Parker quote on Jackson: "It's a hard one, but it's a big-boss decision."

[MSPaint]

SAN ANTONIO -- Tony Parker delivered another typical performance, which the San Antonio Spurs needed on a day when nothing went as expected.

Parker had 22 points and 10 assists in his return from a four-game absence, and San Antonio never trailed in a 108-101 victory over the Sacramento Kings on Friday, a day the Spurs lost two key players.

San Antonio (58-21) clinched at least the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference following Denver's 108-105 overtime loss Friday in Dallas.

The good news didn't resonate in the locker room, where the Spurs were still dealing with the decision to waive forward Stephen Jackson on Friday afternoon, ending his second stint with the team.

Hours earlier, San Antonio also lost reserve forward Boris Diaw, who will miss three to four weeks after having surgery Friday to have a synovial cyst removed from his lumbar spine.

Jackson's departure took the team by surprise, especially since the playoffs start in eight days.

"It's a hard one," Parker said, "but it's a big-boss decision."

The Spurs are already without Manu Ginobili, who is going to miss the remainder of the regular season after straining his right hamstring March 29 against the Los Angeles Clippers.

"We probably look a little thin, but life goes on," Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said before the game. "Nobody knew it was going to be two or three weeks for Boris, but the two events are basically mutually exclusive in the sense of what had to be done."

The Spurs needed everyone to step up in the wake of a depleted roster, and they did so.

Tim Duncan added 18 points, Kawhi Leonard had 15 points and Tiago Splitter and Danny Green had 12 apiece as seven players scored in double figures for San Antonio.

The Spurs shot 54 percent from the field overall (42 for 77) and were 4 for 8 on 3-pointers in the second half.

"When we run our offense, this is what happens," Leonard said. "A lot of guys get open shots and they knock them down."

DeMarcus Cousins had 19 points and 12 rebounds, Jason Thompson added 18 points, Toney Douglas had 15 and Jimmer Fredette had 14 for Sacramento, which lost its sixth straight to San Antonio.

Leonard sparked an 11-2 run, continually beating John Salmons to the basket for a pair of layups, a dunk and a free throw that gave San Antonio a 15-6 lead. He played 35 minutes with his primary backup, Jackson, no longer with the team.

"That's Kawhi's position and he plays a lot of minutes," Popovich said. "That's what we want him to do. We want him to play 35-40 minutes a game. He's a heck of a player and he needs minutes, so he's going to get them."

.................
http://scores.espn.go.com/nba/recap?gameId=400278906

Whether Spurs fans think this is a good move or a bad move, it was definitely A move. Regardless whether or not it makes "basketball sense," this had to be done for psychological reasons. This team is "stuck in the mud." They desperately need a wake-up call. Who knows if this will be the proverbial fire lit under the proverbial ass? Either way something HAD to change.

Also interesting to note Pop's words towards Leonard's PT. Hopefully he keeps to his word.

Me, personally, I am huge Stephen Jackson fan. I got to go bowling with him back in 2003. Nice dude.

[SupremeGuy]

Bonner was knocking down shots tonight that he hadn't been for a while... for what it's worth.

[hater]

Fuck bonner

[Leetonidas]

If waiving Jack means more minutes for Leonard, it's probably a good thing. Leonard is only 21, he can play 40+ mpg.

[Cane]

http://th08.deviantart.net/fs70/200H/i/2012/196/1/7/big_boss__s_salute___mgs3_by_rainedrebellion-d57boh0.png

[eDizzle20]

Pop's quote in the article speaks volumes relating to Jackson...

"That's Kawhi's position and he plays a lot of minutes," Popovich said. "That's what we want him to do. We want him to play 35-40 minutes a game. He's a heck of a player and he needs minutes, so he's going to get them."

[TE]

Pop's quote in the article speaks volumes relating to Jackson...

"That's Kawhi's position and he plays a lot of minutes," Popovich said. "That's what we want him to do. We want him to play 35-40 minutes a game. He's a heck of a player and he needs minutes, so he's going to get them."
I was thinking the same reading a second time. Good catch.

That quote is like a subtle jab to Sjax regarding the quality of a player and the minutes that player will obtain.

[racm]

Pop's quote in the article speaks volumes relating to Jackson...

"That's Kawhi's position and he plays a lot of minutes," Popovich said. "That's what we want him to do. We want him to play 35-40 minutes a game. He's a heck of a player and he needs minutes, so he's going to get them."

You go from having a star-quality player playing ~30 mpg then sub in a guy who produces negative wins.

[rmt]

"We probably look a little thin, but life goes on," Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said before the game. "Nobody knew it was going to be two or three weeks for Boris, but the two events are basically mutually exclusive in the sense of what had to be done."

Leonard sparked an 11-2 run, continually beating John Salmons to the basket for a pair of layups, a dunk and a free throw that gave San Antonio a 15-6 lead. He played 35 minutes with his primary backup, Jackson, no longer with the team.

"That's Kawhi's position and he plays a lot of minutes," Popovich said. "That's what we want him to do. We want him to play 35-40 minutes a game. He's a heck of a player and he needs minutes, so he's going to get them."

.................
http://scores.espn.go.com/nba/recap?gameId=400278906

Whether Spurs fans think this is a good move or a bad move, it was definitely A move. Regardless whether or not it makes "basketball sense," this had to be done for psychological reasons. This team is "stuck in the mud." They desperately need a wake-up call. Who knows if this will be the proverbial fire lit under the proverbial ass? Either way something HAD to change.


LOL, "PROBABLY looking thin" - one of the strengths of the team was their DEPTH - now that's gone. They could have waited until the off-season to get rid of SJax. What wake-up call - if anything the team looked shell-shocked. I'm sure they felt like I felt yesterday - resigned - that what little chance they had to win a championship is now ZERO because of the sequence of events recently. And even with 35-40 mins/game, Leonard still needs a back-up especially in case of foul trouble or injury.

[rmt]

Any chance Bonner doesn't choke this playoffs because of the 3point shooting contest? I was surprised that he competed so well there.

[TampaDude]

Any chance Bonner doesn't choke this playoffs because of the 3point shooting contest? I was surprised that he competed so well there.

The mighty RED ROCKET will lead the Spurs to the CHAMPIONSHIP!

LOL actually not... :lol

[davidbowie]

yall are gonna be real sorry when my boy blair and bonner are all over the spurs championship dvd raining threes and gobbling up boards....new SA legends!!!!

[jiggy_55]

The best quote is that Kawhi is gonna play 35-40 minutes.. He's gonna average in the region of 18-20 ppg come playoffs.
Danny Green should now also see a slight boost in minutes..and with that Gary Neal will gain minutes again as well and he has looked decent recently so he hope we can see the old deadly Neal soon enough

[therealtruth]

Why couldn't Kawhi, DG, Manu, and Jax have shared the swing minutes? It would mean much less Neal.

[Russo21]

Matty Bon Bon is finally gonna shine. Enter Hall of Fame based solely on one mesmerizing 3 point barrage right through the playoffs. Wins Finals MVP from Timmy. With his renewed confidence Matty BonBon goes apeshit next season on his way to a scoring title, all time 3pointers made, and finally another championship and Finals MVP. Write that down. We livin in BonBons WORLD now.

[SpurmzKilla]

yall are gonna be real sorry when my boy blair raining threes and bonner gobbling up the boards are all over the spurs championship dvd ....new SA legends!!!!

[8FOR!3]

If Kawhi's playing all but 8-13 minutes then I guess Jack isn't needed. Green and Ginobili can fill in and if anything happened to Ginobili in the playoffs, Neal can step in Green's role.

[SpursBills]

yall are gonna be real sorry when my boy blair and bonner are all over the spurs championship dvd raining threes and gobbling up boards....new SA legends!!!!

...playblair is that you?!?!?

[Mr. Body]

Upshot is probably more Matt Bonner. That sure has worked in the past!

[superjames1992]

Game 7, NBA Finals @ Heat

Tim Duncan: 0 Points (0-1 FG), 2 Rebounds, 8 Minutes (Fractured femur)
Tony Parker: 2 Points (1-11 FG), 1 Rebound, 3 Assists
Manu Ginobili: DNP (Old Age)
Matt Bonner: 41 Points (13-18 FG, 11-14 3PT, 4-4 FT), 21 Rebounds, 6 Assists, 11 Blocks
DeJuan Blair: 30 Points (15-17 FG), 18 Rebounds

[Proxy]

LOL, "PROBABLY looking thin" - one of the strengths of the team was their DEPTH - now that's gone. They could have waited until the off-season to get rid of SJax. What wake-up call - if anything the team looked shell-shocked. I'm sure they felt like I felt yesterday - resigned - that what little chance they had to win a championship is now ZERO because of the sequence of events recently. And even with 35-40 mins/game, Leonard still needs a back-up especially in case of foul trouble or injury.

What if Jack was the reason the team has been playing like shit for the past few weeks? Spurs FO wouldn't have done this unless Jack was really causing problems. It's dumb to assume this was done blindly without any meditation on the decision.

[superjames1992]

LOL, JAX-suckers can't stop sucking his ..., can they? Jesus Christ. :bang

[coachmac87]

Do you think would cut Jax if he didn't know the health of Manu? I think this could mean Manu will be back.

[EricB]

Do you think would cut Jax if he didn't know the health of Manu? I think this could mean Manu will be back.


Parker said Manu will most likely play the Minnesota game.

[jestersmash]

Do you think would cut Jax if he didn't know the health of Manu? I think this could mean Manu will be back.

Jack isn't a Manu replacement, so it's a moot point.

[boutons_deux]

Jack's 2003 reputation, more nostalgia than reality, FAR EXCEEDS his current contributions of shitty shooting, slowness, etc, etc. He's had almost no impact this year.

[Proxy]

Do you think would cut Jax if he didn't know the health of Manu? I think this could mean Manu will be back.

unrelated

[Cklbmk]

Jack isn't a Manu replacement, so it's a moot point.


No but Manu is a Jack replacement. So it is a valid point.

[jestersmash]

No but Manu is a Jack replacement. So it is a valid point.

No. They serve completely different roles. Jack's role was to guard swifter, mobile 3s (Durant/Lebron) and serve as an undersized 4 during small ball. His offense largely came from posting up smaller 3s (when applicable) or standing out near the 3 point line. I can count the total number of pick and rolls he attempted to run on one hand.

Manu's role is to run pick and roll with Duncan, Splitter, Bonner, or Blair all the while scoring for himself in the lane (or from 3) or setting up open teammates on the perimeter after penetration.

They have completely...different...roles.

[lefty]

So OP started a thread and posted a whole article




For 1 fucking quote

[boutons_deux]

already erased:

http://www.nba.com/players/

[dunkman]

There is a reason why GS took on RJ's contract. Too bad the things didn't go well with Jack, it seems that he can't accept being a role player. But Pop said it well Kawhi is a damn good player.

[loveforthegame]

Love the idea of Leonard playing 40 minutes. I just worry about foul trouble and having to rely on Green and Manu to man the position.

[timtonymanu]

I saw the interview.

Parker looked a little bitter towards Jack. Someone asked if he was gonna miss him and he didnt answer the question. Either it slipped his mind or he truly didnt want to answer.

[jestersmash]

I saw the interview.

Parker looked a little bitter towards Jack. Someone asked if he was gonna miss him and he didnt answer the question. Either it slipped his mind or he truly didnt want to answer.

Yeah it's hard to tell. At first I thought maybe he just didn't want to question the Spurs FO's authority by saying "yeah we waived him but I still miss him!" It wouldn't look good.

But I think the difference in responses between Gary Neal and Tony Parker is interesting. Gary Neal had no trouble saying that Jack was his friend, all the while remaining neutral on the decision to waive him and saying they just have to move forward. Tony Parker didn't even say that much. So yeah you might be right. Maybe Tony and Jack (or the Spurs Big 3 and Jack, in general) weren't as close as we might have thought. Or, maybe he just missed the question, or maybe he was just being ultra conservative with his response so as not to cause any PR trouble.

[rmt]

Yeah it's hard to tell. At first I thought maybe he just didn't want to question the Spurs FO's authority by saying "yeah we waived him but I still miss him!" It wouldn't look good.

But I think the difference in responses between Gary Neal and Tony Parker is interesting. Gary Neal had no trouble saying that Jack was his friend, all the while remaining neutral on the decision to waive him and saying they just have to move forward. Tony Parker didn't even say that much. So yeah you might be right. Maybe Tony and Jack (or the Spurs Big 3 and Jack, in general) weren't as close as we might have thought. Or, maybe he just missed the question, or maybe he was just being ultra conservative with his response so as not to cause any PR trouble.

Neal's and TP's POVs are very different. Tony might be more resentful of SJax and his behavior and what it means to the team's chances this close to the playoffs. Neal will benefit from Jack leaving with more minutes and his main objective is to showcase himself for his next contract. Neal has his career in front of him and possibly other chances to win. TP knows the chances for Spurs are very limited. Also his disappointment with SJax as a fellow veteran and former championship team mate. Besides TP is Pop's yes-man (so what else would you expect).

[Sean Cagney]

Bonner was knocking down shots tonight that he hadn't been for a while... for what it's worth.

DO NOT EVEN BEGIN to think things will change in the playoffs... We have seen this before.

[pgardn]

Part of the strength of Pop's teams is cohesion. The locker room must have suffered. Pop made a concerted effort to go after this hothead so he knew the risks. He let him go before. The timing probably indicates the locker room had changed significantly. I wonder if Bonner's music festival was an attempt to make things smoother...

[spurs10]

Part of the strength of Pop's teams is cohesion. The locker room must have suffered. Pop made a concerted effort to go after this hothead so he knew the risks. He let him go before. The timing probably indicates the locker room had changed significantly. I wonder if Bonner's music festival was an attempt to make things smoother...
Bonner's music event probably had little to do with helping or hurting any basketball issues. They all seemed to have had a great time. I'm guessing Pop wasn't too impressed with a party in Austin on their day off!!?? :toast

[Aztecfan03]

No. They serve completely different roles. Jack's role was to guard swifter, mobile 3s (Durant/Lebron) and serve as an undersized 4 during small ball. His offense largely came from posting up smaller 3s (when applicable) or standing out near the 3 point line. I can count the total number of pick and rolls he attempted to run on one hand.

Manu's role is to run pick and roll with Duncan, Splitter, Bonner, or Blair all the while scoring for himself in the lane (or from 3) or setting up open teammates on the perimeter after penetration.

They have completely...different...roles.

You don't need to be the same type of player to play the same position. And Kawhi is better than Jax at what Jax is good at anyways so kawhi fills that "role"

[playblair]

yall are gonna be real sorry when my boy blair and bonner are all over the spurs championship dvd raining threes and gobbling up boards....new SA legends!!!!

agree.............. blair will become an x factor..................... blair & bonner haters will become believers .................................

[Southwest Texas Fan]

Yeah it's hard to tell. At first I thought maybe he just didn't want to question the Spurs FO's authority by saying "yeah we waived him but I still miss him!" It wouldn't look good.

But I think the difference in responses between Gary Neal and Tony Parker is interesting. Gary Neal had no trouble saying that Jack was his friend, all the while remaining neutral on the decision to waive him and saying they just have to move forward. Tony Parker didn't even say that much. So yeah you might be right. Maybe Tony and Jack (or the Spurs Big 3 and Jack, in general) weren't as close as we might have thought. Or, maybe he just missed the question, or maybe he was just being ultra conservative with his response so as not to cause any PR trouble.

But Parker has never been ultra conservative when asked questions..... He's usually direct and honest, but maybe he was asked to not say much, I don't know.

[timtonymanu]

Yeah it's hard to tell. At first I thought maybe he just didn't want to question the Spurs FO's authority by saying "yeah we waived him but I still miss him!" It wouldn't look good.

But I think the difference in responses between Gary Neal and Tony Parker is interesting. Gary Neal had no trouble saying that Jack was his friend, all the while remaining neutral on the decision to waive him and saying they just have to move forward. Tony Parker didn't even say that much. So yeah you might be right. Maybe Tony and Jack (or the Spurs Big 3 and Jack, in general) weren't as close as we might have thought. Or, maybe he just missed the question, or maybe he was just being ultra conservative with his response so as not to cause any PR trouble.

Yeah, I was getting the vibe that TP felt it should have been handled better, whether he's talking about Pop or Jack, but with all the rumors about Jack causing distractions behind the scenes, I imagine TP was fed up with Jack and just didn't care anymore. I could be stretching it, but Parker's interview was just interesting.

[superjames1992]

But Parker has never been ultra conservative when asked questions..... He's usually direct and honest, but maybe he was asked to not say much, I don't know.
Too bad he didn't tell the media about his escapades with Brent Barry's wife, tbh.

[MSPaint]

So OP started a thread and posted a whole article




For 1 fucking quote

Wasn't quite the whole article. And there were several good quotes in there.

[MSPaint]

http://th08.deviantart.net/fs70/200H/i/2012/196/1/7/big_boss__s_salute___mgs3_by_rainedrebellion-d57boh0.png

Snake eaaaaattteerr.

[wildbill2u]

No. They serve completely different roles. Jack's role was to guard swifter, mobile 3s (Durant/Lebron) and serve as an undersized 4 during small ball. His offense largely came from posting up smaller 3s (when applicable) or standing out near the 3 point line. I can count the total number of pick and rolls he attempted to run on one hand.

Manu's role is to run pick and roll with Duncan, Splitter, Bonner, or Blair all the while scoring for himself in the lane (or from 3) or setting up open teammates on the perimeter after penetration.

They have completely...different...roles.

Jack's role was to guard switfter mobile 3s? And standing out by the 3 pt line? Unfortunately, he couldn't guard swifter mobile 3s and his ego made him take shots from 3pt range that he couldn't hit for an acceptable average. So I have to assume you are making a very subtle critique of his play this year.

[jestersmash]

Jack's role was to guard switfter mobile 3s? And standing out by the 3 pt line? Unfortunately, he couldn't guard swifter mobile 3s and his ego made him take shots from 3pt range that he couldn't hit for an acceptable average. So I have to assume you are making a very subtle critique of his play this year.

Whether or not he was successful is another story. I was merely describing his expected role while out on the floor.

[SenorSpur]

I finally saw the post-game interview with PArker and it simply appeared to me that he didn't want to go there on the Jackson decision. He was apparently taking the public stance of abiding by the "Big Boss's" decision.

[TD 21]

LOL, "PROBABLY looking thin" - one of the strengths of the team was their DEPTH - now that's gone. They could have waited until the off-season to get rid of SJax. What wake-up call - if anything the team looked shell-shocked. I'm sure they felt like I felt yesterday - resigned - that what little chance they had to win a championship is now ZERO because of the sequence of events recently. And even with 35-40 mins/game, Leonard still needs a back-up especially in case of foul trouble or injury.

Exactly. It's shocking how few people seem to comprehend this. I'd have been all for not having him in the playoff rotation, but why keep him around as Durant/James insurance if/when? Who cares if he pouted? There's at most roughly two months left in the season. Giving the team their best possible shot at a championship should have been priority number one. Instead, once again, pretending they're smarter than everyone else was.

[therealtruth]

Exactly. It's shocking how few people seem to comprehend this. I'd have been all for not having him in the playoff rotation, but why keep him around as Durant/James insurance if/when? Who cares if he pouted? There's at most roughly two months left in the season. Giving the team their best possible shot at a championship should have been priority number one. Instead, once again, pretending they're smarter than everyone else was.

Exactly. He barely played in the Clippers series but was useful in the Thunder series. Suspend him a few games and let him think it over. Only then would you consider waiving him.

[kobexxx]

At the end of the day. MIami wins against OKC for the trophy. Lets spare ourselves some trouble if its a right decision or not. Unless SA get a superstar, we can always dream of the championship.

[jestersmash]

At the end of the day. MIami wins against OKC for the trophy. Lets spare ourselves some trouble if its a right decision or not. Unless SA get a superstar, we can always dream of the championship.

Say "hi" to lakersground for me.