Boris' playoff minutes..

[HarlemHeat37]

Do you guys think Boris is a lock to receive heavy playoff minutes, or is there a real possibility that he loses more minutes than we had expected to West and Anderson(and some other small-ball lineups)?

Of course there's a strong chance that he's just coasting/bored, but he's 33 years old and has a history with weight problems..it's far from a given that he's going to turn it on, tbh..

[ElNono]

coasting, imo.... tho I like Pop giving him some rest

[Mugen]

I trust playoff Boris over Fathead tbh.

[midnightpulp]

I've lost some faith in him.

[InTheCrust]

he'll lose some minutes to west, but not anderson

[spurraider21]

we're going to need him to be good. we're going to need parker to be good. the fact is, we cant trust either right now, and that's why GSW is favored and not us. this squad isn't perfect and isn't the best in the league, but they can win if things go right

[apalisoc_9]

He's lost minutes to west already, but hes still going to get serious mintues in the playoffs. He's role is probably not as big anymore as the 14 run or the playoffs. The logical thing to do is to just play things by ears and see who is playing better in a game to game basis. If west is playing better, hes the third big.

I dont think anderson will get that much playing time at the 4. Probably nonexistant. Hes coasting imo.

[Silver&Black]

Shit is really starting to piss me off.

On the plus side though...Captain West is playing decent.

[Robz4000]

He's looked as gassed as Parker at times tbh. Both should be shut down after the Dubs game for a few weeks.

[HarlemHeat37]

I trust playoff Boris over Fathead tbh.

Same, but do you think it's a lock that he has the same type of role he had in past playoffs?

[Robz4000]

we're going to need him to be good. we're going to need parker to be good. the fact is, we cant trust either right now, and that's why GSW is favored and not us. this squad isn't perfect and isn't the best in the league, but they can win if things go right

They don't need Parker to play well to beat the Dubs as long as Manu plays well and Pop doesn't refuse to sit him.

[Mugen]

Same, but do you think it's a lock that he has the same type of role he had in past playoffs?

I do. Doubt Fathead gets any real minutes past the 1st round. Plus benching Bobo is pretty much throwing in the white flag against the Dubs as he's one of our most important players against them IMO.

[ElNono]

They don't need Parker to play well to beat the Dubs as long as Manu plays well and Pop doesn't refuse to sit him.

Not a given 38.5 y/o Ginobili can still bail out Tony like years past, tbh... would be nice for Tony to get some rest and get those afterburners going

[aal04]

In our 13-14 run he was like a Draymond Green. I feel much more comfortable with him in form than anyone not named Kawhi Leonard.

[Robz4000]

Not a given 38.5 y/o Ginobili can still bail out Tony like years past, tbh... would be nice for Tony to get some rest and get those afterburners going

It isn't, which is why the Spurs will be an underdog. If they can get 3rd quarter Manu tonight for 25 mins a game, they'll have a great chance.

[DAF86]

I think he's a must if we want to have a chance against GS but I don't know anymore.

[dabom]

It isn't, which is why the Spurs will be an underdog. If they can get 3rd quarter Manu tonight for 25 mins a game, they'll have a great chance.

That's a lock for a 'ship brah.

[Robz4000]

That's a lock for a 'ship brah.

Not this year unfortunately

[TrainOfThought5]

Dr. Jekelnobili and motivated Boris secure our championship because the Warriors biggest weakness is their bench.

[Chinook]

I trust playoff Boris over Fathead tbh.

It's past the point of trust now. He could well get cut next year at the rate he's going.

[TD 21]

I expect him to be in the rotation ahead of Anderson. Right now, I think Pop just wants to give him a kick in the ass and get Anderson as much experience as possible. As far as the minutes, they were always going to down, with Aldridge and West on board, but whether he's the third or fourth big will depend on his and West's level of play from here on out.

It's clear, at this point, that only Leonard and Aldridge are guaranteed significant minutes and closing close games. Every one else, it depends on who's playing well/who's not in the particular game and the match-ups.

[HarlemHeat37]

I expect him to be in the rotation ahead of Anderson. Right now, I think Pop just wants to give him a kick in the ass and get Anderson as much experience as possible. As far as the minutes, they were always going to down, with Aldridge and West on board, but whether he's the third or fourth big will depend on his and West's level of play from here on out.

It's clear, at this point, that only Leonard and Aldridge are guaranteed significant minutes and closing close games. Every one else, it depends on who's playing well/who's not in the particular game and the match-ups.

Yep, and it's very strange to see:lol

And ya, I agree with your first point..seeing him on the floor in garbage time was :lol

[TD 21]

Yep, and it's very strange to see:lol

And ya, I agree with your first point..seeing him on the floor in garbage time was :lol

It is. It was so weird to see them going down the stretch, on Saturday, in a close game against an elite team, with no big three and Leonard essentially playing point guard.

To be fair, even when he was crucial, he still inexplicably played many a garbage time and because the league inexplicably doesn't allow all players to be active, everyone has to have a rotation player play garbage time.

[sasaint]

It isn't, which is why the Spurs will be an underdog. If they can get 3rd quarter Manu tonight for 25 mins a game, they'll have a great chance.

Don't think that it is a reasonable expectation. Manu has never been the model of consistency, and he is becoming more inconsistent. But at 38, he isn't going to play 25 minutes every game - especially not consistently at the level he showed tonight. I wish he could.

[Robz4000]

Don't think that it is a reasonable expectation. Manu has never been the model of consistency, and he is becoming more inconsistent. But at 38, he isn't going to play 25 minutes every game - especially not consistently at the level he showed tonight. I wish he could.

Against the Dubs he very well may have to with Parker unable to be hidden on defense and his offense no longer good enough to justify what he'll give up on D. Then again, that may be where Miller comes in.

[Cry Havoc]

We'll see how well Bobo does in the WCSF, the first real test for us.

Remember, it's a long season and Boris is prone to boredom. Especially on a team that wins almost 6 games for every game they lose. He knows we're probably going to win on any given night, so he doesn't need to go 100%.

I still think he'll be a beast when the game slows down and turns to a matchup-driven slugfest.

[Kawhitstorm]

It's past the point of trust now. He could well get cut next year at the rate he's going.

I've been saying he's 2005 Malik Rose status this season & hopefully his partially guaranteed contract will be used to re-acquire Tiago.

[spurraider21]

the spurs could be playing at their absolute best and still lose to gsw

[sasaint]

Against the Dubs he very well may have to with Parker unable to be hidden on defense and his offense no longer good enough to justify what he'll give up on D. Then again, that may be where Miller comes in.

I tend to think Miller was picked up strictly for injury insurance, but I could be wrong. Possibly he could get real time against the Dubs. A lot depends on how quickly he picks up enough of our system so that he doesn't really limit us when he is in the game.

Question: wouldn't Butler have been more valuable against the Dubs for some defense than KMart? It seems like Butler might have been good for some decent minutes against Draymond. Don't see where KMart helps against the Dubs. Surely we are not hoping to outgun them in a shoot-out... :wow

[Cry Havoc]

the spurs could be playing at their absolute best and still lose to gsw

Depends. If our 3 is falling, our defense IS better than the Dubs. I think we take it in 6 or 7 if we are firing on all cylinders.

That's a massive, unlikely if though. And if Curry goes supernova, then all bets are off the table.

[spurraider21]

Depends. If our 3 is falling, our defense IS better than the Dubs. I think we take it in 6 or 7 if we are firing on all cylinders.

That's a massive, unlikely if though. And if Curry goes supernova, then all bets are off the table.
thats my point. unlike previous years where we were literally unbeatable when at the top of our game, the dubs at the top of their game probably still beat us right now

[Cry Havoc]

thats my point. unlike previous years where we were literally unbeatable when at the top of our game, the dubs at the top of their game probably still beat us right now

The Dubs at the top of their game are unbeatable by anyone in history, ever, IMO. Maybe our 14 team and the 96 Bulls would have an outside shot at them. That's it. Period.

Hell, some shitty teams took MJ 6-7 games in the 90s. The Warriors could blow most of those Bulls teams off the court. They'd sweep or 5 game most of the teams from the 90s. They'd sweep every team in the 80s except a couple of Celtics/Lakers teams.

[Robz4000]

I tend to think Miller was picked up strictly for injury insurance, but I could be wrong. Possibly he could get real time against the Dubs. A lot depends on how quickly he picks up enough of our system so that he doesn't really limit us when he is in the game.

Question: wouldn't Butler have been more valuable against the Dubs for some defense than KMart? It seems like Butler might have been good for some decent minutes against Draymond. Don't see where KMart helps against the Dubs. Surely we are not hoping to outgun them in a shoot-out... :wow

Many of us have been saying ad nausium he'd of been huge, but :lol Bonner...

[pgardn]

I still trust him.

High Bball IQ is used when the playoffs come.
And Boris can still create huge mismatches with the right group.

I never throw him out because of regular season disinterest.

[Robz4000]

thats my point. unlike previous years where we were literally unbeatable when at the top of our game, the dubs at the top of their game probably still beat us right now

We've seen the Dubs at the top of their game earlier this season, but have yet to see the Spurs. IMO if Parker could find his December/January form at the very least, Green from the past few years, Patty making his shots on the road, and Bobo not sucking this team might have a higher ceiling thanks to experience/talent.

[spursistan]

709916599285911552
TheGreatYacht

Diaw's minutes :lmao

[TheGreatYacht]

709916599285911552
TheGreatYacht (http://www.spurstalk.com/forums/member.php?u=43719)

Diaw's minutes :lmao
Incredible. Keeps adding salt to the wound SMFH

[SAGirl]

Do you guys think Boris is a lock to receive heavy playoff minutes, or is there a real possibility that he loses more minutes than we had expected to West and Anderson(and some other small-ball lineups)?

Of course there's a strong chance that he's just coasting/bored, but he's 33 years old and has a history with weight problems..it's far from a given that he's going to turn it on, tbh..
I see him loosing minutes. He can't guard on the perimeter like he used to. He's slowed and fat, they blow by him. At this point, he has a type of PF he can defend, the Randle types. The Mirotics, Teletovics and Ryan Anderson of the world light him up. How many games did we loose last season to those types? Even this season the early Pellies game. Elnono is not sold on Anderson so he doesn't care that we have won many games this season bc Pop has altered schemes and used Anderson on these guys instead of Boris.

Then you take into account teams that just use SF as a 4. Those are a terrible matchup for Boris. He can't guard a 3 at this stage and while he can exploit them in the post, they have been known to outquick him and get the ball from him too a and bc it's in his nature to pass he's not always profiting from these guys like he used to

He will still play but his role has declined. He doesn't give you more rebounding, scoring or better defense than Anderson against these types of guys and Anderson can also create for others and find open guys. So can West.

Then when you look at the guys Diaw can guard, and DWest does a better job, plus Dwest takes the stronger bigger guys to give Aldridge a breather. Let's just say that Boris is becoming a niche guy. We shall see bc he's still a veteran, but he's not in great shape, he's not getting minutes ramped up to get his conditioning and stamina up and we are relying less and less on him and more and more on Dwest and Anderson. We shall also see Timmy in the bench like we did against the Clippers, possibly reinforcing Anderson again like we saw tonight.

[freetiago]

If the Spurs aren't running an offense based on slashing like in years past then his role is diminished. He was great at rolling and finding shooters. Now Pepe and Manu can't do shit so he's just catching it at the 3 point line since no one respects the drive and they soft show and he's with limited options. West fits better in the post up style offense since he can space the floor for the wings posting up. He's also had some nice roll/pass skills shown tonight where he kicked it out to Patty who touch passed to Green for the 3. His role will depend on how much Duncan plays. Pop has been going for 20-25 mins with Tim. If he ups it to 30 mins then I could see Boris basically not playing since West is going to be getting 20-25. He could be playing the 2014 Baynes role. While LaMarcus plays Tim's minutes, Tim plays Boris minutes, and West plays Tiago minutes.

[Arcadian]

We're just extremely deep at his position. That's why he's losing minutes.

[100%duncan]

Non-issue.

[Brazil]

Boris needs to rest tbh...

I'm not sure people realize he is the spurs who missed the less games since he arrived in 2012 tbh... dude palyed with playoffs 382 games over a total of 393 at near 24 mn per games plus he played all FNT competition during this stretch.

People call him fat and stuff but he has been extremely solid and durable for the Spurs. He is most reliable Spurs player in terms of health for 4 years now and it is not even close. I think he has been a bit taken for granted by both PATFO and FNT tbh...

At the end a big part of his mediocre year is coasting but also fatigue... Now if you shut him down you take the risk he starts getting out of shape, so you do what Pop is doing and give 25 mn in 3 games... I'll probably give him a week or two of rest and then play 10-15 mpg till last 5 games before POs. From there you evaluate what Boris you have for the POs

[DesignatedT]

Resting. He was overplayed first half of the season and he played during the summer as well. With West/Aldridge more comfortable now he can afford to sit more. He was asked to play more during the first half of the year out of necessity with those guys not being as comfortable. He's a lock to receive heavy minutes as there are times he's the best player on the court in a Spurs jersey.

[spurs10]

Boris is an international playboy and the women are wearing him out is my take. He needs to take a break from the women- who are bountiful in his life- for a few weeks in the playoffs. Then spend the summer on the French Riveria doing what he does...
:bobo

[spurs10]

They are looking at Idris Elba as possibly the next James Bond. While he looks a bit like an older version of Boris- Boris is their man really.
:bobo

[cd021]

Shit is really starting to piss me off.

On the plus side though...Captain West is playing decent.

West for the vet min. was higway robbery.
17.6 P.E.R and a +16 Net Rtg

[ceperez]

I tend to think Miller was picked up strictly for injury insurance, but I could be wrong. Possibly he could get real time against the Dubs. A lot depends on how quickly he picks up enough of our system so that he doesn't really limit us when he is in the game.

Question: wouldn't Butler have been more valuable against the Dubs for some defense than KMart? It seems like Butler might have been good for some decent minutes against Draymond. Don't see where KMart helps against the Dubs. Surely we are not hoping to outgun them in a shoot-out... :wow

I agree here, KMart's defense isn't as good as Butler. I suspect Spurs felt that Butler's offense wasn't good enough.

[cd021]

Boris needs to rest tbh...

I'm not sure people realize he is the spurs who missed the less games since he arrived in 2012 tbh... dude palyed with playoffs 382 games over a total of 393 at near 24 mn per games plus he played all FNT competition during this stretch.ude palyed with playoffs 382 games over a total of 393 at near 24 mn per games plus he played all FNT competition during this stretch.

People call him fat and stuff but he has been extremely solid and durable for the Spurs. He is most reliable Spurs player in terms of health for 4 years now and it is not even close. I think he has been a bit taken for granted by both PATFO and FNT tbh...

At the end a big part of his mediocre year is coasting but also fatigue... Now if you shut him down you take the risk he starts getting out of shape, so you do what Pop is doing and give 25 mn in 3 games... I'll probably give him a week or two of rest and then play 10-15 mpg till last 5 games before POs. From there you evaluate what Boris you have for the POs

If i recall, pretty much all of those games mised was a result of a surgury he had. He's pretty much only had one injury in five seasons. I think Pop should give him a week off 3 or 4 games and give the minutes to Anderson.

Playoff Diaw is a different animal. It could be argued that he was the 3rd best Spurs during the 13-14 PS run.

[SAGirl]

I agree here, KMart's defense isn't as good as Butler. I suspect Spurs felt that Butler's offense wasn't good enough.
I think that of the two (Butler & Anderson) Anderson had developed through the season as the better player and Butler's 3 wasn't reliable enough to sit Anderson for it. If you are going to sit Anderson bc you need a real 3 pt shooter for that 4th wing spot like TD 21 has been chirping about, or even bc our own regular shooters are slumping then you needed a better candidate than Rasual who was at 30 % for the season.

[SAGirl]

If i recall, pretty much all of those games mised was a result of a surgury he had. He's pretty much only had one injury in five seasons. I think Pop should give him a week off 3 or 4 games and give the minutes to Anderson.

Playoff Diaw is a different animal. It could be argued that he was the 3rd best Spurs during the 13-14 PS run.

The same could be said of the Tony a few years ago.

I think Pop believes rest is counterproductive for Diaw. He looses motivation if he's not playing and he will entirely loose his conditioning and his stamina. You will have yourself Bobcat Diaw. He needs to play.

If anything, what is happening to Diaw is the emergence of Anderson quite simple, although ppl refuse to recognize it. He's a young kid still getting better and might be a bigger piece in the team's future it looks like. He's earned his role. He's become so good in certain matchups that he's flat out a better option than Diaw but it's good to have Diaw bc he's a young untested kid and you can always go back to Diaw if you need to.

[DPG21920]

Well as happy as I am with Kyle (he still has a long way to go) he's no where near Boris's level when Boris plays well. The real question is if Boris is done or just tired. We have the same question of TP. Questions that need to be answered with 15 games left.

[spurs10]

Well as happy as I am with Kyle (he still has a long way to go) he's no where near Boris's level when Boris plays well. The real question is if Boris is done or just tired. We have the same question of TP. Questions that need to be answered with 15 games left. I wonder that about Tony, but feel Boris is neither 'done or just tired.' He seems to be a person that can bring it when needed. I won't be surprised a bit if his level of play escalates as the playoffs near. Tony on the other hand seems to have Kawhi covering for him on defense and Patty covering for him on offense. I hope he has another gear for the playoffs.

[sasaint]

I think that of the two (Butler & Anderson) Anderson had developed through the season as the better player and Butler's 3 wasn't reliable enough to sit Anderson for it. If you are going to sit Anderson bc you need a real 3 pt shooter for that 4th wing spot like TD 21 has been chirping about, or even bc our own regular shooters are slumping then you needed a better candidate than Rasual who was at 30 % for the season.

All goes back to what strategy we will employ against the Dubs. KMart might be more valuable if we plan to out-offense the Dubs, which I think is a faulty approach. I thought that Butler could have provided a significant defensive presence against the Dubs. For our best chance to beat the Dubs, Butler's D was potentially more valuable than KMart's O. Bad trade-off.

[sasaint]

I agree here, KMart's defense isn't as good as Butler. I suspect Spurs felt that Butler's offense wasn't good enough.

Basically the potential value of Butler's D is greater than the potential value of KMart's O.

[SAGirl]

All goes back to what strategy we will employ against the Dubs. KMart might be more valuable if we plan to out-offense the Dubs, which I think is a faulty approach. I thought that Butler could have provided a significant defensive presence against the Dubs. For our best chance to beat the Dubs, Butler's D was potentially more valuable than KMart's O. Bad trade-off.
I am actually in the short membership group that thinks Anderson is going to play a role in our postseason. He's been too good defensively to pass up on, even better than Boris, which is why I think if Boris doesn't make his presence felt he will give up minutes too.

I think Butler's role was going to be a small one anyways, the same that would have been Jimmer's, that is now Miller's: designated shooter.

It turned out Rasual was a versatile player and better defensively than we thought, but he probably ended up playing a lot of minutes lately that would have been Simmons if Simms hadn't reverted to preseason levels. As others have noticed in "the Committee" threads, it's an issue that the production from our bench is unpredictable or that sometimes no one outside of Kawhi can shoot a 3. I can't see Martin playing much precisely for defensive reasons. We might even be seeing him a lot more right now bc he's being integrated to get some chemistry and rhythm with guys. It's not like others have stopped playing on his account. I see him as situational like Elnono pointed out in that Kmart thread.

[sasaint]

I am actually in the short membership group that thinks Anderson is going to play a role in our postseason. He's been too good defensively to pass up on, even better than Boris, which is why I think if Boris doesn't make his presence felt he will give up minutes too.

I think Butler's role was going to be a small one anyways, the same that would have been Jimmer's, that is now Miller's: designated shooter.

It turned out Rasual was a versatile player and better defensively than we thought, but he probably ended up playing a lot of minutes lately that would have been Simmons if Simms hadn't reverted to preseason levels. As others have noticed in "the Committee" threads, it's an issue that the production from our bench is unpredictable or that sometimes no one outside of Kawhi can shoot a 3. I can't see Martin playing much precisely for defensive reasons. We might even be seeing him a lot more right now bc he's being integrated to get some chemistry and rhythm with guys. It's not like others have stopped playing on his account. I see him as situational like Elnono pointed out in that Kmart thread.

Yes, in the Pop-coached reality of the Spurs, Butler was never going to get significant minutes (despite some speculation to the contrary among some posters here on ST a few short weeks ago) or else he would not have been jettisoned. But like most threads here on ST, the discussion about Butler vs. Martin is really about conjecture/subjective speculation. My belief is that Butler could have been useful as a defender against Draymond, where we will be sorely challenged. Boris seems incapable or disinterested in providing much energy on defense at this juncture. And it is my belief that Kyle Is not yet up to that challenge.

It is painting with too broad a brush, though, to talk about projected minutes generally in the playoffs for guys like Boris and Kyle. In the case of the former, too much depends on his playing up to (past?) potential. In the case of the latter, too much depends on his continued improvement. I expect Kyle will get some minutes in the early first round, and Pop will play it by ear after that. Certainly much will also depend on match-ups, but I could see Kyle starting with +/- 12 minutes and ending up with none by the finals - or conversely, even more. This will essentially be his first real playoff experience/opportunity: how will he respond?

[cd021]

The same could be said of the Tony a few years ago.

I think Pop believes rest is counterproductive for Diaw. He looses motivation if he's not playing and he will entirely loose his conditioning and his stamina. You will have yourself Bobcat Diaw. He needs to play.

If anything, what is happening to Diaw is the emergence of Anderson quite simple, although ppl refuse to recognize it. He's a young kid still getting better and might be a bigger piece in the team's future it looks like. He's earned his role. He's become so good in certain matchups that he's flat out a better option than Diaw but it's good to have Diaw bc he's a young untested kid and you can always go back to Diaw if you need to.

i don't disagree with some of your points, however sitting Diaw three games probably isn't gonna cause him to gain but so much weight in the span of a few days. Rest for Diaw could help him. Splitter played 80 straight games on season but toward the end of that stretch, his play began to drop off. Pop gave him a game or two off.

Anderson has played well but i'd doubt that Pop would replace Diaw, a 10+ year vet with a history of coming up big in the playoffs for a second year player that has played fewer than 1300 minutes in two seasons. I think Diaw likely to draw favorable matchups as opposed to KA. He can post up smaller or similar sized big, guard some SFs, most PFs and some centers, along with spacing the floor and adding excellent passing

[jARS mEsH sEt]

thats my point. unlike previous years where we were literally unbeatable when at the top of our game, the dubs at the top of their game probably still beat us right now

"Probably" still beat us? It's not even close. We don't have the firepower to compete with them, and our historically great "defense" didn't seem to play out, at least in the last game.

[SAGirl]

Frankly glad Bobo showed up and will need to show up against GSW and from here on out. Coasted long enough. Playoff Boris needs to get in shape.