Points in the Paint: Preparing for Linsanity

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  • Titletown99030507d

    Pretty good Tyson Chandler. Who’s the monkey supposed to be?

  • DorieStreet

    Disregard the illustration -here are some numbers: visitors are 18-20, 7-9 on the road; 2-game losing streak lost last 3 away from home 5-5 in last 10. And as far as Lin goes—-he averages 3 1/2 turnovers a game, but when he has played more than 32 minutes, he has given the ball away 6 times or more a game at least in a half dozen games ( @ MIA - 8 in 34 min. Feb 23; @ BOS - 6 in 32 min March 4p but only 2 TOs in 33 min last night @ DAL).
    This will not be a loss we can excuse like the first 2 on this homestand.

  • http://twitter.com/blanchard48moh Jesse Blanchard

    King Kong

  • Kingofamericans

    For real; if we lose this game it’d be embarrassing, but if we happen to somehow get lit up by Jeremy Lin I’m gonna kill myself even though I love him.

  • theghostofjh

    What a joke, Blair getting the 11th most minutes on the team, after going 5-6 shooting, 10 points and 7 rebounds in just two 7 minute stretches in the 1st and 3rd quarters.

    Blair’s the one that should be asking for a trade, not Anderson (I’m sure I’ll get some takers from members of the peanut gallery - go ahead, make a fool of yourself). It’s about time he gets to a place where he’s appreciated, and gets the burn he deserves. This is total bull.

  • STIJL

    Spurs win.

  • http://www.facebook.com/spencer.pierce1 Spencer Pierce

    Oh the Linsanity! Oh wait, TP blew up in his face… Sorry ESPN, no story-lin here

  • MSteele_in_Eire

    Blair played great in his minutes tonight but it was just match ups that limited him. They were playing small ball so we rolled with only one big for much of the game and let’s he honest he’s just not strong enough defensively to be the only big on the floor. That said, loved his effort against Amare (who was absolutely horrible tonight), really took it to him on the offensive end.
    Many people on this site (myself included) need to accept that some players (Tiago & Blair) aren’t as big as the team and we’re taking for granted guys like TD, Manu & TP who are the ones making these role players look so good. Finally, Ghost it’s not about how many minutes, points… etc that Blair/Tiago gets a game (or how they deserve more), its about improving as a team, winning games and preparing for the playoffs. Unless you’re simply a fan of Blair, which would be understandable!

  • STIJL

    Spurs Win

  • Hobson13

    And Bonner played for 15 minutes and got 2 rebounds. Zero points, Zero assists, Zero Steals, Zero blocks, 2 REBOUNDS! I’ve really laid off Bonner for the last 2 years because he is what he is, but this guy is just a waste of space. We have two decent young bigs in Tiago and Blair who should be playing, but instead we get to see Bonner take up 21 mpg in the regular season and then choke in the playoffs. IMO, we are massively undermanned at the Big position and at this point I think our front line will get seriously exposed in the playoffs. I still think an Anthony Randolph type trade would make things much more interesting.

  • theghostofjh

    I know what they were doing with small ball. The fact is, they had Amare playing the big for a good part of the fourth quarter. There’s no reason that DeJuan couldn’t have gotten some time on Amare. He plays Amare pretty good, as he did when he was in there in this game, and Amare wasn’t really in TOP form tonight anyway, at either end of the floor. And especially when we were up 15+ with 6minutes left, Blair deserved to be in there. We could have rested Duncan, and still won that game. And remember, in an open court, and with our guard play, Blair would be a tough stop for Amare inside on the offensive end, not to mention his rebounding at both ends. Running several minutes in the fourth with Manu, TP, Green (RJ), Leonard, and Blair would have been just fine against that Knick unit. If we think we’re going to win without Blair getting significant, steady minutes in the playoffs, we’re sadly mistaken.

    “Many people on this site (myself included) need to accept that some
    players (Tiago & Blair) aren’t as big as the team and we’re taking
    for granted guys like TD, Manu & TP who are the ones making these
    role players look so good.” Well, I don’t about you or anybody else on here, but I in NO way put Blair or anyone else ahead of the team. That said, if certain role players on this team on not fully utilized for the benefit of the team, particularly as we prepare for the playoffs, we are going nowhere in the playoffs. We simply don’t have young, superstar athletes that can literally carry a team during key stretches in a 7-game series against the best defenses in the NBA, at playoff level intensity. We rely on smarts, a system, teamwork, and optimizing the strengths and minimizing the weaknesses of our most important role players. In this regard, there was NO reason to have played Bonner more minutes than Blair in this game, and Duncan should have gotten more rest in the fourth, at home. For Blair to have less than 20 minutes in this game is a disgrace, and does not bode well for the playoffs for this team in the not too distant future.Also, anybody would have to be crazy to take for granted in any way what the big three mean for this team. But again, the big three cannot carry too big of a load at this stage in their careers if we plan to go very far in these upcoming playoffs. They need the role players to play as well as possible for a significant number of minutes. In particular, we need to be focusing now on getting our young BIGS ready for the playoffs by giving them more minutes and more responsibility, NOW!!!. We need to ask more of them, and we need to stick with them even when they have periods in a game when they struggle in certain areas. That’s how you build confidence! And please, stop the “micro-managing” of match-ups. But I guess that’s the only way Pop can get his lover-boy Bonner in the line-up. Last year it was Manu’s injury for goin fishin, what’s it going to be this year? I can tell you one thing, it ain’t going to be because Bonner didn’t play enough. Even fans of other teams I know, they all know that Pop has a thing for Bonner. It’s ridiculous, and blatantly obvious!”Finally, Ghost it’s not about how many minutes, points… etc that
    Blair/Tiago gets a game (or how they deserve more), its about improving
    as a team, winning games and preparing for the playoffs.”I hate to tell you, but those MINUTES are crucial, especially for our young BIGS to get right now, for us to become a better team, win more games, and to become playoff ready. And I will restate this again: IF BONNER AVERAGES MORE MINUTES THAN EITHER BLAIR OR SPLITTER IN THE PLAYOFFS, WE COULD VERY WELL LOSE IN THE FIRST ROUND, AND WE WILL DEFINITELY SUFFER DEFEAT IN THE SECOND ROUND (barring some kind of miracle performances from members of the big three — a likelihood that is highly remote — which will completely burn them out for the next round).

  • JustinFL

    It seems Blair’s role is starting the 1st and 3rd quarters. You hardly ever see him after that. He fills that role very well and that is helping the team win. Pop definitely made a mistake last year when he took him out of the starting lineup. I assume he won’t be making that mistake again. I agree about last night, if Bonner is not producing he should play Blair and maybe that will help send a message to Bonner.
    I think Pop rolls with Bonner even when he is sucking because as everyone has stated, he spreads the floor. In Pop’s head, even when Bonner is misfiring, teams will still close out on him and that helps the offense. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t.
    I’m assuming the FO is waiting to see who they can sign off waivers and that may be the story of the rotations going into the playoffs. In any case, unless we get a legitimate upgrade at the Center position, I would not take Blair out of the starting lineup.
    Blair most likely would have had a big night last night if he would’ve gotten more burn. Amare took the night off defensively. Also, coach Mike didn’t want to be responsible for losing the game and played Timmy a little longer than he had to.

  • STIJL

    After thinking about it…

    Blair and Bonner in a blowout win playing only 15 minutes or less while Parker and Duncan both with 30 minutes or more?

    Could be limited time due to possible pending trade?

  • theghostofjh

    No, instead of Linsanity we just got “insanity”.

  • theghostofjh

    “It seems Blair’s role is starting the 1st and 3rd quarters.”

    Yeah, and if so it’s a recipe for disaster. Such a role is too circumscribed for a player of his caliber.

    “He fills that role very well and that is helping the team win.”If his role was expanded he would help the team win more, particularly in the playoffs.”Pop definitely made a mistake last year when he took him out of the starting lineup.”I’m glad somebody is not tone-deaf around here.”I assume he won’t be making that mistake again.”Don’t be surprised. And don’t be surprised to see his “role” reduced again in the playoffs, because of “match-ups”, or whatever other silly reason. Another mistake destined to be repeated because of Pop’s love affair with Bonner.I understand the “spread the floor” idea, and the fact is it’s overrated.”Blair most likely would have had a big night last night if he would’ve gotten more burn.”No kidding. Without Chandler he’d have a field day if we just left him in long enough to get warmed up!”Also, coach Mike didn’t want to be responsible for losing the game and played Timmy a little longer than he had to.”If that’s the case, Mike needs to grow some balls if he ever wants to be a head coach. But I think Pop may have very well done the same thing. It’s happened before. The Spurs are basically asking Blair to sign with another team. And believe me he’ll get decent offers. At this rate, he’s likely to take one of them.