New Jersey Nets 85, San Antonio Spurs 97
The Spurs beat the Nets in a game that many saw as a yawn in between contests against the Mavericks and Lakers. And the 97-85 victory certainly reads that way: playoff bound Spurs cruise past the woeful Nets; Tim Duncan plays an easy 27 minutes.
If you’re looking at the big picture stuff, this game provides a quick capper. Tim Duncan scored 14 points and grabbed a season-high 17 boards in limited action. Manu Ginobili was a potpourri of sensational, scoring 21 points in 26 minutes. When Manu Ginobili is playing well, he likes to do stuff like this:
But that was, amazingly, neither the highlight nor the most important storyline of the game. No, this game against the Nets will be remembered as Ian Mahinmi’s first meaningful game in the NBA.
Mahinmi has technically played NBA minutes. But not many, and never when a game was still undecided. The bulk of his professional experience came two years ago with the Austin Toros, where he excelled as the D-League’s best player. Prior to this game, Ian Mahinmi had not even seen the active list for the Spurs. He played 24 minutes in this game, putting together an impressive 15 points, 9 rebounds and the block you saw in the highlight above.
Why did the Spurs activate Ian Mahinmi, let alone play him?
Gregg Popovich said, “You feel it when you feel it. He’s worked hard for two years and had some bad breaks with injuries. It was good to give Tim a little rest. You don’t want to look past anybody and I knew Ian wouldn’t do that. He did a good job.”
George Hill indicated that Mahinmi played because someone was injured: “He did a great job of coming in and stepping in for one of our hurt players and filling their role.”
Most Spurs fans assumed their team was showcasing the French big for another team during trade season.
Whatever the case, I was happy to see Mahinmi on the court. At points, I’ve blogged about him more than Tony Parker. As a D-Leaguer, Mahinmi convinced me that he was a rotation quality center. But then injury, a mediocre training camp, the Spurs’ decision not to exercise his contract option, and the absence of a single minute of playing time indicated differently.
On December 23 I published a post called A Christmas Wish: Play Ian Mahinmi. A little late, but thanks Pop.
It remains to be seen whether this game was a fluke, or if Mahinmi will receive any more minutes. Perhaps, he will be traded. What we do know is that he looked good. Ian Mahinmi is 23, big and skilled. He should be playing somewhere.
I hope Ian Mahinmi continues to develop. As a Spurs fan, it’s not just about cheering for him. If Ian Mahinmi transforms into a success story, his achievements will validate all the work the San Antonio Spurs have put into the Austin Toros. It’s a win for everybody.
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