Manu: If we go down 0-2, it will be hard to turn it around

[ElNono]

If we go down 0-2, it will be hard to turn it around (http://www.canchallena.com/1367032-si-quedamos-0-2-sera-dificil-remontar) (Original article in Spanish)

SAN ANTONIO.- In tomorrow's practice, that would be today for you reading this, it will be decided if I'll be available for the 2nd game against Memphis. It will depend on how well the elbow brace I have to use works. I'll try it during practice playing one-on-one and, if it doesn't bother me and Popovich thinks I can lend a hand, I'll be ready to play. It will be decided by noon, but it will only be announced a few minutes before the game.

Hope everybody understands that I'm dying to play. You have no idea how much I suffered the first game that we lost last Sunday and I had to watch it from behind the bench. It's terrible. To give you an idea, that the injury is on my right arm gives me a chance to play; if it would have been in the left, my shooting hand, forget about it.

I suffered the hyperextension of the elbow in the last game of the regular season against Phoenix and it provoked a lot of pain, besides of a big scare. My arm was stretched between Tim Duncan and Grant Hill, who kept on running and pushed it opposite of the natural articulation. I've been healthy all season and I had to get injured in the very last game. I couldn't believe it. On top of that, since that area is very sensitive, I lost strength and mobility in the entire arm. I couldn't even grab a soap with that hand.

The day after I felt better, and the next one even better, but it wasn't enough to start the playoffs. Regardless, I wanted to play that first game, I wanted to help and I asked Popovich, but he thought that my arm was too weak. He spoke to the doctors before making his decision. I think it's understandable. He didn't want to risk me. It was the first game of the series and there was 3 more days of rest until the second. The thing is, I never missed a playoff game, except for 2009 when I was out during the regular season because of that ankle injury.

With regards to the game we lost, I though we played well, aggressive, controlling their strengths, and executing the tactics we planned. We neutralized fairly well Memphis' scoring in the paint, we didn't turn the ball over much, and we defended well. I think the only thing missing was to make the shots in the most important moments. We missed key shots. That's why it hurts to lose the first game, but there's nothing to critique or get mad about, we didn't mail it in. Sometimes it happens that you lose playing well.

The reality is that Memphis is a team that can make anybody uncomfortable, defends well, plays very physically and has very good players, especially Zach Randolph and Marc Gasol, who make things difficult under the rim. Memphis had a really good end of the regular season. Houston tried to catch up with them winning some games but they couldn't. That said, I think Memphis choose to get the 8th seed and play against us in the first series of the playoffs. They could have gone for the seventh seed, but they let their best players rest in the last few games that they lost (vs Portland 102-89 and Clippers 110-103) because they didn't want to play against the Lakers.

So they have their best players rested to start the playoffs. But the second game will not be the same. There's more pressure. We can't lose it because if we end up 0-2 it will be hard to turn around the series. Few teams have historically done that. We have to win, tie the series and then head to Memphis and "steal" a game to recover home court.

One more thing, losing the first game of the playoffs is nothing new for San Antonio. It already happened to us in 2003, against Phoenix, and we ended up winning it all. Also, I think in 2005 we started losing against Denver and we ended up winning the title. Regardless, the West is going to be a dogfight from the first round, something I don't think will happen in the East, where the candidates to pass to the second round are more or less well defined.

[Fpoonsie]

:wow

[Sean Cagney]

Yep it is nearly impossible if we go down 0-2, which is why SA needs to come out and win that one there, no doubt at all MUST WIN! I hate a must win this early but it's here.

[WeNeedLength]

Nice article. Glad to hear from Manu himself about the situation. Too bad he couldn't have thrown in a "and in regards to Pop playing Bonner over Splitter: Free Tiago!!!"

[xtremesteven33]

I really hope Manu is just playing up to the injury hype. He isnt known for doing so but damnit if he is hurt that bad like he says he is might as well put a bullseye on his right arm...

[Fireball]

I really hope Manu is just playing up to the injury hype. He isnt known for doing so but damnit if he is hurt that bad like he says he is might as well put a bullseye on his right arm...

as everybody knows the injury the bullseye is already there ... not good at all

[xtremesteven33]

Fuck it. Just his presence alone can give the Spurs life. Even if he isnt El Contusion he is still a damn good playmaker. Also a deadly clutch shooter. I still believe we can win game 2 without him though. Parker needs to step up though..

[Fireball]

Absolutely we can win game 2 without Manu ... perhaps it was just the early playing time on Sunday which made the difference in shot making. However, the Spurs rebounded very good, took care of the ball and still lost. Last years series vs. Phoenix showed as soon as they erase one mistake, another one comes up. I had the feeling Pop wanted to run more on Sunday, but in doing that we might have sacrificed more rebounds to Memphis ...

Cannot wait for tonights game!

[xtremesteven33]

Absolutely.

These kind of games always make me freakin nervous. I was positive last year we would come back against the Suns and we got swept. I just hope this is a different Spurs team.

[spurspokesman]

We shouldnt have lost game 1. This is sad. MEMPHIS is all wrong for san antonio and if these players like dyess and bonner cant find there game its going to be a tall order.

[spurspokesman]

Absolutely.

These kind of games always make me freakin nervous. I was positive last year we would come back against the Suns and we got swept. I just hope this is a different Spurs team.
me also. this team pisses me off nowadays. I sometimes turn the tv off while watching them:bang. Supposed veterans playing like rookies. I expect screwups from neal and anderson. Not dyess bonner and parker. But neal plays balls to the wall

[ffadicted]

Must motherfuckin' win man

[Spursmania]

I think all of us know how hard it will be to come back if we lose 2 games. That's why I don't understand how people think we should still sit Manu. If he can play, he should play. This could be the end of our season.

[Johnny RIngo]

Hard? More like impossible, especially with this group.

[Anonymous Cowherd]

Indeed. You can come from 2-0 down... if the two games were on the road. Coming from 2-0 down when both those games were at home? Verrrrrrrry difficult

[siraulo23]

yup, it'd be close to impossible to come back down 0-2, going into 2 home games at memphis where they went 30-11 in the regular season

game 2 is a must win, then hopefully we can get a split it memphis

[Fireball]

me also. this team pisses me off nowadays. I sometimes turn the tv off while watching them:bang. Supposed veterans playing like rookies. I expect screwups from neal and anderson. Not dyess bonner and parker. But neal plays balls to the wall

I also wait for this "inexperience" thing to hit the Grizzlies so hard they forget how to get the ball in the paint

[silverblk mystix]

This team wanted the spurs for a reason...it is quite scary...they feel that they got the spurs number...

Also, Pop even said it...the spurs accomplished most of their goals for the game---and STILL--lost...

I can see this going south really soon and the worst part is that Pop WON'T go big to match up with their bigs...Pop just continues to insist that it is about making shots....

Very, very troublesome.

[hater]

"lend a hand"

:lmao Spurs = fucked

[timvp]

Thanks for the translation :tu

Great to hear from Manu. Unfortunately, it sounds like his elbow is still in bad shape. Even if he plays, it doesn't read like he thinks he'll be anywhere near 100%.

[Dex]

Frickin' last game of the season.....:pctoss

[Sii]

Frickin' last game of the season.....:pctoss

Giving up already? this board is hilarious

[Mugen]

It's the playoffs and he should play even if he's around 80%.

If Pop holds him out again and the Spurs go down 0-2, then it'd be pretty much par for the course for good ol' Gregory the last 2 months.

[Russ]

Brent Barry on the radio yesterday said Manu couldn't straighten his right arm.

I would rather see the Spurs go down with all guns blazing (if it's to be), rather than "what ifs." (Although there will be some cosmic "what ifs" if another injury dooms the Spurs in the playoffs once again.)

[ElNono]

Brent Barry on the radio yesterday said Manu couldn't straighten his right arm.

I would rather see the Spurs go down with all guns blazing (if it's to be), rather than "what ifs." (Although there will be some cosmic "what ifs" if another injury dooms the Spurs in the playoffs once again.)

Too late for that. There's going to be "what ifs" either way...

[guzmangm]

Mathematically possibly. Likely? No.

[ohmwrecker]

Fuck. That does not sound optimistic at all.

[rjv]

i am starting to doubt his ability to play tonight. seems very iffy to me.

[Sii]

Dont have any info, but Jeff McDonald (yeah not the best source) put his opinion of him playing at 99% after seeing him in practice the other day. Dont know if anything is changed

even if he plays 25 mins or something I think you play him

[Fireball]

who needs to straighten his non-shooting arm? well, the two problems are getting slapped on the arm when trying to attack the basket and on defense ... Manu will be reluctant to reach in, steal balls or slap on the ball with his right arm ... both things lead to Manu not being active which would not be good

[ohmwrecker]

Jeff McDonald is an imbecile. It's a fact.

[Sii]

Jeff McDonald is an imbecile. It's a fact.

perhaps but not many are around the team to see what is going on so its hard to know. Manu and Anderson were going one on one the other day

[Dex]

Giving up already? this board is hilarious

Who said anything about giving up?

I'm just, understandably, less than ecstatic about our leading scorer and "heart" player getting considerably injured on the final game of the season, with a big playoff run looming. For one goddamn year, all I want is a healthy Ginobili in the postseason.

[Fireball]

I'm just, understandably, less than ecstatic about our leading scorer and "heart" player getting considerably injured on the final game of the season, with a big playoff run looming. For one goddamn year, all I want is a healthy Ginobili in the postseason.

Its soooo disappointing. Once again the question "what if" is looming above our heads. But I still do not blame Pop for that ... this injury also could have happened in the first two minutes of game 1 vs. Memphis.

[lefty]

Fuck. That does not sound optimistic at all.
I lile it :tu

Manu is trying to motivate the team


Spuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuurs baby :lobt::lobt2::lobt2::lobt2::lobt2:

[kaji157]

If Ginobili is hurt as bad as they say, Parker should Man Up and take the team to the second round by himself.
Too bad Parker and Man Up cannot be said in the same sentence.
We shouldn't have to force Ginobili to beat a seventh-eight seed, if we have to, then Ginobili is A LOT more important to this team than Parker and Duncan.

[kaji157]

Its soooo disappointing. Once again the question "what if" is looming above our heads. But I still do not blame Pop for that ... this injury also could have happened in the first two minutes of game 1 vs. Memphis.

You have to, if hehad played the Lakers game to win, we could have rested Ginobili along with Parker and Duncan for the Phoenix game.

[Ginofan]

Thanks for the translation :tu

Honestly I think it'll take an act of God to keep Manu out of Game 2. I'm okay with losing Game 1, it's happened before...But I agree Game 2 is a must win. We can do it, Go Spurs Go!

[mytespurs]

Saw some tape of manu practicing on tnt postgame show-he was wearing elbow brace-looked bulky -doesn't give me a lot of confidence as 2 how effective he'd be eve if he plays :-(

[SenorSpur]

Nice article. Glad to hear from Manu himself about the situation. Too bad he couldn't have thrown in a "and in regards to Pop playing Bonner over Splitter: Free Tiago!!!"

:lol

Love your handle, too. :toast

[SenorSpur]

The recent comments from Blair, Dice and TP are a bit concerning. It worries me that the players don't believe they can succeed without Manu. They don't give themselves even a chance of winning the series without him. It's almost like a defeatist attitude.

Is their honesty justified or is this a defeatist attitude? Thoughts?

[rascal]

who needs to straighten his non-shooting arm? well, the two problems are getting slapped on the arm when trying to attack the basket and on defense ... Manu will be reluctant to reach in, steal balls or slap on the ball with his right arm ... both things lead to Manu not being active which would not be good

Don't forget if he falls he will need both arms to brace against not crashing hard to the floor. both arms are necessary. If he can't staighten his arm that could effect his overall shooting and will likely effect his aggressiveness at attacking the basket.

[Ginofan]

The recent comments from Blair, Dice and TP are a bit concerning. It worries me that the players don't believe they can succeed without Manu. They don't give themselves even a chance of winning the series without him. It's almost like a defeatist attitude.

Is their honesty justified or is this a defeatist attitude? Thoughts?

I don't care for it. They need to take it upon themselves to step up and make a difference in the game, we can't always look to Manu to be the end-all be-all.

[rascal]

The main thing is to get manu on the court. Don't start him but put him in later.

It will give inspiration to the other players and pump up the crowd. Manu may very well be ineffective on the court but will inspire the team and crowd. That could just be what the Spurs need to get the Game 2 win.

[Mugen]

The recent comments from Blair, Dice and TP are a bit concerning. It worries me that the players don't believe they can succeed without Manu. They don't give themselves even a chance of winning the series without him. It's almost like a defeatist attitude.

Is their honesty justified or is this a defeatist attitude? Thoughts?

I think they are just being realistic. Manu is the guy that sets this team apart and without him it would be very difficult to even get past the first round.

I don't think they played with a defeatist attitude in Game 1, they just didn't play very smart or execute very well. With or without manu, i expect them to play to the best of their abilities.

I think Ginobili returns tonight and it should give them a spark.

[cheguevara]

Manu sounds depressed and resigned.

Let's hope a miracle a la Manu de Dios happens tonight.

[DesignatedT]

Spurs will win this shit without Manu. If he can't play then don't play him. If he is 50% out there then it is not worth it. Tell George to man the fuck up.

[ElNono]

@DesignatedT I'm going to man up whenever I want, fake fan... @George_Hill3 RT: Tell George to man the fuck up.

:lol

[DesignatedT]

:lol

[cheguevara]

is this for real? is George Hill that retarded?

[GrandeDavid]

Brent Barry on the radio yesterday said Manu couldn't straighten his right arm.

I would rather see the Spurs go down with all guns blazing (if it's to be), rather than "what ifs." (Although there will be some cosmic "what ifs" if another injury dooms the Spurs in the playoffs once again.)

The Spurs need to suck it up and get the win without Manu. There are no excuses. This team without Manu in a MUST WIN against the Memphis Grizzlies at home should easily be able to get the job done. I would NOT start Manu and see how the game goes.

[SenorSpur]

Spurs will win this shit without Manu. If he can't play then don't play him. If he is 50% out there then it is not worth it. Tell George to man the fuck up.

If the Spurs are to win this without Manu, don't they have to believe it themselves first?

[Horse]

His presence will make a big difference, hell just play him the last two minutes. Willis Reed did'nt have a great game but his impact on the team was amazing!

[ElNono]

is this for real? is George Hill that retarded?

:lmao

[ducks]

Don't forget if he falls he will need both arms to brace against not crashing hard to the floor. both arms are necessary. If he can't staighten his arm that could effect his overall shooting and will likely effect his aggressiveness at attacking the basket.

very true
neal is much better then a 50% manu


manu is not that great of a three point shooter
mem would be wise to force him to drive
if they play as phyisical as last game manu would not drive

[Baseline]

The recent comments from Blair, Dice and TP are a bit concerning. It worries me that the players don't believe they can succeed without Manu. They don't give themselves even a chance of winning the series without him. It's almost like a defeatist attitude.

Is their honesty justified or is this a defeatist attitude? Thoughts?

Despite their success during the Duncan years, the Spurs have always had a bit of a defeatist attitude in certain matters. In my opinion this comes from Popovich, who is a stubborn disciplinarian to a fault. We all know that his headgame tactics inhibit certain players, namely guys like Brent Barry, Tiago, Malik Rose, etc. Yet he plays guys like Bonner and Finley huge minutes despite their oftentimes crappy production. He preaches, defense yet plays stiffs like Bonner or Finley 30+ minutes.

Therefore, the players know that Pop will do what Pop wants to do, and they will do as he says or Pop will bring Armageddon upon them. There's a certain fear, or cloak of subjugation upon them.

For example, there has always been a certain fear of the Lakers, which has annoyed me to no end. Granted, we were robbed by the .4 shot being allowed, and the entire universe knows that LA gets all the calls. So our guys know they have to play near perfect basketball to beat them, because it's basically 5 on 8.

So, I think because of Popovich and his screaming, dictatorial ways, our team has a reverse swagger. I realize that our guys aren't egomaniacs, but our team suffers from far-too-frequent lapses in confidence. We're one of the quicker teams in the league to hang our heads. Like after losing Game 1 to the #8 seed...and three different guys are already giving up the series if Manu doesn't come back, including our starting point guard.