Will Manu move back to the starting line-up??

[SpursWillOwn]

My guess is a yes! :madrun :madrun Though his 6th man role proved to be more valuable in game to the Spurs , but his 6th man role is not only during the game only. He's the 6th man of the season, comes off the bench mid way thru the season just like coming off the bench half way through the game :spin

[ArgSpursFan]

It really doesnt matter.As long as He keeps on finishing all games.

[smeagol]

Irrelevant

[spursgrl20]

I've been wondering this as well. I hope he is in the starting lineup to start the season and then depending on how that works out, they can move him to the bench if they need to. I want him back in the starting lineup if for no other selfish reason than I miss seeing him be introduced with the rest of the guys at the beginning of games. :wakeup

[samikeyp]

It really doesnt matter.As long as He keeps on finishing all games.

Exactly.

[SpurOutofTownFan]

Manu lover here. It would be an insult for him not to start again. I think a lot of coming out the bench had to do with Finley getting his first ring. That is all.

[Pistons < Spurs]

He'll start the season as the starter.....and midway through, Pop will go back to bringing him off the bench. If the formula works, why change it. Manu is obviously fine with it. His ego hasn't gotten in the way.

Although now that I say that, another thought just came to me....with Manu not playing for Argentina this year, Pop may not be so concerned about his minutes, and leave him as the starter.

[smeagol]

Manu lover here. It would be an insult for him not to start again. I think a lot of coming out the bench had to do with Finley getting his first ring. That is all.
Let's not start with the "insulting" and "diminishing his role" comments when talking about Manu coming off the bench.

Please?

[SAGambler]

I love Manu, but I still think he is best coming off the bench. By doing this he gives the Spurs a man in the second line that can come in and take over the game while he is in. Not many teams have a guy like that. I just hope the Spurs can pick up someone or maybe even use White to come off the bench with him that can really help him do some damage while he is in there.

I realize Manu probably should be in a starting role, and on most teams around the league he would be. But in this particualar case, I think he does more damage coming off the bench than starting. It never gives the other team a chance to relax out there.

[smeagol]

He'll start the season as the starter.....and midway through, Pop will go back to bringing him off the bench. If the formula works, why change it. Manu is obviously fine with it. His ego hasn't gotten in the way.

Although now that I say that, another thought just came to me....with Manu not playing for Argentina this year, Pop may not be so concerned about his minutes, and leave him as the starter.
He did not play in the summer of 2005 and his numbers were still administered the following season.

[bdictjames]

Dont fix it if it aint broken.

[Oh, Gee!!]

He'll be one of the only (if not the only) bench players to win Finals MVP when the Spurs repeat next year.

[Pistons < Spurs]

He did not play in the summer of 2005 and his numbers were still administered the following season.
Good point.

[ArgSpursFan]

The big 3 only is on the floor by the end of the 2nd and 4rd quarter,otherwise there´s only 2 of them on the floor,that´s how Pop´s system works out better and there´s always one of them on the floor at all times.
If you start Manu,them you´ll have to Bench one of the other 2,in order to stick to the plan,and distribute the minutes right,in order to always keep 1,or 2 of them on the floor at all times,and the 3 of them by the end of the game.
COMPRENDE?

[ducks]

lets see what spurs offseason brings then decide ok?

[timvp]

I've always said the Spurs are best with Manu coming off the bench and I stick to that. With Manu off the bench, they are very tough to beat. It deepens the team and gives the Spurs the best bench in the league . . . even if it's just Manu and a couple scrubs.

[degenerate_gambler]

He'll start the season as the starter.....and midway through, Pop will go back to bringing him off the bench. If the formula works, why change it. Manu is obviously fine with it. His ego hasn't gotten in the way.


yup..

[Clutch20]

Manu gets his "own team" coming off the bench. He's also somewhat settled down after getting to see the other team play and I'm sure that after he's analyzed what they're doing he then figures out what he wants to do.

__________________________________________________

“They do a great job of their system and staying true to form,
making big plays in big moments,” Suns coach Mike D'Antoni
told reporters in Phoenix on Thursday. “That's what we're
trying to get. Mental toughness, being lucky, I don't know
what it is.”

The Spurs, D”Antoni added, just seem to “believe a little bit
more.”
“All the time,” he said.

[drmvp]

I've always said the Spurs are best with Manu coming off the bench and I stick to that. With Manu off the bench, they are very tough to beat. It deepens the team and gives the Spurs the best bench in the league . . . even if it's just Manu and a couple scrubs.

I agree completely. Also, I think it makes Finley (or whoever else might start) play slightly more effectively; it makes it easier to keep two of the big three in the game and fresh at any juncture; and, perhaps most importantly, it exemplifies the Spurs' trademark team-first mentality that undoubtedly resonates with his teammates.

That demonstrated unselfishness is in some ways reminiscent of Robinson's yielding to Tim when he arrived, and Tim's own example in the mature way he accepts Pop's sometimes heated criticism (he could demand special treatment, but he doesn't).

I'm proud to be a fan of the Spurs. :hat

[porscha]

Spurs owes a FMVP for Manu. after all the things and plans Spurs and Tim did to keeping Tony happy.
Spurs needs to do the same for the hard working Manu, Manu is a player with heart of gold and plays only for the honor and happiness.

Manu needs to keep his consistency and get better help from the point guards. and...please... shine earlier then the fourth quarter in finals.

[ChumpDumper]

Let's not start with the "insulting" and "diminishing his role" comments when talking about Manu coming off the bench.

Please?Oh, let's go there again. That's an automatic ten-page thread.

[BigBeezie]

I don't think he will start this year. Either finley or Grant Hill (yes, I said it) will be starting at the 2 spot.

[RC's Boss]

Dont fix it if it aint broken.
Great post. A fucking Men

[genghisrex]

I hope not. Manu's absolutely starter quality, but the team has a lot more balance throughout the game when he, Tony, and Tim are staggered. By bringing Many off the bench, we get a lot more minutes where at least two of the Big 3 are on the floor together and we also get decent stretches where Tim's off the floor and Manu can be the go-to guy. Obviously you finish with the Big 3, but I think we're less consistent when we start with all of them.

[T Park]

If you can convince Grant Hill to come in, or if you draft a Jared Dudley and he performs well enough, then you start him.

Ginobili coming off the bench though makes this team a championship team, its obvious.

[aaronstampler]

Finley's coming back, so I doubt they'd change anything now. Finley has that starter mentality and he's a terrible bench player, so they probably won't change anything. Really, they won it all last year with him on the bench, so I doubt they'd change anything.

I do think Pop might experiment with cutting Bowen's minutes next season though, either for JWhite or some SF we draft like Dudley or a free agent sign like Hill or Nocioni or whoever. I don't see Bowen playing 30+ mins for us next year.

[timvp]

Finley's coming back, so I doubt they'd change anything now. Finley has that starter mentality and he's a terrible bench player, so they probably won't change anything. Really, they won it all last year with him on the bench, so I doubt they'd change anything.

Do you think the Spurs will change anything? :stirpot:

[ClingingMars]

Draft J.R. Reynolds, he and Finley can split starts.

-Mars

[TMTTRIO]

I don't mind if he continues coming off the bench. He plays the same no matter what and as long as he's there in the end during clutch time I don't mind. I'm just hoping that he's not injury prone this year like he was the last time he had the whole summer off.

[CosmicCowboy]

Manu coming off the bench is kryptonite for a lot of these hot 2 guards playing short rotations and lots of minutes...They get no breaks on either end of the floor and Pop keeping Manu under 30 minutes means they are having to work hard against a fresh explosive guy...

All those games this year that the Spurs put away in the 4th had a lot to do with our guys being fresher and the other teams hot shooters being tired from having to go all out for 45 minutes against Pops tag team strategy.

[spurschick]

Every analyst I've heard basically calls him a starter who comes off the bench. Pop normally throws him in at the 5-6 minute mark, but we've seen him come in earlier when Finley or Barry struggles. I'm sure that he would be moved back into the starting lineup if that's what the team needed.

[Borosai]

Manu starts and my man comes off the bench with the 100% Natural Juicy Juice!

[wildchild]

Manu's starter in the first game the regular season. It's always like this since 2005.

[smeagol]

Who cares?

Either way, Tony never passes him the ball.

(I'm practicing my shoog)

[BeerIsGood!]

Manu will start to start the regular season because Pop wants to try as many lineups as possible without the Big 3 to see what's going to work and who excells in each situation. This is especially true if the Spurs have new faces in the rotation who are going to be counted on to produce in the PO. Once the Rodeo trip rolls around, it'll be business as usual with Manu on the bench and everyone else settling into their rotation minutes and roles.

The only way that doesn't happen is if Pop really wants Finley to start from the get go to get him in a good rhythm early and see if he can retain it.

[aaronstampler]

Do you think the Spurs will change anything? :stirpot:


You are such a dick.

[WalterBenitez]

Manu will start again, after Spurs fir POP

[SA210]

He'll be one of the only (if not the only) bench players to win Finals MVP when the Spurs repeat next year.

[jag]

I honestly dont think it matters, he's going to get the same amount of minutes and he's shown that he can still get the same numbers off the bench.

[EVAY]

Boy, do I ever hope so. Look, let's be realistic for just a minute here. Manu wants to start. He has been willing to do what was best for the team. That has meant him coming off the bench because if he didn't come off the bench, we had no consistent bench scoring and/or bench leadership. Some of the reasons for that had to do with Tony hardly ever letting Manu touch the ball in the first 7 minutes of the first quarter, so Manu could never get untracked offensively before he had to come out of the game due to normal rotation minutes. Don't get on me for dissing Tony...I love hime, agree that he was the finals MVP, and have defended against all comers in this forum. But it is true that Manu hardly ever got the ball in the first few minutes of the first quarters of the games. I hope that he comes back this season with a curl jumper, because that is what Finley has that was so hard for defenders to deal with in the presence of Tony (slasher and/or pull up jumper) and Tim (low post).

If we fail to start Manu, we will lose him. Pure, simple and true. Did anyone watch his face while the starters were being introduced during the finals? He was NOT a happy man. We couldn't have won in the finals without him. We so desperately need his "ice-water-in-the-veins" fourth quarter heroics, that we have to start him to keep him. Because we need him in the fourth quarter more than we need Finley in the fourth quarter. Finley has not been forced to adjust to being a big contributor off the bench. It is his turn to step back for the team...they came through for him...he needs to come through for Ginobili...and Tony has to be forced to share the ball more at the beginning of games, even if that means Pop specifically calling plays for Ginobili a lot during the first quarter.

[porscha]

Boy, do I ever hope so. Look, let's be realistic for just a minute here. Manu wants to start. He has been willing to do what was best for the team. That has meant him coming off the bench because if he didn't come off the bench, we had no consistent bench scoring and/or bench leadership. Some of the reasons for that had to do with Tony hardly ever letting Manu touch the ball in the first 7 minutes of the first quarter, so Manu could never get untracked offensively before he had to come out of the game due to normal rotation minutes. Don't get on me for dissing Tony...I love hime, agree that he was the finals MVP, and have defended against all comers in this forum. But it is true that Manu hardly ever got the ball in the first few minutes of the first quarters of the games. I hope that he comes back this season with a curl jumper, because that is what Finley has that was so hard for defenders to deal with in the presence of Tony (slasher and/or pull up jumper) and Tim (low post).

If we fail to start Manu, we will lose him. Pure, simple and true. Did anyone watch his face while the starters were being introduced during the finals? He was NOT a happy man. We couldn't have won in the finals without him. We so desperately need his "ice-water-in-the-veins" fourth quarter heroics, that we have to start him to keep him. Because we need him in the fourth quarter more than we need Finley in the fourth quarter. Finley has not been forced to adjust to being a big contributor off the bench. It is his turn to step back for the team...they came through for him...he needs to come through for Ginobili...and Tony has to be forced to share the ball more at the beginning of games, even if that means Pop specifically calling plays for Ginobili a lot during the first quarter.


agree, Manu does not looked happy anymore. :(

[greens]

I don't get how people say that he "does not look happy anymore"...

Manu did exactly what was the best for the team. And therefore, he won a championship...

This is how he looked seconds after he won the championship:
http://d.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/p/rids/20070615/i/r2103302004.jpg?x=238&y=345&sig=XsB.Hr2E6.rWC9JFtw15vQ--
http://d.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/p/rids/20070615/i/r1352128266.jpg?x=218&y=345&sig=hMorG6ibqt9Grbv3XYS04g--
http://d.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/p/nm/20070616/2007_06_15t010121_450x334_us_nba_finals.jpg?x=380&y=281&sig=vVMpRYiyR3PBmXMoWDfTQg--

During the ceremony:
http://d.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/p/rids/20070615/i/r3046389341.jpg?x=380&y=304&sig=O.WD2pJZdMga1gdD8_4fKw--

Yeah, the guy really does not look happy...lol.

[carina_gino20]

Manu coming off the bench creates more shots for the Big Three. The only problem is that while he's there to take charge when Tim and Tony are off the court, teams could just double him if he's out there with no other shooter. Without Tim and Tony, I'm most confident when Manu and Fabricio are out there at the same time for that Argentine connection.

[greens]

Manu coming off the bench creates more shots for the Big Three. The only problem is that while he's there to take charge when Tim and Tony are off the court, teams could just double him if he's out there with no other shooter. Without Tim and Tony, I'm most confident when Manu and Fabricio are out there at the same time for that Argentine connection.


You know at first I was not too happy with the system...because Manu would be left without Tony/Tim out there...which would mean teams could double him and keep all their attention on only Manu. So I thought it would have been incredibly hard for Manu to score when he was basically the main option out there. For Tim/Tony, it's easier to play because you've got two of the Big Three at the same time. However, Manu was with the Vaughn, Elson/Oberto, Bowen, etc line up.

However, the more the playoffs continued, it really worked. I mean, Manu was able to create tons of shots. He was able to lead that sort of line up. And Tim/Tony got their rest. Then at the end during crunch times, you've got all Big Three playing at the same time. So it was actually a good strategy by Pop.

Plus, I think it also gave Manu more responsibility. I think it even showed him that Pop had so much trust in him to be basically the main scorer while the other big two rested. So I think it gave Manu more opportunity to actually shine. So it might have even built more confidence. When Manu is out there, he is basically the leader, who gets to make choices all the time.

I never thought such strategy would have worked...But it certaintly did and the result was a championship ring.

As for Manu, he is not a selfish guy. He will do whatever is good for the team, just as all the Spurs players do. So I don't think he cares too much about being a bench player. He knows that he is part of the Big Three. He knows he's really important to the franchise. So I don't believe any of this idea that he is "not happy."

He was certainly happy to win a 3rd ring in 5 years.

[ChumpDumper]

OMG.

The rains here this week are nothing compared to the deluge of tears from the Chruch disciples' mourning the Lost Starting Position.

:cry

[porscha]

http://home.satx.rr.com/slk350/index.html/105_200136_6bd6fa81939434c.jpg

oh well, maybe just me but this pic breaks my heart

[aaronstampler]

OMG.

The rains here this week are nothing compared to the deluge of tears from the Chruch disciples' mourning the Lost Starting Position.

:cry

I wish you could be a little more sensitive to other people's feelings. The guy is like a God in Argentina. People are going to take any slight to him, real or imagined, incredibly personally, because it's like when you insult him, you insult the entire country.

You've got to accept that ever since 2002, the Spurs stopped being about just San Antonio or just Texas, that shit is over now. They're a lot more important than that. So take your your little provincial feelings about them and shove them up your ass.

People from Argentina are going to care a lot more about Manu and people from France are going to care a lot more about Tony than Americans will care about any one American player. That's just how it is.

[BeerIsGood!]

I wish you could be a little more sensitive to other people's feelings. The guy is like a God in Argentina. People are going to take any slight to him, real or imagined, incredibly personally, because it's like when you insult him, you insult the entire country.

You've got to accept that ever since 2002, the Spurs stopped being about just San Antonio or just Texas, that shit is over now. They're a lot more important than that. So take your your little provincial feelings about them and shove them up your ass.

People from Argentina are going to care a lot more about Manu and people from France are going to care a lot more about Tony than Americans will care about any one American player. That's just how it is.

ok, but here in Texas we are SPURS fans first and individual fans second. RESPECT that.

[greens]

And here is a pix right after the one you've posted, porscha:
http://www.mysanantonio.com/multimedia/slideshows/show_1690/GAME-4-SPURS-CAVALIERS-61.jpg

I think Manu was really proud of Tony. If you listen to the post interview, he said that Tony was "unbelievable" during the Finals.

Plus Manu has the Olympic Gold Medal...and was the MVP for the Olympics. Really, how many NBA players get to win 3 championships and the Olympic medal, all in 5 years?

How about happy pix:

some are from manuginobili.com forums

http://img259.imageshack.us/img259/9819/abrazo3pz8.gif
http://us.news2.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/p/ap/20070615/capt.013e1b9fe4aa4fc3b6ed09ced8d13733.aptopix_nba_ finals_spurs_cavaliers_basketball_cda229.jpg
http://us.news2.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/p/ap/20070615/capt.29ca65f23dd942e8ba7dd95c33037fb7.aptopix_nba_ finals_spurs_cavaliers_basketball_cda123.jpg
http://us.i1.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/p/sp/getty/3e/fullj.getty-74165826mw088_game_4_san_an_12_11_49_am.jpg
http://us.i1.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/p/sp/getty/8b/fullj.getty-74165826cc130_nba_finals_ga_12_12_46_am.jpg
http://us.i1.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/p/sp/getty/79/fullj.getty-74165826cc153_nba_finals_ga_12_51_19_am.jpg
http://us.i1.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/p/sp/getty/c3/fullj.getty-74165826cc218_nba_finals_ga_2_35_54_am.jpg
http://us.i1.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/p/sp/getty/04/fullj.getty-74165826mw081_game_4_san_an_11_58_17_pm.jpg
http://us.i1.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/p/sp/getty/e7/fullj.getty-74165826tl013_game_4_san_an_11_56_10_pm.jpg
http://www.mysanantonio.com/multimedia/slideshows/show_1690/GAME-4-SPURS-CAVALIERS-60.jpg
http://img520.imageshack.us/img520/6198/45207564ze7.jpg
http://img413.imageshack.us/img413/3101/fulljgetty74640371ah001cz1.jpg
http://img124.imageshack.us/img124/3738/31596635cl8.jpg
http://img168.imageshack.us/img168/4656/fulljgetty74165826mm020vl6.jpg
http://img520.imageshack.us/img520/2353/fulljgetty74165826tl015tx6.jpg
http://us.i1.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/p/sp/getty/3f/fullj.getty-74165826cc154_nba_finals_ga_12_51_29_am.jpg


lol...sorry for so many pix...it's hard to choose from them.

[TMTTRIO]

Manu does look happy and looks like he's already having a great summer so far but did anyone notice that his brother is wearing a Phoenix Suns playoffs shirt (let the talking begin) :p: :lol. Anyways Manu was answering a bunch of questions on his site and hearing from him I think it works out even better for him then starting. Like he said he is really effective when he can have the ball more and when he's starting he really doesn't get the ball that much said. He also said the first six minutes are warmups anyways and when he was starting he would get mad when they took him out at the 6 minute mark anyways. He said he'll probably start again but go back to the bench during the year. Also he had something interesting that he said about Scola.

http://www.huevosanchez.com.ar/Grafica/Fotos/0006-000235.jpg

[mardigan]

Manus brothers a dick