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Parker, Mason, Bowen, Duncan, Oberto
We know we'll have no Manu for at least the first few months, so I predict he'll come off the bench for most of the season, since Pop won't want to disrupt the rotation any more than he has to.
My prediction:
Starting 5: Parker, Finley, Duncan, Bowen, Oberto
Off the bench: Udoka, Mason, Thomas, Mahinmi, Hill
May not get PT: Tolliver, Vaughan, Bonner
Parker, Mason, Bowen, Duncan, Oberto
There's going to be a trade no matter what the situation is, Pop knows this, that's why they haven't spoken about it at all, I say before the deadline we will be happier than we are now.
I'd love to see Bonner and Oberto packaged out for something, anything at all.
Parker Finley Bowen Duncan Kurt
agreed..although i can see pop starting Mason in at times
Agreed....pretty much business as usual.
I don't think Mason will start just yet...but towards the middle of the season if he does well he'll start.
KT cannot play starter minutes (he's 36 years old) so I don't think he's starting.
Mahinmi could also join the starting lineup somewhere during the course of the season.
I also predict the Spurs will make at least 1 more significant signing or trade this season.
unless he shows leaps and bounds of improvement
Parker Finley Bowen Duncan Kurt
Hill Mason Udoka Mahinmi Oberto
Vaughn Bonner
Tolliver/Hairston/Farmer
I agree that Thomas will not start - Pop will want to use him in certain matchups, and also watch his minutes carefully so he has him in the playoffs.
I don't think Mason will start, simply because Pop tends to work new players in slowly, and every new player in the last 2-3 years has talked about how it takes them about a year to feel fully comfortable with the offensive plays. But for this reason, I predict Udoka will have big minutes this year, and play very well. I also wonder if Mahinmi will play more minutes as the season went on - he did spend some time with the team learning the system after all, and we could use him...
Hopefully to start the season, Parker/Mason/Bowen/Tim/Fab. But probably, Parker/Finley/Bowen/Tim/Fab.
And hopefully in the playoffs, Parker/Manu/Bowen/Tim/Fab.
And I don't think Mahinmi or Hill will get much playing time in the beginning of the season at all. Probably not even in the rotation. But hopefully midseason and onward they'll be contributing solid bench minutes. I think Udoka will get playing time with Manu out. But when Manu is back, he might end up just in spot minutes with Bowen/Manu/Mason/Finley in front of him at the wings.
Tolliver - not sure he even makes the team - might depend if they trade Bonner.
at the beginning of the season we will see a lot of finley, vaughn, and even bonner because they already know the system. hopefully they will get phased out as time progresses allowing more minutes for mason, mahinmi, and hill (if he is signed). i expect udoka to start averaging the stats he had in portland, getting more rebounds and points as his playing time increases 5-10 minutes. if a trade is to occur, the one player that the spurs severely lacks is an athletic big SF/PF that can guard odom, west, boozer, lebron james, garnett, and even beasley, all players that the spurs might meet during the playoffs. bowen and udoka won't be able to cut it against lebron james and odom and thomas/oberto just can't keep up with the speed of the faster power forwards.
I like this part. The SF position has been a problem and it's mostly caused by Finley getting old (he used to be alright against bigger/quicker players) and every other Spur small forward is undersized or too slow.
Losing Gist hurt the situation.
Bowen as the small forward is sent to guard the other team's best perimeter player no matter what position they play.
Oftentimes, this leaves the other team's small forward playing Manu or Finley. This is fatal in the Western Conference with better than average small forwards like Odom, Artest, Travis Outlaw, Peja, Diaw, AK47, etc.
Bowen is the only legit small forward on the Spurs team right now with the Spurs desperately looking at some tweener no-name SG/SF guys in camp.
Last edited by Allanon; 09-18-2008 at 07:33 PM.
I agree with the starting 5 that finished the year.
I think Mason takes over by March, if tha thappens and Manu is 100% I think this team will be very good.
PG: Parker, Hill, Vaughn
SG: Finley, Mason, Manu
SF: Bowen, Udoka, Farmer/Green/Hairston
PF: Duncan, Mahimni, Tolliver
C: Thomas, Oberto, Bonner/Watkins
My hope is Parker, Mason, Bowen, Duncan and Mahinmi. Reality is it'll probably be Parker, Finley, Bowen, Duncan and Thomas.
+1
It is my belief the Spurs signed Finley with the intention of starting him next season; a sort of insurance, if you will.
Let us hope Mahinmi and Mason exceed our expectations.
I hate "predictions". ESPN has become a comedy of people making predictions and then being praised when they are right and ridiculed when they are wrong. What's worse is that by making the prediction they have to justify it or defend the territory they've staked out, so no actual analysis gets done. I'm not sure why anyone thinks that's enjoyable. Nobody knows what's going to happen in sports, and that's what makes it so ing great. We should just call it what it is: Guessing.
/soapbox
+1
we need to make room for gisthe's a bruiser
I'd love to see Mason and Mahinmi get some serious run early as well so the coaches can guage what we've really got in those two. We already know what we've got in Fin and Thomas.
I don't like Duncan together with Thomas, so I think Ian is one choice but Pop won't trust him early in the season. Oberto is the other choice in the lineup but maybe Pop wants more play time for Thomas.
The same for Finley and the new guy Mason.
Last edited by wildchild; 09-20-2008 at 08:54 AM.
Parker - Mason - Bowen - Duncan - Thomas
I hope Finley doesn't get anywhere near starting. He needs to be a vet with very spot minutes. I want Mason to start.
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