Save Manu until the playoffs?

[TMTTRIO]

With the way the team is stepping up and playing do we really need to bring him back until maybe the last few games before the playoffs. The team is finally gelling and that way Manu can be healthy for playoffs. I just don't see any reason to bring him back so soon when we don't need him now.

[Robz4000]

If they don't give him a bit of wear he won't be all that effective in the playoffs. Play him when he comes back but do it off the bench.

[timtonymanu]

No. The Spurs still need him.

It's just a matter of cutting the minutes of the right players, which should be RJ.

[ALVAREZ6]

Spurs are doing pretty well without him. In other words, when he returns, train will be ran.

[SA210]

No, and he's a starter

[jjktkk]

Great thing about Manu, is he can fit in as a starter or 6th man.

[blackfire12]

Nahh, he needs to get back in and play with the schedule the way it is.

[jason1301]

when we shoot 45+% from the 3pt line we are hard to stop!

[Ice009]

Until the Spurs start winning consistently on the road then this thread should never be made.

[timvp]

I agree with the idea of saving Manu until the playoffs ... but not by sitting him completely. Once Manu returns, I'd like to see him play about 25 minutes and get the same nights off that Duncan gets.

[acoelho1]

He needs to play to get back in rhythm. Also, the team needs to rebuild the chemistry they had prior to his injury.

[mercos]

I think Pop should bring him off the bench and play him like he plays Splitter now. Let him be a true backup for the regular season playing around 20 minutes a game. Limit his exposure so he has less of a chance of getting hurt before the playoffs. Once the real season begins I would start him.

[crc21209]

I agree with the idea of saving Manu until the playoffs ... but not by sitting him completely. Once Manu returns, I'd like to see him play about 25 minutes and get the same nights off that Duncan gets.

This. You can't just sit a player until playoff time and expect him to be successful. He has to get his legs back and get out there on the court for at least some minutes.....

[DPG21920]

When he's back I'd like to see him off the bench with Blair. Let the relationship between TP & Tiago contine to roll, improve defensively & Blair/Manu have a good chemistry.

[ALVAREZ6]

I agree with the idea of saving Manu until the playoffs ... but not by sitting him completely. Once Manu returns, I'd like to see him play about 25 minutes and get the same nights off that Duncan gets.

I agree with this. If you're gonna sit Tim, you might as well sit Manu as well. Not worth running Manu extra minutes and risking injury in a game that has a significantly smaller probability to result in a win (when Tim is out).


I am pumped for the end of the season and playoffs already.

[ALVAREZ6]

When he's back I'd like to see him off the bench with Blair. Let the relationship between TP & Tiago contine to roll, improve defensively & Blair/Manu have a good chemistry.

Manu has good chemistry with everyone, son.

[mathbzh]

I am pumped for the end of the season and playoffs already.

Still a long way. Houston is 10-8 and 10th in the West.
For now, we can't afford to drop many games and at some point we may need Manu to lock a playoffs spot.

[Sean Cagney]

Playoffs? NEED to get there first man..... This will not be easy this year, we are damn near out of them right now.

[ElNono]

Manu needs to play. The rest of the old guys will be gassed by then otherwise, and frankly, the whole trying to dodge the injury bullet never works... Just put him out there, limit his minutes, give him some rest, and just let him stay in shape.

[DPG21920]

Manu has good chemistry with everyone, son.

Especially the doctor.

[Leetonidas]

Manu is a rhythm player, so bringing him back off sitting on his ass for over a month at the end of the season when we need him most is not a good idea. He should come back when he is ready and play steadily increasing minutes until the playoffs starts, BUT SIT HIS ASS OUT OF THE LAST GAME.

[spursfaninla]

It is still very early, but given our home heavy schedule so far, and 2-10 in the west being separated by about 1 game, I also see us having a tough time keeping up. On the other hand, if you told me before the season started Manu was out an extended period and we were 3rd in west...I'd take it.
Given all that, play Manu to work him back safely. If it is not risky, play him to get to game shape and chemistry before playoffs.
No benefit comes from rushing him that is worth a further injury from coming back too soon. If we don't make the playoffs without him we would not have gotten far with him in the playoffs anyway. Spurs playoff success is champion or nothing. Sadly I enjoy watching the spurs anytime but after championships it's hard to celebrate otherwise.

[tmtcsc]

No, he needs to thaw out first. You can't be rusty for the playoffs.

[ThaBigFundamental21]

What a stupid question. NO, he doesn't sit out until the playoffs. Think about it.

[Bruno]

Manu must come back as soon as he is healthy and when he is back, he must play around 28-30mpg.

What matters isn't Manu's health, it's everybody's health. With Manu out, Tim and Tony have to carry a biggest load. They won't be able to do it the whole season. Having Manu at 100% for the payoffs won't be that great if Tim or Tony are injured or dead tired. It's not all about Manu.

[DAF86]

When Manu is back you have to insert him back to the rotation in the role that he's going to play in the playoffs (if he will be a starter in the playoffs, start him), same with any other player. Injuries happen, you can't plan thinking about them, what you have to do is find the team and the rotation that works best for this team.

[ducks]

manu does not have great chemistry with the new guys
but he should be watching where they like the ball
instead of playing on his itouch at the game

[SpurNation]

Manu just might not be 100% ready until the playoffs. He suffered a significant injury to a part of his body that deals with his ability to be "Manu".

[SpursRock20]

Has there been an update for when he is going to return or is it still mid-February? I hope that he has been running during this down time. Although he has a hurt hand, there is no reason to try and stay in semi-decent shape.

[Proxy]

Has there been an update for when he is going to return or is it still mid-February? I hope that he has been running during this down time. Although he has a hurt hand, there is no reason to try and stay in semi-decent shape.

ha.... is Manu Ginobili staying in shape... what kind of question is that.


And no. Do not save him until the playoffs. That would be stupid. He needs to regain his confidence and shot, and the team will need to adjust to he and TJ returning to the rotation.

He's a starter too. Coming off the bench would be asinine at this point in his career. He's the absolute best player on the team.

[SpurNation]

Coming off the bench would be asinine at this point in his career. He's the absolute best player on the team.

Not so sure about that. He's also the best facilitator outside of Parker that could direct and establish the bench as the best in the league.

Start: Parker, Leonard, Jefferson, Duncan and Blair.
Primary bench: Ginobili, Green, Neal, Splitter and Bonner
Finish: Parker, Ginobili, Leonard or Green, Duncan, Splitter

[Leetonidas]

:lmao

Get real dude. Ginobili is easily the best player on this team and if you can't see that you're either blind or French.

[Blackjack]

The Spurs ain't a healthy Manu away from a championship.

If he's healthy, he should play. You can't save him - the team - from himself.

The Spurs need a whole lot to go their way. Whether it's internally with health, good fortune or Coach Pop remembering WTF made him "Coach Pop" ... or with some kind of godsend of a deal, it ain't just about Manu's health.

Manu needs to play - he needs to to be "Manu Ginobili".

[Proxy]

Not so sure about that. He's also the best facilitator outside of Parker that could direct and establish the bench as the best in the league.

Start: Parker, Leonard, Jefferson, Duncan and Blair.
Primary bench: Ginobili, Green, Neal, Splitter and Bonner
Finish: Parker, Ginobili, Leonard or Green, Duncan, Splitter


:lmao at Green finishing the game

[rmt]

Nope. Didn't it take him until ASB after he had the injury in 09-10 (at the time of his contact negotiations) to really start clicking? He needs to get back in rhythm and play with the newbies.

[angelbelow]

I think he needs to play once hes fully healthy and cleared to go. Nothing crazy, 20-25 minutes a night for the rest of the season and something closer to his usual 28-33 for important games. He gets in shape, gets in rhythm, and rebuilds any rust in terms of team chemistry (this shouldn't take long, maybe just one game lol.)

I've always been a selfish Ginobili fan and I think he should start. The only justification for benching Ginobili in the first place was to create a "bench" but that was circa 2005 round 2 vs the Sonics. Not saying that benching him was a bad thing, obviously worked out fantastically, just no longer think its necessary or beneficial.

[therealtruth]

:lmao

Get real dude. Ginobili is easily the best player on this team and if you can't see that you're either blind or French.

He has been 1-2 best player on the team since '05. There's no reason Finley should have been starting over him but he accepted the bench role since Finley played better as a starter.

[DrSteffo]

Our starting lineup has been pathetic quite a few times lately so it's not like Manu would disrupt something that works fine if he starts. I miss Manu and we have to improve in some ways just to be sure to make the playoffs. Of course having him back in the 4th will be more important than having him start.

[SpursRock20]

ha.... is Manu Ginobili staying in shape... what kind of question is that.


And no. Do not save him until the playoffs. That would be stupid. He needs to regain his confidence and shot, and the team will need to adjust to he and TJ returning to the rotation.

He's a starter too. Coming off the bench would be asinine at this point in his career. He's the absolute best player on the team.

Where did I ask if he is staying in shape? I asked if anyone had an update on when he will be returning. I said I hope that he is working out a bit.

[Ice009]

OK, I just watched the Minnesota game and I had to bump this thread.

Like I said in a previous post in this thread, the Spurs have to start winning road games before you can even post a thread like this.

After another shit performance on the road against a lowly Minnesota team, I'm going to say that if the Spurs don't get Manu back in 6 weeks and ready to roll, we won't make the playoffs.

Spurs are likely to lose nearly every road game while he is out. There are no closers on this team.

[Johnny RIngo]

You can rest Manu all season and he could just as easily pick up an injury in the first game of the playoffs. You're basically rolling the dice with him anytime he plays(he'd probably be getting Joe Johnson type money if he wasn't so damn fragile). . But yeah, it makes no sense to save him for playoffs.

[Ice009]

You can rest Manu all season and he could just as easily pick up an injury in the first game of the playoffs. You're basically rolling the dice with him anytime he plays(he'd probably be getting Joe Johnson type money if he wasn't so damn fragile). . But yeah, it makes no sense to save him for playoffs.

It's not about that at all. It's about the audacity of the thread starter thinking we'll get into the playoffs without Manu.

This team keeps losing on the road and has no real consistent closer. You want to rest Manu for the playoffs then I don't think the Spurs will even make the playoffs. If they somehow did, it would probably be as the 8th seed and everyone on the team would likely be spent by that point, with Manu being rusty as shit. Under those circumstances that would probably correlate into a first round exit. I would much rather the Spurs miss the playoffs and get a lottery pick than enter like that.

So in other words, this thread shouldn't have been made.