Bruno
03-05-2007, 08:22 AM
http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/basketball/nba/spurs/stories/MYSA030507.01D.Spurs.325bc5b.html
Web Posted: 03/04/2007 09:27 PM CST
Johnny Ludden
Express-News
LOS ANGELES — If Michael Finley seems to have a little more bounce in his step these days, you're not the only one who has noticed.
Finley has averaged 12 points during the past three games for the Spurs, shooting aggressively and accurately — unlike earlier this season. He made his first three shots, two of which were 3-pointers, in the victory over Orlando on Friday and had a similar barrage during Saturday's second quarter in Houston.
With each shot, Finley's swagger grew. On Saturday, he was backpedaling, head held high, as soon as the ball left his hand.
"We could see a different Fin," Manu Ginobili said. "He's more confident and always ready to shoot. We really need him, so it's great to see him like that."
After struggling with his shot for much of the season, Finley has shown progress during the past five weeks. Heading into tonight's meeting with the Los Angeles Clippers, he's averaging 9.1 points in his past 15 games while shooting 44.2 percent, including 37.7 percent from the 3-point line.
While those numbers aren't going to win him the Sixth Man of the Year award, they're a marked improvement from the season's first month when he made just 32.2 percent of his shots and 25 percent of his 3-point attempts.
"I'm just playing the game," Finley said. "It's easier said than done, but that's the way I'm looking at it. Go out there and just play the game the way I know how and incorporate it into the system here."
Spurs coach Gregg Popovich thinks Finley might have tried too hard to mesh with the team, sometimes passing up shots he normally would have taken.
"I was more or less trying to make the perfect play," said Finley, who is also happy the NBA switched back to the leather ball. "Sometimes when you try to make the perfect play, you end up making the wrong play.
"From that standpoint Pop just told me to go out there and be aggressive, do what I want to do — and that's put the ball in the hole."
Popovich also reminded Finley that just because his shot wasn't falling, his confidence didn't also have to drop. He could still have a productive game by contributing in other ways.
"I've tried to be very definitive about that with him, so he understands we appreciate it," Popovich said. "His defensive efforts, his rebounding, his leadership and all those things are important to us on a night-after-night basis.
"Concentrating on that frees him up so he can feel a lot more at ease at just letting it fly."
Finley did just that in one of the team's biggest victories of the season, burying a 3-pointer — one of five he made on the day — with 1.3 seconds left in overtime to beat the Los Angeles Lakers on Jan. 28. The performance didn't immediately springboard Finley or the team to greater things, but it served as a reminder of his abilities.
"I think Pop's done a great job of defining his role and what he wants him to do," Tim Duncan said, "and understanding that he's a big-time shooter."
With Ginobili now coming off the bench, Finley typically doesn't play until the start of the second quarter. His minutes in the second half have been determined not only by his performance, but also by that of Bruce Bowen and Brent Barry.
Barry continues to start, though his playing time has been squeezed of late, particularly on those occasions when Popovich opts to sub in Ginobili only a few minutes into the second half. The team's recent run of lopsided victories also has skewed the rotation. Barry sometimes accumulates minutes after the game has been decided, and Finley does the same on other nights.
"I'm just trying to treat each game as a new adventure, so to speak," Finley said.
Regardless of the night, however, Popovich wants him to keep the same mind-set.
"He knows he has the green light and if he catches the ball, he's looking to score," Popovich said. "Not do anything else, but score."
Parker update: The Spurs didn't practice Sunday, so Tony Parker will be evaluated when the team meets this morning. Parker, who has a left hip flexor strain, missed Saturday's victory in Houston and didn't sound optimistic about being able to play tonight.
Web Posted: 03/04/2007 09:27 PM CST
Johnny Ludden
Express-News
LOS ANGELES — If Michael Finley seems to have a little more bounce in his step these days, you're not the only one who has noticed.
Finley has averaged 12 points during the past three games for the Spurs, shooting aggressively and accurately — unlike earlier this season. He made his first three shots, two of which were 3-pointers, in the victory over Orlando on Friday and had a similar barrage during Saturday's second quarter in Houston.
With each shot, Finley's swagger grew. On Saturday, he was backpedaling, head held high, as soon as the ball left his hand.
"We could see a different Fin," Manu Ginobili said. "He's more confident and always ready to shoot. We really need him, so it's great to see him like that."
After struggling with his shot for much of the season, Finley has shown progress during the past five weeks. Heading into tonight's meeting with the Los Angeles Clippers, he's averaging 9.1 points in his past 15 games while shooting 44.2 percent, including 37.7 percent from the 3-point line.
While those numbers aren't going to win him the Sixth Man of the Year award, they're a marked improvement from the season's first month when he made just 32.2 percent of his shots and 25 percent of his 3-point attempts.
"I'm just playing the game," Finley said. "It's easier said than done, but that's the way I'm looking at it. Go out there and just play the game the way I know how and incorporate it into the system here."
Spurs coach Gregg Popovich thinks Finley might have tried too hard to mesh with the team, sometimes passing up shots he normally would have taken.
"I was more or less trying to make the perfect play," said Finley, who is also happy the NBA switched back to the leather ball. "Sometimes when you try to make the perfect play, you end up making the wrong play.
"From that standpoint Pop just told me to go out there and be aggressive, do what I want to do — and that's put the ball in the hole."
Popovich also reminded Finley that just because his shot wasn't falling, his confidence didn't also have to drop. He could still have a productive game by contributing in other ways.
"I've tried to be very definitive about that with him, so he understands we appreciate it," Popovich said. "His defensive efforts, his rebounding, his leadership and all those things are important to us on a night-after-night basis.
"Concentrating on that frees him up so he can feel a lot more at ease at just letting it fly."
Finley did just that in one of the team's biggest victories of the season, burying a 3-pointer — one of five he made on the day — with 1.3 seconds left in overtime to beat the Los Angeles Lakers on Jan. 28. The performance didn't immediately springboard Finley or the team to greater things, but it served as a reminder of his abilities.
"I think Pop's done a great job of defining his role and what he wants him to do," Tim Duncan said, "and understanding that he's a big-time shooter."
With Ginobili now coming off the bench, Finley typically doesn't play until the start of the second quarter. His minutes in the second half have been determined not only by his performance, but also by that of Bruce Bowen and Brent Barry.
Barry continues to start, though his playing time has been squeezed of late, particularly on those occasions when Popovich opts to sub in Ginobili only a few minutes into the second half. The team's recent run of lopsided victories also has skewed the rotation. Barry sometimes accumulates minutes after the game has been decided, and Finley does the same on other nights.
"I'm just trying to treat each game as a new adventure, so to speak," Finley said.
Regardless of the night, however, Popovich wants him to keep the same mind-set.
"He knows he has the green light and if he catches the ball, he's looking to score," Popovich said. "Not do anything else, but score."
Parker update: The Spurs didn't practice Sunday, so Tony Parker will be evaluated when the team meets this morning. Parker, who has a left hip flexor strain, missed Saturday's victory in Houston and didn't sound optimistic about being able to play tonight.