Too Many Guys?

[VI_Massive]

You hear "basketball people" sometimes argue that a team's rotation is too large and there isn't enough continuity, familiarity, etc. for the team to really succeed at a championship level.

I'm wondering if any of you think this might be a concern for the Spurs as they move closer to the playoffs.

A few things are clear:
1. A longer rotation has been beneficial/necessary with this kind of schedule.
2. A longer rotation has been beneficial/necessary to save some minutes from the big 3. Not so much from Ginobili because of injuries, but Duncan definitely benefits from the rest and though he's not old, TP has had to expend a great deal of energy running the offense and certainly benefits from any rest he can get.

But, as the team gets closer to the playoffs, do you think the Spurs should/will shorten the rotation? If so, whose minutes do you see diminishing?

I've noticed lately that it seems like, especially early in games, Pop is subbing guys in and out (especially wing players) really quickly, and it makes me wonder if these guys will really gain a lot of continuity with each other. Especially with three brand new guys (well, maybe 2 1/2 because of Jax) who are certainly likely to see some significant playoff minutes.

If minutes are going to go down, who do you see losing more time? Blair and Bonner seem like prime candidates because of their previous playoff struggles and Diaw's addition. With wings though, Manu, Leonard, and Jackson would seem to have solid spots. Though Neal struggles on defense and isn't that useful if he's struggling with his shot (like lately), it seems like Pop really likes having him out there and may trust him more as a backup to Parker than Mills. Danny Green's not quite as good as Leonard, but he certainly brings pretty good D and hustle without taking too much off the table offensively.

Who do you think will lose minutes? Who should? If you think guys like Bonner and Blair will lose playing time, should the Spurs start "tightening up" the rotation in the last few weeks of the regular season to get ready for the playoffs? Or keep things the way they are and even back off the minutes of TD, Manu, and Tony to keep them fresh and avoid something bad happening in a relatively unimportant regular season game?

[spurspokesman]

You hear "basketball people" sometimes argue that a team's rotation is too large and there isn't enough continuity, familiarity, etc. for the team to really succeed at a championship level.

I'm wondering if any of you think this might be a concern for the Spurs as they move closer to the playoffs.

A few things are clear:
1. A longer rotation has been beneficial/necessary with this kind of schedule.
2. A longer rotation has been beneficial/necessary to save some minutes from the big 3. Not so much from Ginobili because of injuries, but Duncan definitely benefits from the rest and though he's not old, TP has had to expend a great deal of energy running the offense and certainly benefits from any rest he can get.

But, as the team gets closer to the playoffs, do you think the Spurs should/will shorten the rotation? If so, whose minutes do you see diminishing?

I've noticed lately that it seems like, especially early in games, Pop is subbing guys in and out (especially wing players) really quickly, and it makes me wonder if these guys will really gain a lot of continuity with each other. Especially with three brand new guys (well, maybe 2 1/2 because of Jax) who are certainly likely to see some significant playoff minutes.

If minutes are going to go down, who do you see losing more time? Blair and Bonner seem like prime candidates because of their previous playoff struggles and Diaw's addition. With wings though, Manu, Leonard, and Jackson would seem to have solid spots. Though Neal struggles on defense and isn't that useful if he's struggling with his shot (like lately), it seems like Pop really likes having him out there and may trust him more as a backup to Parker than Mills. Danny Green's not quite as good as Leonard, but he certainly brings pretty good D and hustle without taking too much off the table offensively.

Who do you think will lose minutes? Who should? If you think guys like Bonner and Blair will lose playing time, should the Spurs start "tightening up" the rotation in the last few weeks of the regular season to get ready for the playoffs? Or keep things the way they are and even back off the minutes of TD, Manu, and Tony to keep them fresh and avoid something bad happening in a relatively unimportant regular season game?

I think its great. We have certain guys that match up well against certain teams ,players etc. So I think pop is killing two birds with 1 stone. We have a wealth of guys who can be productive in spot minutes giving the big three extended rest and at the same time pop is deciphering his playoff rotation. This is the perfect storm aa pop will play whatever lineup matches up best. These role players will be fine as each has seen enough of each other and will mesh fine come playoff time and pop will go to his proven guys down the stretch.

[JR3]

Pop will shorten the rotation, but I think he will use guys depending on match ups. We are really deep, a little too deep for the playoffs. But that is the right problem to have.

[sinok]

Well,n the playoffs schedule beeing as brutal (back to back games with playoff intensity...)as the regular season one, the depth is really welcome... That is one of the weapons for killing a opponent that has a tight rotation (eg. Lakers...)

[BanditHiro]

https://encrypted-tbn3.google.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRgYV7F2N96QQehdWCgY3EzPX90_bjBo Sp158xdsk2oqqBboZRvVA

[TacoCabanaFajitas]

I was thinking about this last night and during the Phoenix game. Come playoff time I would imagine the rotation is to be shortened but I don't know who that leaves out. I would prefer

Parker/Mills
Ginobili/Neal
Kawhi/Jack
Splitter/Blair
Duncan/Diaw

This would leave out Danny Green, James Anderson, and Matt Bonner. With Green being such a streaky shooter I can see Pop having him on a short leash come playoff time and if need be, leaning heavily on Jack. I would even be in favor of a small lineup that replaces Blair with Green.

[Old School 44]

I don't think you will really see a shortened rotation, some guys will just get less minutes from the regular season. Also, they'll be pulled quicker if they are making mistakes.

Unless something drastic changes between now and the end of the year, I'd imagine Mills and Anderson will be riding the pine the most.

[coyotes_geek]

With the exception of Tim, Tony, Manu and Kawhi, everyone's minutes are just going depend on the matchup and how well they're playing at the time.

[Darkwaters]

I feel like we've had this conversation before

[Rummpd]

Pop will go with the big three more and more in the playoffs and sadly some red haired long range bomber and 4-5 more. Green and Leonard have a chance to stay in the rotation but Neal could be beat out by Mills as the back up PG limiting his minutes. Splitter will not get more than 15 minutes a game in the playoffs unless it is against LAL or the Grizz and/or Pop suddenly changes course. With the Spurs 2nd in the West with all the crap injuries so far one cannot fault Pop on much of anything right now so whomever he plays - he plays.

[Seventyniner]

Shortening the rotation isn't something that can be done gradually. The schedule remains tightly packed all the way through the end of the season. Last night could be a harbinger of Bonner losing his rotation spot, and Mills and Anderson figure to play little in the playoffs. Beyond that, it's hard to tell anything.

[ace3g]

Spurs Remodel A Title Contender

http://i2.cdn.turner.com/nba/nba/2012/images/03/29/0329-spurs-newguys-526.jpg


HANG TIME HEADQUARTERS – You have to feel for the guy in charge of changing name plates above the lockers in San Antonio.

He’s been extra busy in the past few weeks, adding new placards furiously after Stephen Jackson, Boris Diaw and Patrick Mills have all been added to the Spurs’ roster.

San Antonio remodeled the roster of a team that was already considered a contender without these new additions in a shrewd move from a franchise that has a history of making them.

Similar to what the Lakers did at the trade deadline in adding Ramon Sessions, the Spurs went out and snagged pieces via trades and signings that they feel can push them over the top in the postseason. Even more important, they’ve added players that make them arguably the deepest team in the league.

Each and every one of the Spurs’ newest additions will play a significant role in the postseason, particularly Jackson, whose familiarity with the program makes his transition easier than most. Diaw, who joined the crew after being bought out by Charlotte, adds frontcourt depth. The ex-Blazer Mills, who spent much of the year playing in Australia and China, adds a capable, young point guard to the mix after T.J. Ford retired earlier this month.

No one is happier with all this than mainstays Tony Parker, Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili, who realize that the added depth improves their chances of chasing down another Larry O’Brien trophy to add to their collection.

And when the usually stoic Duncan’s perspective, via Tim Griffin of the Express News, matches our perception of what’s going on in San Antonio, the rest of the league needs to be on alert:

“This is as deep as I’ve ever had a team here,” Duncan told reporters after the Spurs’ victory in Sacramento. “We’re using everybody possible. And that’s been great, especially in the condensed season.”

For the first time since the trade deadline, [Spurs coach Gregg] Popovich had a complete roster at his disposal. And he got contributions from throughout his bench, which outscored Sacramento 55-20 in Wednesday’s game.

Manu Ginobili came off the bench to score a team-high 20 points in his first back-to-back game since recovering from a hip flexor. Tiago Splitter produced seven points and six rebounds, all coming in a productive stint in the first quarter. Gary Neal shot his way out of a recent slump by hitting all four shots in the second half for 13 points after missing his first four shots. Stephen Jackson scored six points in 16 minutes in the second half when he received most of the playing time. And Boris Diaw didn’t score, but he grabbed four rebounds, dished off two assists and was a pest defensively.

“I really trust that unit,” Ginobili told FOX Sports Southwest. “We’re going to hustle and we’re versatile, we’re long and we can switch a lot. I think whenever we get used to playing with each other, we have a very special unit.”

Special is right.

That doesn’t mean they are guaranteed anything in the postseason, of course. The Mavericks proved last season that whatever impressions we might have of a team during the regular season can be dispelled over the course of two wicked months of playoff work.

But in a condensed season, where every little tweak to a roster will be magnified come playoff time, the Spurs have made some of the most significant moves of any outfit in the league.

http://hangtime.blogs.nba.com/2012/03/29/spurs-remodel-a-title-contender/?ls=iref:nbahpt1

[Dex]

I believe that the playoff rotation will have to be shortened. Not only is it important to put out only your most effective lineups in the small sample size that is the NBA playoffs, it is also necessary for guys to be able to establish a good rhythm, both for themselves and with their teammates. That's hard to do if you are only playing in 5-6 minute spurts, and the supporting lineup around you is constantly shifting.

That being said, I do think that this team is deep enough to go 9-10 deep in the playoffs. One starting crew of 5, and one bench crew of 4-5 to relieve the starters. Considering our lineup is currently running 13 deep, that means that 2-3 players are going to have to get cut. Maybe not completely...they may come in occasionally due to a particular skill-set (such as Bonners three-point shooter) or to provide a spark (such as Anderson), but for the most part, I think it would be prudent to stick with 9-10 guys at the most.

Our current rotation:
Parker, Neal, Mills
Green, Manu, Anderson
Leonard, Jackson
Blair, Diaw, Bonner
Duncan, Splitter

Even though he is SG, I include Neal as a PG since that seems to be the current role he is playing, and it helps to even the balance (otherwise you have a logjam at SG).

I think there is one player who is an easy-man out....Anderson. His play so far has been so spotty, we can't rely on him in the playoffs other than if there is garbage time, or if all the other options are just obviously out of sync. There is also a possibility that with Green's recent slide, will he be able to hold on to his spot?

The other easy option is Mills, but we have yet to see how much he can really provide to the team. So far, I like his defensive tenacity, and it's also better to have a true point backing up Tony, instead of making Neal or Manu carry the load. Still, without knowing how he fits the puzzle, hard to say whether he is ready for primetime.

Where the real jam occurs is in the PF rotation. The question is, will Pop trust Diaw enough to make him a part of the playoff rotation? If the answer is yes (which appears to be likely, judging from Diaw's current minutes and spot in the rotation after just 4 games), then either Bonner or Blair is going to be the odd man out. The real question is...which one?

Personally, I feel like our playoff rotation will be as follows:

Parker / Neal
Green / Manu
Leonard / Jackson
Blair / Diaw
Duncan / Splitter

Spot players: Bonner, Mills

This accomplishes a few things that Pop has been tending towards: it lets Neal and Manu share the PG duties in Parker's absence, constantly keeps one of the Big 3 in the game, keeps a few shooters and a few defenders on the floor, and keeps a traditional big on the floor with a stretch big at all times.

[spurs_fan_in_exile]

TL; DR, but I'm assuming from the thread title you're making a point that I wholeheartedly agree with: this roster is a total sausagefest.

[roycrikside]

I think the people calling for Bonner to be removed completely from the rotation are crazy. Yes, it's true that his playoff history is terrible, but his regular season statistics are not smoke and mirrors. He has been one of our better and most consistent players -- at both ends of the floor -- all season.

There is no way any objective person can look at what Bonner's accomplished and what Blair's accomplished and conclude that Bonner should be the odd man out. If Blair didn't get to play 90% of his minutes with Duncan, he'd be a complete liability. Bonner has proved he can be productive with Splitter, Diaw, whoever.

[therealtruth]

I think the people calling for Bonner to be removed completely from the rotation are crazy. Yes, it's true that his playoff history is terrible, but his regular season statistics are not smoke and mirrors. He has been one of our better and most consistent players -- at both ends of the floor -- all season.

There is no way any objective person can look at what Bonner's accomplished and what Blair's accomplished and conclude that Bonner should be the odd man out. If Blair didn't get to play 90% of his minutes with Duncan, he'd be a complete liability. Bonner has proved he can be productive with Splitter, Diaw, whoever.

I think the Diaw-Bonner numbers were even better than the Splitter-Bonner numbers. It would be nice if Splitter could start for better defense and we could bring that combo of the bench.

[The ADMIRAL 50]

I feel like we've had this conversation before

[lurker23]

TL; DR, but I'm assuming from the thread title you're making a point that I wholeheartedly agree with: this roster is a total sausagefest.

:lol

[Drewlius]

I'm worried about Neal falling to the end of the rotation simply because of his length. I think Green is going to get a lot more run & with the signing of Mills who is a true point, he's going to take a lot of Neal's backup PG minutes. I personally don't like this, because Neal is pivotal imo.

[VBM]

Not one Sasha Grey reference yet :depressed