Day of rest before Spurs’ busy weekend

[nbaman99]

Call it the calm before the storm for the Spurs.

San Antonio did not practice Friday morning as it prepares physically for its first back-to-back games of the season.

Philadelphia visits Saturday night at the AT&T Center before the Spurs leave immediately after that game for a trip to Oklahoma City and a game against the heralded Thunder on Sunday night.

Coach Gregg Popovich typically likes to rest Tim Duncan on the second night of a back-to-back, when possible. With Duncan already under the weather this week with flu-like symptoms, it will be interesting to see if that will be the case this weekend.

Popovich could sit Duncan or limit his minutes tomorrow night against the 76ers. Matt Bonner is expected to return for the game after missing nearly two weeks with a sprained ankle, so it might be a way to save Duncan and use him against the Thunder. Popovich also could elect to limit Duncan’s minutes against the struggling 2-6 76ers, who will be on the second night of a back-to-back after playing tonight in Dallas.

Or Duncan could sit Sunday night’s game out, making the Spurs’ chances of winning in Oklahoma City slimmer against that 4-3 team.

Or he could play in both games, since this is the first back-to-back of the season.

Popovich is very calculating in his moves with Duncan as he realizes it’s more important for him to be at peak shape late in the season and the playoffs than worrying about a couple of wins in early November.

So it will be interesting to see how he elects to play this move.

Duncan, meanwhile, is likely propped up on his couch for most of today playing video games with his children. He’ll be ready, however his coach elects to use him this weekend.

http://blog.mysanantonio.com/spursnation/2010/11/12/day-of-rest-before-spurs-busy-weekend/

[Cessation]

After two days rest spurs should come out and make quick work of the sixers so duncan dont play alot of minutes, making it possible for him to play thunder. I think hell play both games, spurs are on a roll, it would be travesty to mess with it.

[JWest596]

I thought the game plan was to get a early strong start and build a standings lead on the season. Make it easier for SA, not have to play catch up. Lead and not follow.

Strike while the fire is hot before the inevitable multi-game losses in a row occur. Tim had the summer off, he's rested but a little rusty. I suspect he can play Philly but a win over OKC would draw some notice is the important game to win. Put doubt of winning and fear of the Spurs in the West and elsewhere.

[Leonard Curse]

even with all the rest duncan and dice need i see pop only playing splitter 10 to 15 minuteseach game just to be a stubborn old fart:shootme

now i want to say i was just kidding but that might be the reality! this is the test on whether or not pop will trust minutes with splitter, all i know is he must not give a shit about duncan and dices legs when hes got a 25 year old, hungry, defensive 7fter !! i will lose hope in pops reasoning if he pulls that crap, oh but if matt bonner were healthy hed be a damn starter playing 30!

[TD 21]

I'd do the opposite. Tomorrow is more than likely going to be tough either way, so what the Spurs should do (and it sounds like they will do) is focus on winning this one tonight at virtually all costs and then tomorrow, take their chances.

It would be foolish to try to manage minutes too much tonight, worry too much about tomorrow and end up losing both. Just make sure to get at least one of these and obviously tonight's should be the easier of the two.

The way this team has been playing, they can't afford to take any team lightly. Particularly one as athletic as the 76ers, who have given them problems over the years because of that.