Monday, April 6th, 2009...3:30 pm
Manu Ginobili Out for the Season
Early reports are starting to trickle out that Manu Ginobili is done for the season. According to Inside Hoop, a recent MRI and CT scan “showed an increased marrow edema and a stress fracture in his right distal fibula.” Needless to say, this changes everything. Keep checking this space. Graydon and I will punch this in the mouth with plenty of commentary to follow.
My immediate response is, ironically, to think of Gregg Popovich. Ever the realist, he’ll be the first to say the Spurs will not win a championship without Manu Ginobili. What does this mean for this season? Does he turn the “we can’t win without” sentiment around and play the “stars are aligned against us, but let’s go win won anyway” card? Or does he begin to think seriously about developing George Hill and/or Malik Hairston? Shut Tim Duncan down? He has plenty of options before him, just none of the good ones.
And, of course, I feel for Manu Ginobili. He has more heart than anyone in the league. It must be a hard night.
But as I said, more to follow.
20 Comments
April 6th, 2009 at 3:51 pm
I just found out as well and was going to post a link. I had the same thoughts as you, but my first was about what Manu must be feeling. As frustrating as it is for us to hear, I can’t imagine how frustrated he is.
I think we should sit out Timmy so he and Manu can be placed in some rejuvenation chamber all throughout the summer, while we recall Hairston and Mahinmi and see what they can accomplish.
April 6th, 2009 at 3:54 pm
Wow - that’s really what nobody wanted to hear. And Ginobili must be dejected. Sure makes things more complicated for the Spurs, but I don’t think they will go down without a fight in the postseason, Manu or not. As for the longterm implications of this recurring injury, it’s too early to tell.
April 6th, 2009 at 4:10 pm
The window has slammed shut on this current Spurs team. They had a decent chance last year, but Manu was hurt, and they had a slight chance this year, but Manu is hurt. They won’t really have a shot next year. If the Spurs would have gotten Splitter to come over, and traded for Carter they might still be a viable championsip contender, but those things did not happen.
Hopefully they can rebuild on the fly (still make the playoffs every year) but not winning the championships every couple of years won’t be as painful as knowing the Spurs won’t beat the Lakers in a 7 game series…It was a great run!!!
April 6th, 2009 at 4:16 pm
I hate to hear it not only for all of us Spurs fans but for Manu. He’s such a competitor! I think this tells us why he was falling in love with the 3 pt shot. It will be interesting to see what all the conspiracy theorists say about CIA Pops master plan now!
April 6th, 2009 at 4:16 pm
My condolences.
….PWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!
April 6th, 2009 at 4:28 pm
I know that now all the “Trade Manu” will appear…remember that Manu gave SA 2 rings…so be careful on what you wish for…
If there is any chance to get another ring with TD it is WITH Manu on SAS, not with him on a contender…or do you people want to play the Scola game again??
April 6th, 2009 at 4:38 pm
This is a sad development. I feel for Manu. He’s one of the few guys in the league that lays it on the line every time he’s on the floor.
1999 2003 2005 2007
It was a beautiful run. The Admiral. Tim Duncan became the greatest PF of all time. Manu and Parker.
Is this the end of the dynasty?
April 6th, 2009 at 4:58 pm
C’mon, guys. The Spurs have arguably the best front office in the league. Let’s not call the reign of the dynasty over yet.
This sucks.
April 6th, 2009 at 5:05 pm
Devastating.
April 6th, 2009 at 5:16 pm
Manu. Manu. Manu. Why did you have to fight for Argentina this summer?!?!?! Because your pride is what makes you who you are.
I can’t believe people are still on this whole ‘we should have gotten carter’ thing. Would he have really made any difference?
If Manu can get back to at least 90%, TD back to full health and Parker makes it through next season unscathed. Then there is no reason why we shouldn’t make the western conference finals. Even with no Manu I really doubt Pop will want to call it quits. It would be an injustice to the fans.
Besides, we liquidate some of this years baggage, bring on the new guys, maybe make a trade or two and we’re right back in contention.
Oh well… I wonder what Pop is going to do tomorrow in OKC, I’m going to the game, it should be interesting.
April 6th, 2009 at 5:28 pm
After the first few games of the season, and all the anxiety and nervous breakdowns that came with it, I felt that the season would never end. After a while, things got back on track and I got that feeling again, the feeling that “maybe, just maybe, we can win it all.” Now Manu’s out, TD’s hobbling on a bad knee. How does a fan stay optimistic? … Roller coaster of emotions indeed…
April 6th, 2009 at 5:42 pm
Bryan couldn’t be more right. This is a terribly unfortunate injury at a terribly unfortunate time, but how does any man have the nerve to question Pop and Buford’s savvy, ability, and flat-out wizardry. It’s a bad situation, but Duncan’s still in the fold, Parker has really matured as a player, and the team couldn’t be in better hands, management-wise. Chin up, fellas.
April 6th, 2009 at 6:06 pm
Rob,
You really think this will enable the Mav-nots to climb in the standings, or will it allow the Jazz to win for the first time in S.A. since forever? Be careful what you wish for … Jazz hold the Mavs tiebreaker (thanks to conference record).
April 6th, 2009 at 6:23 pm
Here’s some perverse irony: the one year the Suns might have been able to get past us, they don’t make the playoffs. Ha! Turn out the lights, the party’s over.
April 6th, 2009 at 6:40 pm
Oddly enough, I’m not sad because our chances of winning this year are gone. I’m bummed for Manu. He literally puts his body on the line every game he plays , but his balls to the wall style is catching up to his body. That has to suck beyond belief. Poor guy.
Are Malik and Ian eligible for the playoffs? If so, bring them back and see what kind of damage the young fellas can do in the ultimate pressure situation. It would be a playoff test drive to show the young guys what it’s like for next year. Shutting down Tim would be an option only if he’s not 100%.
Here’s to Tony averaging 34.7 ppg this post season.
April 6th, 2009 at 6:46 pm
Good news! bad news for lovely manu of course, but still good news. Because there was nil chance of us winning this year. Because we would be facing kobe, who this year, of all years, is bloody intent on burnishing his elusive without-shaq trophy. More even bc he’s cleared the mvp hurdle. It’s almost vampiric: yes please, let LBJ get the mvp, just so I can beat his bum in the finals.
In other words: the spurs will remain, but there’s way too much psycho drama between kobe and lebron this year for us to cut through the clouds.
And in the end I think that’s good, because who wants to see the core gutted? So with Manu out, there’s your excuse. But you don’t like excuses? Yeah, but in trying times, they do help, especially if they put more pressure on you to win the next time.
April 6th, 2009 at 8:50 pm
Tonight is one for mourning. With our Big 3 healthy anything was possible; a healthy Manu last year would’ve meant defeating the Lakers and putting up a much better (and possibly successful) fight in the Finals. The reality that the three cornerstones won’t play together in the playoffs is a hard thing to accept. The amount of relief being felt from Houston to Portland to L.A. speaks to that.
Bigger picture shows that any team that spends a decade or more being successful with the same core players is going to suffer a season or two where injuries take them down. If that is offset by two or more seasons of being the best and having a trophy to prove it, “C’est la guerre.” Magic’s Lakers and Bird’s Celtics each had a post-season where the injury bug cut them short of expectations. Now we have lower expectations & greater anger but also the potential of a huge upside. Who knows how Pop will scheme it or how guys like Mason, Hill, Hairston or Bonner will respond to the challenge. One thing’s for sure: There is still no team in the West that wants to find itself battling the Spurs in a 2-2 series or a game 7. It would help if starting Tuesday night the guys not named Duncan and Parker played with a focus that shows they accept the responsibility of the moment and have noticed that the calendar says April.
April 6th, 2009 at 10:17 pm
[...] usual (although I’d say he generally employs a muted tone). He relayed this afternoon’s disappointing news to me. It’s only been a few hours but I feel I have already run the full gamut of emotions: [...]
April 7th, 2009 at 5:42 am
Should Duncan sit? YES, If he’s not 100%, you rest him at every opportunity. RIP odd-year-dynasty. Last year, upseting the Hornets was our championship moment; this year, getting out of the first round will be. The last Laker’s team ran over the Spurs last year, then got even better the next. You can’t depend on Bowen, Fab, Udoka, Finley, Bonner for quality minutes AND call yourself a contender. Manu was a final round puncher’s chance. Rebuild around Tony, go try to get a Rasheed Wallace-type. If you depend on Duncan and Manu as any more than role players in coming years, you will be sorry.
April 7th, 2009 at 10:25 am
Welk: I doubt the Mavs will be able to catch a seed that would let them play the Spurs. More than likely, we’re looking at Utah-SA or New Orleans-SA. Either way, interesting series.
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