming off of brush curls and picks and just laying the ball in the basket or banking it off the board. Further, Gervin was a master of getting in the paint, initiating contact, putting the ball up, and usually getting an AND 1 opportunity. Bonner could do similar things, in terms off, coming off those brush picks and curls.
Great take BHog!
March 22nd, 2010 at 5:06 pm
@ Bushka
Disregard that stab…It wasnt intended for you…
March 22nd, 2010 at 5:06 pm
I think the cons outweigh the positives with Bonner re: 3 or 4 spot.
At the four it would be easier for him to put the ball on the four vs a slower big than a quicker wing player.
He can’t defend someone that fast.
The main joy of Matt Bonner when used is his ability to space the floor, your general purpose SF is already used to defending on the perimeter anyway.
If you play Bonner at the three he is going to give up drives all day. His one defensive attribute that serves him well is his size coupled with his tenacity, he can put a body on physical players who like to post up.
He is going to struggle putting a body on anyone 25 feet from the hoop.
March 22nd, 2010 at 5:07 pm
Hey guys, there is a rumor floating that bushka is really Popovich. Personally, I am not surprise as I knew there was something strange about this guys comments. You would think he’d spend more time trying to save the Spurs from the lottery then messing around on here - Geez! what a maniac.
March 22nd, 2010 at 5:08 pm
In tribute to the brilliance of arm-chair coaches:
Daniel
March 22nd, 2010 at 11:47 am
“This was a coaching issue. The Spurs needed A+ defensive rebounding last night, and Pop only played Blair, who is an A+ defensive rebounder, 12 minutes. McDyess only played 17 minutes. THAT was the difference last night.”
……. OR, how could we forget the perennial Pop-Basher:
BALLHOG
March 22nd, 2010 at 12:01 pm
“The Atlanta game was a coaching loss.
Again, wrong players playing, wrong players sitting. Game over…
He is Popovich. He can blow games due to poor decisions. He can play inferior players, while benching suprior ones.”
……..OR the new & crasser Basher in town:
BigBalls
March 22nd, 2010 at 1:56 pm
“I think you are on to something regarding last night’s loss being impacted by – AGAIN – bad coaching and personnel packages………… In my opinion, Pop can no longer get it up sufficiently. He has really been limp all year, its somewhat embarrassing. Despite his past glories, he reminds me of an old boxer who although his mind is willing, he can no longer let his hands go.”
I don’t know how many times I have to tell you guys that all you do is engage in emotionally-based pure opinion. You rarely bring any systematic logic or hard data to support your arguments, and the worst of it all is that when it comes to coaching decisions, “you act like you know it all.”
Last nights game was a tough game to lose for a variety of reasons, but there’s no way to pin-point that the reason we lost was clearly on account of poor coaching decisions. The key was Pop’s decision to play Bonner many more minutes than McDyess. Now, if anyone here does not understand the true catch-22 Pop had over this, you don’t have a very good understanding of the game. I’m not going to take the time to explain it to you in detail, but it revolves around the fact that today’s NBA requires a competitive team to have a sufficient number of competent 3 pt. shooters to employ during the course of a game. Unfortunately, Hill has struggled with his 3 pt. shot lately, particularly against elite opponents, Bogans & RJ are mediocre at best, & RMJ has been in a funk all year. So who’s going to do the shooting, and spread the floor? You simply can’t rely on Manu to do all the 3 pt. shooting, which resulted in our best 3 pt. shooter, Bonner, playing extended minutes. Obviously, however, the additional minutes for Bonner hurt on our defensive boards & interior “D”, which McDyess excelled at last night with 10 boards in 17 minutes. And that was the catch-22 that Pop faced, and the result was we got hurt pretty bad on the Hawks 2nd chance points.
Guys, this is not rocket science. Please refrain from unsubstantiated Pop-bashing. It’s really getting tiresome.
March 22nd, 2010 at 5:08 pm
Yeah and i’m going to play Matt Bonner all day on Lebron.
Going to get me some of that Red Rocket love.
March 22nd, 2010 at 5:11 pm
Spurs flat at OKC tonight….
Also, Coach’s rotations completely different again. No consistency for players minutes is a recipe for disaster. Too much frustration and uncertainty.
Really cant afford to drop this one too…
Hoping….
March 22nd, 2010 at 5:34 pm
@ Jim Henderson
No can do. If Pop is the cause, he will be called out.
As for your post…Nonsense.
Also, enough of this Bonner the 3 point shooting expert crap. at 2:30 in the 4th, Bonner had an open shot at the top of the key. However, when tiny Pg Bibby came at him, he passed out of the shot.
This happens constantly because he is ONLY a set shot guy. He very seldom even attempts a contested shot from long range.
My point is that during heated competition, he is not going to get many wide open set shots, so where is the genious of having him in the game? Where is the genious Jim?
Also, just one more wildy bizarre question for you Jim…
Do you really believe that Bonner will be able to compete in the playoffs at Denver, LA, Portland, Dallas, or Utah?
Do you really believe that Bogus is our guy Jim? Our defensive stopper? That we will win with him guarding elite 2′s and 3′s in the west?
Enlighten me Jim
As for your statement: Are you kidding us Jimmy?
“You rarely bring any systematic logic or hard data to support your arguments, and the worst of it all is that when it comes to coaching decisions, “you act like you know it all.”
No Jim, we dont act like we know it all,
You do.
We just know that Pop is no longer impressive.
But, we are at a disadvantage because we are not you Jim.
Please help us to find our way.
March 22nd, 2010 at 5:36 pm
BallHog I agree with you. People the game was lost in the second period not when Manu turned the ball over or the missed threes. I think Hariston and Mahinmi could have helped. It does suck when the young guys do not get pt. The same thing happened in the loss to Orlando when th Spurs could not buy a bucket. Can the Spurs get Bell or is he hurt?
March 22nd, 2010 at 5:51 pm
To the authors of this website:
Just a suggestion, but you might as well create a post where people can post their opinions on Popovich. 60 comments and about 80% of them about Pop and his coaching, when the original post (by the author) doesn’t even touch on the issue. This is just ridiculous.
March 22nd, 2010 at 5:55 pm
I’m pretty sure that if they called half the fouls on Timmy we would have won this game …
but is it me or it’s like the NBA doesn’t like Timmy ? I mean I think he’s the only player that was threaten to fight with a ref… wtf..
March 22nd, 2010 at 6:00 pm
Hairston is in the game and doing a nice job defending Kevin Durant. Kevin Durant folks.
This guy can help.
Bogans DNP will lead to a Spurs win.
March 22nd, 2010 at 6:06 pm
Hairston defending Durant will give the Spurs the win tonight. Along with leaving Bogans on the bench for the entire 2nd half.
If Pop ever subs Bogans before Hairston ever again, I’ll be booing Pop thru the tv.
March 22nd, 2010 at 6:11 pm
Booing Pop through tv, tough really considering it a nice option, was not really efficient for me in the past…
March 22nd, 2010 at 6:13 pm
Will someone tell Hill to stop switching on dribble handoffs to guard Durant? He’s getting killed. Last night, on dribble handoffs Hill switched on to Johnson and got… killed. Tell him to stop switching on dribble handoffs and just stay with your man, Westbrook.
March 22nd, 2010 at 6:30 pm
0:32 Keith Bogans enters the game for Matt Bonner
I hear someone booing
March 22nd, 2010 at 6:45 pm
Wow, coach almost blows this game too.
Hairston is doing a great job of staying with Durant and is making him work.
Coach takes him out…
Down the stretch, Bonner is in again. He isnt making shots. When Bonner isnt making shots, he may as well be a fan with a good seat.
Then, as if that wasnt enough. With 51 seconds left in a tight game, he puts in Bogans.
Spurs had a time out and Pop had an oportunity to get Bogans the hell outta there. He didnt.
Bogans responded by giving up a wide open 3 point shot that could have won the game.
So much great coaching is hard to digest.
Also,
@ JimJim
This is the kind of team that you play Bonner against. He matches up a lot better with this than he did at Atlanta last night.
Also Jim, I see that your ace, Glove Bogans, didnt see much PT.
Has Pop lost his mind in going without his Bruce Bowen type defender tonight?
Or is it just me?
March 22nd, 2010 at 6:57 pm
That was an ugly finish but gutsy win….if only we had that extra gear to pull away from these kind of teams in the fourth…
March 22nd, 2010 at 7:16 pm
Ballhog’s got a point about Bonner’s inability to make 3′s when they count (in the playoffs against tougher competition). His percentages from last year’s playoffs 2 -.217 3-.231. His season stats from last season 2-.475 3-.419. Pop is putting his faith that Bonner will be reliable when it matters which he hasn’t really done. How do you explain such a huge dropoff in percentages? In the playoffs teams are not going to allow you all day to size up shots and hit them. You need to be able to make the shot in a limited amount of time or make a decisive move otherwise you allow the defense to set itself.
March 22nd, 2010 at 7:24 pm
There is no doubt that Pop’s coaching lost the Atlanta game.
March 22nd, 2010 at 7:33 pm
Hi again… it’s me from the Bonner +/- article with an “I told you so moment” for the day… Gee, it sure was great that bonner hit a fairly meaningless 3 in the 4th quarter (all things considered) only to watch as the Spurs helplessly squandered some 73 offensive rebounds away to an undersized, but athletic, Hawks frontline… now I really understand why Bonner is such a game changer, and having a big that actually plays big is not important after all.
March 22nd, 2010 at 7:52 pm
Ballhog
“You’re a funny guy. keep it coming…”
If I amuse you that much I’ll keep it coming
by the way….you mean you would rather have the same Avery that led his team to two of the most tremendous flops in history (’06 finals and ’07 playoffs against the Warriors)?!! Dude.
March 22nd, 2010 at 8:26 pm
@Jim,
Geez Jimmie, you are such a Pop poot sniffer, its sickening. They won tonight despite Pop. Fairly good rotation tonight, but still too many minutes for Boggy. Good game by Mason tonight, but on the nights when he has no stroke from that ole cocked legged jumper , Hairston should get at least half of his minutes.
Pop needs to let Hairston go and encourage him as he has done with G. Hill. Don’t quite understand why Pop is so reluctant to play Hairston, we he’s on the court, he does not turn it over very much, does not force bad shoots and covers his defensive assignments fairly well.
Manu is playing well now so you have to keep him in the starting lineup, however, Hairston would be a nice guy off the bench for 12 to 15 mins per game.
March 22nd, 2010 at 9:04 pm
BALLHOG
March 22nd, 2010 at 6:45 pm
“Also Jim, I see that your ace, Glove Bogans, didnt see much PT.”
You know, against my better judgment I’ve made some effort to engage your comments. I thought that perhaps on some important issues we could find some common ground. I was mistaken.
The quote from you above suggests that I think highly of Keith Bogans, particularly on the defensive end (“glove”, “ace”, like Bowen, etc.). This is in fact completely inaccurate and blatantly misrepresents my consistent position on this blog on the matter. I challenge you to present one quote of me on this blog that characterizes Bogans in the manner in which you describe.
In the meantime, I’m done responding to your constant barrage of ignorant, overbearing, and unsubstantiated opinions about how Pop somehow doesn’t know how to coach anymore, after 4 titles in eleven years, and is now literally “losing us games”, every other night.
Questioning Pop is fine and perhaps even useful on occasion, but it only makes sense to do so with a good dose of respect and humility, as I have done on occasion. Apparently you can’t do that, however, because you of course know who to play, and when to play them, and if Pop doesn’t end up doing that? Well, it must mean that “he’s losing us games”. It’s quite simple, actually.
So at this point, I think everyone on this blog would be very happy to have you, BALLHOG, coach the team just so that the incessant & inane anti-pop rap will finally cease. In the meantime, I’ll be sure to ignore your comments. It’s a waste of any reasonable person’s time.
March 22nd, 2010 at 9:21 pm
bigballs
March 22nd, 2010 at 8:26 pm
“Geez Jimmie, you are such a Pop poot sniffer, its sickening. They won tonight despite Pop.”
I will be ignoring all future “bigballs” comments as well, for similar reasons as with BALLHOG.
You guys should go party together, but do the others that frequent this blog a favor: leave the job of arm-chair coaching alone. You two are clearly not fit for the job.
March 22nd, 2010 at 9:39 pm
Heres how it is.
If they win. It’s got nothing to do with Pop.
If they loose.
It’s Pops fault.
Bonner plays well theres not a mention of it.
He has a dud and it’s handbags at twenty paces.
For ever and ever through time immemorial, rabid fanbases will throw a coach under the bus as soon as they sense the tower is toppling.
The only crazy thing here, is that we see failure as not making the finals, or being a lock for contention.
No one here thinks Bonner & Bogans are the second coming. It’s just a fact of life that every team has these kind of lower rung role players who fill up the gaps. The coach doesn’t always play the guy you want, but just because of that does not mean the teams going to win or loose.
Pop draws up some great plays, he tinkers and he torments. If you get wound up by Pop and the way he coachs the regular season, why in the blue F*** are you even watching the spurs play.
Did you guys just wake up today and say HEY HE IS SCREWING WITH ROTATIONS!!!!!! SHENNANIGANS!!!! SOMEONE CALL TEH COMMISH!!!
This is Greg Freaking Popovich, he doesn’t care what you or the entire league think.
March 22nd, 2010 at 9:47 pm
Bushka
Word. Thank you.
March 22nd, 2010 at 9:52 pm
In a perfect world, we would call every play for Manu Ginobili, play duncan 48 minutes, with Mahimini tip-jamming in every manu miss, and blocking Lebron 3 times a game. Parker comes off the bench with one hand and gets 12 assists, and Hill routinely shuts down Kobe and all those other clutch players 4 inches taller than him. Bonner hits 6 threes from manu passes so his assists are padded, whilst Hairston gets 5 steals and 5 long rebounds, all of which he takes coast to coast for dunks.
We are not as ridiculously talented as team’s past….
March 22nd, 2010 at 10:15 pm
yes, let’s oversimplify things and peg the atlanta loss on one or two things that we actually understand, instead of realizing that we were just out manned, but played well enough to make a game of it.
for the life of me, i don’t understand why the media goes gaga over the length of the lakers, but ignores that across the board, atlanta has excellent size and athleticism as well. sure they’re young, but i’ll be damned if they’re not a ridiculously talented team. the spurs don’t sport that level of athleticism and size, and it was our system that kept us in the game. sure, mcdyess could’ve used more burn, and perhaps that could’ve gotten us over the hump, but bonner gives our system as good a chance as we can hope for. i’m not going to claim to know all the ins and outs of what value to assign bonner’s defense (shortcomings and all) and 3pt shots vs. mcdyess’ long 2′s and defensive rebounding. however, i can see that barely losing in overtime to a vastly more athletic team isn’t due to a single personnel choice.
also, love the 4th grade level argumentation. “you act like you know everything.” “no, YOU act like you know everything. i just know pop sucks.” well done, socrates would be proud.
March 22nd, 2010 at 10:32 pm
Since nobody has brought it up, I’d love to hear how or if TP’s time off to let his hand heal is going to help out with his plantar fasciitis. Before the hand injury, it was enough to slow his step, but not enough to sideline him. Can we expect a fully healthy TP when he does return?
March 22nd, 2010 at 11:19 pm
@Bushka - you said it. Well.
March 22nd, 2010 at 11:37 pm
Bushka
March 22nd, 2010 at 9:39 pm
Easy B
March 22nd, 2010 at 9:52 pm
andy
March 22nd, 2010 at 10:15 pm
Nice comments, all. Just don’t expect your appeal to reason to succeed with you know who.
March 22nd, 2010 at 11:50 pm
I wonder what a Nets fan would think reading this board. We just might have their wins by seven (with our share of injuries) and there’s non stop whining.
I guess it’s because everybody here had so high expectations for this season, but come on.
Sigh.
March 23rd, 2010 at 12:12 am
The Spurs are Point guard heavy. Hill and Parker’s talents can’t be maximized if their on the same team. I say trade Parker ( who you can’t get better value in return) for an All Star level big to play along side Timmy. Parker and Splinter for Bosh !
March 23rd, 2010 at 1:13 am
Pop makes the same mistakes every game : he trusts in his players. Guys that have played in the league for 5 plus seasons should be benched for the season if they don’t shut down lebron and shoot 50% 3′s for 2 straight games.
Apart from ginobili, we are just not that clutch anymore ….if you don’t have a Kobe, lebron, Wade, then you need a Durant, pierce, or ginobili and another option to close out games . Td is all time , but is in the twilight and his game has been studied so much that defences want him to get the ball because they are prepared to defend him. The lakers struggle with small guards but seem to have had recent success in taking Parker out of his game . To me this aspect, the defense of rj and
March 23rd, 2010 at 1:17 am
The agressiveness of our role players will be key to our chances of beating the lakers
March 23rd, 2010 at 3:05 am
[...] 48 Minutes of Hell [...]
March 23rd, 2010 at 3:10 am
Any chance we can get a ‘bash one of the top five coaches to ever take the bench’ thread so I don’t have to skip over so much lunacy in trying to read reasonable comments?
March 23rd, 2010 at 3:37 am
Bushka- So TP won us the titles and not Tim? Wow. We won because we had domination in the middle. So I agree with your tall angry man theory, but Parker for Hill has nothing to do with that. We could possibly score more points but Hill is a better rebounder and defender. If our system is so “great” then why do we suck? Your comments about Ian are confusing as well. Pop is the one who continues to hold onto him and not play him. And yes, giving away valuable time to low rung role players does cost games. Its ignorant to think otherwise.
Jesse- It is the fact that RJ plays worse with Tony. TP is a Pick and roll PG whos dimes come from not the skip but the dump on the pick and roll. Jefferson needs to move to be successful. With Parker running the point it pretty much makes Jefferson a fan on the court. Its as much about Tony being an average at best passer as it is with Jefferson being a wimp.
Cory- Nail on the head with stationary players. The thing that people dont understand, take note here, is that we keep trying to play the same style with tim in decline. WONT WORK. Which is why pop isnt a “great” coach.
Big Balls- Hairston should play in very limited amounts. This guy cannot dribble AT ALL. He looks as nimble as Bonner. He can dunk/jump but it ends there.
Andy- I disagree with your comment about our system keeping us in the game. Actually I agree with your statement, but disagree with why you allude to it being a positive. Our “system” keeps us in games, but it also blows 4th qtr leads and makes us play NOT TO LOSE rather than TO WIN. The system has to be tweaked CONSTANTLY to properly use the players we have. There isnt any way to find out if we are as talented or as athletic because Bonner is playing 32 minutes, BOgans 25, and McDyess 16. Get these losers off the floor. Anyone who agrees with Bonner over Blair has no clue about the game, or what our team needs.
Jim Henderson- Stop living in the past. Your posts are absurd.
March 23rd, 2010 at 3:39 am
Quick someone write another article about Bonners +/- the past couple games!!!
March 23rd, 2010 at 4:41 am
Can we trade Trade TP?
About Spurs future, we already talked about the possibility of Splitter staying in Spain. But it seems the Real Madrid has views on Ginobili (and Rudy Fernandez, for that matter).
And I caught myself thinking I’d rather see Manu playing in Madrid than in any NBA city other that SA. And I rather see Splitter in SA than in Madrid.
March 23rd, 2010 at 4:49 am
@ TP,
You make some nice points. However, re Hairston and not being a dribbler, I was just wondering how he gets to the bucket, at will, and so easily. I believe his dribbling ability is above average. He does not need point guard dribbling skills, just the ability to handling it, with some zig zag, from about 20 feet in. Once around the basket, he is very explosive, usually creates contact and has a great opportunity to get to the line - where he is an above average FT shooter. I love Manu, but dribbling is the weakest part of his game because his off hand is not strong - yet, Manu gets to the bucket because of his dogget determination and high basketball IQ. Everyone in the league, for the last 7 years, knows that Manu is going left, yet he does it anyway. So if Manu, as the one hand bandit, can dribble and still be effective - then certainly Hairston can be effective.
March 23rd, 2010 at 4:51 am
@Trade TP:
vs. OKC: -11
vs. ATL: -3 (Manu: -2, TD: -6, Hill: -7, Hairston: -8)
vs. GS: +23 (game-high was Bogans’ +25)
vs. ORL: -2 (lowest among SA players)
Yeah Bonner had poor +/- against OKC but it definitely wasn’t bad against Atlanta or Orlando. What’s your point?
March 23rd, 2010 at 4:59 am
@ Trade TP
‘Awsome post. Amazing to me that folks cant see the obvious.
Pop is trying the yesterday strategy in todays game. With older star players and horrible role players, its just not happening.
@ Jim Henderson
I hope you keep your word and ignore my posts from now on. I will certainly ignore yours. You argue and whine like an elitest lil girl constantly because others opinions do not mirror yours. Dont address me again.
Moving on,
Bonner is extremely limited as a player and we all know it. Well, most of us know it. It has been the case since he got here and has not changed.
He could have worked on his game in the offseason over the past three years. He could have gotten better, added some versatility. He has not.
Anytime a microphone is placed in front of any of our big 3, they preach the same thing. “We have to get better”. Bonner wasnt listening.
I have suggested in previous posts that Bonner would be better at the 3. Why? Because he is not athletic enough to play the 4 or 5. He is not a 1 or a 2, so what is he? He would be at a disadvantage guarding 3′s, (Help Defense would be good option here) but at a huge advantage on the offensive end. Besides, it couldnt be worse than having him at the 4 or 5.
I mean come on. Bonner has been retained to play here for years. Pop let Gooden, Thomas, Mensa Bonsu, Tolliver, Haislip, Scola, and Oberto go in favor of playing Bonner. No other coach in the league would have done that to thier team.
I would take any one of them over Bonner in a second, even Oberto.
Bonner and Bogans are killing us. We can not compete with them getting over 25 minutes a game. They make us look like and have the feel of, a lottery team.
I agree with BIGBALLS as well. This coach is clearly demonstrating his inability to adjust. His luck has run out. It is absolutely contributing to losses and certainly caused the Atlanta loss and almost cost the team a win last night in OKC. Are we to ignore that? If so, why?
As for Hairston. He did a good job on Durant last night. In limited minutes he constantly outplays Bogans.
Like BIGBALLS said, Pop should let this kid play and encourage him to be aggressive as he did with Hill, instead of hindering him by killing his confidence.
Finally, everybody cries about Mason being horrible because it is what Pop wants us to believe.
But again, we see that when Mason is allowed to get into the flow, like any shooter, he is much more effective.
As for Coach Pop….
A flat offense with far too little movement. Bunch of guys standing around the perimeter while teams stack up double digit offensive rebounds. I thought we played to win.
At what point does Pop receive the scrutiny that he has clearly earned this season?
Is he immune?
March 23rd, 2010 at 5:00 am
Ian - The point was Bonner blows no matter what the +/- indicates. The stat is for groups not individuals. Claiming his +/- as effective is another way for Pop fans to justify his PT, even though deep in their hearts they understand that D League Scrub could give us just as much in the same amount of time.
March 23rd, 2010 at 5:00 am
Re: Matt Bonner,
Guys, I for one am not a big fan of dogging bonner. When he has a good night, I don’t mind saying so. The problem is that those good games are far to in between for the minutes that he gets, particularly those minutes he was getting prior to getting hurt earlier in the season.
Bonner is a role player whose strongest suit, is shooting. My biggest beef is that Pop uses him incorrectly. While he is 6’10″, Bonner is not a power forward and definitely not a center. Doesn’t match up well with those guys and the refs will not even let him body those guys without calling a foul.
The mismatch for bonner - on the offensive end - is him running from the 3 spot in terms of the offensive sets. This is a mismatch every night.
His minutes should generally never exceed 15 or so, so that he would be good in short stretches in order to exploit various mismatches. If it is on a night when his stroke is on (and he is nice to watch when is stroke is on), then you play him a few more minutes - not many more, but a few more is good. He needs a little more confidence in his game and Pop could assist with this.
With more aggressiveness, I think this guy could really do some nice things from 10 to 12 in. You must be an exceptional shooter in the NBA to make you living from the 3 line. On the nights when the shot is not falling, you have to be able to bring something else to the table or you must sit.
March 23rd, 2010 at 5:17 am
Hey, I saw Ian Mahinmi playing last night; did anyone else? He was wearing a Serge Ibaka jersey…
This is exactly what I think that Ian could be for us.
March 23rd, 2010 at 6:29 am
We let Mensa Bosu go?!! What the hell.
Great win last night…….we all know who we got next.
March 23rd, 2010 at 6:42 am
Ballhog and Diehardspur: you guys are right on. Ibaka is EXACTLY what Ian is: tall, athletic, frenetic, energetic, raw … and he almost made the difference for OKC last night. As I’ve said before, Ian reminds me of Varejao, not a finesse player but still contributes enough to get lots of burn on one of the best teams in the league. I have no doubt that Ian would have kept Atlanta’s bigs from grabbing so many offensive boards … the difference in the game. And as someone above said, Malik by far did the best job on Durant. Yet, Pop pulled him way too quickly. Bogans was atrocious, as was Bonner. They’ve got to have pictures of Pop to get as much playing time as they do. One or two decent games here and there do not make them players on this team.
March 23rd, 2010 at 7:43 am
I’m happy with the OKC game play.
The way I see it, we’re beating or at least putting up stiff competition against playoff teams without TP.
There is no way that we could have played at this level without one of the big three earlier in the season, not to mention on a back-to-back with most starters logging heavy minutes. To boot, there is hope that Mason is getting his shot back.
It’s our bench that gives me the most cause for concern. The starters are “gelling,” but our second team seems a little lost without a true ball distributor. It’s like we’ve inverted the team as it was before the all star game, when our bench was the league’s most productive.
Nonetheless, win or lose, I like Pop’s coaching, look forward to the playoffs, and feel pretty optimistic about next year.
But maybe I’m just a fool.
March 23rd, 2010 at 7:45 am
@agutierrez
I’m sorry but Ibaka is exactly the reason the Spurs have given up on Manihimi. OKC has not invested anywhere close to the time/energy in Ibaka as the Spurs have in Manihimi, yet Ibaka is by far the superior prospect. The Spurs took a gamble in hopes that Manihimi would provide the type of play that Ibaka has and it didn’t work, they should be commended for the gamble and for also knowing when to cut their loses.
These facts were all driven home by the fact that Blair came in and made an impact from his first minutes in S.A. and Buck Harvey did a great job breaking this down in an column earlier in the season.
George Hill continues to grow and I strongly believe that unless Jefferson is able to salary dumped VERY early in the offseason, we’ve seen the last of Manu and Parker together in a Spurs uniform. I just don’t think Holt’s pockets are deep enough to keep both along with Jefferson’s salary and also fill out the rest of the roster.
If longtime Spurs fans remember, during Beno’s rookie year in which he had a strong start, Holt was reluctant to sign Parker to the contract that he has now. George Hill right now makes up for about 65%-75% of what Parker brings to the table at about a tenth of the price.
Unless the Spurs win this years title, look for Parker to be traded this offseason. I don’t expect it to be a star for star trade but more like a trade that brings back 2-3 quality role players.
March 23rd, 2010 at 8:03 am
buck harvey wrote a great blurp about how ibaka is what they thought they were getting in mahinmi. i still think it is fair to acknowledge that mahinmi has struggled with injuries and d-league stinits over the course of his short nba career, but this has pretty much convinced me that he will not be in a spurs uniform next year.
i think that his play has indeed merited him some burn, but to implement him into our rotation this late in the season would create chemistry issues. also, blair, bonner, and dice have simply played well lately. there is no place for another big in our rotation. also, if ian proves to be an impact player, we will have to compete with him in the free agent market. seems wise to just let him finish out his contract in garbage time and in a suit during the playoffs.
this really sucks. i’ve been pulling for the guy all year but all signs point to no. i think we should give him spot minutes for the rest of the season and maybe resign him on the cheap on one of those “make good” contracts nxt year.
great win last night against OKC. showed alot of guts and heart. we are definately an improved team and we will be excellent when parker returns. hopefully manu and tim won’t be on empty when that happens.
March 23rd, 2010 at 8:21 am
@ RJ
I agree with you on the Ibaka and Mahinmi comparison.
mahinmi should be playing now. Who cares about chemistry issues? It is about effective players.
The way this team is absolutely struggling in the front court, how could you not give this kid spot minutes?
He couldnt possibly be more pathetic in the paint than Bonner,
As for Mcdyess….The posts scare me. Dice is a baller and he is a traditional 4. In anyone elses system, he would be on the low block instead of sitting on the perimeter shooting 20 footers.
Maybe most are struggling to understand that you absolutely cannot win a playoff series in the West without a viable front court presence.
Do we have a guy? Yes, we have Mahinmi. He has proven that he can be a presence in the middle, he can block and change shots, he can shoot free throws, and he can score.
What does this kid have to do to get spot minutes on this D league roster?
If we can play Bogans and Bonner, cant we play just about anyone?
March 23rd, 2010 at 9:00 am
@Ballhog and TradeTP
Stop hating on Bonner. It’s really getting old.
I think it’s obvious now that you’re jealous. He’s in the NBA and you’re not.
March 23rd, 2010 at 9:08 am
Ballhog -
Dice might have been a traditional 4 before his knee injuries, but take a look at his shot charts from the last 5 years. He is a jump shooting big man who does most of his damage from the perimeter. He’s had multiple knee injuries which have robbed him of his athleticism. On offense, you don’t want him on the low block - that would just clog the lane for TD and slashers.
March 23rd, 2010 at 9:24 am
junierizzle: oh, so now you’re a mind reader and you’ve decided ballhog is jealous of bonner. Por favor, no seas pendejo.
March 23rd, 2010 at 9:36 am
@ agutierrez
Thanks for the assist in dealing with junierizzle.
I would have addressed her on it, but I try not to get distracted with sillyness.
I owe you one!
March 23rd, 2010 at 9:40 am
Everyone must go!
We have a couple years where we underachieve (i.e. we don’t win a championship) and suddenly, it’s fire everyone, from the coach to all the players outside of TD and Manu?
We knew the day would come when weren’t able to compete with the upper echelon of the NBA. Unfortunately, that day is upon us. That doesn’t mean we have to like it, but let’s at least be realistic about our situation and our team - we are a decent, borderline playoff team. Our record and our play tell us that much. We can argue who or who shouldn’t play, but the fact is it probably wouldn’t have much affect on our record in the end. We still would be an old, albeit dangerous, team struggling to get into the playoffs.
Let’s try to remember what got us here - smart, timely decision making, not rash overreactions (which many of the posts around here stink of). Sure, it’s been a trying year, especially when you consider our expectations. But trading away everyone not named TD or Manu and firing the coach isn’t what made us the model franchise in all of sports. It takes time, stick-to-it-ness, and luck to build a perennial winner. We don’t shuttle coaches and players through a complicated system like a turnstile - that’s what the Knicks and Clippers do and we know how well that works.
March 23rd, 2010 at 9:49 am
@ Tyler
True statement in ref to Mcdyess’ knees. But in reference to clogging the middle for slashers. We dont slash man. Our movement without the ball is horrible.
We dont slash because we are sitting on the perimeter waiting for a set shot.
This is why Parker is so critical to this offense. He is a point guard that was asked to produce scoring of a 2 guard. It is the reason that his assists are low. Cant have a ton of dimes when you have to score 25 a game for your team to win.
More movement in our offense and guys doing far more without the ball would seriously help us out.
As for trading TP….Still think it is a bad move. But, Im sure the Lakers, who will release Fisher after the season, would love to get thier hands on Parker.
Sadly we would lose any way it goes, but on the bright side, Tony cant lose. He will get market value and continue to be successful in the league with or without Pop and the Spurs.
Go Tony….
March 23rd, 2010 at 10:28 am
@agutierrez
Read more than one post, dude.
Sometime ago Ballhog stated that when he plays with a weak player it weakens HIS game. He said Bonner was ruining everyones game. Thus, implying that he thinks he can play and BOnner can’t. His jealousy is the only thing that can explain his hate for BONNER. Bonner had a great game last night.
@ Ballhog, learn to spell dude. SILLINESS.
March 23rd, 2010 at 1:07 pm
Trade TP
March 23rd, 2010 at 3:37 am
“Jim Henderson- Stop living in the past. Your posts are absurd.”
Did it ever occur to you that you have no idea what you’re talking about? No, I didn’t think so. You & your buddies, bigballs & ballhog, are very irrational, overly definitive (with no logic or data in support of your comments), defensive, & for the most part close-minded in your consideration of others’ comments. I guess I’ll add you to my list of commentators I now choose to avoid reading & responding to. It’s better anyway, if I go ahead & leave you guys to all wallow in your ignorance together. Have fun.
Seriously, you guys ought to get together. You’d enjoy “shootin the shit” with each other; and just maybe, it would help spare the rest of us from your brilliant insights. We can only hope! LOL!
Tyler
March 23rd, 2010 at 9:40 am
Nice to see some on here can offer reasonable commentary. Thanks, Tyler.
March 23rd, 2010 at 2:21 pm
Right on, Jim Henderson.
March 23rd, 2010 at 6:38 pm
Coach Pop here, checking in to make sure I have the approbation of all you cerebral fans and analysts. Great comments/feedback here. I have said all along that the reason I look so good as a coach is Tim Duncan. Period. That said, some of you really need to learn the art of nuance.
Let me give you a few examples:
(1) “Play McDyess, play McDyess, play McDyess!”
Guys, I would love to. However, some games I swear the guy is getting paid by the other team. He has a ton of talent and should be a dominant defender, but he will have stretches in which he literally turns and runs away for his rotations and guys get dunks. I am looking for some advice from the commentators here on how to get him to put together a complete defensive game. Once I get that, he will play more and more-I promise.
(2) “Malik is Jesus; Bogans is Satan.”
I really like Malik. He has guts, is the only player on our team that doesn’t dunk like a total nerd, and plays dogged defensive. At the same time, he fouls like a rapist. I can’t keep a guy on the floor who puts us in the penalty with 8 minutes left in the quarter, and certainly not at the end of a game. That said, he has been improving vastly over the last several weeks, so I will throw you all a bone and put him in for a longer run against LA tomorrow.
(3) “Bonner sucks. Kill him and mail his entrails to Sweden.”
Why all the rage? Bonner is exactly what he is advertised to be: a deadly open shooter (I stress “open”), terrible perimeter defender, and a hard-working yet typically unsuccessful post defender/rebounder. Why do I play him so many minutes? First, see the McDyess section above. Second, our offense is dictated by spacing. I get it that you a lot of you guys want to see The Motion, or The Princeton, or The Triangle. Those ARE sexy-granted. But we just don’t have the players to run those. The Motion requires uber-athletes who can rebound from any position and dribble. I can’t see Parker picking up 5 rebounds a game. The Princeton? See the Kings circa 1998-need I say more? The Triangle? We don’t have (a) guards that are tall enough to play post. Long story short, Bonner plays because he fits our offense by stretching the opposing defense. I realize he has his terrible moments, but he stands where I tell him to stand.
(4) “Bonner is a better fit at the 3.”
…
…
…
Bwah-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha! Seriously, that made my day.
Anyway, thanks for the bruises, everyone, and you can keep the stool samples. Against the Lakers, I will try out all your helpful ideas. Malik will get roughly 25 minutes, and I will leave him in the game until he either (1) fouls out, (2) the opposing team breaks the NBA record for most foul shots attempted in a quarter, or (3) he dribbles his ball off his foot on three consecutive plays. McDyess will stay in the game, regardless of his defensive lapses-after all, Odom rarely makes a slower, lost big man pay on defense. I think that about covers it… wait, I am forgetting something-oh yeah! I will trade TP before the game and get an all-star big.
Thanks again Spurs fans!
GP
March 23rd, 2010 at 8:30 pm
Coach Poppovich
Freakin’ A man. I didn’t know you read these posts?
huh-huh
March 24th, 2010 at 6:31 am
@ ballhog, it isn’t just about effective players. it is about chemistry (i.e. allen iverson). it just doesn’t make any sense to play ian from a basketball and business standpoint. his best chance at earning another contract is dominating garbage time. he is putting points on the board, but we need to see more defense from him.
that is all i am going to direct towards you. you seem like a guy that argues for the sake of arguing.
@ tyler. what is up with this “everyone must go exept td or manu?” you ever heard of george hill and dejuan blair? not to mention tony parker?
the only scenario tp should be traded is if he is going to play for the french national team again. these guys need to start realizing which team is paying the bills. i’m all for nationalism, but you also have to take your professional career under consideration. tony will not be unpatriotic if he doesn’t play for les bleu this summer.
he 48 MIN guys, any way you can block these impersonating jokers?
March 24th, 2010 at 1:33 pm
rj -
Did you read my post? Maybe I’m misunderstanding you, but I was actually arguing against the whole “Everyone must go!” logic….
August 2nd, 2010 at 11:06 pm
you have just won a new feed reader
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