smrattler
02-26-2009, 12:16 AM
It seems to me that Bruce has been able to really put his stamp on this team recently. Check out the stat lines, our defense seems to be rounding back to something we are more used to seeing, the FG% of our opponents has been contained more like we're used to.
How much of this was part of a plan? No, injuries to Manu and TD were not planned, but was Pop holding Bruce back all year with the idea to re-insert him later in the year anyway?
This lets guys like Mason and Bonner and Hill get integrated more since we would need the bench depth. And it saves the legs of our aging defensive ace.
Bruce seemed to slow down in a noticeable way last year. But what if he wasn't starting every game and playing heavy minutes for 82 games? What if we hold him out and send him in for 15-20 mins of TOUGH defense as the playoffs near?
That sounds like a plan.
Pop even mentioned something that hinted this once. I can't remember who he asked Bruce to guard, some PF, much bigger than him... He was able to do this in short spurts because he's a genius defensive mind and FRESH just entering the game!
I think Bowen helps a lot more than we give him credit for. He's always been left on an island to shadow a guy man-to-man. But he seems to be doing more now, dropping off to double team, getting his hands in the pasing lanes (which he didn't do much before), and with fresh legs and less focused on just one guy, I've seen him crash the boards stronger.
Pop was more deliberate with doing this for Horry. I think this is a less obvious version of the same thing. Mason and Bonner and Hill will be needed. But Pop knows we need the defense to be solid and with Bowen out there communicating and working hard for short spurts, the defense might look a lot better here down the stretch.
Maybe Mason and Hill earned minutes, but maybe it just made it easier for Pop to execute this plan. Maybe he wasn't supplanted and moved to the bench as much as he was being saved for the playoffs.
How much of this was part of a plan? No, injuries to Manu and TD were not planned, but was Pop holding Bruce back all year with the idea to re-insert him later in the year anyway?
This lets guys like Mason and Bonner and Hill get integrated more since we would need the bench depth. And it saves the legs of our aging defensive ace.
Bruce seemed to slow down in a noticeable way last year. But what if he wasn't starting every game and playing heavy minutes for 82 games? What if we hold him out and send him in for 15-20 mins of TOUGH defense as the playoffs near?
That sounds like a plan.
Pop even mentioned something that hinted this once. I can't remember who he asked Bruce to guard, some PF, much bigger than him... He was able to do this in short spurts because he's a genius defensive mind and FRESH just entering the game!
I think Bowen helps a lot more than we give him credit for. He's always been left on an island to shadow a guy man-to-man. But he seems to be doing more now, dropping off to double team, getting his hands in the pasing lanes (which he didn't do much before), and with fresh legs and less focused on just one guy, I've seen him crash the boards stronger.
Pop was more deliberate with doing this for Horry. I think this is a less obvious version of the same thing. Mason and Bonner and Hill will be needed. But Pop knows we need the defense to be solid and with Bowen out there communicating and working hard for short spurts, the defense might look a lot better here down the stretch.
Maybe Mason and Hill earned minutes, but maybe it just made it easier for Pop to execute this plan. Maybe he wasn't supplanted and moved to the bench as much as he was being saved for the playoffs.