Monroe: Spurs' Mensah-Bonsu Impressive

[duncan228]

Spurs' Mensah-Bonsu impressive (http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/spurs/Spurs_Mensah-Bonsu_impressive.html)
Mike Monroe

Spurs veteran Michael Finley pulled his newest teammate aside before he entered Friday's game against Cleveland at AT&T Center, offering sage advice.

“Michael told me I was having an audition, not only for this team, but for a lot of teams,” said Pops Mensah-Bonsu, the 6-foot-8 forward the Spurs signed out of the NBA D-League on Wednesday morning. “He said to do what I do to make my money. ... be an energy guy all over the court, a rebounder and a finisher, and I was able to do that.

“I hope I raised a few eyebrows among the coaches, so that next game he feels comfortable to put me in when the game is still in hand.”

Mensah-Bonsu's chat with Finley took place moments before the start of the fourth quarter of Cleveland's 97-86 victory, the Cavaliers ahead by 21. By game's end, he had made all three of his shots, two of them power dunks, and scored 11 points, with six rebounds, helping a lineup of reserves cut the final margin to 11.

Spurs coach Gregg Popovich appreciated the effort of the all-reserve lineup that closed out the game for his team.

“The subs came in and did a spectacular job,” he said.

Manu update: Injured swingman Manu Ginobili has added riding an exercise bike to his daily regimen of conditioning drills.

Ginobili was diagnosed nine days ago with a stress reaction of the right distal fibula, slated to miss two to three weeks.

“He's just on the bike, and lifting and doing core work until he wants to spit,” Popovich said. “By the time it's over, he'll probably lose 30 pounds just driving himself wild.”

Smart move: With about two minutes left in the third period, an ESPN producer informed Spurs media services coordinator Kris Davis that the network would skip the between-periods interview with Popovich if the Spurs trailed by 20 or more.

Most relieved person: ESPN's sideline reporter, Nancy Lieberman, no doubt aware that Popovich isn't fond of talking to TV reporters during the game.

[Mavs<Spurs]

Go Pops!!!:flag:

[TwelveGs210]

Yup

[mystargtr34]

Man, Pop would have put out some comedy gold if he got the chance to chat to Lieberman at 3 Qtr Time.

[Behrooz24]

:lol I love those interviews

[Austin_Toros]

career high points for Pops I think.

[urunobili]

Anyone can youtube the dunks... i hate to say it but it was almost 3am here and i fell asleep...:cuss:cuss:oops:oops:oops:oops:oops:oops

[Bruno]

Things will be quite interesting when Tim and Manu will be back.

The main rotation of 10 players (Parker, Hill, Ginobili, Mason, Finley, Bowen, Duncan, Oberto, Bonner and Thomas) is basically set in stone but you have to fill up the last 2 spots of the active roster.

Udoka, Hairston, Pops(if Spurs keep him) and Vaughn will fight for these 2 spots. Udoka should get one of these two spots even if it's not really deserved after his bad season. For the other, I quite don't know.

[urunobili]

Things will be quite interesting when Tim and Manu will be back.

The main rotation of 10 players (Parker, Hill, Ginobili, Mason, Finley, Bowen, Duncan, Oberto, Bonner and Thomas) is basically set in stone but you have to fill up the last 2 spots of the active roster.

Udoka, Hairston, Pops(if Spurs keep him) and Vaughn will fight for these 2 spots. Udoka should get one of these two spots even if it's not really deserved after his bad season. For the other, I quite don't know.

my wishful thinking says Hairston Pops... but you're right Pop may just stick to Udoka because of his knowledge of the system...

[Bruno]

Anyone can youtube the dunks... i hate to say it but it was almost 3am here and i fell asleep...:cuss:cuss:oops:oops:oops:oops:oops:oops

Not made by me :
cueBM8b9WQU

[urunobili]

Not made by me :
cueBM8b9WQU

thanks Bruno!

FEEL THE BONSU!!!! :worthy:

[wijayas]

Not made by me :
cueBM8b9WQU

Good find Bruno! Thanks for sharing! :toast

[MaNu4Tres]

“I hope I raised a few eyebrows among the coaches, so that next game he feels comfortable to put me in when the game is still in hand.”


He may have had a good showing last night, but a piece of humble pie wouldn't hurt.

[SenorSpur]

Not made by me :
cueBM8b9WQU

Would you believe I fell asleep during the mid 4th quarter and missed PMB's dunk and first several minutes of action? Would you also believe I stayed up and re-watched the game again (start time 2AM CST), only to have ESPN fast forward past most of the 4th quarter up through to 2:00 minute mark? So, I missed this action yet again!

Thanks very much for posting, Bruno!

Bonzai to the Bonsu! :p:

[Spursmania]

Thanks so much for the clip. I forgot to set my DVR as well. Thanks, I wanted to see Bonsu!:p:

[Marcus Bryant]

Things will be quite interesting when Tim and Manu will be back.

The main rotation of 10 players (Parker, Hill, Ginobili, Mason, Finley, Bowen, Duncan, Oberto, Bonner and Thomas) is basically set in stone but you have to fill up the last 2 spots of the active roster.

Udoka, Hairston, Pops(if Spurs keep him) and Vaughn will fight for these 2 spots. Udoka should get one of these two spots even if it's not really deserved after his bad season. For the other, I quite don't know.

I don't see a roster without 5 bigs.

[TheProfessor]

Not made by me :
cueBM8b9WQU
"Pops has hops!" :lol

[MaNu4Tres]

He may have hops but he has a ways to go on the defensive end.

[Manufan909]

It'll be awhile for Pop to decide the 11th and 12th men, hope Hairston and Pops can make a case. Fuck Ian, it's all about the Snap Crackle Popsssssssssssssssssssss!!!

Wonder how long ago Sean thought that up.:tongue

[SenorSpur]

I don't see a roster without 5 bigs.

Disagree. Had Ian been healthy, they were going to carry 5 bigs. That said, they've been deficient along the front line all year anyway, forcing Duncan to carry the lion share of the load, minutes, and production. We can see now how it's taken a toll.

Furthermore, after the playoff series versus the Fakers, it became painfully obvious that the Spurs reserve bigs were ill-equipped to match up with the Fakers taller, quicker, more mobile frontline.

[Bruno]

I don't see a roster without 5 bigs.

I would have said the same thing as you last year but I've seen what happened for the last playoffs.

Pop didn't go with a 5th big as 12th active player, he rotates Bonner and Stoudamire for the 12th man during the whole playoffs. Pop didn't care to have 5 active bigs.

When the rule was that teams couldn't change your roster during the playoffs, having less than 5 active bigs was nearly impossible. Teams can now change the active roster before each playoff game, so having only 4 active bigs is less of a problem.

[BlackSwordsMan]

Not made by me :
cueBM8b9WQU

At the bottom of the video I wonder if those people knew pops. Everytime he did something they would get up and cheer like that

[Indazone]

Not made by me :
cueBM8b9WQU

Very very similar to Landry except that I think Landry is a little bit bigger and can get up a bit higher.

[leemajors]

I would have said the same thing as you last year but I've seen what happened for the last playoffs.

Pop didn't go with a 5th big as 12th active player, he rotates Bonner and Stoudamire for the 12th man during the whole playoffs. Pop didn't care to have 5 active bigs.

When the rule was that teams couldn't change your roster during the playoffs, having less than 5 active bigs was nearly impossible. Teams can now change the active roster before each playoff game, so having only 4 active bigs is less of a problem.

http://www.48minutesofhell.com/2009/02/28/letting-the-kids-play/


(HT: ChampionSpellor2, whoever you are, thanks for getting this up on YouTube so quickly. And thanks to Bruno for bringing it to my attention.)

go Bruno!

[Indazone]

Pops will be a great addition for the Spurs and if you can get Mahinmi on the floor too, a very dangerous team for many years to come.

[Indazone]

Is a replacement plan for Duncan when the day comes.

[Biggems]

Who the hell does Pops think he is? How dare he do alley oops and slam dunks? Doesn't he realize that we are the Spurs. We play below the rim. We are not Sports Center highlight worthy. We are boring and old. We are ratings killers.

Pops your theatrics and days in Silver and Black are numbered if you keep this up.

[benefactor]

“I hope I raised a few eyebrows among the coaches, so that next game he feels comfortable to put me in when the game is still in hand.”


He may have had a good showing last night, but a piece of humble pie wouldn't hurt.
What is wrong with exuding some confidence? The reason why he is playing so hard is so that he can get those meaningful minutes. Humility is the last thing he needs to be thinking about. He needs to stay focused on going balls out so he can get beyond his 10 day contract.

[NFGIII]

“I hope I raised a few eyebrows among the coaches, so that next game he feels comfortable to put me in when the game is still in hand.”


He may have had a good showing last night, but a piece of humble pie wouldn't hurt.

^


What is wrong with exuding some confidence? The reason why he is playing so hard is so that he can get those meaningful minutes. Humility is the last thing he needs to be thinking about. He needs to stay focused on going balls out so he can get beyond his 10 day contract.

Agreed. I want him to be confident. I also think the key word is "hope". He believes that his play should warrent more PT but he left that decision in the hands of the coaching staff. He wasn't demanding minutes but thought his performance showed he deserved some consideration in the future.

That attitude alone I believe will win him some points with the coaching staff. His performance warrents another "audition".

[Dex]

I'm not sure what more you can expect from a DLeaguer in 12 minutes of play. 11 and 6, and he made a number of deflections and tips, fought for loose balls, and was generally one of the better looking players who touched the floor all night for the Spurs. Not bad for a guy in his first big NBA situation.

If that's not enough for him to get a chance with this team, I don't even know why the hell we have the Toros.

[jermaine]

I can truely say I didnt know anything about Pops, and I feel asleep the start of the 4th qtr. But Ooooo I just seen the highlights! Picture him playing by Duncan and he catch a rebound ova Byunm!:wow

[Gino2882]

The most impressive thing Pops did IMO, was his insane ability to time his jumps. He is a very explosive leaper. When he goes for a rebound or dunk he really gets off the ground.

His quickness and length make up for him being 6'8 or 6'9.

[HarlemHeat37]

he better keep showing confidence..I like that this team is adding players with balls..

this dude has the balls to say that he can actually contribute and help us NOW..an elite team with multiple championships, and he has the balls to say he can come help us now..and he completely backs up the talk in his first game..

you have to love that..

[Behrooz24]

Anybody see when he almost got Bynum'd? Someone fell backward onto his knee and it looked like he hyperextended it a little.

[dbestpro]

I actually believe that Pops on the floor with Timmy would mean more shots for Timmy cause even if he misses with the usual double teams it will allow for Pops with his quick jump skills to get the put back. He could become the ultimate garbage man along side Duncan. His ability to jump so quickly actually reminds me a lot of Rodman, but with better offense and a long way to go on defense.

[Bender]

Pops your theatrics and days in Silver and Black are numbered if you keep this up.
:lol

and he wears one of them headbands too...

[bigdog]

Pops also did a windmill dunk in pregame warmups :hat

[SpursDynasty]

I liked the intensity of Malik Hairston and Pops Mensah-Bonsu last night. The Spurs need that. What the Spurs don't need is Ime Udoka and Jacque Vaughan.

[bigdog]

I liked the intensity of Malik Hairston and Pops Mensah-Bonsu last night. The Spurs need that. What the Spurs don't need is Ime Udoka and Jacque Vaughan.

When they put Ime in there last night to guard LeBron I almost had a heard attack. He played bad defense. When Hairston went in there to guard him, he did pretty damn good.

[HarlemHeat37]

well there's nothing wrong with Vaughn, because he doesn't play..

Ime's actually getting minutes in the rotation, which is unacceptable..

[21GoSpursGo9]

Udoka/Vaughn should both be on IR. No excuses. We have our emergency 3rd pg in Manu or Mason. Udoka may know the system, but he can be an expert on it while wearing a suit because the guy has been worthless this season. Malik adds another slasher and Pops adds athleticism. They may not get major rotation minutes but they should be on the active roster rather than Vaughn and Udoka.

[HarlemHeat37]

Mason or Manu playing PG would be horrible..Mason has no ability to handle the ball or pass..Manu is talented at both, but he's a horrible decision maker when it comes to passing, as you'll see with his constant no-look and flashy passes that result in turnovers..

Hill's progression in the next few weeks will be very important when it comes to deciding if Jacque will be our 3rd PG in the playoffs..

[Spursmania]

I was impressed with Hill in the Fall. He had more than I expected for a rookie. But, now I watch him and he doesn't seem as confident as he was in the fall. I think the expectations may be getting to him.

[HarlemHeat37]

Hill is on and off..he's just inconsistent, which is expected for a rookie picked late in the 1st round..he's not a guy we can expect to give us a consistent performance every night, outside of his D..

[mazerrackham]

I've been happy with Hill even now, he just isn't getting the number of minutes needed to impact a game as much as he was in the Fall, although he still needs to work on finishing contested layups at the rim sometimes. And I would rather have Mason running the point than Jacque Vaughn if it came to it, because although Mason isn't a great passer, once we get into our offensive set, he just has to post up tim duncan and let it go from there, and if they double off of him, he can actually knock down a shot.

[The Truth #6]

Mason or Manu playing PG would be horrible..Mason has no ability to handle the ball or pass..Manu is talented at both, but he's a horrible decision maker when it comes to passing, as you'll see with his constant no-look and flashy passes that result in turnovers..

Hill's progression in the next few weeks will be very important when it comes to deciding if Jacque will be our 3rd PG in the playoffs..

I think you are way overstating things. Mason has a decent handle. Not as good as Tony but it's acceptable.

Manu is inconsistent with his passing but like everything else with this game the good completely outweighs the bad. Often he makes excellent passes. Horrible decision maker? I think that's an exaggeration. Do you even like Manu?

[SenorSpur]

I actually believe that Pops on the floor with Timmy would mean more shots for Timmy cause even if he misses with the usual double teams it will allow for Pops with his quick jump skills to get the put back. He could become the ultimate garbage man along side Duncan. His ability to jump so quickly actually reminds me a lot of Rodman, but with better offense and a long way to go on defense.

Dude has got pogo-stick jumping ability.

[Agloco]

Spurs' Mensah-Bonsu impressive (http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/spurs/Spurs_Mensah-Bonsu_impressive.html)
Mike Monroe

Spurs veteran Michael Finley pulled his newest teammate aside before he entered Friday's game against Cleveland at AT&T Center, offering sage advice.

“Michael told me I was having an audition, not only for this team, but for a lot of teams,” said Pops Mensah-Bonsu, the 6-foot-8 forward the Spurs signed out of the NBA D-League on Wednesday morning............

Sooooo......

How tall is Pops anyway? I've now seen 6'8" all the way to 6'11". Boy plays like he's 7'0" regardless.

[tomtom]

Could he possibly play the 3? Seems fast enough

[tav1]

Could he possibly play the 3? Seems fast enough

No. He's a 4. He could play microball 5. You know, when Pop gets drunk with Nellie prior to a Golden State game and rolls out Parker, Hill, Mason, Finley and Mensah-Bonsu for 5 minute stretch. You laugh, but it might happen.

[Ice009]

I'm not sure what more you can expect from a DLeaguer in 12 minutes of play. 11 and 6, and he made a number of deflections and tips, fought for loose balls, and was generally one of the better looking players who touched the floor all night for the Spurs. Not bad for a guy in his first big NBA situation.

If that's not enough for him to get a chance with this team, I don't even know why the hell we have the Toros.

A fan in another forum said that he didn't hustle much last night. I would agree that his defense wasn't that good an he needs a lot of work there, but how could anyone said he didn't hustle while he was out there?

[Borosai]

On the play where he blocked the Cavs' guard from behind, he did a good job moving his feet and staying with him around the three-point line. Although he wasn't able to stay in front, he was still quick enough to make that block anyway -- all without fouling. If he can do that, I'm confident he can defend bigs out on the perimeter (Diggler, AsslessChaps, Odumb, etc.).

DIRK STOPPER!

[bigfundamental21]

I remember seeing Pops play for GW in the NCAA tourney before he came to the NBA. He played every game with an intense amount of energy and was the heart of his team. I saw some potential in him then and when he didn't get drafted, I was surprised. Then he ended up on the Mavericks, but never got any real PT. I am glad to see him on our team and I hope he sticks around.

[Obstructed_View]

A fan in another forum said that he didn't hustle much last night. I would agree that his defense wasn't that good an he needs a lot of work there, but how could anyone said he didn't hustle while he was out there?

I don't agree that he didn't hustle or that his defense wasn't good. He gave up a layup on a break because he was watching the ball and someone ran around behind him. That wasn't a lack of hustle, it was just a mental lapse. I think he was ball-hawking and thinking about making a highlight block instead of spacing the floor. Finley and Mason make similar mistakes once or twice a game.

[Obstructed_View]

By the way, I just picked up Pops in my fantasy league so he's likely to be severely injured or forget how to dribble a basketball any day now.

[DPG21920]

One thing I did notice was that he "lost" the ball a lot when he grabbed the rebound. He did not complete the board. I do not know if it is a hands thing or a lack of focus thing. Other than that, he did well with his minutes.

[Obstructed_View]

One thing I did notice was that he "lost" the ball a lot when he grabbed the rebound. He did not complete the board. I do not know if it is a hands thing or a lack of focus thing. Other than that, he did well with his minutes.

Dude had 11 points and 6 rebounds, 4 of them offensive, and a couple of tap outs in about 12 minutes. Tough crowd.

[DPG21920]

Dude had 11 points and 6 rebounds, 4 of them offensive, and a couple of tap outs in about 12 minutes. Tough crowd.

I knew you of all people would overreact to the statement. Especially with your logic that you apply to everything, if a guy could of easily had 10 rebounds but grabbed 6, you have to look at the misses.

He skied and got his hands on it, but did not really coral them. Kind of looked like he was not expecting people to poke it away after he touched it. Like I said, he did well with his minutes, but I wonder if it was just a lack of focus.

I bet when watching film a coach would say, pull that in and protect it.

[urunobili]

I knew you of all people would overreact to the statement. Especially with your logic that you apply to everything, if a guy could of easily had 10 rebounds but grabbed 6, you have to look at the misses.

He skied and got his hands on it, but did not really coral them. Kind of looked like he was not expecting people to poke it away after he touched it. Like I said, he did well with his minutes, but I wonder if it was just a lack of focus.

I bet when watching film a coach would say, pull that in and protect it.

I was lucky enough to see the whole 4th quarter today and he indeed will get ripped by Pop on two or three plays that could have been way more advantageous for the team... It raised some doubts inside of me... BUT still... the poz sides of yesterday's game outshine the ones that can be corrected with coaching and playing time

[angelbelow]

nice highlights

[slayermin]

I haven't been this excited for a game in a while. I hope Pop gives Pops some serious minutes tomorrow night.

[m33p0]

Smart move: With about two minutes left in the third period, an ESPN producer informed Spurs media services coordinator Kris Davis that the network would skip the between-periods interview with Popovich if the Spurs trailed by 20 or more.
oh, come on! ESPN dropped the ball on that one. it would have been a highlight with Pop chewing the reporter to bits!

[Obstructed_View]

I knew you of all people would overreact to the statement. Especially with your logic that you apply to everything, if a guy could of easily had 10 rebounds but grabbed 6, you have to look at the misses.

He skied and got his hands on it, but did not really coral them. Kind of looked like he was not expecting people to poke it away after he touched it. Like I said, he did well with his minutes, but I wonder if it was just a lack of focus.

I bet when watching film a coach would say, pull that in and protect it.

I'll go back and watch it again in a few minutes, but I'm pretty sure he was in there battling Jackson and Hickson, two guys that are taller than he is, and basically whipped their asses. Sorry to keep applying logic to things, but to have drawn fouls and pulled down boards at that rate seems like anything but a lack of focus. I'm not sure how it's overreacting to suggest that you're being hyper-critical of a guy who put in a performance in 12 minutes we'd often feel fortunate to see from one of the other Spurs bigs in an entire game. If you're going to do anything, you might tell people to temper their enthusiasm because he did it against bench players.

[Blackjack]

One thing I did notice was that he "lost" the ball a lot when he grabbed the rebound. He did not complete the board. I do not know if it is a hands thing or a lack of focus thing. Other than that, he did well with his minutes.

I noticed the same thing.:tu

I haven't seen enough to come to a conclusion, or be alarmed, as to the quality of his hands, but it's something to keep an eye on.

It could very well just be, that his lack of familiarity with the players and system, combined with the urgency of the situation to perform well, had him overthinking and playing a little too hyped, though.

The hands just might settle down, if Pops is given the chance to settle down himself.

[mystargtr34]

He didnt have an issue with his hands when he was dunking on Ilgauskas. The two plays he couldnt control the board was when Hickson And/Or Jackson got hands to the ball aswell - poking it away.

[Blackjack]

He didnt have an issue with his hands when he was dunking on Ilgauskas. The two plays he couldnt control the board was when Hickson And/Or Jackson got hands to the ball aswell - poking it away.

Again, I haven't seen enough to come to any conclusions, but it was the tipping and not being able to stick a fork in it, so to speak, on some of his attempts to secure the rebound, that DPG and myself noticed. It's one thing if your Rodman playing volleyball to secure a rebound, and quite another if your just stabbing at the ball.

Hopefully, it's nothing to worry about, because after seeing some of the success Powe had against the Lakers last year... I'm thinking Pops has a shot to do the same for the Spurs, at some point.

[DespЏrado]

After seeing the game last night Pops has the most potential of any big man since Malik Rose. The guy is a stud, especially if he can keep up that intensity and hustle I wouldn't hesitate to start moving him right up the PT ladder. I would throw him out there right now to see if he can keep it up. This is the time to experiment. Put him in the game and pretend the guy has a 21 on his uniform, at least until the real one gets back.

11 and 6 are Duncan like numbers in about the same minutes...The defense is the only reason to think he might not work out, but hell garbage minutes are so much more frenetic than the pacing of a real game that it doesn't seem fair to compare.

[SenorSpur]

I remember seeing Pops play for GW in the NCAA tourney before he came to the NBA. He played every game with an intense amount of energy and was the heart of his team. I saw some potential in him then and when he didn't get drafted, I was surprised. Then he ended up on the Mavericks, but never got any real PT. I am glad to see him on our team and I hope he sticks around.

Same here. I watched him and his team in the tourney that year too. The only reason I did is because ESPN, particularly Scott Van Pelt, had initiated a hype campaign surrounding him. The network ran a special piece on him in the weeks leading up to the tourney.

It turns out he became somewhat of an urban campus cult celebrity while at GW. I'm not just talking with the students either, but also with many of the professors. He was considered an excellent student, very studious, courteous and was definitely the BMOC. Getting through all the hype, the fact is he was, and still is, a very raw and unpolished basketball player. He was strictly a dunker and a terrible FT shooter, who got into a lot of foul trouble. In fact, he fouled out of his last tournament game.

On the flip side, he's developed a bit since then, though he still has a long ways to go. Obviously, he has wonderful athleticism, phenomenal ability and potential. He does work hard and has great desire to succeed. I'm anxious to see if he's developed any type of a face-up shot from 5-10 feet away or if he has any post-up moves. Still, I really like what he brings to the table and hope that the Spurs can reap the benefits of his development. If he does develop into a bonafide player, I'd rather it be here.

[wisnub]

Mensah Bonsu doing power dunk and energy plays....Popovich should put him in regular rotation to kick some energy off the bench...and better put Hairston over Udoka. Anyone agree with me raise your hand in the air...

[mattyc]

Mensah-Bonsu looks pretty athletic and exciting from the highlights. Would be interested to see how he goes with some more game time. Shows a fair bit of hustle which we have lacked somewhat over recent times.

Could be a find.

[PerforatedNeckline]

where can i see highlights of his and hairston's contributions against the cavs?

[Spursmania]

http://www.photodump.org/stored13/Donnie_Walsh.jpg:lmao:lmao:lmao