McDonald: Spurs down one big man vs. Grizz

[duncan228]

Spurs down one big man vs. Grizz (http://blogs.mysanantonio.com/weblogs/courtside/2010/01/spurs-down-one.html)
By Jeff McDonald

The Spurs will face Memphis tonight short one big man, but it's not the one everybody expected.

Tim Duncan is in. Antonio McDyess is out.

McDyess suffered a pinched nerve in his neck during Friday's loss at Charlotte. He will be listed as day-to-day after tonight's game.

Spurs coach Gregg Popovich had originally planned to rest Duncan on the second night of the back-to-back. After a spirited pre-game workout, Duncan convinced Popovich to let him play.

The absence of McDyess certainly helps Duncan's case, but was not the deciding factor, Popovich said.

"I think even if McDyess was healthy, Timmy wants to play tonight," Popovich said a pre-game interview. "He's decided he wants to play."

[HarlemHeat37]

Good decision to play Timmy, we need him to have a nice game tonight..now hopefully we can see a Timmy-Ian combination..

[DPG21920]

Ian time hopefully. Spurs could use his energy and it would be a great measuring stick for Ian. The Memphis front court is very good.

[Fpoonsie]

I suppose it's almost cliche' at this point to ask this on ST, but...

...Ian?

[Fpoonsie]

:lol

[itzsoweezee]

$10 says Popovich continues to stubbornly refuse to play Ian.

[spurspokesman]

Good decision to play Timmy, we need him to have a nice game tonight..now hopefully we can see a Timmy-Ian combination..
Don't hold your breath heat. But it would be nice to see.

[Chieflion]

Karma. Someone started a "I hope all the Mavs player suffer pinched nerves" thread after the loss.

[Flux451]

I am down for Ian to get some PT.

He seems like a viable(premature, I know) candidate to play along side Tim vs. the Lakers tall front court. I just don't see anyone on our team that can match up with Gasol or Bynum other than Tim mainly because of height issues.
Now is a good time for the staff to see if he has what it may take to play elite big men. THe ugly(ier) half of the Gasol siblings is a good test.

[timvp]

Well I guess that's why McDyess only played 3 minutes last game. A number of us saw him holding his shoulder/neck area ... hopefully he's back ASAP.

[Flux451]

Karma. Someone started a "I hope all the Mavs player suffer pinched nerves" thread after the loss.

Serious? IF so, wow. Good thing they didn't start a "I hope all the Mavs player suffer the consequences of amputated limps due to tumors and cancer."

[alchemist]

Serious? IF so, wow. Good thing they didn't start a "I hope all the Mavs player suffer the consequences of amputated limps due to tumors and cancer."
The original title to that thread was something about hoping the Mavs would all die in a plane crash, people take this basketball thing way too serious :lol

[superjames1992]

Trade McDyess!!! He's injury prone! Trade his ass!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[/sarcasm]

[Chieflion]

The original title to that thread was something about hoping the Mavs would all die in a plane crash, people take this basketball thing way too serious :lol
Yeah. Luckily, the title was changed.

[angelbelow]

Lets hope we get a nice look at Ian. See if he has the potential to contribute to our team.

[siraulo23]

small ball...

[superjames1992]

small ball...
Exactly.

Everybody better brace up for tons of small ball tonight, just like we saw last night against Charlotte.

[HarlemHeat37]

if I see RJ guarding Zach Randolph, I'm going to just smile..

[TD 21]

if I see RJ guarding Zach Randolph, I'm going to just smile..

No you're not, be honest. I fear we will in fact see this, after Randolph proceeds to saddle Blair with two fouls in roughly five minutes. No McDyess, no Bonner and since Pop is reluctant to use the long, athletic trio of Ratliff, Mahinmi and Haislip, look for Jefferson to be over matched and worn out attempting to hold his own against Randolph on the block. I suspect we'll see both Ratliff and Mahinmi receive some run tonight, but (in Mahinmi's case in particular) in defense of Thabeet, not Randolph.

[Spurs Brazil]

Bruce used to do a great job on Randolph. Since he's retired, no small ball, please

[superjames1992]

No you're not, be honest. I fear we will in fact see this, after Randolph proceeds to saddle Blair with two fouls in roughly five minutes. No McDyess, no Bonner and since Pop is reluctant to use the long, athletic trio of Ratliff, Mahinmi and Haislip, look for Jefferson to be over matched and worn out attempting to hold his own against Randolph on the block. I suspect we'll see both Ratliff and Mahinmi receive some run tonight, but (in Mahinmi's case in particular) in defense of Thabeet, not Randolph.
Right, Haislip looked so great last night. He was a superstar! He should be playing 40 minutes per night!!!

[TD 21]

Right, Haislip looked so great last night. He was a superstar! He should be playing 40 minutes per night!!!

Except for the fact that I never said any of that. I said Pop was reluctant to play him, which is true. I'd much prefer Mahinmi and Ratliff play ahead of him and I suspect they will tonight.

[superjames1992]

Except for the fact that I never said any of that. I said Pop was reluctant to play him, which is true. I'd much prefer Mahinmi and Ratliff play ahead of him and I suspect they will tonight.
We may see a little of both of them, but not much. We also operated without McDyess most of the last game and we didn't see much of Ratliff or Mahinmi.

I'm expecting some small ball here.

Unless Pop throws us a curve ball and gives us BIG ball! :downspin:

[EmptyMan]

I'm expecting a 50 30 from DB tonight.

[superjames1992]

We may see a little of both of them, but not much. We also operated without McDyess most of the last game and we didn't see much of Ratliff or Mahinmi.

I'm expecting some small ball here.

Unless Pop throws us a curve ball and gives us BIG ball! :downspin:
Small ball has already entered the game and we're only six minutes into the game.

[exstatic]

I am down for Ian to get some PT.

He seems like a viable(premature, I know) candidate to play along side Tim vs. the Lakers tall front court. I just don't see anyone on our team that can match up with Gasol or Bynum other than Tim mainly because of height issues.
Now is a good time for the staff to see if he has what it may take to play elite big men. THe ugly(ier) half of the Gasol siblings is a good test.

You people make me fucking laugh. Ian is a human foul machine. Combine that with the Lakers propensity to GET calls, and he'll never be a factor against them.

[pad300]

You people make me fucking laugh. Ian is a human foul machine. Combine that with the Lakers propensity to GET calls, and he'll never be a factor against them.

So is Dejuan Blair... 5.4 fouls/36 minutes.

What's your point?

He isn't going to learn to get less fouls without playing time.

[exstatic]

So is Dejuan Blair... 5.4 fouls/36 minutes.

What's your point?

He isn't going to learn to get less fouls without playing time.

Yeah, but in between his fouls, DeJuan is in the top 5 in the NBA in 40 minute rebound rate, and is shooting close to 60%. Mahinmi is only in the top 5 in fouls per 5 minutes. Stop wasting time on this clown.

[L.I.T]

Dice would have made a difference in this game. Dejuan Blair, no matter what at this stage in his career, is going to struggle against Zach Randolph and Marc Gasol (probably one of the best, if not the best, rebounding front court in the league). They aren't exceptionally athletic but they're a big, bruising front court. Blair is going to struggle with that. Along with Ian Mahinmi and Haislip. Neither of those guys has shown an ability to really bang without fouling.

Dice would have helped a lot in controlling either Randolph or Gasol and taken some of the rebounding pressures off of TD.

[objective]

Yeah, but in between his fouls, DeJuan is in the top 5 in the NBA in 40 minute rebound rate, and is shooting close to 60%. Mahinmi is only in the top 5 in fouls per 5 minutes. Stop wasting time on this clown.

lol

Mahinmi would be about #10 right now in rp40, shooting 70%, and his fouls don't look too bad considering Blair had 8 fouls over his first 35 minutes his first 2 nba games.

Mahinmi did well. Wound tight, yes, and some bullcrap fouls on him while guarding one of the best big men scorers in the NBA.

[objective]

Dice would have made a difference in this game. Dejuan Blair, no matter what at this stage in his career, is going to struggle against Zach Randolph and Marc Gasol (probably one of the best, if not the best, rebounding front court in the league). They aren't exceptionally athletic but they're a big, bruising front court. Blair is going to struggle with that. Along with Ian Mahinmi and Haislip. Neither of those guys has shown an ability to really bang without fouling.

Dice would have helped a lot in controlling either Randolph or Gasol and taken some of the rebounding pressures off of TD.

maybe, but Dice has had his share of bad games this year.