Everyone knows this lineup is a recipe for suicide. Bonner has been one of the worst playoff "performers" in NBA history. How many minutes do you guys think this duo will get?
Think Bonner will see more than 15 minutes a game? *shudders*
I know people like to over think things and they usually read too far into decisions. But logic tells you that you have seen the rotation. The players Pop has gone with the entire season is what you will see. The only difference is that Tim/Manu/TP will eat up some extra minutes.
As an aside, I am really looking forward to Dice's play. If he can raise his level to how he was playing earlier in the year, I am very excited about that.
Well I'd assume Bonner's minutes would be down because we'd be seeing more Dice/Duncan together. I just wish/hope/pray that Pop tries to play Blair and Bonner together as little as possible, as even 10 minutes of those two against any team in the playoffs will allow them to go on a deflating run.
Dice has been mostly forgotten about around here lately, but you're right, he can be huge. I think we'll see a lot more energy and some good dirty work under the basket. He has to know this might be his last shot.
Dice will have to be big against MEM. He will be battling in the paint with randolph and gasol.
Probably a whole bunch. Can't wait.
A lot I'm afraid. The rotations have been set, and barring an injury to either Blair or Bonner, what we have all seen throughout the year is what we are going to get. It's a pipe dream for Splitter to play, but deep down I think Pop knows that having Splitter battle with the bigs from Memphis will put us in a position to be better in the paint defensively and offensively.
He certainly will...because Bonner certainly will not. Randolph punks most NBA bigs on a nightly basis, but having Bonner match up against him - even in a reserve role and for limited minutes, is beyond a mismatch.
The crazy thing is most everyone here knows that this series, against a very rugged frontline like Memphis, is tailor-made for rugged, hard-working player like Splitter. That's probably why we will not see much of him.
Bonner looks like a big sandwich to a hungry randolph
These combination of words makes me want to slap the face of the paralogic currently brain ing Pop.
The Turd Towers are here to stay, apparently pop sees championship potential in them, lol.
out of curiousity. what are bonner's playoff stats.
Anyone think its CIA Pop doing his thing?
Hes force feeding the turd towers on purpose to fool everybody, but come playoff time. The whole rotation changes.....with Tiago seeing time with Timmy. And Blair not being paired up with Bonner for a single minute????
How i WIsh...............
In my life, there have been only two professional athletes whom I've wanted to suffer injuries that prevent them from playing. Bonner is one of them. He's one of the few major minute sucking players I've ever seen who benefits his team when he can't play.
I think I hate Matt Bonner more than I've ever hated any NBA player.
Duncan will play at least 35 minutes.
McDyess 25-30
And this leaves 31-36 to split between Blair, the snowman and, hopefully, Splitter.
And I think it will go like this:
Bonner: 20
Blair: 15
Splitter: 1
but it should go like this
Splitter: 20
Bonner: 10
Blair: 6
Look at last year's playoffs for the formula. What you'll see is that the Blair/Bonner combo plays together for about 5 minutes in the first half and doesn't reappear in the second half.
In a game with no garbage time, expect the minutes distribution to look something like this:
TD: 36
Dice: 30
Bonner: 18
Blair: 12
TD/Dice: 24
TD/Bonner: 12
Dice/Blair: 6
Blair/Bonner: 6
I doubt we'll get any Splitter, so i'd be happy with this.
Alot!
There's no way that Pop goes to 5 bigs in the playoffs, so we'll only see Splitter in the rotation if he takes Blair's minutes. Otherwise, Splitter sees action in garbage time or in cases of foul trouble or injury.
Again, which makes no ing sense at all. This isn't the Hornets - it's the Grizzlies - a team that led the NBA in points in the paint. In a logical world, Splitter would be the first big off the bench - simply based on the matchups and style of play alone. This series isn't made for a one-dimensional, slow-footed, stretch-4, whose shot goes on vacation every spring. No. Rather, this series will be defined by tough, physical play inside the paint. Interior defense and winning the rebounding battle will be key for the Spurs in this series versus the brutally tough Grizzlies frontline. All of which are areas in which Bonner sucks balls and areas where Splitter can provide a solid contribution.
In the end, we all know Pop will keep Splitter chained to the bench, as he's done most all season. Same thing he did with George Hill, during his rookie playoff series versus the Mavs in 2009.
I expect Pop to not play Duncan over 34 minutes just yet. I would like him to still conserve the older players minutes as he did in the regular season. Obviously we captured the best record that way. As we go deeper in the playoffs Duncan will need all the energy he can get to realistically bring another championship to San Antonio.
As for the Bonner/Blair combo, I expect to see it but I dont expect Pop to overuse it as he did in the regular season. If this combo flames out I can see him using different combinations. Pop is the master at adjustments. Sometimes they work, sometimes they dont. Bottom line is if Bonner can hit his 3's at a respectable percentage he can make up for his piss poor 1 on 1 defense.
Calm down, senor.
The question posed was "what will we see?", not "what should we see?".
Well, I thought I was the only one...and I felt kinda bad about hating any spurs player...
But my love for the spurs and my hope for a le for the spurs leads me to see that Bonner is the ONE thing that will prevent this from becoming a reality.
Or rather Pop's decision to put Bonner OVER Splitter and Blair....
I think my hatred for Bonner is actually worse than my hatred for Kobe...and THAT is pretty in' sad.
Having said all that and because I have been a lifelong spurs fan...I would LOVE for Bonner to make me literally eat my words...
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