duncan228
12-03-2008, 12:03 AM
Spurs' Ginobili has home in starting lineup (http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/spurs/Spurs_Ginobili_has_home_in_starting_lineup.html)
By Mike Monroe
Manu Ginobili was back in the Spurs' starting lineup Tuesday against the Detroit Pistons, and if Gregg Popovich has his way, Ginobili will be a starter “in perpetuity.”
No, really.
This time the Spurs' head coach means it.
Popovich understands why Ginobili, who has been in and out of the starting lineup numerous times over the past three seasons, may not believe this time it's for, well, forever.
“I wouldn't believe me, either,” Popovich said.
Popovich said he wants his Big Three — Ginobili, Tony Parker and Tim Duncan — to open games with bravado.
“I want to start a group that's been with each other a while and can show an edge, a personality and some bravado, to some point,” he said. “Those guys have won a lot of championships together, so I think it's time for Manu to be on the court when the game starts.”
The emergence of Roger Mason Jr. as a scoring threat has made Ginobili's reintroduction to the starting five possible.
“In order to do that, the guys off the bench have to bring us something the way Manu used to,” Popovich said. “I think Roger has shown he can do that, for sure.
“This is the way I'd like to do that, in perpetuity, if possible.”
Mahinmi recalled: The Spurs brought second-year big man Ian Mahinmi up from their Austin Toros NBA Development League team, but don't expect to see him in uniform for a while.
“I don't even think about working Ian into the lineup,” Popovich said. “He'll be in street clothes. He's only here to monitor his rehab.”
Mahinmi missed the entire preseason with a badly sprained right ankle, and was sent to Austin for conditioning. He played in two of the Toros' preseason games and Friday's regular-season opener, but rolled his left ankle in that game.
Rookie forward Anthony Tolliver was assigned to the Toros.
Can't wait: Pistons coach Michael Curry is ticking off the days — five and counting, as of Tuesday — until Antonio McDyess re-joins his team.
McDyess was traded to Denver on Nov. 7 in the Allen Iverson deal, but the Nuggets bought out his contract, making McDyess free to sign with any team. McDyess last week announced he would return to Detroit, but league rules require him to wait 30 days before returning to the team that traded him.
“Dice is a starter we decided to bring off the bench, as (the Spurs) have brought Ginobili off the bench,” Curry said. “You realize how well that can work when you can bring in a guy like that and buy some minutes as a starter with a guy like Kwame Brown or Amir Johnson. But when McDyess comes in when we take Rasheed (Wallace) out, we still have a scoring big on the floor.
“That was big in our plans for how we wanted to play this year, and having to include him in that trade was tough. I think that's been our biggest adjustment, and because of that, all our other areas haven't been as good, either.”
By Mike Monroe
Manu Ginobili was back in the Spurs' starting lineup Tuesday against the Detroit Pistons, and if Gregg Popovich has his way, Ginobili will be a starter “in perpetuity.”
No, really.
This time the Spurs' head coach means it.
Popovich understands why Ginobili, who has been in and out of the starting lineup numerous times over the past three seasons, may not believe this time it's for, well, forever.
“I wouldn't believe me, either,” Popovich said.
Popovich said he wants his Big Three — Ginobili, Tony Parker and Tim Duncan — to open games with bravado.
“I want to start a group that's been with each other a while and can show an edge, a personality and some bravado, to some point,” he said. “Those guys have won a lot of championships together, so I think it's time for Manu to be on the court when the game starts.”
The emergence of Roger Mason Jr. as a scoring threat has made Ginobili's reintroduction to the starting five possible.
“In order to do that, the guys off the bench have to bring us something the way Manu used to,” Popovich said. “I think Roger has shown he can do that, for sure.
“This is the way I'd like to do that, in perpetuity, if possible.”
Mahinmi recalled: The Spurs brought second-year big man Ian Mahinmi up from their Austin Toros NBA Development League team, but don't expect to see him in uniform for a while.
“I don't even think about working Ian into the lineup,” Popovich said. “He'll be in street clothes. He's only here to monitor his rehab.”
Mahinmi missed the entire preseason with a badly sprained right ankle, and was sent to Austin for conditioning. He played in two of the Toros' preseason games and Friday's regular-season opener, but rolled his left ankle in that game.
Rookie forward Anthony Tolliver was assigned to the Toros.
Can't wait: Pistons coach Michael Curry is ticking off the days — five and counting, as of Tuesday — until Antonio McDyess re-joins his team.
McDyess was traded to Denver on Nov. 7 in the Allen Iverson deal, but the Nuggets bought out his contract, making McDyess free to sign with any team. McDyess last week announced he would return to Detroit, but league rules require him to wait 30 days before returning to the team that traded him.
“Dice is a starter we decided to bring off the bench, as (the Spurs) have brought Ginobili off the bench,” Curry said. “You realize how well that can work when you can bring in a guy like that and buy some minutes as a starter with a guy like Kwame Brown or Amir Johnson. But when McDyess comes in when we take Rasheed (Wallace) out, we still have a scoring big on the floor.
“That was big in our plans for how we wanted to play this year, and having to include him in that trade was tough. I think that's been our biggest adjustment, and because of that, all our other areas haven't been as good, either.”