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More and more evidence that the Spurs have more of a rotation/lineup problem than a personel problem.
Buck Harvey: Spurs aren't special when Manu isn't
http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/c...s.3e8c9cf.html
Web Posted: 03/18/2008 12:32 AM CDT
San Antonio Express-News
Robert Horry says he should have called timeout, but that's debatable. He got a decent look at the end, and besides, it was time for someone else to come up with a miracle this season.
The Spurs have spent too much of this season waiting for Manu Ginobili to make one.
It was someone else's turn.
The latest drop in the standings would normally fit into Gregg Popovich's recent theme. He has said he is less than disappointed by this recent slump because he's seen some good signs, and he says some losses aren't as bad as they seem.
Losing a close one to the best-in-the-league Celtics, on St. Patrick's Day no less, can't be all bad, right?
But then there's the blown 22-point lead, as well as the final play. Then, Tony Parker had pulled the Spurs within two points when Kevin Garnett threw a foolish pass.
Bruce Bowen intercepted it, and he, not Horry, should have been the one to call time. That would have given the Spurs the maximum amount of time, about three seconds, to run a play.
But Bowen admitted he didn't know the Spurs had a timeout left, and the replay suggests he wasn't alone. Not one Spur — not even Popovich — had his hands in the air signaling for one.
With that the Spurs reached their longest losing streak in the regular season in over seven years, and afterward Popovich skipped the spin. He called this loss "tough."
It was tough because the Spurs had started out as if they were reclaiming what they were. Ginobili went back to the bench to be the sixth man, and Damon Stoudamire went there to stay. Fab Oberto came back as a starter and Tim Duncan seemed comfortable from the start. He began with the game's first two baskets.
Parker sprinted out, too. And when Ginobili checked in, giving the Spurs the lift from the bench they haven't had, the Spurs led 35-13.
But the same Celtics who beat the Spurs earlier in the season without Garnett found a way this time without Ray Allen. Give Doc Rivers and his group everything on this night; they are on pace for about 67 wins for a reason.
They might be even better now with Sam Cassell. He mixed his jerky style with the blazing speed of the starting point guard, Rajon Rondo, and the two combined for 37 points.
But matching them was the one Spur who, just two weeks ago, was starting to show up on some MVP lists. More this season than ever, the Spurs have been special only when Ginobili has been.
He put together back-to-back 37-point games when Duncan was injured to beat both Utah and Dallas, and he saved the rodeo road trip with 34 in Toronto, 46 in Cleveland and 44 in Minnesota. By the time he was putting 30 points and a dozen assists on the Hornets, the Spurs were climbing to the top of the West.
As he's worn down, so have the Spurs. He missed at the end in Phoenix, and he averaged only 10 points in New Orleans and Detroit. This losing streak is a sign the Spurs have begun to rely on him, for the first time, too much.
Monday summed that up. Duncan, after those two first scores, had only one more basket until the fourth quarter. Parker stopped attacking, and Michael Finley ended with two points.
That left Ginobili with the load. He went for 32 points while also creating for others, and more telling was when he sat.
Such as at the start of the third quarter — when the Spurs lost a 10-point halftime lead. By the time he checked in for Finley, the Celtics led by one.
As for Finley: He's heading the way of Stoudamire unless he finds himself.
Ginobili broke Boston's momentum by banking in a leaning one-hander late in the game. But he also lost a drive with a minute left, and he badly missed a 3-pointer.
Still, the Spurs were down by four points with 11 seconds left when Ginobili drove. He took a foul and flipped up a shot, and the basketball rolled on the rim, tapped off the backboard and rolled on the rim again. Then slid off.
Ginobili couldn't come up with the miracle. For the Spurs this season, that's not good enough.
end of the article
More and more evidence that the Spurs have more of a rotation/lineup problem than a personel problem.
The funny thing is that I keep hearing from NBA fans, some of which are Spurs fans, that Manu cannot carry an NBA team, that Manu in a another team would be lottery bound, that the reason why Manu is so good is Duncan, blah, blah, blah . . .
What a piece of crap.
Harvey throws the whole team under the bus just to pimp Manu.
He is on his way to be a life member of the CoM.
I see everything starts and ends with Manu's nose!
What a piece of crap.
Harvey throws the whole team under the bus just to pimp Manu.
He is on his way to be a life member of the CoM.
Can only throw Miky?
Manu is the only Spur with the heart. Manu plays every game as if it was his very last, with heart! Where is your heart, Spurs?
48 min...not 12 min.
If Pop had started the third with Manu's hot hand
that seriously would have made all the difference in maintaining the lead.
WTF?
Did you just call out Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Bruce Bowen for playing without heart?
Stupid article. I actually think the opposite. As strange as it may sound, I think Gino's heroics are hurting the team's ball movement and taking away the confidence of other players. (Michael Finley anyone?)
This is a TEAM game, there is no way only one player can make it all the way. Even MJ needed key contributions from Pippen, Rodman, Kerr, etc.
Manu's heroics are saving, not hurting the spurs. have you seen the game? Finley started and manu came off the bench. But what did Finley contribute while he's there on the court? Don't tell me manu is contesting every shot attempt of finley.
Finley's slump is Manu's fault?
that would be true if when manu sits down, the team would play decently. But the fact is when Manu is sitting down, Spurs play like utter .
Ditching Manu for the poor play of others is absurd. Get real.
This article however is seriouslly re ed.
I'm not saying Finley's slump is Manu's fault. I'm just saying these team can't win with Manu posting 40 and the rest playing like crap. I like it better when Manu puts up 20 and 8 assists than his 32 and 2 assists of list night.
Finley could easily play like this... five years ago.
Simple, Manu has to play like this in order to win. If he can't, and he can't always, the team has nobody else. Duncan and Parker can't score in bunches.
People are putting down the article, but there's a lot of truth to it.
It's not like he isn't trying to distribute. He's said so many times that he doesn't care about his stats. He just wants to do whatever helps them to win. But more often than not this year, the offense has been stagnant and THEN, Manu has to do more work. What do you do when almost everyone else is just sucking so badly? It's a tough line for him to walk. And because of his compe ive nature, if he sees them in a slump, he will really do his best to get them out of it. To put this on Manu is just...
Manu is posting 40 because NONONE else is stepping up and scoring. WOuld you rather Manu post 20 and we get blown out??
the only problem I have with Manu is he is falling in love too much with the 3pt shot. that's it.
Ok, my bad. Manu is freaking Jesus on a Spurs jersey.
You said something defferent before.
And Manu is not Jesus (The Son), he is God (The Father)
Blaming the SPurs poor play on Manu does not seem to be fair.Ok, my bad. Manu is freaking Jesus on a Spurs jersey.
...which is a pretty interesting gap....
But I thought Manu is almost good as Kobe?
Bottom line though - Manu is San Antonio's finisher. Regardless of his stats he has to be ready to control the end game for SA to beat elite teams. If he's worn out now, SA needs to rest him to get his second wind for the playoffs.
oh I see, people call you out for making a stupid statement, and immediately you pull out the "homer" card... that's great. It couldn't have been that you are wrong, no.Ok, my bad. Manu is freaking Jesus on a Spurs jersey.
To say that Manu's scoring is what hinders the Spurs offense is about as idiotic a statement as one can make.
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