WTF is Ian not playing?

[lebomb]

Shit, everytime I watch him in a game, he is aggressive, scores, blocks and pulls down boards. AND PLEASE DONT SAY DURING SCRUB TIME. Because Ive seen him do this when he was thrown into the middle of a game.

Isnt this what POP needs? A tall, big up front to slow down the inside penetrations? :bang

Someone please clarify this shit for me. PLEASE!!!

[SpursRulez4eVeR]

Isnt this what POP needs?

:lol what you think?

[fyatuk]

Because with Ian playing, Dallas would somehow get free throws while the Spurs had the ball....

[rjv]

ian is probably not playing because he sucks.

[lebomb]

ian is probably not playing because he sucks.


Ok.......... :rolleyes I just watched him play a week or so ago against Minnesota and he had 14pts, and the last game against Dallas pre playoffs...............he had 8 pts.......all with good shooting percentage.....in 15-20min. Fuck that is way more than what RJ and Bonner have given. :ihit

[TJastal]

ian is probably not playing because he sucks.

So Hill not playing in last year's playoffs = Hill suck too? C'mon.... he can't be any worse than Bonner defensively at this point, he might even make Dirk break a sweat out there.

[Dr. Gonzo]

Great thread and nice use of the smilies.

[ChumpDumper]

You can try Ian, but I doubt he would last long.

[lebomb]

he might even make Dirk break a sweat out there.



THAT IS ALL WE WANT FROM HIM REALLY!!!!!!, anything more is gravy. :hat

[lebomb]

Great thread and nice use of the smilies.

........with utmost respect. STFU!!!! :toast

[rjv]

ian is very foul prone and he would just be putting dirk on the line. he also is very turnover prone. defensively he just would not offer enough to what he takes away from us on the offensive side of the court. bonner is terrible on defense as well but at least he spaces the floor and hits an occasional three.

[admiralsnackbar]

So Hill not playing in last year's playoffs = Hill suck too? C'mon.... he can't be any worse than Bonner defensively at this point, he might even make Dirk break a sweat out there.

Hill played throughout that season. Ian hasn't played throughout any season -- healthy or otherwise. Do the math. You really believe Pop didn't re-sign him because he's a stud? You really think Pop's not playing him because Pop wants to make his team weaker? :lol

[SenorSpur]

So Hill not playing in last year's playoffs = Hill suck too? C'mon.... he can't be any worse than Bonner defensively at this point, he might even make Dirk break a sweat out there.

And after having seen Blair's minutes reduced to 18mins in Game 1, we should surmise that he sucks too? This, after posting a 20 & 20 several days earlier against the starters for the same playoff opponent. GMAFB!

Pop's love affair will "small-ball" means the will get themselves killed again on the boards, just like a replay of 2006.

While Dirk is damn near an unstoppable offensive force on one end, there's nothing wrong with making him work on the defensive end. Both Blair and Ian would do that.

[TJastal]

Hill played throughout that season. Ian hasn't played throughout any season -- healthy or otherwise. Do the math. You really believe Pop didn't re-sign him because he's a stud? You really think Pop's not playing him because Pop wants to make his team weaker? :lol

Well there's talk of Temple playing and he hasn't played much during the season either.. probably as much as Ian has.

That makes me think, knowing Pop, we'll probably see Temple trying to guard Dirk tomorrow in some crazy small-ball lineup. :D

[MaNu4Tres]

This thread should be about Blair deserving more minutes, instead of ranting and raving about a player who couldn't even see the court in the regular season.

[admiralsnackbar]

That makes me think, knowing Pop, we'll probably see Temple trying to guard Dirk tomorrow in some crazy small-ball lineup. :D

You never can tell :lol

But seriously, the reason Temple will play is that there simply isn't another option at the 1 besides Mason, who is is useless. If Ian were considered useful, he would have jumped in front of Bonner by now since his length would let Pop play twin tower basketball.

[SenorSpur]

You never can tell :lol

But seriously, the reason Temple will play is that there simply isn't another option at the 1 besides Mason, who is is useless. If Ian were considered useful, he would have jumped in front of Bonner by now since his length would let Pop play twin tower basketball.

Mason is useless. If Bonner continues to get torched on the defensive end and keeps chucking up bricks on the offensive end, he's also rendered useless. That is an issue in and of itself. The role players have been useless.

[lebomb]

This thread should be about Blair deserving more minutes, instead of ranting and raving about a player who couldn't even see the court in the regular season.


Why not try Ian, Timmy and Blair out there in the front line up..........just once??? Or at least Ian at Center and rotate Blair and RJ in/out.

What the hell do the Spur have to lose besides the series if they keep going with bullshit small ball.

[G-Dawgg]

I say try Ian cuz we likely won't win the series anyways.... I'll still cheer for the Spurs in their losing cause.

[Whisky Dog]

I'd never have Ian on Dirk, put him on gaywood and let Dice/TD check Dirk.

[SenorSpur]

I'd never have Ian on Dirk, put him on gaywood and let Dice/TD check Dirk.

Agree. At least, he'd be able to make Haywood work. Ian has show an startling ability to draw fouls on the opposition's bigs. Hits his FTs too. The Spurs could do themselves well be luring the Mavs into the bonus early in quarters.

[Whisky Dog]

Ian could be a big factor in this series, if Pop had developed him this season. Of course he chose to stick with Bonner and that's paying off big right now!

If Ian had gotten serious rotation burn since day 1 the refs would respect him more. Unfortunate that the game is officiated in that crooked fashion, but it is.

[Obstructed_View]

Um the same reason he hasn't gotten any playing time all year long: Because he doesn't have any experience. Funny how that happens when you don't play a guy, but you can't throw him in now when the refs don't know him because Dirk will go to the free throw line as many times as the whole Spurs team does.

Wait a sec...

[Chomag]

Um the same reason he hasn't gotten any playing time all year long: Because he doesn't have any experience. Funny how that happens when you don't play a guy, but you can't throw him in now when the refs don't know him because Dirk will go to the free throw line as many times as the whole Spurs team does.

Wait a sec...

HAHA yep! Would hate to give Dirk freethrows...

[The Truth #6]

Ian would force Dirk to guard someone in the post. Other than Tim Ian is the only Spur with a post game.

We can't defend Dirk. It's not going to happen. We HAVE to take it to him and make him play D. Playing against Bonner completely enables him and allows him to have the best of both worlds. Screw that.

At least Ian would post him up for a few possesions and make him work more than he does now ,which is not at all. Even with Dice, he'd rather hide out shooting jumpers. And Blair has no post game yet.

I'm not sure what's become of the Spurs system. It's like Pop is fielding a team of tall dorky chess players. He prefers soft players because he can control them but then gets angry when they shrink under pressure.

I don't really care if our players had high GPAs, like to write poetry, or blog about sandwiches. It's not like fans have any real connection to players anyway, other than occasionally serving them and getting mediocre tips.

I'd like to see a team that plays hard and plays together. That would be enough.

[J Mack]

Ian would force Dirk to guard someone in the post. Other than Tim Ian is the only Spur with a post game.

We can't defend Dirk. It's not going to happen. We HAVE to take it to him and make him play D. Playing against Bonner completely enables him and allows him to have the best of both worlds. Screw that.

At least Ian would post him up for a few possesions and make him work more than he does now ,which is not at all. Even with Dice, he'd rather hide out shooting jumpers. And Blair has no post game yet.

I'm not sure what's become of the Spurs system. It's like Pop is fielding a team of tall dorky chess players. He prefers soft players because he can control them but then gets angry when they shrink under pressure.

I don't really care if our players had high GPAs, like to write poetry, or blog about sandwiches. It's not like fans have any real connection to players anyway, other than occasionally serving them and getting mediocre tips.

I'd like to see a team that plays hard and plays together. That would be enough.
:toast I totally agree 1 trillion %

[fyatuk]

Agree. At least, he'd be able to make Haywood work. Ian has show an startling ability to draw fouls on the opposition's bigs. Hits his FTs too. The Spurs could do themselves well be luring the Mavs into the bonus early in quarters.

He's also shown a really good ability to seal off opponents to create driving lanes, something that was sorely missing in game 1.

Still, with the soft fouls the Mavs get and Ian's propensity for fouling anyway (and yes I agree if he had time during the season this would be much less of an issue), it's probably not beneficial for him to be out there. Wouldn't be opposed to giving him a chance, but you can't leave him out of it looks like he's going to be whistled.

[HankChinaski]

Playing Ian doesn't seem like a feasible idea at this point. I don't see a reason for Pop to panic and throw someone in like Ian in the lineup. Obviously adjustments on the defensive end need to be made but aside from that I think our big rotation that is out there is as good as it will get for the spurs against the mavs. I'm expecting fighting off dirk for positioning is something the spurs are going to work on before he touches the ball.

It's only game 1 of the series.

[SenorSpur]

Playing Ian doesn't seem like a feasible idea at this point. I don't see a reason for Pop to panic and throw someone in like Ian in the lineup. Obviously adjustments on the defensive end need to be made but aside from that I think our big rotation that is out there is as good as it will get for the spurs against the mavs. I'm expecting fighting off dirk for positioning is something the spurs are going to work on before he touches the ball.

It's only game 1 of the series.

On the contrary. Pop resorted to the cowardly tactic of "Hack-A-Damp", which indicates that he's already desparate.

Also, it's far more difficult to make defensive adjustments when you're employing some players that aren't very good defenders anyway. Outside of Duncan, the big rotation is lacking, as evidenced by the manner in which the Spurs were murdered on the glass. Much of this is Pop's own doing because of his dedication to small-ball.

[HankChinaski]

Well at that point, I'd be disappointed on how the defense was going to. And I'm not going to use the whistle blowing as an excuse, but if the spurs were looking to see if they could get Dallas out of rhythm and then built off of that, I don't see it as desperation it was merely a action to get something going because from that point in the game I was convinced of two things

1. Dirk was balls out on fire Sunday night and I'd rather foul a consistently bad free throw shooter then see him get another shot THAT night.

2. If we could have come out with a clutch three once or twice during those 6 free throws I think it could have been a momentum changer for us.

Now neither panned out so it looked desperate, but doesn't pop pull shit like this all the time and thats why teams hate playing us because of game time actions and decisions?

*edit*

I mean nothing was going on a defense from some key players so may as well try to turn something around with some outside thinking.

[Muser]

He'd foul out in 5-10 minutes.

[mingus]

i'm pretty sure we'll see a rotation with less Bonner next time. Blair has got to play more. it's amazing. Blair gets a 20-20 last game of the season and he hardly gets played. instead Pop finds more minutes for Bonner.Bonner is a worthless piece of junk that should be glued to the bench. he has a nice game every now and then, but they're few and far between, and virtually non-existant against good teams.

if Pop hadn't had his head stuck up his ass the whole damn season, we could have had a nice versatile rotation of Mahinmi/Blair/McDyess. i don't know why Pop has to feel like he has to have a pf that shoots threes. the Robert Horry era is done. plenty of other contenders don't have one. Denver, La, and Boston in '08 didn't have one and all have been successful. Pop is INSISTENT on having a guy that can spread the floor to the 3, forgetting about interior defense and rebounding in the process. his lack of development of Ian results in overusage of Bonner, and a loss. take 5 of the offense rebound away from Dallas and the Spurs win.

[Obstructed_View]

The reasons listed are all good arguments. Unfortunately they're all good arguments for giving Ian enough playing time during the season that he'd be ready to contribute. As Mingus said, you just can't throw him in there now.

[EmptyMan]

wtf do Spurs fans think Ian will always save the day when he has never never never proven himself in the regular season for more than 4 minutes every year.

Why whyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy

http://peijinchen.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2008/10/vlcsnap-1184085.png

[mingus]

wtf do Spurs fans think Ian will always save the day when he has never never never proven himself in the regular season for more than 4 minutes every year.

Why whyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy

http://peijinchen.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2008/10/vlcsnap-1184085.png

no one is asking him to "save the day," moron. those are extreme and distorted expectations. all we're asking him to be is better than Bonner. and i find no problem with expecting that, given what he's done in time he's gotten, and the level of Bonner's suckage to go along with it. obviously, now, he might not be better because he's foul out in a second; but with learned feel for the game, it be stupid to not believe he could have been.

[xellos88330]

If the calls are being made in the Mavs favor... put in Mahinmi. The Spurs would be getting called for everything anyways, makes no difference who is in there.

At the very least Dirk wouldn't have as many And 1's on jumpshots.

How many And 1's did Dirk have in game 1 on jumpers... 3?

[Dr. Gonzo]

On the contrary. Pop resorted to the cowardly tactic of "Hack-A-Damp", which indicates that he's already desparate. .

How is that desperation? He employed a strategy that has worked in the past against other poor FT shooters to try and stop momentum.

[SenorSpur]

How is that desperation? He employed a strategy that has worked in the past against other poor FT shooters to try and stop momentum.

Because he admitted that the tactic was employed because his team couldn't stop Dirk. Plus it didn't work anyway. That's desparation.

[Dr. Gonzo]

Ian is the new James White.

Same arguments are being made for him to play as they were for White to be played. The same bullshit, "he will leave the Spurs and go kick ass somewhere else and throw it in stupid Popabitch's face because he is a shitty coach" comments were made then. Just Spurs fans overrating a scrub like Spurs fans love to do.

[Dr. Gonzo]

Because he admitted that the tactic was employed because his team couldn't stop Dirk. Plus it didn't work anyway. That's desparation.

No it's employing a different strategy. If they would have switched to a zone would you call that desperate as well?

[Chomag]

No it's employing a different strategy. If they would have switched to a zone would you call that desperate as well?

As much as I have always hated Phil Jackson I have to hand it to him. Not once has he had his team do that stupid coward shit. Like tonight's game for example, he didn't have his team foul to prevent a 3 point attempt from OKC instead he chose to let the game play out.
HE let the players and ball decide the fate of the game, just as it should be. Not because of some stupid exploit.

[Dr. Gonzo]

If it would have worked and the Spurs ended up on top because of the momentum killer it can provide, you wouldn't be shitting on it.

[objective]

He's also shown a really good ability to seal off opponents to create driving lanes, something that was sorely missing in game 1.


Though playing Ian isn't high on the list of adjustments I'd like to see, this part is 100% true. He really is legit when it comes to that, if anyone has the Synergy Sports or NBA online league pass or still has games DVR'd can see it for themselves, he made baskets happen with how he would seal the lane.


How is that desperation? He employed a strategy that has worked in the past against other poor FT shooters to try and stop momentum.

Stopping momentum is worthwhile if it's to disrupt an offense. It was a great strategy with Phoenix whose whole mantra was the ball will find it's own energy, move the ball around, get up and down, run run run.

That's where breaking up the flow of an offense really means something.

That's the complete opposite of Dallas. When they weren't scoring off of turnovers, their offense pretty much was either A: give it to Nowitzki to score against whoever was guarding him, or B: give it to Butler to try to score against his man.

Hack-a-Damp did absolutely nothing to disrupt anything, even if he had missed them all. It only delayed the same old touches.

[Waps1980]

lol
We're fouling Dirk anyway so why not give him a run, geez last game no one could stop him so it couldn't have hurt to have a look. Least we'd know for game 2 if he was able to make things a little harder for dirk.

[superjames1992]

LOL, gotta love Spurs fans' fascination with a guy who can't even work his way into the rotation. We drafted him like five years ago and he hasn't developed yet, so I doubt he's going to result in much.

[lebomb]

..........everyone is acting like Ian will be out on the floor alone. All Im saying is that he is a BIG!!! We just need Ian to alter shots, or make people coming into the lane think Ian will block them. The other 4 players on the court can do the scoring. If Ian drops one or two shots in, that is gravy.

[said7]

turnovers and bad shots

[ohmwrecker]

I don't think Ian is any kind of real answer, but it would hurt to throw him out there for a few minutes if the Mavs are getting to the paint or if we are allowing too many ORs. He can't guard Dirk though. He needs to be on Dampwood and rotate to the ball for help. I would rather see Blair get more time though.

[Old School 44]

I'm a big Ian supporter, but realistically, I doubt if Pop will let him see the light of day.
We just need to get Bonner off Dirk. I really think Bonner is a useful offensive player when he doesn't have to guard Dirk. He expends too much energy and it kills his confidence, which renders him useless on the offensive end. Not that Bonner's offense is going to win us a game, but you need to put someone on Dirk whose offensive production (or threat of offensive production) is closer to zero. Someone like Ratliff...oh yeah, he's not on our roster anymore. :(

And again, it's not because anyone else is going to stop Dirk, but it helps save Bonner's strength and the main thing he contributes to the team - three point shooting.

[diego]

i'm pretty sure we'll see a rotation with less Bonner next time. Blair has got to play more. it's amazing. Blair gets a 20-20 last game of the season and he hardly gets played. instead Pop finds more minutes for Bonner.Bonner is a worthless piece of junk that should be glued to the bench. he has a nice game every now and then, but they're few and far between, and virtually non-existant against good teams.

if Pop hadn't had his head stuck up his ass the whole damn season, we could have had a nice versatile rotation of Mahinmi/Blair/McDyess. i don't know why Pop has to feel like he has to have a pf that shoots threes. the Robert Horry era is done. plenty of other contenders don't have one. Denver, La, and Boston in '08 didn't have one and all have been successful. Pop is INSISTENT on having a guy that can spread the floor to the 3, forgetting about interior defense and rebounding in the process. his lack of development of Ian results in overusage of Bonner, and a loss. take 5 of the offense rebound away from Dallas and the Spurs win.

on this same note, mcdyess needs to play more too. He only played 20 some minutes even though he was having a good game. He had 4 fouls, so he could have easily played more. what are we saving him for now, next season? pop needs to stop managing minutes and start riding his best players.

if the refs are giving dirk and 1s because bonner or bogans are standing next to him when he turns and shoots, send Ian in and tell him to lay off dirk till hes about to shoot, then jump on top of him (blair can do this as well). they arent getting their money's worth on their fouls. rough dirk up and make him think about his body instead of the rim.

[Old School 44]

And Blair...when he's "the man", the number one big option on the floor, and knows it, he plays much more loose, more aggressive. That's why he had his 20/20+ game against the Mavs in the last regular season game.

During the regular season, I was hoping we would have eventually moved to this starting lineup - Mahinmi, Duncan, Blair, Ginobili, Parker.

[lebomb]

During the regular season, I was hoping we would have eventually moved to this starting lineup - Mahinmi, Duncan, Blair, Ginobili, Parker.


There is no reason in the world why this lineup can not happen right now. :rolleyes

You can always PULL people, but you cant pull them off the court if they make a couple of mistakes.....IF THEY DONT PLAY!!!! Jeez. :bang

[DBMethos]

And Blair...when he's "the man", the number one big option on the floor, and knows it, he plays much more loose, more aggressive. That's why he had his 20/20+ game against the Mavs in the last regular season game.

During the regular season, I was hoping we would have eventually moved to this starting lineup - Mahinmi, Duncan, Blair, Ginobili, Parker.

No offense, but that lineup would be horrible. No outside shooting whatsoever apart from Manu, so no spacing for Duncan/Parker to operate. Mahinmi would guard Dampwood, leaving Duncan to pick up a bunch of fouls guarding Dirk. Then you're left with Blair on Marion...wow. Kidd would have a field day orchestrating an offense against that lineup.

[Dr. Gonzo]

..........everyone is acting like Ian will be out on the floor alone. All Im saying is that he is a BIG!!! We just need Ian to alter shots, or make people coming into the lane think Ian will block them. The other 4 players on the court can do the scoring. If Ian drops one or two shots in, that is gravy.

Players would gladly drive the lane with Ian there because they would draw the foul on him and get 2 free throws. He isn't altering shots or blocking shots. The dude SUCKS.

[lebomb]

Players would gladly drive the lane with Ian there because they would draw the foul on him and get 2 free throws. He isn't altering shots or blocking shots. The dude SUCKS.


You sure of that? Nostradamus? The only way to know for sure is to play him. If he picks up 2 quick fouls, yank his ass. You can do that in basketball. Bench someone if they arent playing well. :wakeup

[SenorSpur]

Saying Ian sucks is about as ridiculous as someone proclaiming that he's in route to greatness. Both are extreme opinions. The fact is no one knows enough to say either. Anyone who has watched him in several stints this year should know that, while he's still raw, he has shown flashes of skills that no other big on the roster possesses. I don't know how anyone can dispute that.

Like any other player, he's needed actual playing time to refine his game. Anyone check out Serge Ibaka from OKC? He's about as raw as Ian, yet he's getting valuable playing time and is ever improving.

Hopefully, the Spurs have seen enough to know that they need to bring him back for next year.

[Old School 44]

No offense, but that lineup would be horrible. No outside shooting whatsoever apart from Manu, so no spacing for Duncan/Parker to operate. Mahinmi would guard Dampwood, leaving Duncan to pick up a bunch of fouls guarding Dirk. Then you're left with Blair on Marion...wow. Kidd would have a field day orchestrating an offense against that lineup.

None taken. I was basically saying if they were groomed during the regular season, which of course they weren't.
I actually have no issues with Blair on Marion, he has a terrible half court game and I would put Mahinmi as the primary defender on Dirk.
Not because I think Ian is some sort of defensive stopper, Dirk's going to get his no matter who is on him. It's more to protect Duncan from exerting a lot of energy on the defensive end and to have a long/athletic defender in the game to pair with Duncan. About the outside shooting, what dependable outside shooting do we have now? Bonner? Mason? Jefferson? The approach should be sort of like the way the Spurs approached the Suns. Let Amare (Dirk) score, make Nash (Kidd) work on both ends of the floor.