Monday, February 28th, 2011...1:25 pm
Tony Parker will be on the shelf for a while
The Spurs’ great fortune of having a healthy core all year had to go at some point, right? On Sunday night when Tony Parker came up lame in the second quarter of the Spurs’ win over the Grizzlies, it finally did.
Parker left the game and went back to the locker room with about two minutes left in the first half and never re-emerged. Manu Ginobili carried the offensive load and George Hill did a decent job filling in, but the ridiculous dry spell the San Antonio offense went on could probably be attributed to missing Parker.
And if that is indeed the case, well this is great news for everyone:
The San Antonio Spurs today announced that guard Tony Parker has been diagnosed with a strained left soleus after undergoing a MRI earlier today. He is expected to miss two to four weeks. He will not accompany the team on this week’s road trip to Memphis and Cleveland in order to begin his rehabilitation program in San Antonio.
Basically, Tony Parker strained his calf muscle. Not a terrible injury by any means, but it’s not the best of timing either. This is the stretch run where you want the team to come together before playoffs and tear it up. One could argue that they’ve already done that, but the goal is to peak going into the playoffs.
And if anyone brings up the Lakers losing seven of 11 heading into the playoffs last season, then they have to sit in the corner in silence for 15 minutes.
Really, Coach Pop should simply avoid playing Tony Parker against the Grizzlies for the duration of his tenure with the Spurs. If you’ll recall, it was last season against the Grizzlies when Parker broke his hand and was out until the last week of the season.
This injury shouldn’t be as serious and should give Tony a little more time to get back in the groove before the playoffs. For now, though, the Spurs will be forced to use just their third different starting lineup of the season. At this point, every team would love to have the Spurs’ problems.
64 Comments
February 28th, 2011 at 1:52 pm
No! He’s been running the show all year. I’ve always been the biggest Manu-lover you can find, but this year Tony has been our most consistent and important player. This will be tough. Time to man up and keep that 6 game lead.
February 28th, 2011 at 2:01 pm
Its a blow, that is for sure. TP has never played better than this year. Time for others to step up, and I don’t mean Hill and Manu, they will both be fine. But Duncan needs to become more offensive minded, and Jefferson ESPECIALLY has to take more responisibility on the offensive end.
February 28th, 2011 at 2:05 pm
i’m hoping this won’t hit us like dirk’s injury hit the mavs.
either way, i’d like to see the rotations/lineups stay basically the same, with these changes: give hill tony’s minutes and use quinn in spots.
i sure wouldn’t want to mess too much with positional changes at this point, i.e. keep manu at the 2 spot.
February 28th, 2011 at 2:06 pm
It’s all about the bench-a-mens for the next 2 to 4 weeks.
Any word on Gary Neal. If he’s still out that only leaves Hill, Ginobili and Anderson with an influx of Quinn.
February 28th, 2011 at 2:07 pm
Oh my god… Dallas is only 6 games, if we start losing streak, Dallas will take #1 seed. God bless Hill and Neal, Spurs will need both.
February 28th, 2011 at 2:08 pm
Always more difficult to lose a player in-game than start the game knowing he won’t be there. Our guys certainly missed him against Memphis yesterday (understandably after he lit them up for 37 the first time) and will tomorrow, but the Spurs got good looks throughout the game. Just keep making the extra pass.
Over the next few weeks Tony will certainly be missed, especially with his ability to dominate the Lakers and Heat point guards. I’ll enjoy watching our team grind out some wins with a star player missing.
February 28th, 2011 at 2:11 pm
The latest word we heard on Gary Neal was that they were going to re-evaluate him before deciding whether or not he was going on the road trip. The Spurs didn’t practice today and I haven’t heard any word whether or not Neal is making the trip.
February 28th, 2011 at 2:21 pm
Here go our HCA
February 28th, 2011 at 2:31 pm
Oh man, this is really bad news. I don’t think we are capable of beating the Lakers without Tony. Mavs are playing ridiculously well right now, and they are only 6 games behind with us having the hardest stretch of games now. We need Splitter to show up and fast. This is too much like last season when Parker came back too close to the playoffs and it didn’t work out so well for us. This season was going too good for it to be true!!
February 28th, 2011 at 2:33 pm
Thanks Andrew
February 28th, 2011 at 2:51 pm
Crap! This was the only thing that could put the lead in the West in jeopardy.
Its gonna be tough beating the Elite teams but they should do fine against the rest. I seriously doubt that they’ll go on a losing streak. They still have Manu and TD.
Its up to Bench to keep up what they are doing.
February 28th, 2011 at 2:53 pm
Well, however this season goes, it’s been a great ride and one I won’t soon forget. I love this group of guys; they are an absolute joy to watch.
If we look at this as an opportunity, we will find thay it will give Neo and Quinn a chance to really play important and productive roles. For Neo, this can be his chance to really work himself into the rotation.
Maybe this will be the catalyst that gets the FO to sign a FA?
I just hope that Manu’s minutes don’t go up and that RJ steps up and becomes the 2nd or 3rd option.
This team has had everything else thrown at them this season. They can get through this.
Gary and Tiago, your team needs you now!
February 28th, 2011 at 3:02 pm
Apparently Tiago made to trip to Memphis, he just tweeted about arriving there. Good, lets really hope he can put some quality minutes in.
February 28th, 2011 at 3:03 pm
Corey Brewer has been bought out. He would be an excellent addition to the team. Reports say Spurs interested as well as Mavs and Thunder. Hopefully Spurs win out.
February 28th, 2011 at 3:03 pm
This is obviously not great news. But we are better psoitioned than most to handle it. George Hill is more than capable of handling the bulk of the point guard minutes. And Manu will likely get some time as the backup point.
I think this hurts our vaunted bench depth more than it hurts our starting five. I imagine we’ll see more of James Anderson at off guard to let Manu slide to the point at times. Whenever Gary Neal returns, I think he’ll get major (over 25 a night) minutes. And I expect Chris Quinn to start to earn his money with 6-8 minutes a night.
I’m also sure that Tim and RJ don’t need to be told that they’ll both be expectd to up their PPG by 4-5 a night for the next few weeks.
I think we’ll weather this pretty well. I’m sure our lead in the West will get smaller but I’d be surprised if we’re not still 3-4 games up on everyone when TP gets back.
Anyone know what Garret Temple is up to these days? Might be nice to have him around just in case. He did good work in a similar situation last year.
February 28th, 2011 at 3:05 pm
Not so much doom and gloom, people. I feel Parker has never played better, however, last year the spurs actually had a better percentage in the games that Parker missed than the ones he played in. TP is a stud, but the only indispensable Spurs are Duncan and Ginobili. Been that way for years now.
February 28th, 2011 at 3:16 pm
I do like the idea of acquiring Brewer, if that’s actually feasible. He’s a good defender against athletic 2′s & 3′s and would be a useful backup SF to put in for short stints against the likes of Kobe, Durant, Pierce and maybe even occasionally vs. LeBron & Nowitzki. Plus, having him back up RJ would allow Neal and Anderson to spend more time at off-guard, freeing Manu to spell Hill at the point, until Tony returns. If it can be done for cheap, I don’t see a downside. I’d rather have Corey Brewer on the roster than Steve Novak.
February 28th, 2011 at 3:32 pm
Ditto the thoughts @ Brewer. That’s a player I’ve coveted for a long time as a Bowen replacement. Doesn’t have much offense(but at least has better tools to work with).
Bibby got bought out, can’t imagine him wanting to come to the Spurs. And can’t really imagine the Spurs wanting him.
But there is T.J. Ford, who has said he would agree to a buy-out if he was sure he would be signed by another team for the rest of the season. What do you guys think?
A fast, smallish point guard with no discernable defensive skills and little range, but can run the offense with speed and some passing ability. Sort of a Tony Parker lite, until the real deal is healthy.
Plus, the added advantage of him possibly wanting to play down here because of his Austin roots.
February 28th, 2011 at 3:37 pm
I’m not too worried. We have a six game lead but an even smaller lead against Miami and Boston, respectively. George Hill can handle TP’s minutes. The one good thing about this is it forces us to
1. Rest TP.
2. Play Anderson more
Unfortunately, TP is our biggest advantage when playing Miami and LA. On the good side, they won’t get a “free” look at him (another free look in the case of the Lakers).
Lastly, if we do drop a few games it will let us slide back under the radar…..no one in the televised media wants to talk about us, anway.
I do have one question for the informed writers on this blog: Where is Ryan Richards? Can’t find any info about him on the net.
February 28th, 2011 at 3:42 pm
jwalt
+ 10
Syd
+5
I would like to add a big as well.
I think this injury as long as it doesn’t led to Manu playing more minutes will be the same blessing that TP going down last year was. I think SA will play at a slower playoff style pace and that will help them get ready for the playoffs. Also with him gone RJ will start playing like he was at the beginning of the year. I look for him to leap frog TD in scoring in the next 5 games. Then when TP gets back we will have even more guys playing well with RJ and Indy G scoring both going up. Also I hope our FO gets out there and recruits a player that was bought out. That will also help us down the stretch run and being able to keep pace w/o over using players.
February 28th, 2011 at 3:45 pm
Ford or Brewer would fit right in. I would tend to want Brrewer since the Spurs already have a gammit of scorers to choose from yet not that many lock down defenders.
February 28th, 2011 at 3:46 pm
Mike Bibby was waived today… Coincidence???
February 28th, 2011 at 3:59 pm
@ Araz
Hardly, it’s the last day a player can be waived or bought out and be eligible for the playoffs.
February 28th, 2011 at 4:03 pm
If the mavs land brewer over us, I will personally drive up to the American airlines center and release gallon zip-loc bags of centipedes in their bathrooms during the spurs game. Damn those bastards irritate me!
February 28th, 2011 at 4:05 pm
@Araz - Yes, it’s a coincidence. Word has been that Bibby might head to Miami or the Lakers.
@Syd - Forget cheap - we should get Brewer regardless. As a number of us have recognized for a while, he could really use a SF, especially a lockdown defender who’s smart, doesn’t need the ball, and can knock down an open shot. That’s Corey Brewer. If there’s one player in this league suited to fill Bruce Bowen’s shoes, it’s him. Luckily the Spurs seem to be on the case already, as they’re already being mentioned as a team in pursuit of him, along with Boston, Dallas, and OKC:
http://sports.espn.go.com/new-york/nba/news/story?id=6168236
Fingers crossed, everyone!
February 28th, 2011 at 4:10 pm
Just heard Boston and Dallas are both tring to get Brewer as well as SA…. how many FA’s can these 2 teams sign for Christ sakes………….The NBA should put a limit on this kind of thing you know.
February 28th, 2011 at 4:17 pm
Why the hell would Boston even want Brewer anyway?? They already have Pierce and Green at the SF position. Greedy bastards.
February 28th, 2011 at 4:18 pm
I agree with several of the posts talking about the possibility of him signing with the Spurs. I think he would be a very good fit. We can move JA to SG (thats his natural position anyway) and have Brewer play the backup 3. There’s no question he could come in and immediately play 15-18 quality minutes. He’s not the second coming of Bowen (at least not yet) but he is young, athletic, very quick, and has great length. If he could just learn to shoot that corner 3…
P.S. Thank God the Spurs are rumored to be in the mix. This could be another HIGH quality pickup. BTW, the guy is only 25yrs old. He still may not have reached his potential, however limited, as an offensive player. I bet Pop could transform this kid into an even bigger beast on the defensive end. Anyway around it, he would be a nice addition to the team.
February 28th, 2011 at 4:25 pm
If Brewer is smart enough, I’d say he’ll join Spurs without a second thought - I doubt he’ll see a lot of playing time with OKC (backing up KD who’ll play most of 48 minutes come POs), Dallas (playing behind Peja, Marion and even Butler if he comes back by the POs), or Boston (they already have a more than serviceable forward Jeff Green), and a young player without long term contract will want a lot of PT I’d reckon.
February 28th, 2011 at 4:26 pm
@ Tim in Surrey
“Fingers crossed, everyone!”
I’ve crossed my teeth for this one.
______________________
@ TD=BE
Easy there. Of course playoff bound teams will be in the hunt for Brewer.
___________________________
@ Hobson13
“BTW, the guy is only 25yrs old. He still may not have reached his potential, however limited, as an offensive player. I bet Pop could transform this kid into an even bigger beast on the defensive end.”
He’s almost exactly like Bruce was when the Spurs first got Bowen…excellent D…lacking in offense….and with training Bowen becomes a dead eye 3 point specialist.
February 28th, 2011 at 4:26 pm
Unlike last year we have a bench. No more Roger Mason (fitting last name) and Bogus hurling up bricks. We should be fine. I’m not worried.
P.S. - I know its “Bogans.”
February 28th, 2011 at 4:28 pm
…and not to mention OKC and Dallas already have defensive specialists with poor offensive skills in Sefolosha and Stevenson.
February 28th, 2011 at 4:30 pm
@rob
Sorry, I’m with td on this one. Dallas/Boston = greedy bastards.
February 28th, 2011 at 4:36 pm
Brewer! Brewer! Brewer! Brewer! Brewer! Brewer!
February 28th, 2011 at 4:45 pm
@Jacob
Of course they are. That’s why I’m in the postive mode of landing Brewer. No sense in worrying about a team (like Dallas/Celtics) who act like they normally act while being pesimistic that it’s a certainty either lands Corey.
Screw’em…San Antonio is the place to be.
______________________________
@ Ian
“…and not to mention OKC and Dallas already have defensive specialists with poor offensive skills in Sefolosha and Stevenson.”
That’s what I’m talking about. If Brewer wants to play on a team where his talents would be better appreciated…SA’s the place. That plus….none of those teams have the history of making players better more so than the Spurs.
February 28th, 2011 at 5:22 pm
I have to say Thabo Sefolosha is more Bowenesque, but Brewer is a beast. I’m from NYC and the fact that they weren’t playing him pissed me off. But it now makes sense. This kid can ball. And all this lack of offense is off base. He can slash and hit the 3. Would be a great pick up.
I can see Neal playing the point. The game he got elbowed he showed a lot of promise with distributing the ball. Only had 3 assist but the passes were to TD and on the money everytime, and with TD’s now shakey hands (hurts me to admit the decline) if we have a player that can help increase Timmy’s production we’ll be ok.
February 28th, 2011 at 5:44 pm
“Bogus hurling up bricks”
u mean airballs?
February 28th, 2011 at 6:40 pm
i’m curious…who’s the last player the spurs added that came in during a season and picked up the system right away?
February 28th, 2011 at 6:45 pm
@ali:
No, I meant bricks. Same difference.
February 28th, 2011 at 6:50 pm
@ Tim in Surrey
“Forget cheap – we should get Brewer regardless. As a number of us have recognized for a while, he could really use a SF, especially a lockdown defender who’s smart, doesn’t need the ball, and can knock down an open shot. That’s Corey Brewer. ”
We agree on the fundamental point that Brewer is worth pursuing. And I concur that he is a lockdown defender who doesn’t need the ball- which are the reasons I like him.
But he has NOT shown the propensity to knock down the open shot. If he had, he would not be available.
And as far as “forget cheap- we should get him regardless” goes, that’s simply not realistic or how the Spurs operate. They won’t break the bank (or go very far- if at all- over the luxury tax threshhold) for the likes of Corey Brewer. Cheap matters for a small market team like the Spurs. They spent all off-season and the regular season keeping the bottom line in mind. They’re not going to throw that out now.
February 28th, 2011 at 6:56 pm
Blessing in disguise. This will allow anderson to get back into the rotation. He was having a hard time getting on the floor. Now we can start hill and ginobilli, and have anderson and neal come off bench. Would love it if we could get corey brewer or jeffries. Bibby can go to the lakers. The guy is a worse defender than old man fisher. And anyone who wants to be eligible for the playoffs has to be waived by march 1st. otherwise they can not be on playoff rosters.
February 28th, 2011 at 7:02 pm
Deeply hurt by Tony’s absence. I hope that the calf heals quickly. I just have to say that the Spurs were fortunate to have a healthy roster so far. I mean look at the Blazers and Cavs (Jamison just got injured), I do hope that RJ and Timmy will step up the offense. My man Neo should get plenty of minutes to show brillance he had in Austin.
I was reeeeally looking forward to the Heat game this Friday… won’t be the same with Tony.
February 28th, 2011 at 7:24 pm
This is not as bad as people think. It likely will not cost us HCA. It night equate to two or three more losses than the SPurs would otherwise have, but should result in more burn for Anderson (as Manu and Hill will be playing more minutes at the 1).
Biggest question-will this put too much wear and tear on Manu. If so, then give Mr.Anderson a solid 20 to 25 mpg
February 28th, 2011 at 7:45 pm
Yeah.. have to wonder what all you doom-and-gloom people are thinking about all this. Why all the panic? Here’s some reasons to step away from the ledge…
1) Despite contrary belief, Tony’s absence won’t really affect HCA all that much. Currently we sit 6 games above Dallas with 23 to play. This means that, in order to catch us, Dallas has to win out the rest of the season while we go 17-6. While the latter seems totally plausible, Dallas winning out doesn’t.. especially when we still have to play them once, and the Lakers twice.
(Btw, if we DO beat them on the 24th then it means we own the tie-breaker should both teams have the same record.. on another note if we lose, we still have a better home record than they do which would be used to gauge HCA.. As for LA, we play them twice before seasons end in which winning one of those games would give us the tie-breaker with LA as well…)
2) Tony’s absence will actually BENEFIT the team by giving more touches to RJ (which I know at least half of you who read 48MoH complain about constantly) along with extended minutes to rookies which we’ve been talking about too.
3) The team is being extremely cautious with this injury and the amount of time Tony is projected to be out is a vast overstatement. While muscle sprains are nothing remotely serious, they’re very easy to reaggravate and I’m sure the time frame is only listed this long to make sure it doesn’t develop into something more serious.
4) Hopefully, this will push the team to make a solid offer to Brewer knowing we’re down a player and could really use a guy like him.
February 28th, 2011 at 8:03 pm
Well,
Another day and another thing to panic about, lol. But it’s really not that bad guys.
Pop ALWAYS likes some adversity in the regular season. This injury gives him an excuse to baton down the hatches and put some real game time responsibility and pressure on JA and Neal. In a weird way, it might help recruit Brewer too.
Dallas remaining schedule is NOT easy. Take a look at this…
http://www.nba.com/mavericks/schedule/index.html
6 back to backs
home & away vs Lakers, Hornets and Suns
two away games vs Blazers
games against Rockets, Nugs, Grizz, 76ers and Pacers.
And the best of all…
A 6 games road trip that includes 3 back to backs. BRUTAL
Spurs will have HCA in the West for sure.
February 28th, 2011 at 8:18 pm
Hey don’t look now but Josh Howard the ex-Mavs and weed head is also available. he is a natural 3 that can defend and make open shots. Hell f he is playing well he can play more minutes than RJ. Of course we need to do a little investigating…….But i think its worth a shot. If he is healthy
February 28th, 2011 at 8:23 pm
Hey, I’m looking at tickets to a Spurs game and wondering if anyone could tell me what row divides sections 105-110 and 119-124? Thanks!
February 28th, 2011 at 8:27 pm
Or my bad - After further investigation its not official just yet. He is still in talks with his agent and The Wizards. Hopefully he will get it taken care of.
February 28th, 2011 at 8:42 pm
i like the idea of possibly waiving chris quinn for mike bibby, but chris quinn is a better value. the team would have to adjust more to bibby. i’m worried about manu having to absorb more minutes, but i’m thrilled at the chance anderson has to crack the rotation. splitter and neal need to hurry back.
February 28th, 2011 at 10:00 pm
Tony gets to heal his calf and rest the remainder of his body, Anderson gets more touches, Manu and Hill can easily split duties bringing up the ball, and RJ is forced into being more aggressive. I’m not worried. We lose maybe 2 or 3 more games by having Tony out, at most. Playoffs, it’s more important to be firing on all cylinders.
Our bench is deep, and some of our non-playoff bound opponents will just be going through the motions down the stretch.
This is NOT panic time.
February 28th, 2011 at 10:34 pm
Put me in the doom and gloom camp. The schedule is brutal for the Spurs. Heat twice, Lakers twice, Mavs, @ Memphis twice, etc without Parker? I can see the Spurs @ 13-12 if Parker is out 2 to 4 weeks.
But, I’m more worried that Ginobili will be asked to carry a heavier load and then get hurt.
I still believe that the only way the Spurs can compete for a championship is with home court advantage throughout the playoffs.
February 28th, 2011 at 11:13 pm
badger
February 28th, 2011 at 10:00 pm
lvmainman
February 28th, 2011 at 10:34 pm
You both provide some very valid points. IMO, this is sink or swim time for the Spurs. Yes, the schedule is not fun, but the Spurs played a very difficult stretch last year without Parker and the team actually played very well. No question that we need to pick up the slack AS A TEAM. Perhaps having the ball in Hill’s hands will unshackle RJ a bit more. I can’t help to believe that if he got more shots, he could still average close to 18ppg. Anderson should get plenty more burn and so should Neal when he comes back.
It’s very possible that the entire team could find a whole new sense of focus now that everyone must pick up where Tony left off. If others prove they can step up, this will only help the team come playoff time. However, if we bumble through the next two weeks, we could risk HCA which, IMO, is vital to any championship hopes. We’ll see what happens tomorrow night.
March 1st, 2011 at 1:33 am
@Syd - Sorry to disagree, but Brewer HAS demonstrated that he can hit the three consistently. When he came into the league, he was a classic all-D/no-O player. After he missed his second year to an ACL tear, I think that a lot of people forgot about him. But he worked on his shot a lot and had a remarkable streak last season where he hit a three-point shot in 33 consecutive contests. He made about 35% of his threes that season. However, that three was essentially the only weapon in his offensive arsenal.
I’m not sure what happened this year. Minnesota brought in two guys (Martell Webster and Wes Johnson) to fill his role, so perhaps his confidence was hurt? I think it’s more likely, though, that Rambis’ interest in him waned. (Rambis is, I think, not the most effective judge of talent. Remember earlier this season when he was limiting Kevin Love’s minutes in favor of Anthony Tolliver, while the T-Wolves were losing like crazy? Not very bright.) Additionally, Minnesota suddenly had a glut of similar players, which can often make each of those players less effective. Hard to say, as I haven’t seen much of the T-Wolves this year.
But the central point remains: If you need someone to play excellent defense and hit the occasional open three, Brewer is your man. He won’t do anything more (unless he develops more), but he’ll do that pretty well.
March 1st, 2011 at 1:38 am
Oh, and Chris Broussard added that San Antonio is one of four teams that have spoken to Rasual Butler, along with Chicago (who are really after him), Dallas, and Atlanta. It’s always hard to know what the Spurs are up to but, based on rumours, it looks like they’re definitely looking for a wing player and are pursuing Brewer and Butler as possibilities.
Personally, I doubt they’ll go after T.J. Ford or Mike Bibby. Those guys don’t have Pop’s kind of game at all and Ford seems to have delusions of grandeur on top of all that.
March 1st, 2011 at 7:02 am
Rather than panicking with TP’s injury, let’s all be concerned about this: Tony, AND Gary, AND Tiago are out. Also, I just learned that Timmy is day-to-day.
Then again, GET A HOLD OF YOURSELVES, SPURS FANS! The sky isn’t falling. Well, not yet. But, there’s a reason why our team has such depth. So, relax. Have faith in our guys.
March 1st, 2011 at 7:34 am
I’m in agreement that Brewer is worth pursuing and might help. But I’ve watched a lot of T-Wolve games this year (a closet Love fan) and “smart” is the last adjective I would use for Corey. Plays hard, can definitely defend, seems like a good guy, but he’s not the brightest bulb in the room. There are usually reasons why a coach or team gives up on a player. Maybe not valid reasons (I think Rambis is easily the worst coach in the league) but still, let’s not kid ourselves into thinking Brewer is the next Bruce Bowen. Bowen was a lot less athletically gifted, but he was as smart as they come. And if Brewer was all everyone has written here, he’d be in the Knick rotation.
March 1st, 2011 at 7:47 am
Brewer is a guy i’ve waatned for years. that would be great. with tony out for maybe a month, i’d love to see t.j ford too. anybody looked at our schedule in march? scary, scary stuff
March 1st, 2011 at 8:18 am
brewer is only 24 give him a couple years with pop(if pop doesnt retire) and you’ll see that bulb start to flicker and eventually light up.
March 1st, 2011 at 8:25 am
I’d love to have Brewer in this system. And Butler, too. Personally, I really want the Spurs to make a move with one of these guys to keep them from going to the Mavs, Celts, Heat (why do they want Bibby? Murphy I understand, but Bibby?).
March 1st, 2011 at 8:44 am
[...] All-Star weekend waiting for the other shoe to drop in terms of injuries. Now that it has, with Tony Parker out for 2-4 weeks, will it fit George [...]
March 1st, 2011 at 9:03 am
@ Tim in Surrey
I’ve got to say, I’m more on the same page with @Jwalt when it comes to Brewer. Maybe not specifically in regard to his smarts (I don’t know about that) but regarding the larger point that if he really exhibited the full complement of skills you describe, he wouldn’t be available.
We here in “blog comment land” offer many legitimately insightful points, but I’m not inclined to think that the coaching and scouting staffs of multiple professional basketball franchises are all just “missing it” when it comes to an established player’s abilities.
All I’m saying is, let’s not oversell what this this guy is. His strengths are defensive tenacity, quickness, atleticism and length. Despite the stats you mentioned, long-range shooting is hardly his prized asset. He’s a career 31% shooter from 3-point range and in his best year, shot 35%. Not awful, but not a calling card by any stretch.
If we can get him at the right price, hey that’s great. I’ve been saying since the summer that we need a long, defensive-minded wing to back up RJ. If we end up getting him in March, so be it. And if he can drain the occasional corner trey, all the better. But I’m more interested in what he can do to harass the likes of Bryant and Durant for 12-15 minutes a night. If we sign him and he does that, mission accomplished. Anyting else is gravy. Now let’s just hope he doesn’t sign with Dallas and make all this back and forth moot.
March 1st, 2011 at 10:05 am
Corey Brewer is definitely not a good shooter. If we are lucky enough to get him, it would seem that our offensive system would break down whenever he would get the ball since our offense is predicated on getting the ball to the open man and that person taking their shot. It would be reminiscent to Bogans last year. Clank.
On the other hand, Brewer is GREAT in transition and his defense (and offense now that I think about it) is in the realm of Sefalosha, Ariza and Mbah a Moute. I doubt Chip could change the mechanics of his jumper this year, so offensively, every time he gets the ball in a half-court set, he would have to pass or already be slashing. And of course, somebody else on our squad would be double-teamed.
That being said, he would be a throw back player in the traditional, defensive-minded Spurs mold that we haven’t seen in a while. Wouldn’t it be nice to have a lock-down wing defender to back up RJ? He’s what we all wanted before the season started.
March 1st, 2011 at 10:10 am
@Syd and @jwalt - Fair enough. I’m not trying to oversell him either. But as an SEC fan (I’m a Vanderbilt alum) I’ve probably been watching Brewer even longer than both of you and I think he’s a LOT better than many people realize. He’s definitely smart. I see your point about not wanting to second-guess professionals. But remember, we’re talking about the Minnesota Timberwolves, who’ve amply demonstrated their ability to screw things up. There’s just something broken in Minnesota. Maybe Rambis will be able to fix it, but I haven’t really seen evidence of that. And the triangle is not the offense for a player like Brewer.
Anyway, I brought some backup, courtesy of Henry Abbott:
http://espn.go.com/blog/truehoop/post/_/id/25595/the-knicks-could-use-a-good-geek
It’s interesting that Abbott asserts that Brewer “might lead the league” in end-of-quarter heaves. That kind of shot demonstrates his mindset because it is guaranteed to lower your FG% and 3PT%-which can cost you a lot of coin in the NBA-but it might give your team a better chance to win the game. And it explains how someone who hit a three in 33 consecutive games could still only shoot 35% for the year. Abbott says he has shot “dozens” of them, out of 384 career 3-pt attempts. I don’t know how many extra missed threes that is, but for every dozen it would add about one percentage point to his career figure. And the difference between a 31% shooter and, say, a 34% one is substantial, wouldn’t you agree?
And as for Brewer’s availability… Well, New York never really traded for him. They just used his salary slot so that they could pick up Anthony and Billups. D’Antoni has never used guys like Brewer, so I don’t think he ever really thought much about using him. After all, he has only been there a week! It was Minnesota that let him go and that’s the same team that kept playing him out of position for all four of his seasons. I won’t go into their many flaws, but I’m not especially impressed with their ability to judge talent.
Anyway, we’ll see who gets him. But I agree with Henry Abbott: Whoever picks him up will be happy they did. I just hope it’s us.
March 1st, 2011 at 10:51 am
@ Tim in Surrey
Just read that myself. Great write up about Brewer, the idiocy of the Knicks and the importance of anylitics and stats that play into good teams succeeding. Spurs being one of the best and thus further proof Brewer would do very well playing for the Spurs.
Leave a Reply