How long do we keep playing Manu career-high minutes?

[Cant_Be_Faded]

I like the fact that we're racking up wins early.....but....something's gotta give eventually.

No way Manu can just start playing career high minutes for an entire season at his age with his history, without asking for major trouble.


I guess we can blame Anderson's glass foot, partly.

[Cant_Be_Faded]

Still so put out by that Anderson injury. We had a chance for perfect depth.

[ShoogarBear]

If Hill would ever develop some consistency . . . he could be soaking up a lot Anderson's minutes and get Manu back under the 30 MPG mark.

[Gutter92]

Still so put out by that Anderson injury. We had a chance for perfect depth.

Better now than later in the season..

[ShoogarBear]

Okay, now why is Manu in with a 20 point lead and three minutes left????

[Dex]

Okay, now why is Manu in with a 20 point lead and three minutes left????

Pop is chastising Manu for asking for a quick start.

"You want to start fast!?"

[DPG21920]

Hill is starting to play well. Lets see Hill start to up his minutes.

[SpursRulez4eVeR]

I like hill starting and manu subs in ~6 min mark in 1st quarter.

[DAF86]

I've heard Manu said that he wants to play around 35 mins per game, I think Pop is pleasing him.

[ElNono]

Manu sat down and the Warriors cut it to 12... he's on a roll right now. Milk up the wins then we can ship him to Hawaii in February once we already have a sizeable lead in the standings

[TMTTRIO]

he's fine. Now that hes in the starting unit there's actually less pressure on him plus with him jacking up more threes and not going super hard he saves a lot on his body.

[thekingrobert]

he played 30 mins tonight at GS

[kaji157]

I´ve read that he wanted to play 35 on average and the staff agreed on 33 average. He is at 33.3 but those 33.3 are a lot lighter playing with the starters than playing 29 with the reserves and (let´s face it) coming from behind, because last year when coming off the bench he usually needed to cut back leads.

[ShoogarBear]

You can rationalize it any way you want, 33-35 MPG is too many.

Yes, he's shooting more threes than before, but he's also going to the line at about the same rate (6.1/36 min) as his career average (6.2).

In March, people are going to be screaming when the dead legs catch up to him.

[Chomag]

You can rationalize it any way you want, 33-35 MPG is too many.

Yes, he's shooting more threes than before, but he's also going to the line at about the same rate (6.1/36 min) as his career average (6.2).

In March, people are going to be screaming when the dead legs catch up to him.

I kind of agree, with the way the Spurs are playing right now I think people are forgetting how much mileage the Spur's core has on them.

Would like to see them being paced a bit better.

[DesignatedT]

Manu has been playing unbelievable but the minute situation does worry me. He is playing too many minutes. If he god forbids hurts something it would absolutely kill us, its just not worth it and pop needs to limit his minutes more.

[SA210]

manu sat down and the warriors cut it to 12... He's on a roll right now. milk up the wins then we can ship him to hawaii in february once we already have a sizeable lead in the standings

mvp

[Chomag]

i think it's the strength in parker's legs we should be worrying about

I'm starting to wonder if that nagging foot injury he had last season is creeping back up on him. I hope not.

[Cry Havoc]

You can rationalize it any way you want, 33-35 MPG is too many.

Yes, he's shooting more threes than before, but he's also going to the line at about the same rate (6.1/36 min) as his career average (6.2).

In March, people are going to be screaming when the dead legs catch up to him.

Alternatively, maybe we have a dream record of like ~28-30 games over .500 at the break and can coast into the playoffs, getting Manu rest in March and April so he can play more minutes in the playoffs, as opposed to needing to play him at full tilt late in the season to lock up a top 4 seed.

[z0sa]

Anderson injury is the one reason manu is really playing an extended amount of minutes.

FWIW, he's definitely adjusted his game to suit his body better. He is relying on his 3 point shot to open things up, helping him avoid contact in the lanes, and he's throwing a lot of floaters.

[thispego]

yeah parker is already starting to have trouble finishing. just like last year

[justinandimcool]

34 minutes against Dallas and NOLA, and we needed every one. He only played 30 tonight, and I thought that was the plan. Am I missing something here? It's fine. It's Tony I'm more worried about at this point.

[jestersmash]

People make way too big of a deal regarding Ginobili's minutes.

He's not as fragile as people make him out to be, and he's clearly been capable of playing consistently big minutes over the course of a year if you factor in his NT play.

He didn't play during the summer this year so he could reasonably be expected to play 31-32 minutes per game. Not only that, it's not like he's sacrificing his body excessively during those extra minutes. He's being prudent with that extra time and attempting more 3 point shots.

He's not Gilbert fucking Arenas (as far as being injury-prone goes)

[Asshole]

yeah parker is already starting to have trouble finishing.

That's what eva said.

[jestersmash]

http://www.senia.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/01/swish.jpg

[SpursDynasty85]

I think we should give Manu the benefit of the doubt for now. He's playing the best basketball of his career which can only suggest he's in great shape. He is our Kobe bryant: Clutch, crafty, and all-around deadly. He doesn't seem to be playing at the crazy pace he's been playing in the past 3 years. His 33 mpg is just a stat. Plus were 15-2, best record in the NBA. This is was the plan all along. :)

[Sean Cagney]

34 minutes against Dallas and NOLA, and we needed every one. He only played 30 tonight, and I thought that was the plan. Am I missing something here? It's fine. It's Tony I'm more worried about at this point.

Yeah Tony blew again tonight bro!

[jjktkk]

I worry as well, but I'm sure Pop does as well and will closely monitor Manu, making sure hes not wearing down.

[TD 21]

'Till the wheels fall off.

The problem I have is how unnecessary some of the minutes are. At the slightest bit of adversity, Pop rushes to put Ginobili back into the game. In the Hornets game, there was no need for him to return late and definitely no need to stay in an extra minute after the game was clearly over and Duncan and Parker were pulled. Again tonight, there was no need to put him back in late, yet he did it anyway.

If Pop doesn't feel all that confident without someone to carry the offense in the game, then at least play Parker those extra few unnecessary minutes.

They could easily have Ginobili playing about a minute less per game right now, but for the first time ever, they don't seem to care all that much. Hill (who's starting to play more), Jefferson and when he's hot (like he is now), Neal can all handle a few more minutes, particularly against mediocre or worse teams.

[mingus]

The problem I have is how unnecessary some of the minutes are.

i agree with this. tonight for example. he could've played probably 5 less minutes. this can be said for a lot of games.

that said, i think his minutes situation is being a bit overblown.

first, i'm sure that Pop knows that Manu's status and how he feels. i just find it absurd that Pop would play Manu w/o knowing from Manu that he feels good to go.

second, Manu has changed his game considerably. he does half the amount of driving that he used to do and shoots about twice as much. he's also much more of a play maker , creating open shots for others. and his rebounding numbers are down on a minute-per-minute basis. he's only driving when he absolutely needs to drive, where as before that was mostly his game. he's playing more, but his body isn't taking near the pounding that it used to. the nickname that i belive Brent Barry coined for him, "the contusion" isn't as befitting as it once was. he's plays a different style that is a lot less conducive to getting injured. i think this is the way Manu knows he has to play in order to give the team 33 minutes a night if he expects to not get worn down.

[FkLA]

We tried limiting players minutes, and religiously sticking to that plan last year...how'd that turn out ?

[duncan228]

Manu’s been really scorching it. We know he’s got that capability but it’s still fun to sit there and watch him do it. He’s feeling good right now so we’re going to roll with him.

[maddnezz]

http://lolsnaps.com/upload_images/real/854.gifTILL THE PAWS FALL OFF!:king

[hitmanyr2k]

People make way too big of a deal regarding Ginobili's minutes.

He's not as fragile as people make him out to be, and he's clearly been capable of playing consistently big minutes over the course of a year if you factor in his NT play.

He didn't play during the summer this year so he could reasonably be expected to play 31-32 minutes per game. Not only that, it's not like he's sacrificing his body excessively during those extra minutes. He's being prudent with that extra time and attempting more 3 point shots.

He's not Gilbert fucking Arenas (as far as being injury-prone goes)

Exactly. I've been saying it since the start of the season. With Ginobili it's never been about how many minutes he plays. It's the way he's played. He's playing a much more controlled game this year. He's not putting his body in those kind of situations where he can get hurt. He's not putting that kind of frenetic energy into every play that he has in the past. He's not taking those hard drives seeking contact like he used to. This year his game is more about step-back midrange jumpers and threes. The Spurs have been limiting his minutes for the last 3 seasons with no positive effects whatsoever. And I'm still convinced babying him with those limited minutes have been detrimental to his conditioning in the postseason when he's asked to play those extra minutes and gets gassed. The way he's playing now and the minutes he's getting are absolutely perfect.

[Barfunk]

Exactly. I've been saying it since the start of the season. With Ginobili it's never been about how many minutes he plays. It's the way he's played. He's playing a much more controlled game this year. He's not putting his body in those kind of situations where he can get hurt. He's not putting that kind of frenetic energy into every play that he has in the past. He's not taking those hard drives seeking contact like he used to. This year his game is more about step-back midrange jumpers and threes. The Spurs have been limiting his minutes for the last 3 seasons with no positive effects whatsoever. And I'm still convinced babying him with those limited minutes have been detrimental to his conditioning in the postseason when he's asked to play those extra minutes and gets gassed. The way he's playing now and the minutes he's getting are absolutely perfect.

This. Plus he only played 30 min tonight and is averaging 33min. Those aren't exactly jaw dropping minutes. It's not like he is playing 40mpg. In the words of Major Payne, "Stop babying him!" Manuel Chernobly will be fine. :toast

[jestersmash]

Exactly. I've been saying it since the start of the season. With Ginobili it's never been about how many minutes he plays. It's the way he's played. He's playing a much more controlled game this year. He's not putting his body in those kind of situations where he can get hurt. He's not putting that kind of frenetic energy into every play that he has in the past. He's not taking those hard drives seeking contact like he used to. This year his game is more about step-back midrange jumpers and threes. The Spurs have been limiting his minutes for the last 3 seasons with no positive effects whatsoever. And I'm still convinced babying him with those limited minutes have been detrimental to his conditioning in the postseason when he's asked to play those extra minutes and gets gassed. The way he's playing now and the minutes he's getting are absolutely perfect.

Well put. I agree completely, and I'm impressed that a Bulls fan is more sensible/knowledgeable about the subject than many Spurs fans who, in my opinion, sometimes unnecessarily cringe when Ginobili plays 32+ minutes per game.

[ALVAREZ6]

This. Plus he only played 30 min tonight and is averaging 33min. Those aren't exactly jaw dropping minutes. It's not like he is playing 40mpg. In the words of Major Payne, "Stop babying him!" Manuel Chernobly will be fine. :toast

Damn right :ihit


http://larrybrownsports.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/manu-ginobili-nose.jpg

[JustinJDW]

Yeah, that's actually the most thing I'm worried about. Manu's minutes. I don't like him playing 32+ minutes against crappy teams and I don't like him always playing in the 4th quarter when we pretty much have the game put away, like tonight. I feel like he might go back to old Manu and have some time of freak injury. Anything could happen.

But I do know that part of it is due to James Anderson being out. When he comes back, our depth should go back to being perfect, and expect less minutes from Manu. :)

[OrEmuN]

He is our Kobe bryant: Clutch, crafty, and all-around deadly.

Nah. Manu is better than Kobe this season.
He does not miss a 3 pointer against Pacer and after getting it back, proceed to airball the potential game-tyign shot.

[roycrikside]

People need to calm down. Half of his FGA are threes and he's shooting a lot of 2-pt jumpers and floaters too. Even when he does get fouled he's not getting clotheslined by four guys at the rim or anything like that, it's more like a guy hitting his elbow or shoulder on a drive.

Plus, you expand most of your energy on defense anyway. Now that the Spurs are a run-n-gun team, they try hard on defense maybe a quarter or a half most games. Pop protects Manu a lot by putting him on standstill shooters and not guys who are gonna beat him up in the post.

[mountainballer]

Manu is not playing 40MPG.
we got that much used to the "limit Manu's minutes" mantra, that we get confused and worried about some 33 MPG.
when healthy, this amount isn't a problem for any NBA veteran. it becomes an issue, if the player has some chronic health problems. (like Tim's knees)
Manu has had his share of injuries, mostly caused by his style, but overall I would call him pretty robust. even his often mentioned ankles might not be more prone than the average players ankles.
I'm also sure he works as hard on his conditioning like any player.

bottom line: playing a totally healthy Manu for 33 MPG is likely less of a problem than playing a hurt or worn out Manu for 22 MPG.

[iManu]

Listen people,

I don't know if you've ever played basketball, before, but if you have:

you KNOW what you can handle

AND what makes you happy.

Happy Spurs = Best Fucking Basketball team in the world.










We've been intentionally playing under the radar for too long. You know we would have beat the Lakers last year.

You know it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[DAF86]

You can rationalize it any way you want, 33-35 MPG is too many.

Why? Manu thinks he can play at least 35 mins per game, and by the look of things the coaching staff seems to think so too. Why do you think you know better than them how many minutes are too many?

Seriously people, we must be the only fan base in the NBA bitching about our leading scorer playing 33 mins per game. If anything, most fans would bitch about that beign too little.

[SA210]

Nothing to see here. Manu being Manu. Let the MVP do what he does.

Go Spurs.

[Cant_Be_Faded]

Why? Manu thinks he can play at least 35 mins per game, and by the look of things the coaching staff seems to think so too. Why do you think you know better than them how many minutes are too many?

Seriously people, we must be the only fan base in the NBA bitching about our leading scorer playing 33 mins per game. If anything, most fans would bitch about that beign too little.

Do not confuse bitching with a good natured discussion.

[carina_gino20]

Would rather see him play 26-28 min. The wins are nice but it's a long season. The 2nd highest mpg Manu's played was 07-08 and we know how that ended.

I blame this on Jacques Vaughn. He comes back and Manu starts playing 33mpg. :lol

[Josepatches_]

i think it's the strength in parker's legs we should be worrying about

Right now he seems to be more tired than Manu.Maybe he needs to decrease his minutes more than Manu.

Manu never played a lot of minutes per game.To be exhausted wasn't his bigger problem in the past.Last year he ended the regular season better than ever. I'm more concerned about his ankles

Manu is playing more minutes but the team is winning and TD is playing less and with the lower intensity of his career.I will be happy if Manu is some tired in May but TD is at 95/100%.

[Josepatches_]

Nah. Manu is better than Kobe this season.
He does not miss a 3 pointer against Pacer and after getting it back, proceed to airball the potential game-tyign shot.

That's sure.

[ohmwrecker]

I waiting 'til the middle of January or so. Anderson will be back and Hill should have his head fully dislodged from his ass by then. If Manu's minutes aren't cut back a little by All-Star break, I might start to think about maybe being concerned.

Also, a healthy Manu playing under 35 per seems pretty normal. I don't really get what's all the hubbub.

[DAF86]

Do not confuse bitching with a good natured discussion.

Ok, we must be the only fan base having a good natured discussion about our leading scorer playing 33 mins per game.

[duncan228]

Ginobili: The Spurs’ Man for All Paces (http://offthedribble.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/12/01/ginobili-the-spurs-man-for-all-paces/?src=twrhp)
By Rob Mahoney
Off The Dribble
New York Times

The San Antonio Spurs, in both success and failure, have long been a balancing act. On one end, we have an establishment. Tim Duncan is one of the best to ever lace up, and his style -– deliberate, dominant, calculated -– is perfectly in line with the philosophy of Coach Gregg Popovich. The two have functioned as the heart of the Spurs for more than a decade, and their track record speaks for itself.

On the other extreme is San Antonio’s point guard Tony Parker. At his best, Parker is a dynamo, capable of creating his entire team’s offense as a function of his scoring. He’s insanely quick, brilliantly improvisational, and can best influence the game when flying off the cuff and on the break.

Keep Reading... (http://offthedribble.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/12/01/ginobili-the-spurs-man-for-all-paces/?src=twrhp)

[Agloco]

Re: How long do we keep playing Manu career-high minutes?

Qsal_3b-dG8

[temujin]

You just don't play Ginobili up by 18 against GSW in the 4th.

You just don't.

Keep this gem in the bank.

[bigbendbruisebrother]

I wonder how much of Manu playing late into last night's blowout was the coaching staff trying to get Splitter some time on the floor with Manu.

Regardless, I'm glad Manu's back to full strength, and I'm glad Pop's not taking baby steps with him. It seems to me Pop and company are going after one for the thumb this season. The survivors can heal up next season during the lockout.

[Agloco]

You just don't play Ginobili up by 18 against GSW in the 4th.

You just don't.

Keep this gem in the bank.

Pop took him out. GS propmtly went on a 6-0 run and Pop then reinserted him. GS is one of those teams for whom a 20 point lead doesn't mean all that much (unless you're under 2 minutes to play).

[DesignatedT]

It was very clear tonight what the difference is when having a fresh Manu and a fatigued Manu. This game tonight made it clear that Manu is playing too many minutes too early in the season. I am not saying he looked terrible out there (He was probably still our best player tonight) but if our team looks this fatigued going into the playoffs than we have virtually no chance. I am open to resting Duncan on b2b's immediately and monitoring Manus minutes a lot more.

[ShoogarBear]

So much wisdom and so much failure all in one thread . . .

[DMC]

So much wisdom and so much failure all in one thread . . .
Including you for bumping it.

[Cant_Be_Faded]

So has he been fatigued lately? He is currently shooting the 2nd worst FG% of his career for the season. about 42%.

[ShoogarBear]

Including you for bumping it.

Yeah, you're right. I said it wouldn't be a problem until March. :(

Well, hopefully this will once and for all put an end to all these annual idiotic threads about how many minutes Manu can play.

[Cant_Be_Faded]

ehhhh am i just that much smarter than 99% of you or is Ginobili just in a run-of-the-mill shooter's slump?

[Capt Bringdown]

ehhhh am i just that much smarter than 99% of you or is Ginobili just in a run-of-the-mill shooter's slump?

Improper form to question Manu. There is no conceivable problem or downside, all is sweetness and light.