Hmm. I think it's plausible that Pop suspected that either Manu would not recover in time and would not have him for the playoffs, and adjusted the lineup accordingly. But Manu has always been pretty straightforward as far as how he felt. I recall him saying he didn't feel any pain after the first game coming back. Basically, I don't buy the 'he begged Pop' part. Other than that, it's plausible. You also have to wonder what the doctors told Pop after the stress reaction prognosis. Maybe they said 'he could fracture or heal', either way. In that case I can see Pop doing what he was doing.