Monroe: Parker's Return Gives Spurs Plenty Of Options

[duncan228]

Updated version.

Parker's return gives Spurs plenty of options (http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/spurs/Parkers_return_gives_Spurs_plenty_of_options.html)
By Mike Monroe

Fifteen games into the season, Spurs coach Gregg Popovich is thrilled to have all his backcourt players available.

Now, he has to figure out how to use them, and he knows it won't be easy.

With Tony Parker coming off the injured list for Friday's game against the Memphis Grizzlies, the Spurs were closer to full strength than at any time since the opening day of training camp.

Parker, who suffered a sprained left ankle on Nov. 7, suited up and entered Friday's game at the start of the second quarter. He had missed nine full games, a stretch that produced seven victories for his short-handed teammates.

Manu Ginobili, who missed the first 12 games while recovering from off-season surgery on his left ankle, played his first game on Monday, in Memphis.

Ian Mahinmi, the second-year power forward-center, remains the only Spur who has yet to suit up for a game. Popovich admits he doesn't know how his player rotations are going to shake out with all his backcourt available to him. Newcomers Roger Mason Jr. and George Hill are averaging 14.9 and 11.7 points per game, respectively. Popovich wants to continue to give them court time.

Ginobili and Parker came off the bench Friday.

Popovich had his Big Three scorers — Parker, Ginobili and Tim Duncan — on the court together Friday for 2:25 of the third quarter.

“I just have ideas,” Popovich said. “I don't have anything set in stone, that's for sure. We get to see a lot of people play. Some people played very well. That offers a lot of options as people become healthy and you figure out the rotations you really want to use and what we want off the bench; what might be best for our team.”

Parker, like Ginobili, will come off the bench. Popovich believes Parker may get to a point of playing his normal complement of minutes before Ginobili manages the same.

“It was just a sprained ankle (for Parker),” Popovich said, “not an operation. He's been working hard, running and doing stuff. He's much more ready, in that sense.”

Hill sore: After Friday's game, Hill looked like a left-handed pitcher who had just thrown nine innings. His left shoulder was encased in an ice bag wrapped in athletic tape after he stretched the shoulder slightly diving for a loose ball midway through the fourth quarter.

“I can't even pronounce what they said I have,” Hill said, “but it's the same thing that happened Wednesday when (Chicago's Andres) Nocioni pulled my arm. It's sore, but they just told me to ice it, and it should be all right.”

[timtonymanu]

Bench Tony and Manu.

Start Hill and Mason.

[ducks]

Popovich believes Parker may get to a point of playing his normal complement of minutes before Ginobili manages the same.

[ShoogarBear]

Plenty of trade options.
:stirpot:

[ducks]

mason is not going anywhere

[BuzzerBeater]

If you're not a Spur named Tony, Timmy, Manu or Bruce, play like you want to keep your job.:lol

[timvp]

This team is stacked on the perimeter. Not only Manu, TP, Mason and Hill but Finley is playing some of his best basketball as a Spur, Udoka is now coming around and Bowen is looking like the old Bowen. I don't know how Pop is going to find room.

But it's a good problem to have and this is an example of when having character players on the team helps because even if Pop had to start handing out DNP-CD's, there wouldn't be any complaining.

[BWS-1994]

Play small ball! :devil

[ducks]

no with hill tp has to play like he wants to keep starting manu has to play well so mason does not get all his minutes

[ducks]

to keep people more happy he might not play some one game but the next night play them

[BuzzerBeater]

Our insurance policy has just been upgraded from silver to premium gold. Older bodies
will really benefit from not having to play just to survive to get to decent seeding. With the new energy from young legs and ring-driven hunger now the vets get to have fun tangling with the improved western teams.
Amazing what having fun does to your outlook.
Possibilities and potential that other teams would kill for.

[ShoogarBear]

What Pop should do is keep Manu's average around 28 MPG, and try to give Fin and Bowen each about 7-10 games off this year, preferable on the second of B2Bs.

[ducks]

what if pop did not play manu on back to back games

[timvp]

what if pop did not play manu on back to back gamesI actually liked this idea in the offseason. But Manu would probably strangle Pop if Pop told him he couldn't play in back-to-back games.

Limiting Manu to about 25 MPG would make a lot of sense in hopes of keeping him fresh for the playoffs.

[BuzzerBeater]

Scary, considering that in the NBA, beards and strangling go hand in hand.:lol

[Manufan909]

Popovich believes Parker may get to a point of playing his normal complement of minutes before Ginobili manages the same.

“It was just a sprained ankle (for Parker),” Popovich said, “not an operation. He's been working hard, running and doing stuff. He's much more ready, in that sense.”


fixed

[ShoogarBear]

what if pop did not play manu on back to back games

http://cache.daylife.com/imageserve/08Lv9fucf26D8/610x.jpg

[homer]

This team is stacked on the perimeter. Not only Manu, TP, Mason and Hill but Finley is playing some of his best basketball as a Spur, Udoka is now coming around and Bowen is looking like the old Bowen. I don't know how Pop is going to find room.

But it's a good problem to have and this is an example of when having character players on the team helps because even if Pop had to start handing out DNP-CD's, there wouldn't be any complaining.

Hill better keep loose and ready because as good as he has been until now, IMO, his production will be reduced as his minutes are reduced. Well duh,:rollin I probably didn't word that right, but with even limited intellect, the rest of you should know what i mean.:hat

[Dex]

Our bench has proven that they can hang with most starting fives in the NBA.

Imagine once they start going up against the second stringers and bench-warmers of the NBA.

Hill/Ginobili/Mason/Udoka/Thomas is a hell of a defensive smallball combo. Switch Bonner for Udoka if you need more size. Swap Bowen if you need more defense. Finley could theoretically end up flopping spots with Mason, and who knows where the hell Mahinmi will end up in all of this.

Even our second team is like a freaking chess match.

[GSH]

no with hill tp has to play like he wants to keep starting manu has to play well so mason does not get all his minutes

As much as I like what I am seeing out of Hill, don't forget that when we were looking for our first win of the season, Parker dropped 55 points, along with 10 assists and 7 boards. Hill is playing great for a rookie, but Parker is one of the elite PG's in the league.

And in case Manu's play in the last few games isn't enough, flash back to the playoffs last year against New Orleans. Ginobili was playing hurt, and he was still our high-point man in 4 of the 7 games. (3 of the 4 wins) And the only game we won against the Lakers, he was also our high-point man. Pop may bring Manu off the bench, and he may give him some extra rest during the regular season - but if he's healthy, nobody is taking his minutes.

[barbacoataco]

I think the Spurs have minutes for all their players. Hill will get 12-18 minutes as backup for Tony and a few more as a SG. I see it like this:
Thomas 16
Oberto 18
Duncan 36
Bonner 16
Bowen 24
Finley 20
Ginobili 26
Mason 30
Parker 34
Hill 20
----------
240 minutes-- If Udoka plays he takes minutes from Mason/Bowen/Finley
With this rotation you have 10 minutes of small ball. Depending on the matchups it would be different every night. If you're playing the Suns then Thomas would have to play more, and Bonner/Oberto less. If Hill is playing well and the defensive matchups allow, he could play more in a 3-guard lineup. If Mahinmi breaks into the rotation then either Oberto or Bonner would lose minutes. The Spurs need Thomas to defend some players.

[Dalamar_the_Dark]

I think its a good problem to have. Less pressure now on Hill to deliver every night. And we can have a rested Manu and TP for the playoffs. With Mason and Hill, we now know that beyond our big 3, we have got guys who can step up and give us 20 points a night. Finley can also give us 20 on some nights. So if any of the big 3 has an off day, we got peeps to pick up the slack. That was our problem last season. Once Manu went down, the pressure was on TP and Duncan to have MVP performances every night.

[mrspurs]

We're looking good no doubt. And I knew TP would be out there tonight. And once again. Thanks and God Bless Duncan228 for the great thread. But lets not forget it was Memphis again. I cant wait to see our team tested. Its almost to easy right now.

[duncan228]

And once again. Thanks and God Bless Duncan228 for the great thread.

If you have such a problem with what I post, why the fuck are you in every one of the threads?

[Kori Ellis]

We're looking good no doubt. And I knew TP would be out there tonight. And once again. Thanks and God Bless Duncan228 for the great thread. But lets not forget it was Memphis again. I cant wait to see our team tested. Its almost to easy right now.

I thought she was on your ignore list. You shouldn't be able to see this thread :toast

Once Manu/Tony get up to full speed, it will be interesting to see how Pop scales back the others minutes. I think Mason will still get 25 and Hill 20+ mpg.

I'm guessing we will see no Udoka and less Finley as the season wears on.

Something like TP=32, Manu=26, Mason=25, Hill=20-25, Bowen/Finley=split 40-45.

[mrspurs]

I thought she was on your ignore list. You shouldn't be able to see this thread :toast

Once Manu/Tony get up to full speed, it will be interesting to see how Pop scales back the others minutes. I think Mason will still get 25 and Hill 20+ mpg.

I'm guessing we will see no Udoka and less Finley as the season wears on.

Something like TP=32, Manu=26, Mason=25, Hill=20-25, Bowen/Finley=split 40-45.

I removed alot of people when I learned how to take sigs and avatars I felt were not suited for me or my kids taste.:king

[anakha]

mrspurs loves to complain about people acting like douchebags, then act like a douchebag himself.

[mrspurs]

If you have such a problem with what I post, why the fuck are you in every one of the threads?

Im pretty sure Im not the one who has problems with any of your threads. Ive no clue where your going with all this vulgar language but your not making me look good or bad. I simply said thanks and god bless and this is how you reply.:lol

[024]

if parker gets 32 , hill will only get 16 if he plays exclusively at the PG position. manu and mason should split the minutes at the SG and manu might be moved to SF if needed. finley/bowen/udoka will split the SF minutes. i'm not a big fan of playing small ball but surrounding duncan with all three point shooters in mason/ginobili/udoka/finley might be a strategy to mix things up. since the guard position is so crowded, i see a gradual reduction in finley and udoka's minutes and maybe even a trade involving finley or udoka.

[Kori Ellis]

if parker gets 32 , hill will only get 16 if he plays exclusively at the PG position. manu and mason should split the minutes at the SG and manu might be moved to SF if needed. finley/bowen/udoka will split the SF minutes. i'm not a big fan of playing small ball but surrounding duncan with all three point shooters in mason/ginobili/udoka/finley might be a strategy to mix things up. since the guard position is so crowded, i see a gradual reduction in finley and udoka's minutes and maybe even a trade involving finley or udoka.

I don't think that Parker/Hill will exclusively play PG. I think Pop will do a lot of experimenting and let them play side by side for a few minutes a game.

[anakha]

Im pretty sure Im not the one who has problems with any of your threads. Ive no clue where your going with all this vulgar language but your not making me look good or bad. I simply said thanks and god bless and this is how you reply.:lol


Oh and great copy and paste duncan228, you sure do have your hands full. hahahahahaha...........


Thanks duncan228 for the post. And Ill add I had no idea you was a girl. Had I known you were a girl Id a never picked on ya. Im not someone who sugarcoats my words when it comes to the players or coaches of professional sports. But Ive never liked fans saying bad things about fans. This place is the first place Ive even been to as far as sportblogging. You get no lip out of me that much I can give you my word on.:downspin:

Not only are you a douchebag, you're a douchebag who suddenly treats people different because of their gender.

And now, you're resorting to asskissing to get back in her good graces. :lol

[mrspurs]

I don't think that Parker/Hill will exclusively play PG. I think Pop will do a lot of experimenting and let them play side by side for a few minutes a game.

You got that right about Pop. He loves to experiment. And now with all the talent he has. Im guessing he's into his top dollar wines now.

[Newton]

Im pretty sure Im not the one who has problems with any of your threads. Ive no clue where your going with all this vulgar language but your not making me look good or bad. I simply said thanks and god bless and this is how you reply.:lol

I and my associates have concluded that you, indeed, are a douchbag.

[024]

I don't think that Parker/Hill will exclusively play PG. I think Pop will do a lot of experimenting and let them play side by side for a few minutes a game.

putting hill and parker together on the court further limits the minutes of ginobili, mason, and finley. since all five are playing pretty well, it's hard to take away minutes from mason or ginobili. to keep all five players playing above 20 minutes a game, bowen, udoka, and the bigs might be limited minutes and the spurs will have to go small ball more often.

[m33p0]

Vaughn: helloooo IL!

[Kori Ellis]

putting hill and parker together on the court further limits the minutes of ginobili, mason, and finley. since all five are playing pretty well, it's hard to take away minutes from mason or ginobili. to keep all five players playing above 20 minutes a game, bowen, udoka, and the bigs might be limited minutes and the spurs will have to go small ball more often.

Yeah, I definitely think they'll go small for a handful of minutes per game, and I doubt Udoka will be in the rotation. And I think Bowen/Finley's minutes will depending how much they need defense/offense. Mason and Hill can easily get 20-25 minutes a game each with Tony/Manu getting 32/26.

There's 144 minutes at the points/wings, plus maybe another 6 minutes of small ball. So I think you have to split about 150 minutes among Tony/Manu/Mason/Hill/Bowen/Finley. (32/26/25/25/24/16 = 148)

[mrspurs]

I and my associates have concluded that you, indeed, are a douchbag.

You and your associates can conclude all you want. Im good, and I know it. You do to thats why you get a rise....:king and thats why Kori says use that ignore list. For disrespectful people like yourself. God Bless

[Frenchise player]

I don't know if putting Hill and Parker together will work, I have some bad memories of that two PG backourt with Beno and Tony playing together.

More importantly, having two more scoring options will lead to less scoring droughts, one of the biggest weakness of the Spurs in the Duncan era.
On the other hand, playing all those guards together will lead to less consistency on defense as opposing teams will be able to exploit favorable matchups.

[phyzik]

I think its a mistake bringing Parker back so soon. We should have waited a few more games.

[024]

i'll be disappointed if udoka falls out of the rotation. he needs to stop trying to create his shot and become a catch and shoot role player that defends and rebounds. he was a pretty good player in portland and showed potential in last year's playoffs. if he gets his three point shot back and continues to make good passes like he did in portland, then he will be excellent at spreading the floor.

[anakha]

i'll be disappointed if udoka falls out of the rotation. he needs to stop trying to create his shot and become a catch and shoot role player that defends and rebounds. he was a pretty good player in portland and showed potential in last year's playoffs. if he gets his three point shot back and continues to make good passes like he did in portland, then he will be excellent at spreading the floor.

With Bowen, Finley, Ginobili, and Mason also completing for swingman minutes, there's just not enough playing time to go around.

Basically, whoever is producing the least out of those five gets the short end of the stick, rotation-wise. And so far, it's been Udoka.

[barbacoataco]

Udoka might still play some, since his strength allows him to defend certain types of players who are too strong for Mason or Ginobili when the Spurs go smallball.

[milkyway21]

Now, he has to figure out how to use them, and he knows it won't be easy.

I think it depends on match-ups

if we're playing young guns like ATL or Memphis give TP/Manu/Hill/Mason more minutes

Duncan more minutes against ShaQ/Nash's Phoenix or Detroit or Houston or Dallas

IMO only:oops

[exstatic]

I really think that when the minutes get re-apportioned, Finley will go back into his limited minutes shitty production mode. Udoka appears to be coming out of his fugue state, and the difference is that Udoka still has things to offer like rebounding and defense when his shot isn't falling, and Finley really doesn't.

[anakha]

I really think that when the minutes get re-apportioned, Finley will go back into his limited minutes shitty production mode. Udoka appears to be coming out of his fugue state, and the difference is that Udoka still has things to offer like rebounding and defense when his shot isn't falling, and Finley really doesn't.

I honestly have no problem with that if it happens.

As said earlier, whoever is playing the worst out of the 5 at any time shouldn't be forced into the rotation. Whichever one it may be between Finley or Udoka.

[team-work]

Popovich admits he doesn't know how his player rotations are going to shake out with all his backcourt talent available to him.

Pop must be the most happy person to have this trouble! He will likely try different options e.g. Parker & Hill playing at both guard positions, Mason & even Ginobili at SF.

The team now has almost the full personnel, but maybe not yet the full power. Ginobili & Parker's are not in full gear. Especially for Ginobili, he should not force the issue, to the point of getting fatigued or even re-injured. Parker's minutes will go up more quickly.

A challenge is to maintain the D in display during the winning streaks with the "new" player lineups.

[milkyway21]

I'm okay with Udoka concentrate on learning Bowen's moves instead.


we already have so many offensive weapons

[Zzakk's Garage]

I agree with milkyway21--Udoka is our hope for a future Bowen and he needs to concentrate on D and 3s to fill that role.

It's all about defense, so while Pop might keep the hot shooters on a particular night in the game longer, if they aren't matched-up well or making stops they're out of there.
The depth is astounding this year, and the rest of the NBA needs to be very afraid.

I predict rings this year.

[venitian navigator]

I think that the best thing coming from this depth of back court men is...that we can rest our (old) front court men! I'm talking, more than all, of Duncan (but limited minutes also for Oberto and Thomas doesn't hurt).
Limiting his minutes to 26/28 a night for Duncan and 15/17 for each for Oberto/Thomas in the R.O. would preserve them totally rested and ready for the P.O. run...(where increasing their minutes could became inevitable, 'cause of the differences in the style of play).
The point is that with all the newcomers we seem to have resolved our main problems of last year, alias scoring without the big three.
And the small players we have are, for the most part, also good, or very good defenders...
And for a very good record in the R.O. that could be enough...

[temujin]

I like the idea that the Spurs are actually playing another team.

The key to survival is adapting.

Right now, the Spurs backcourt can adapt to all backcourts and come out on top.

[The Truth #6]

I think we should give up the idea of Udoka being a Bowen replacement. I don't think it's going to happen. Udoka has a slightly different game.

[roycrikside]

I hate Manu Ginobili.

Fixed.

[SpursFanFirst]

Parker was back?

Late, I know...but my computer was out all last night and today, so I know nothing about last night's game other than we won.

That's good news! :clap