Notebook: Reinjured groin could cut Hill's Game 2 time

[timvp]

Notebook: Reinjured groin could cut Hill's Game 2 time
Jerry Brown, Scott Bordow, Tribune

SAN ANTONIO - Suns forward Grant Hill didn't do much in Game 1 against San Antonio, scoring just five points on 2-of-4 shooting. Now we know why. Hill reinjured his groin while taking a charge from Michael Finley 23 seconds into the game and the injury could limit his effectiveness during the series.

"It was bothering me yesterday (Saturday)," Hill said. "I felt pretty good to start the game but as we went along, it started to wear on me."

The injury prevented the Suns from sticking Hill on point guard Tony Parker in the fourth quarter, a tactic that was successful in the regular season. He only lasted a few possessions before coach Mike D'Antoni went back to Leandro Barbosa.

"It's one thing to guard a guy sitting in the corner, another to guard him," Hill said. "But I anticipate getting right and guarding him. It just wasn't there yesterday."

D'Antoni said he'll watch Hill more carefully in Game2 for signs that the groin is bothering him.

"Looking back at the tape he was hurting more than I thought," he said. "There were a couple of defensive plays he was really hurting. He showed a lot of courage to be out there but we're going to have to have an understanding that if he's hurt, he's hurt. He's going to have to come and tell me."

NASH FIGHTS THE FLU

Steve Nash caught a nasty case of the flu on Thursday afternoon and was still feeling it Sunday morning. It forced him to cancel workouts with physiotherapist Rick Cellebrini, and limited him to all of eight possessions at Friday's practice.

Still very weak for Game 1, Nash tried to pace himself (five points on 2-for-7 shooting through three quarters) until the Suns needed him. He had 20 points from the fourth quarter on, including a game-tying 3-pointer with 15.7 seconds left in the second overtime.

"I'm getting solids down, but they aren't staying down too long," Nash said. "I struggled for a long part of the game. I didn't know how much I had and I tried to save it until the end. I didn't know the end would end up being two overtimes. Luckily, we don't play until Tuesday, so that should give me enough time to get through it."

http://www.eastvalleytribune.com/story/114365

[timvp]

I'm not sure if Hill's absence would be good or bad news for the Suns. He's obviously a very good player but the Spurs have players to guard him. The Spurs have less players to guard Barbosa, who'd get extended time in Hill's absence.

[xtremesteven33]

uh oh....i can already feel the excuses coming....:wow

[phyzik]

so excuses 1 and 2 already served up...

Hill was Hurt

Nash was sick

[polandprzem]

I'm not sure if Hill's absence would be good or bad news for the Suns. He's obviously a very good player but the Spurs have players to guard him. The Spurs have less players to guard Barbosa, who'd get extended time in Hill's absence.

Healthy Hill brings more good then bad even with Barbosa getting more playing time.

But the absence of hurt Hill you might be right, wounded Hill preobably would help spurs more.

The groin injury likes to reinjure and it's not very pleasant.

Hopefully nash did not infected anybody from the spurs squad

[BlackSwordsMan]

I wonder how they will blame bowen for this.

[ancestron]

Grant Hill injured? I'm shocked!

[Budkin]

Hill's the only guy on the team who had a chance of guarding Parker. Barbosa plays just as shit defense as the rest of the Suns. Oh, and yeah... Hill is a walking injury.

[Spurs Dynasty 21]

this is great news for the Spurs

[Cry Havoc]

I'm not sure if Hill's absence would be good or bad news for the Suns. He's obviously a very good player but the Spurs have players to guard him. The Spurs have less players to guard Barbosa, who'd get extended time in Hill's absence.

Are you kidding? Anything we can do to shorten that bench. D'antoni is so used to the 7-8 man rotation that he doesn't even know how or when to use the longer arm of reserves he has, doesn't even know how they would match up against us.

He has to either run his players ragged (and ragged is the operative word after Game 1) trying to matchup, which would pay dividends as the series lengthens, OR he has to reach farther into a bench that he's unfamiliar with to match up on our guys. Any time you remove a veteran like Hill from a rotation, it's difficult to cope with. Doubly so for a coach who doesn't know how to properly utilize a bench.

[BonnerDynasty]

Spurs must capitalize on anything the Suns give us.

[DDS4]

Manu has a groin injury also. Where's the news on that?

[timvp]

Are you kidding? Anything we can do to shorten that bench. D'Antoni could just play Barbosa and Giricek more. He wouldn't have to go any further into his bench.

Giracek > Hobbled Hill

[T Park]

Giracek is easier to guard than hill and not as good a rebounder nor defender.

Bring that the F on.

[Xylus]

I wouldn't mind starting Giricek, to be honest. He played fantastic defense while he was in the game. He didn't do a whole lot in the 2nd half, but he'll give Hill some much needed rest.

[T Park]

Relying on Giricek to continue good defense is like thinking D'Antoni coaching wise is "gonna turn the corner any day now"

[BillsCarnage]

I'm not sure if Hill's absence would be good or bad news for the Suns. He's obviously a very good player but the Spurs have players to guard him. The Spurs have less players to guard Barbosa, who'd get extended time in Hill's absence.
I like Hill on Bowen, both offensive and defensive. If Bowen is moved over to guard Nash, then that'll free Hill up with a shorter Gino or Parker. Hopefully Hill can be more of a factor in gm2.


Grant Hill injured? I'm shocked!
Why must you continue to prove just how much of an idiot you are??? Hill only missed 2 or 3 games because of actual injury this year.


I wouldn't mind starting Giricek, to be honest. He played fantastic defense while he was in the game. He didn't do a whole lot in the 2nd half, but he'll give Hill some much needed rest.

Agreed, but if Hill can't start D'Ant will likely start Barbosa for the speed on offense. And, I don't think D'Ant trusts Gordy 100% yet either. Not that that's a surprise.

[Princess Pimp]

Hill injured, Nash sick with the flu and only lost by 2 points?

Makes you wonder, spursies.!

[hater]

:lmao at "Giriceck" and "outstanding" in the same sentence

[Xylus]

:lmao at "Giriceck" and "outstanding" in the same sentence
Nowhere in this thread were "Giriceck" and "outstanding" used in the same sentence before yours, or even in the same post, you douchy fuckrag.

[spursfaninla]

TIMVP:

parker guards barbosa
manu guards bell
bowen guards nash
duncan guards amare
Thomas guards shaq

nash "guards" bowen
bell guards manu
barbosa guards parker
shaq guards duncan
amare guards thomas

This worries you? Granted, Nash gets time off on d here, BUT Hill will defend Tony WAY better, if healthy, than barbosa would.

If you can choose between a healthy Hill and Barbosa guarding tony, you take Barbosa. As long as Tony is guarding him, I think we are ok. Granted, we lose some on offense with this lineup, but Bell hasn't been showing much this year anyway.

We dont' have another body that can keep up with Barbosa: Barry and Vaughn have little to no shot. But luckily Barbosa does most of his damage in transition; if our guys get back early, he is alot easier to handle, and if Tony is on him, we should be ok.

[Cry Havoc]

D'Antoni could just play Barbosa and Giricek more. He wouldn't have to go any further into his bench.

Giracek > Hobbled Hill

Giracek hasn't played against the Spurs in the playoffs in a long time, to my knowledge. He doesn't know the habits of our players, and is there a player on defense we couldn't shut him down with? Udoka should be a lock on him. I seriously doubt D'antoni is going to limit his team offensively with an unknown quantity in the playoffs against the hated Spurs, but who knows.

Right now it's like pick your poison for Phoenix. Either way they go, Hill's injury just destroys any flexibility they had playing us. Foul trouble now means a lost game or playing the starters for 45 minutes.

[lefty]

so excuses 1 and 2 already served up...

Hill was Hurt

Nash was sick

You forgot :

- Shaq is fat

- Amare is dumb

[timvp]

TIMVP:

parker guards barbosa
manu guards bell
bowen guards nash
duncan guards amare
Thomas guards shaq

nash "guards" bowen
bell guards manu
barbosa guards parker
shaq guards duncan
amare guards thomas

This worries you? The problem is Bowen might not be on the court. Pop could very well need all the offense possible on the court. Then you are looking at Parker on Nash and then who on Barbosa? Manu was on him in Game 1 but he's not a very good matchup against Barbosa. But Finley and Barry would be much, much worse.

My point is Manu, Finley and Barry have a shot to defend Hill. Against Barbosa, the speed defense would be too much if Barbosa is at his best. Last year against the Lakers, Barbosa was awesome. Parker shut him down last year but this year if Parker has to guard Nash more, I don't know who will guard Barbosa. The Lakers tried Kobe on Barbosa and Barbosa blew right by him. I don't even know if Bowen has the speed to guard Barbosa.

[timvp]

Giracek hasn't played against the Spurs in the playoffs in a long time, to my knowledge. Giracek was on the Jazz last year and was Sloan's best perimeter defender in the playoffs. He was the only player on the Jazz who had any success at all against Manu.

[da_suns_fan]

Giracek was on the Jazz last year and was Sloan's best perimeter defender in the playoffs. He was the only player on the Jazz who had any success at all against Manu.

Gordon Giricek is a poor man's Ginobili. I hope he gets more time on Tuesday.

[timvp]

Gordon Giricek is a poor man's Ginobili. I hope he gets more time on Tuesday.Not according to Ghost Writer . . .

[T Park]

I think one thing that Giricek lacks that Ginobili has is a bit of driving to the hole toughness.