Do you protect Manu from phyiscal D tonight?

[RobinsontoDuncan]

The object of getting a sweep is to get our banged up guys some rest, and Manu without a doubt is one of those guys. I cringe remembering all the hits he took in the Denver and Seattle series, and now with the threat of another phyiscal (translates to thug) performance on the way, I hope Pop protects him by sitting him when he have the lead and playing him 15 mins if he can get away with it.

Obviously it would be smart to play him in cruch time, so maybe save him for the fourth quarter.

[ObiwanGinobili]

Well if we get the sweep tonight by putting Manu's body on the sacrificial fires.... won't he then have 9 whole days to recover?

And the truth is, no one can control what kind of crazy crap manu does or takes out on the court.. all pop can do is limit his time. But what if he takes 3 major hits in 5 min.s?

[Solid D]

I don't see physical play coming from thoroughbred race horces. Q-Rich can play the physical game occasionally, or If D'Antoni decides to play Voskuhl or Outlaw, maybe. Otherwise, it wouldn't really work well for the Suns.

I don't see Manu being protected by Pop unless the Spurs have run away with this one.

[RobinsontoDuncan]

Amare can be phyiscal, all he has to do is play dirty.

[boutons]

I expect nothing physical from the Suns. Physical hasn't brought them this far, and it won't take them any farther.

I really doubt Mike will try to change horses this deep into the races.

[waly.mg]

The Suns don´t have the players to play phyiscal

If they play Phyiscal, they will be in big fouls troubles

The Sonics have Forston, Evans, Collison and James with 24 fouls, and Ridnour, Allen and R Lewis, with 0 foul

[Solid D]

The two teams in the East - now that's a different story.

[GrandeDavid]

The Spurs just need to get the win tonight by practically any means necessary, including playing Manu 40 minutes, if necessary. He'll have plenty of time to rest up for the Finals.

[spurschick]

I think it will depend on the game. If we take control of it early and maintain throughout, Manu won't have any problem with Pop resting him. If the Suns stay in it, Pop will have a hard time keeping Manu on the bench. If things get too physical, we've always got T-Mass, Rasho and Big Dog. I'm sure Rasho would love to hard foul a few guys for his birthday and you know that Robinson is probably in the mood to hit something.

[RobinsontoDuncan]

Yeah, do we have Big Dog back for tonight though ^^?

[Mark in Austin]

Dumb move. The Suns are a dangerous team, and sitting Manu, arguably the Spurs playoff MVP, would be a huge mistake; if for no other reason than it would piss the Suns off and give them the extra motivation to win a game and extend the series.

In one of the post game interviews, a reporter asked Tim what the Spurs were doing to win. One of the things he listed was respecting the Suns and their ability. Sitting Manu when he's not seriously injured to save him for the finals would be so blatantly disrespectful and arrogant that the Suns would most likely come out on fire. The Suns have been put in a position where they've had to come from behind after the first quarter all series. If they come out of the first with a lead, it changes the whole dynamic of the game; perhaps enough for the Suns to win. Why risk going back to Phoenix for a game 5? Because then Manu will have to play. The Spurs lose game five and it is now 3-2 with the Spurs in a must-win situation in game six in San Antonio; because you don't want to go to a seventh game in AZ. Every extra game this series goes reduces the rest the team as a whole can get. (Duncan needs a week off to give his ankles time to get close to 100%. No matter who comes out of the east, Duncan will have a harder task before him playing against a physical, championship tested frontcourt than what he's faced against the Suns.)

If the Spurs win, they'll have over a week off before the finals. Pleanty of time for El Contusion to heal up. You have to play to win.

[Rick Von Braun]

Dumb move. The Suns are a dangerous team, and sitting Manu, arguably the Spurs playoff MVP, would be a huge mistake; if for no other reason than it would piss the Suns off and give them the extra motivation to win a game and extend the series.

In one of the post game interviews, a reporter asked Tim what the Spurs were doing to win. One of the things he listed was respecting the Suns and their ability. Sitting Manu when he's not seriously injured to save him for the finals would be so blatantly disrespectful and arrogant that the Suns would most likely come out on fire. The Suns have been put in a position where they've had to come from behind after the first quarter all series. If they come out of the first with a lead, it changes the whole dynamic of the game; perhaps enough for the Suns to win. Why risk going back to Phoenix for a game 5? Because then Manu will have to play. The Spurs lose game five and it is now 3-2 with the Spurs in a must-win situation in game six in San Antonio; because you don't want to go to a seventh game in AZ. Every extra game this series goes reduces the rest the team as a whole can get. (Duncan needs a week off to give his ankles time to get close to 100%. No matter who comes out of the east, Duncan will have a harder task before him playing against a physical, championship tested frontcourt than what he's faced against the Suns.)

If the Spurs win, they'll have over a week off before the finals. Pleanty of time for El Contusion to heal up. You have to play to win. Ditto. Good post MIA.

[samikeyp]

That is too radical of a change for the Suns. The only chance they have...small as it may be, is too keep running. Besides, D'Antoni is not a dirty coach.

[SPARKY]

Ugh. This series is not over. The last thing the Spurs need to do is screw around and give Phoenix any life in this series.

[tsb2000]

If (when!) the Spurs get this game in hand, it's not like the Suns to be a cheap, dirty team. They are much like the Spurs in that regard. Both teams are high on character. I wouldn't expect anything like that from Phoenix.

[Obvious]

If the Spurs win, they'll have over a week off before the finals. Pleanty of time for El Contusion to heal up. You have to play to win.
Exactly!! Suns are still alive and they will play his way today.
The only way to beat them is with Manu playing at 100%.
Don't expect stop them only with another D game.

[SouthernFried]

Gee, Manu has only been playing this way since...Forever! All a sudden everyone's worried he may get hurt playing the way he's been playing all his life?

Go outside, play a video game, jump in bed with your significant other and fornicate your ears off.... relax a little ;)

[sa_butta]

still dont think Phoenix plays D and besides I dont think they will attack Manu with brutal force, most of things he does is because he wants to get in there and get banged up and score baskets. I say dont change is style of play and if it helps us win let him do what he does best... (human pin ball)

[ducks]

if manu can not handle some physical play then you trade his ass
sonics were physical with him
denver was also


really there is no reason why he can not handle phyiscal play

[spurschick]

if manu can not handle some physical play then you trade his ass
sonics were physical with him
denver was also


really there is no reason why he can not handle phyiscal play

I don't think there is any doubt that he can handle physical play - he's just as good as dishing it out, when necessary, as he is in taking it. I think it's just fan paranoia that we wouldn't want him, or any of the other key players, to get hurt at this point. Especially if we take control of the game from the start and get some huge lead that the Suns can't recover from. If that happens, you know that Pop will put Timmy and Manu on the bench, maybe even Tony.

[spursfan05]

bench manu again? get fucked

[sa_butta]

bench manu again? get fuckedI choose get fucked.

[RobinsontoDuncan]

I don't think there is any doubt that he can handle physical play - he's just as good as dishing it out, when necessary, as he is in taking it. I think it's just fan paranoia that we wouldn't want him, or any of the other key players, to get hurt at this point. Especially if we take control of the game from the start and get some huge lead that the Suns can't recover from. If that happens, you know that Pop will put Timmy and Manu on the bench, maybe even Tony.


My sentiment exactly, I thought with Tim Duncan it could go unspoken...er....unwritten that you protect him once the game becomes meaningless.

[spurschick]

bench manu again? get fucked

Nobody is talking about benching him... relax.

[Spurodamus]

http://members.aol.com/blackrose3000/images/negrodamus.jpg

Spurs fans make Yankees fans seem patient and sane.

[RobinsontoDuncan]

whoa, now that is a little over the top

[Horry For 3!]

Not really, if we win tonight we have 9 - 10 days off. All I know that Manu will have a huge game tonight.