GROB's return?

[Phil Hellmuth]

I am guessing he is coming back on the home game 4 days from now.

I think he can put up big numbers with this no defense squad we are playing. No longer have to worry about being frozen on the offense of end because it is more free flowing playing against PHX.

[RobinsontoDuncan]

I wonder if he will be motivated to go kick some ass after the passing of his mother, or maybe he really doesn't want to play basketball right now. I think either reaction is reasonable, I luckily have not had to deal with that emotional abyss yet.

[boutons]

I bet he won't play much, esp in close games.

The rotation is very tight now and he's past his tryout stage where he got a lot of minutes at the end of the season in meaningless games.

His dumbass T couldn't have been appreciated by the coaching staff, in a game that the Soncis won by 1 pt.

I'd love him to be a sure thing, with passable D and a few buckets, but I've kinda lost confidence in him as a playoff contributor outside of garbage.

[T Park]

I'd love him to be a sure thing, with passable D and a few buckets, but I've kinda lost confidence in him as a playoff contributor outside of garbage

i havent lost faith.

This is a series that would work for him.

Hope he is ok mentally, wouldnt blame him if he WASNT there mentally for it.

But I wouldnt totally give up on him, hes got shots left in him.

[Mr Dio]

Above all, hope he & his family are doing as best as is possible in a time like this.

[bigbendbruisebrother]

Bump.

Any word on Big Dog's return?

[FromWayDowntown]

I'd expect him back, and I could see him getting some time as this series winds down. Big Dog's ability to create shots in traffic would be a key asset in a series against a good man-to-man defensive team like, say, Detroit.

I wonder how much Big Dog will appreciate Pop's understanding of his situation and what I'm sure will be a warm welcome back by the guys. If treating him right might get Big Dog back here on at a discount, that might not be a bad thing.

[Ed Helicopter Jones]

I agree FWD. I don't think he'll play much against Phoenix, unless the game tempo suddenly changes, but against a team like Detroit he could kick tail for us with his mid-range jumper in a half-court set.

With the way the Spurs are getting to the rim against the Suns I don't think BigDog is as needed as he likely will be in the Finals.

[Ed Helicopter Jones]

That being said, if Pop chooses to match small for small, I think Robinson can play the 4 spot against Phoenix.

[FromWayDowntown]

I agree FWD. I don't think he'll play much against Phoenix, unless the game tempo suddenly changes, but against a team like Detroit he could kick tail for us with his mid-range jumper in a half-court set.

With the way the Spurs are getting to the rim against the Suns I don't think BigDog is as needed as he likely will be in the Finals.

You know, Chopper, I hate to say that I've been thinking about this, but it seems to me that in the same way that Phoenix's style of play fits Barry quite well (offensive free-wheeling with little premium on defense), I think Detroit's is nice fit for the way Big Dog does his stuff. If the Spurs can get that far, I would expect Big Dog to see some good time and be given the opportunity to make a difference.

I heard someone speculate that Pop telling Big Dog to take as much time as he needs was essentially a "we don't really need you" kind of thing. I doubt that very much; I think it was much more of a "we understand you're a human being whose just lost his mother," and "basketball will still be here," kind of sentiment from Pop. Much like Pop never pressured Tim to play at the end of the 2002 series against Seattle. Like I said before, Big Dog seems to understand that the Spurs are respectful of who he is and have gone some length to help him resurrect his career. I wonder if the Spurs want him back for next season, and I wonder if Glenn won't take those considerations in mind when deciding where he'll play. IMO, he could be an awfully nice fit coming off the bench here for a few years.

[boutons]

If the guy isn't totally devastated, then getting back to productive work is a hell of a lot more therapeutic than wallowing in remorse. It's also a hell of a relief and distraction from something that is best healed with time.