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Players to Pop: Get Over Bonner
Pop says to get over Ginobili
Mike Monroe
Though Manu Ginobili remains a supportive presence in the locker room and cheers for his teammates from behind the bench during the games, Spurs coach Gregg Popovich has admonished his players to eliminate Ginobili from their thinking during the Spurs' playoff run.
“We have to be of the mind-set that Manu Ginobili is almost not part of the team, in a crazy sort of way,” Popovich said before Game 1 of the Spurs' first-round playoff series against the Dallas Mavericks. “If we spent any time thinking about Manu, it's going to take away from our group-think, and what we have to do.
“We can't have him in our minds at all. At this point, unfortunately, he has nothing to do with this except support off the court, and that type of thing, which he will do.”
Ginobili was declared out for the season, including the playoffs, after being diagnosed on April 7 with a stress fracture of the right distal fibula. Though the injury is expected to heal with rest and treatment, rather than surgery, Popovich said there was no possibility he would be activated for this year's playoff run, even were it to extend into June.
Popovich stressed that Ginobili is still part of the Spurs' family, but warned that wishful thinking that he might be able to come back for the playoff run would be dangerous.
“We don't want anybody thinking about Manu, or possibilities of (his) coming back, or that sort of thing,” he said. “That's sort of silly.”
3-pointers wasted: The Spurs made an amazing 11 of 14 3-point shots in Saturday's game, more accurate than in any of their 82 regular-season games, but were done in by defensive lapses in the second half.
Michael Finley, the former Mav who made all five of his 3-point attempts, said he had been involved in such games in the past.
“Yeah, during my days in Dallas,” Finley said. We're a team that doesn't put a lot of emphasis on the offensive end. We know in order to win games, especially a series against a good team, it's going to be on the defensive end.”
Roger Mason Jr. made 4 of 7 3-point attempts, but was the only Spur to miss from long range. Both Bruce Bowen and Tony Parker made their lone 3-point attempts.
Quick hook: Ime Udoka was the first Spurs player off the bench Saturday, but he didn't stay on the court for long. Assigned to defend Mavericks super-sub Jason Terry, Udoka lost Terry at the 3-point line on the Mavericks' first possession after he entered the game.
Terry made the 3-pointer, and at the next dead ball opportunity, Popovich replaced Udoka with Bowen. Total time on the court for Udoka's first shift: 50 seconds.
Udoka got back in the game later in the first period. He logged 16 minutes and 14 seconds, scoring three points and grabbing five rebounds.
New-old voice: Kevin Brock, who began the season as the public-address announcer at AT&T Center before suffering two knee injuries while playing basketball on Dec. 20, returned to the microphone.
Players to Pop: Get Over Bonner
I hate to say it but ducks has been mentioning that for a while and how continuing to talk about Ginobili when he's out could harm the team's psyche . . . .
O_V to Pop: Get over thinking your team's success has been a result of the cleverness of your coaching.
FYI: Get over Bonner Pop.
And I agreed with Ducks when he said it.
Pop was the idiot that kept going on and on about how we need Manu to win in the playoffs. At the time he was saying it I kept saying he needs to stop saying that because his players will lose confidence if he says it all the time. It is true, but Pop should have said what he is saying now about 4-5 weeks ago.
Now Pop is saying not to think about him? Good work Pop.
Pop needs to get over himself first.
i like how he's calling out his team when this loss is entirely his own fault. bag
He said this BEFORE the game. Did you actually read the article?
doesnt change anything....
Pop STFU and get over Bonner.
Pop needs to recite his own motto and "get over himself."
Stop bristling at the notion that your team is "too old" and accept the fact that THEY ARE.
Stop wearing the "experience" label as some badge of honor and try earning your
genius" label by opting to develop better roster balance and depth. You're wearing out your star players.
Stop hazing promising players by banishing them to the bench, when they've shown evidence of productivity. Try trusting them enough to give them playing time.
Stop thinking that players who have are athletic skill cannot fit into your system.
Sounds like a Doc Rivers interview I heard not to long ago.
Hill on Terry or Barea.
Can Gooden guard Nowitzki? The one time I can remember them matching up, Gooden seemed to pester him pretty well and Dirk missed.
Bowen on Howard or Dirk if Gooden can't handle him.
You get over Manu, Pop.
The question is, can Nowitzki guard Gooden?... You make Dirk work hard on one end, and he gets both tired and in foul trouble. Bonner ain't gonna make that happen.
You'd better hope for a different officiating philosophy if you're expecting Dirk to get into foul trouble. He could have stabbed Timmy in the neck after he picked up his third foul and tonight's crew wouldn't have called it, and the Spurs were at home with a lead official who's got a history of being home court friendly.
Well Manu is the ace of the team, without him nothing can be accomplish, so it's hard to not mention him.
.
I know. I don't even wanna go there, because I also think we were not physical enough on our end. Going back to my previous point, I'll just take the make him work part. And probably the extra scoring and rebounding. I mean, Dirk didn't even had to try guarding Bonner. Just stick near him to make sure he doesn't get the ball and that is it.
Pop has been an awesome coach for us over the years no doubt but he's really starting to break down mentally now. I'm not sure what the is going on.
On top of everything else, Pop has the nerve to be a pompous ass to anyone in the media, who asks him a question. Another example of him arrogantly posturing as though he is the "smartest guy in the room" Of course, he usually is, but he needn't act like it.
There comes a point when the people who value being a "class act" and cherishing the "code" they operate on, stop being humble, and start to get arrogant themselves.
Pop is pretty arrogant this season.
There's a Galileo quote that applies, "I have never met a man so ignorant that I couldn't learn something from him."
One of his response/demeanor to the reporter wondering why Gooden and Thomas were limited in minutes, seemed pretty arrogant.
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