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I wouldnt call Hill an sensation. But you cant argue the. I told you so, about Manu.
There's more to the article, I just posted the Manu piece. Hit the link for the rest.
Oliver's Twist: Manu continues to be No. 1 story
Richard Oliver - Express-News
It was, as we reviewed in Sunday's Express-News, a compelling and oft-spectacular year in San Antonio sports.
From Mario Chalmers' miracle hurl at the Alamodome to the eye-popping success of the Rock 'N' Roll Marathon, the months came and went with the kind of boldface headlines usually reserved for Manhattan tabloids.
Yet, in looking back over a 2008 timeline of victorious thrills and agonizing defeats, it's difficult to determine when exactly the most significant moment for San Antonio sports fans took place.
But it isn't all that tough to figure out what it was.
When Manu Ginobili's left ankle broke down last spring, taking away his springs and whirling-dervish athleticism, it left not just a franchise floundering in frustration, but a city.
From this vantage point, that compact collection of ligament, sinew and bone represented the biggest story of the year for the local fandom. And, arguably, remains so today.
San Antonio knew the potential of the 2007-08 Spurs, and to see that opportunity undercut by Manu's ailing joint was a posterior impingement that was a pain in our posteriors.
When Ginobili, listening to his heart instead of his head, tugged on his high tops to play at the Beijing Olympics for Argentina, even the most optimistic Spurs fan felt an impingement in his or her psyche. When the guard went down and under the knife, it was an I-told-you-so moment ranking right up there with sunshine in August.
Ginobili's ankle is no less of a story today. His post-operation rehabilitation allowed free-agent import Roger Mason Jr. and rookie sensation George Hill to see valuable minutes. The Spurs, labeled by one columnist not long ago as “preparing to ride off into the sunset,” are stubborn contenders.
Manu, for his part, seems healthy enough, an impact player again. But on occasion, such as late in a game last week, he'll reach down to massage that ankle, feeling a twinge of discomfort that courses straight from his leg into San Antonio living rooms.
Fear remains, and that may make Ginobili something familiar.
The top story of early 2009, as well.
I wouldnt call Hill an sensation. But you cant argue the. I told you so, about Manu.
Yeah, Ginobili's ankle is probably the biggest storyline going forward. Right now, he's moving decently but not nearly as well as he was moving at this point last season. The Spurs can't win a championship unless he gets to at least 90% of his mobility from last season.
I was pretty excited about his improvement but he looks to have hit a wall and now seems to be either staying the same or regressing in his recovery over the last week to ten days
i positively think he is saving it all for the playoffs... after the scare on the lose ball that made Pop bench him, i think he is just playing more cautious...Yeah, Ginobili's ankle is probably the biggest storyline going forward. Right now, he's moving decently but not nearly as well as he was moving at this point last season. The Spurs can't win a championship unless he gets to at least 90% of his mobility from last season.
I was pretty excited about his improvement but he looks to have hit a wall and now seems to be either staying the same or regressing in his recovery over the last week to ten days
Should the Spurs put him on the shelve for a few weeks to rehab and let Hairston get some playing time?
He didn't play for 2 months, he can't be 100% now. I'll be worried about him if he's not 100% in february.
IMO Pop should sometimes consider giving him day off and not play him in some b2b's
Meaing no disrepect. I guess I would agree with that theory, if on those days he didnt play, he didnt get paid. You get paid to play period. I honestly think Manu will come around slowly. But I also regret to say that we wont see the Old Manu. I hope Im wrong. The only guy whos gonna make trips into the lane when he wills himself is TP. And for the first time in last seasons POs, other teams kept him out. Right now all we have is shooters and TP. Timmy does what he does. But the rest is Pops coaching and shooting from beyond the arc. Its a good thing to have alot of shooters if all you can do as a team on the offensive end is stop and pop.
Manu's explosiveness is not there yet. I'm hoping it's conditioning and not the ankle.
Without a 100% Manu I thinks that our chances are weak, so let's pray to see him going back around 19-18 ppg and his contribution in assists and rebounds.
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