Money in the bank: Monitoring Tim Duncan’s minutes

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That’s what Manu Ginobili called it when the San Antonio Spurs can rest Tim Duncan and still win games, “Money in the bank for us later.” On the national scene, Tim Duncan’s career lows in minutes, points and rebounds, among others categories, is cause for concern.

But if you watch the team close enough, like most of our readers do, you know otherwise. The Spurs have raced out to a franchise record 35-6 start though 41 games. I mentioned this a little in a Q&A with Raptors Republic blogger Sam Holako, but I thought I’d expand on it here.

At the halfway point, Tim Duncan has logged 1204 total minutes and played in all 41 contests. Duncan is on pace for a career-low in minutes. In a good way.

Last year Spurs Head Coach Gregg Popovich’s strategy was to try and rest Duncan on one night of back-to-backs in an effort to keep his minutes down. But Duncan still played about 1229 minutes through the team’s first 41 games, despite appearing in 38 of them.

Duncan has appeared in three more games than at the same point last season, yet has played about 20 fewer minutes.

The key has been Duncan’s fourth quarter minutes. The Spurs’ point differential this season is an NBA-best +7.95. Meaning, the Spurs have blown a number of teams out and managed to rest Tim Duncan in the fourth quarter.

Of his 41 games this season, Duncan has sat the fourth quarter ten times. He’s logged only 190 minutes in fourth quarters this year out of a possible 492. At 34-years old this can only help preserve Duncan for another (hopefully) long playoff push, and maybe even add a season or two to his career.

Every time the Spurs win a game and are fortunate to rest Tim Duncan in the fourth quarter, I picture Gregg Popovich going into his office, uncorking another bottle of Rock and Hammer wine and listening to this song. It probably doesn’t happen, but I wouldn’t blame Pop if he did.

  • justin-ray

    Money in the bank!

  • justin-ray

    I think the media in general is slow as hell

  • Matt in OC

    This is the spurs MO. Stay under the radar, stay humble, go wreck fools on gameday.

    This is “saving the best for last.” this is classic spurs, and by extension classic Pop.

    Come playoff time there are going to be ignorant sports casters (espn) wondering about this Tim Duncan resurgence, and we are all just going to shake our heads and mutter I told you so.

  • rob

    “On the national scene, Tim Duncan’s career lows in minutes, points and rebounds, among others categories, is cause for concern.”

    I would say it’s a concern….to other teams that is.

  • Jacob

    1229-1204=<200?

  • irongiantkc

    In week five of this season, Jemele Hill wrote “How many Hollywood actresses must Tony Parker split up with to get the new high-octane Spurs some media spotlight?”

    Aparently, halfway through the season, it doesn’t matter to the national media what the Spurs record is. They are not regarded as a “traditional powerhouse”. They are not on the East or West coast or in Dallas or Chicago. Dallas (zero championships) and Denver (zero championships) and LeBron (zero championships) and Steve Nash (zero championships) and Amare (zero championships) are all mentioned daily. Mostly the title of the articles goes something like “What’s Wrong with _____?” The Spurs have been very healthy this year, but that doesn’t nullify the quality of their wins. The Spurs are scoring more than 100 points nightly and still can’t get any pub. I am here in pro basketball purgatory (Kansas City) and if I read another article on Melo angling for a long contract extension (from the Nets!) I am going to puke in my Cheerios. Thank God for 48 MOH. I can hardly get my Spurs fix enough.

  • http://48minutesofhell.com Andrew A. McNeill

    @ Jacob

    Oops. Good catch. Typo on my part.

  • irongiantkc

    Besides, most of the posts by Timothy and Andrew, et al. have actually made me a smarter basketball fan. I was blown away by your analysis of the Spurs fast break (I don’t remember who wrote it, I think it was in December). I watch every game now to see how the fast break develops. I used to think fast breaks were simply a numbers game (3 on 2, 2 on 1) with players that just really knew each other well. Now, I can actually see the play develop BEFORE it happens because of your article. Thanks, guys.

  • Jacob

    No big deal, I looked at it over and over thinking I was about to put my foot in my mouth. Great article. : )

  • rbcolo

    The math is screwy 1229- 1204 is 25 minutes not 200. Great article otherwise.

  • Matt in OC

    Meh, I was gonna roll with it Andy.

    I’m sure it feels like 200 min saved on those rickety old knees.

  • ITGuy

    Go Spurs Go!!

  • CW

    He can rest for 200 minutes in only 25 minutes. He is the most interesting man in the world….

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  • GFoyle

    Given the spectacular success so far this year, I guess Timmy’s excessive playing time has been holding back the Spurs the last few seasons.

  • neverthehero

    I think something that is being over-looked is the importance of not being over-played in Round 1. If he has to play 35-40 mins in Round 1 and it goes 6 or 7 games, then saving him during the regular season was all for naught. The way I see it, this places a supreme importance on Bonner showing up in the playoffs and Splitter being able to provide 10-15mins a game in the playoffs.

  • ITGuy

    @CW
    He also never misses any free throws, He just allows the ball to wonder off.

    Go Spurs Go!!

  • DorieStreet

    Great post-and hilarious ending (Lil Scrappy-LOL).

    @irongiantkc-

    As for the NBA world & the sports media’s opinion of the Spurs-it has regressed back to the time just after the ’99 championship. Disdain for that run, just like now for the record start. The team is back to being “boring” in addition to ‘old’. All of the experts on basketball & the vast majority of fans predict- and WANT- San Antonio to stumble, go on a losing streak, falter down the stretch. They crave the the calculated, hyped events of the summer to evolve into a made-for-tv sports series - the playoffs ending with the league’s superstars squaring off in the conference finals and the championship.

    I am rooting for the Spurs to spoil the party.

  • Ed

    God I hate that “music”! Great article though!

  • RV

    Guys, do not half read it. 1229 - 1204 = 25 + 3 more games.

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  • Bankshot21

    @EVERYONE

    If we are playing this great with Duncan in a reduced role, why would we tinker with rotations and minutes and increase his minutes. Of course the bench normally shortens in the post season but I think we are a bit misguided if we think his play will increase that much in the playoffs. I contend we keep things as they are to further preserve him. Not for “1 last shot” as many believe this is, but “Until the wheels fall off” as Mr.Duncan said himself!

  • andy

    @neverthehero + Bankshot21

    what is evident from our games so far, is that we can rest duncan and manu against middling opponents. against a 1st round foe, likely portland, memphis, houston, or phoenix, i don’t anticipate us having to tinker with our lineup that much, and considering the confidence the new guys are showing, i wouldn’t see them backing down in the playoffs to those teams.

  • Bruno

    What the hell this team is doing? Toronto is in zone, pick-roll broke the zone, why don’t play pick-roll??!!What Pop is doing???Macdyess is horrible only catch rebounds but if we don’t score rebounds don’t matter, why pick-roll guy ( Splitter ) is not in the game?? Why Ginobili miss a lot of 3 s?? Where is RJ, TD, Neal and Hill???? And about turnovers, OMG

  • The Beat Counselor

    @CW

    Awesome and hilarious. Stay thirsty my friend.

    @neverthehero

    Great point. Hopefully Pop learned a thing or two from Alvin Gentry last year and doesn’t shorten our rotation for the playoffs. I think a big part of why the Spurs have played so well this year is because of their deep bench that can hold and extend leads. Just from personal observation, it seems like a significant number of our wins are due to our bench tiring out the starters of our opposition that are put back into the game to try to take advantage of our starters resting…which leads them to be tired out by the 4th quarter.

  • Manolo Pedralvez

    There is an intereting piece written by “Michael Dugat of Fox Sports Southwest.com claims the Spurs may be ‘sandbagging’ the rest of the league – despite their 35-6 start,” which was picked up by Tim Griffin of Spurs Nation. Quite a good read, and sums up all of the minutes that Pop has been saving TD for the post-season ahead. Although, against the Raptors, it marked the first time that Timmy played more than 30 minutes in a long while.

  • Manolo Pedralvez

    On another thread, considering the match was against the Raptors, the situation looked ripe for more exposure for Splitter, who surely needs it. Unfortunately, the Spurs tanked after an opening 10-0 salvo, while Toronto proved tenacious and clung to their heels until Blair and Duncan took over in the third period. This left the Brazilian on the pine until the last minute, subbing for TD, with the game wrapped up.
    Also, notwithstanding the missed dunk, Dice was solid once again - 8 points (4-7), 6 rebounds (3 offensive), 4 assists, 3 steals, against 3 turnovers.
    Another poser: Would the 3-point shooting percentage be better were Bonner around? We certainly believe so. This is on top the respite he would have given the rest of the team were he back in harness.
    Hopefully, he does soon, restoring the balance San Antonio needs as the season grinds on - chomp on that sandwich and get back on the court Red Rocket!

  • Ruel

    A sacrifice to be made for a good reason and good cost? Tim Duncan understand it, his teammates understand it, and our coaching staffs understand it. Tim Duncan will be ready and the whole team as well will be ready. Pray for our Team San Antonio Spurs in good health and stay together as a team through out the whole season!!! Anything is Possible and I believed on our Team!!! I think one of the reason why also why our team are winning and having a successful early season so far because I think we have the right personnel on our team? Our coaching staffs and players do have the right personality, attitude, and character as I have noticed so far this season? It’s a beauty of success specially when the whole team are on one mission, and the same page? Great Job Guys and Always Keep Up the Good Work!!! Stay Humble and Healthy!!! Go San Antonio Spurs Go!!!

  • MK

    More important than the number of minutes being played are the intensity of minutes. Minutes played in a tightly contested forth quarter will put more wear and tear on a body than the same minutes played in the first three quarters.

    No doubt that Pop is going to take his foot off the gas pedal for 20 games or so in the coming months, ramping up the Old Three right before the playoffs. I was (and still am) hoping that young legs in Hill, Blair, Neal, Anderson, and Splitter will carry the momentum and keep our win pace up even when TD and Manu’s numbers drop another 5 to 10 mpg. Would not mind at all, even if they losta few games, going to Neal for Manu and Anderson for RJ early in the game. It would pay dividends, come playoff time, to have a bench 10 deep.

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