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Malik played like in his short time last night. Simple as that.
He's not, though. Pop's using Mason as the back up PG, and Hill's not really any better at running the offense. On a night where Parker is shooting and not passing, they need a pass first PG. I'd bet that last night was one of the worse nights for the Spurs in assists.
As for Hairston's one mistake costing him playing time, that's just Pop being a ing re . Hairston left Howard to cover Kidd, who somebody left wide open at the three point line, and the Mavs were smart enough to pass the ball back the other direction. After Hairston was yanked, how many times were either Kidd or Howard left for wide open threes? Ten times? Twenty times? But the rookie doesn't get any PT because it's all his fault. Idiotic.
I'd rather the Spurs have traded Hill and Hairston if Pop isn't going to get them some ing burn before the playoffs, or at least let them make mistakes and learn from them.
Malik played like in his short time last night. Simple as that.
Agreed. He's on a short leash because he's a rookie. I know it has to do with Manu's injury and Udoka's inep ude, but I've been amazed at how MUCH Hairston has been playing. He's been the first guy off the bench the past three or four games and has seen good minutes in all except last night.
I think we have to remember that Hill didn't play the point in college, this is his first year doing it. It takes college point guards a few years to blossom in the NBA and it will take Hill time too. In the meantime, he can do well at guarding the other team's best small player and trying to add some hustle plays on offense and the boards. He's going to be a great back-up for TP one day, but not now, not in his first season. He can still contribute in the playoffs though.
We will use Mason as a back-up PG in the playoffs, I think. He's not incredible at it, but he is a huge pull-up jumper threat whereas Manu is a drive and kick threat when he runs the backup point. I think Pop likes these threats more than having an assist-first type PG. Parker isn't that type of player and I don't think Pop wants that kind of guard. Anyways, I don't think TP will be resting much in the playoffs anyway, so I expect back-up PG minutes to be pretty limited.
I completely agree with you. These guys have shown promise but how the are they going to improve when they make a mistake by pulling them out and burying them at the end of the bench... heh I wonder what they think when they see the vets in there doing the same thing over and over? Funny that you would think that the vets are the ones that should have a smaller leash on mistakes because they really don't have a reason to be messing up.
Like I said a few posts ago. Hairston did not let the Mavs score 107,but the team did. Why should Hairston be the one punished?
+1
If ST coached the Spurs, they'd be in 11th-15th place in the west though.But rookies having no room for error and the Fin mancrush are my 2 biggest gripes with Pop. A solution to both is Pop being convinced that if anyone s up big/is cold/plays crappy D, they are OUT. Exceptions would be the Big 3, but not 4th-12th options. , Fin isn't even top 5 anymore in that regard. And concerning rookies, they should get 2 chances at least before going to the doghouse. One chance with only 3 minutes is inexcusable.
My biggest dream come true for next years season would be
A) Fin decides to retire after winning the LO.
B) Gist and Hairston become the 1st and 2nd options at SF after doing great in the preseason and Fin is behind Bowen on the depth chart.
C) Ian playing at least 77 games.
D) Fin doesn't start a single. ing. game. Not even in the POs.
E) Ime and Fab leave for good.
I'm bound to have one of them come true.
My biggest dream come true for next years season would be:
we signed Sheed for cheap.
and a healthy manu.
I think its OK for Hairston to get yanked like he did. Turns out the rest of the team took a defensive dump as well, but it emphasizes the importance of every rotation and what is at stake.
I know Pop is really reluctant to play rookies and young guys, but of the top 5 teams in the league, other than Courtney Lee, are any rookies playing meaningful minutes? Hickson in Cleveland is the only other one I can think of. I think Hairston is on a short leash, but its an appropriately short one given the level we're playing at and what usually happens with rookies in the league.
yeah dude, thanks for mentioning that.
I guess I'd add Manu to C), and have the F) be a hope for Sheed to make it, and maybe even get Gooden to sign for cheap next season. If he proves to be the missing piece, of course.
Since he already picked the Spurs over money once, maybe he'll do so again if he gets a ring this year. Good thing the given big rotation to start in the offseason is Tim/Bonner/KT/Ian. Shouldn't be hard at all for top 30-40% bigs(Sheed, Dice, Gooden easily make that bar) to get solid minutes, especially if they can do 2 of rebound/play D/score in the post./ makes 3s like only a few players avg overall.
Getting even more off track, you think Bonner can stay above 45% this season from 3?
Maybe....he might not be getting many chances to miss with Gooden in the rotation.
o? He was benched for defensive lapses.He could have been effective (defense wise) if given the shot.
His defense might have helped when the Mavs went on their runs. I don't think suggesting playing him is that radical, is it?
He was benched for one defensive lapse, which was really only that he was rotating to cover Kidd who someone else left wide open. Why wasn't the person who left Kidd open punished? The rest of the team was terrible on rotations. Funny that the guy who had the most to gain from the game time was punished.
It's just so much easier to blame the rookie I suppose. That and it was a great excuse to play Finley more minutes.
You know I'm starting to think there was no win win for Malik on that play. He probably would have been chewed out and pulled anyway had he not rotated over to kid who was wide open since he was the closest player to him to make that play.
Watching Hairston be the first guy off the bench was sad for me. It made me wonder -- have we really fallen that far? The guy hustles, but he has no O and only marginal D from what I've seen. (and I've seen more than 90% of the games.)
But then I felt better when I thought about how poorly the Spurs were playing yet were in the game until the end.
I don't mind seeing more of Hairston down the stretch to rest Bowen, Finley, etc., but when the playoffs start, I hope it's "Have a seat, Malik."
And after the Spurs win another ring, he can go work on that horrible jumpshot so he can contribute some O next season."
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