Popovich shifts to real-game rotation
Jeff McDonald
The Dwayne Jones Era ended last week without fanfare. The Curtis Jerrells Era appears to be entering its twilight as well.
It's past the midway point in October, which means the days of Spurs games morphing into a Development League All-Star game not long after intermission are done.
With nine days and two preseason games left until the start of the regular season, Spurs coach Gregg Popovich intends to shift his focus from evaluating young talent in training camp to preparing his veteran players for the games that count.
Translation: When the Spurs next take the floor Tuesday, there will be no jacket required for Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, Manu Ginobili and the rest of the team's regulars.
“We'll probably get a little bit more of a rotation, similar to the minutes some of the guys are going to play in the real games,” Popovich said Sunday.
If you ask Popovich's point guard, it's about time.
Parker says he is eager to see the Spurs' new-look roster — which includes newcomers Richard Jefferson, Antonio McDyess, Theo Ratliff, Keith Bogans and rookie DeJuan Blair — in its entirety.
“The next game is going to be pretty good to see where we're at,” Parker said.
The rest of the preseason has provided but a mere tease.
As is his custom, Popovich has carefully managed the exhibition minutes of his more established players, allowing the youngsters to fight for a place in the team's pecking order. On any given night, most of the Spurs' stars and veterans made either a cameo appearance or no appearance at all.
Only once this preseason have the Spurs suited up their full projected starting lineup: In the Oct. 9 victory over Olympiacos, each Spurs regular played, but only Ginobili eclipsed the 20-minute mark.
Other than that, the glimpses of the Spurs' full capabilities have been witnessed by a select few on the team's practice court.
“That's why I say I can't wait to do that in games,” Parker said. “Right now, we're just practicing. Everybody is learning the new plays, and it's looking good. I want to see what happens in the games.”
Jefferson, who has yet to log more than 19 minutes in a game and who sat out Friday's victory over Cleveland, said increased time with the core group should do him good.
He says the chemistry between the new Spurs and old Spurs — “the learners and returners,” in Popovich's parlance — is still a work in progress.
“You won't be playing your best basketball now, but that doesn't give you an excuse to start slow or anything like that,” Jefferson said. “We know the coaches are going to expect a lot from us. It's up to us to spend the necessary time to get the system down and stay focused enough to remember the things we need to.”
More than anything, Jefferson — the Spurs' likely starter at small forward — is looking forward to the opportunity to get tired.
“When you're playing six or seven minutes at a time, you don't really have your legs yet,” Jefferson said. “This next game, I'm going to be fatigued. It will be good to get out there, be fatigued, and get to fight through it.”
The final two exhibition games should also be of particular use to Ginobili, who is still working his way back into shape after spending the summer rehabilitating a stress fracture in his right leg.
He has shown signs of rust in limited minutes so far, a condition for which he knows but one remedy.
“I just need to play,” Ginobili said.
Held out of two of the Spurs' past three games, Ginobili says he would like to log one 30-minute night before the preseason ends. Whether Popovich intends on that remains to be seen.
“He's starting to get his rhythm,” Popovich said. “He looks bouncy. I'd say he's about 85 percent in shape. So he's on the right track, and he'll be ready to go when the season starts.”
My dream for the season rotation (first 10 games) as well as the last preseason games is:
1) Balir averages close to or more mpg than Bonner.
2) Finley averages no more than fifteen minutes.
3) Hairston averages at least ten (and makes the team)
4) Dyess and RJ start alongside TD, TP, and RMJ.
I have a crap load more, but those are some of the things I most want to see.
All I have to say is that if Bonner starts over McDyess in the regular season, I am going to lose my effing mind.
That could very well happen. Blair's interior scoring and rebounding should be useful enough to earn him some minutes, but the drop in Bonner's minutes will be due to the presence of Latif and Dice. I think people will be pleasantly surprised by Bonner's production when he's not being asked to defend some of the best bigs in the league one-on-one so often this year.
See above. Fin should really be able to shine if he's allowed to come in when the Spurs need a gunner and not be asked to cover Lebron James or Kobe Bryant. The only potential stumbling block to this is if Mason continues to stink it up from a defensive standpoint and is unable to score, or if Pop decides to attempt the Mason at backup point experiment again.
It's almost sad that the second part of the above even has to be stated. Hairston looks like a player to me, and has almost from day one. He's going to need to make good decisions at all times in order to earn the minutes to average that many points. I'll settle for somewhere around one block per game, good defense and hitting the one or two open shots he's going to see. Those things are almost going to be mandatory early on, but if Pop goes ahead and keeps him, we should expect him to get thrown in there to see how he does.
Agreed. That's the lineup we've all been waiting for, and the sooner the better. We'll get an idea how ready they are. Wouldn't break my heart to see Manu in that lineup either now that Finley's not the alternative.
There's an outside chance that it will be matchup-related, but the reality is probably that the only thing keeping Bonner starting for any length of time is the familiarity of the new bigs with the system. Again, seeing how they play in the last two preseason games will tell us a lot.
Wohoo, I'm started to get quoted more, I might have surpassed n00b status!
Indeed.
I doubt he will, with all his praising of Hill this summer.See above. Fin should really be able to shine if he's allowed to come in when the Spurs need a gunner and not be asked to cover Lebron James or Kobe Bryant. The only potential stumbling block to this is if Mason continues to stink it up from a defensive standpoint and is unable to score, or if Pop decides to attempt the Mason at backup point experiment again.
Oop, sorry. I meant minutes.It's almost sad that the second part of the above even has to be stated. Hairston looks like a player to me, and has almost from day one. He's going to need to make good decisions at all times in order to earn the minutes to average that many points. I'll settle for somewhere around one block per game, good defense and hitting the one or two open shots he's going to see. Those things are almost going to be mandatory early on, but if Pop goes ahead and keeps him, we should expect him to get thrown in there to see how he does.
It might break mine. The 2nd unit will be more youngins than anything, I don't want Finley with Hill, Mason, Blair, and Bonner/Theo/Ian. The Spurs need a proven creator, and I sure as don't want Tony to become the 6th man.Agreed. That's the lineup we've all been waiting for, and the sooner the better. We'll get an idea how ready they are. Wouldn't break my heart to see Manu in that lineup either now that Finley's not the alternative.
Are you going to be the same guy who flips his lid about a game before the all star break?
Oop, sorry. I meant minutes.Sorry. I didn't even think about that. I thought that was kind of optimistic, even for a Hairston cheerleader like me. I'd love to see him start getting minutes. I'd like more for Pop to start letting the youngsters make their mistakes early in the season like he did with Jack and Parker and Manu.
I hope so. I didn't follow the Spurs back then, but I hope Blair, Hairston, and Ian all get a solid chance this year.
I know you weren't talking to me, but since I would have a similar reaction, I have to respond.
Are you the same guy who has given up on Pop's rotations? Because I'm not, and unless the Spurs are playing a meaningless game, the opposing line averages at 6'10", and Dyess played 30+ minutes the night before, I don't see how Bonner starting could be defended. Yes, he spreads the offense, but I want a solid defensive big to play alongside Tim. Preferably a shot blocker, but I don't think Ian or Theo will be starting much.
Don't forget that Bonner IS a solid defensive big, but not when he's playing out of position or being asked to guard some of the best post players in the game. When there's a matchup with an opponent who's going to be getting all the touches in the post, Bonner's not going to be in the game for an extended period like he was last year. Bonner's not a big shot-blocker, but he stays between his man and the basket, manages not to foul excessively, and has a hand in their face when the shot goes up. That's about all you can ask from a guy who's never been a starting NBA center but was asked to play that position.
True, he was decent on Dirk in the POs. But missing almost every shot he threw up made it that much more unbearable to see Gooden/KT not starting. To be fair, none of the Spurs bigs in that series could handle Dirk. Fab was good playing him, but iirc he was injured/out of shape.
You should have stopped there.
What the heck are you talking about? I'm one of the biggest Pop homers that there is on this board. I was asking if that kid was going to be one of the ones who implodes here on the forums in late November because we lose a game. Get your straightAre you the same guy who has given up on Pop's rotations? Because I'm not, and unless the Spurs are playing a meaningless game, the opposing line averages at 6'10", and Dyess played 30+ minutes the night before, I don't see how Bonner starting could be defended. Yes, he spreads the offense, but I want a solid defensive big to play alongside Tim. Preferably a shot blocker, but I don't think Ian or Theo will be starting much.
Do we need to hold off on making a legit C.O.H. thread/mini-forum until he makes the team, or should we just be: 'Malik FTW!'
I was trying to think of the charter members, guy's who've been singing his praises basically since Day One, and you were one of the first that came to mind...
Off the top of my head I remember: Harlem, benefactor, and iirc, DPG and Senor..
Who else has been jockin' this kid from the jump?
I'd even like him to give Ian and/or Blair some opportunities to start early on.
'Dyess, Tim, and Theo are up there in age and if they can steal minutes during the regular season for them by playing the likes of Ian and Blair, I'm all for it.
This team has more than enough talent to secure a top 3 seed without going balls-to-the-wall, and giving the young fella's time allows you to keep your team fresh and develop depth all at the same time.
I can't officially speak for DB, but I'm pretty sure we both meant we'd freak out over who started at C, not who won or lost. What the heck are you talking about? And when I put "given up on Pop's rotations", I should have put "agrees with Pop almost all of the time". Neither I nor DB would agree with Pop deciding to start Bonner over Dice. We would strongly disagree if Pop did that, and that alone. The Spurs losing would only add fuel to the fire.
Oh, and since the internet is free last time I checked, I can reply to any post in any thread of this site. I could even reply myself if I felt like being a bag... or had multiple personality disorder.
If I started pushing for him in the preseason, can I be a charter member? I fell for his bad SL showing.
The day I refer to him on this message board by his first name, you'll know he's arrived. As impressed as I've been with his play, I've been holding back on welcoming him to the family. He's going to have to earn some skins to deserve that moniker with this franchise.
Much in the same way I was happy with the departure of TO from the Cowboys as it took away any excuse for the other people who were ing up the team, I'm excited at the idea of letting Mahinmi start. If there's any truth to the belief that he's disinterested by D-league, summer league or preseason, putting him into the starting lineup on opening night should jolt him into gear. Not knowing the system is also not an option for him, and there are plenty of bigs needing minutes if he gets into foul trouble.
I'd even like him to give Ian and/or Blair some opportunities to start early on.
'Dyess, Tim, and Theo are up there in age and if they can steal minutes during the regular season for them by playing the likes of Ian and Blair, I'm all for it.
This team has more than enough talent to secure a top 3 seed without going balls-to-the-wall, and giving the young fella's time allows you to keep your team fresh and develop depth all at the same time.
As for Blair, I'd really like to see him take over the sixth man role for this franchise from Manu now that Finley doesn't have to start. Blair is young, energetic, able to score without having plays drawn up for him and seems undaunted by pressure or a big stage. He'll be able to get a lot of garbage points and turn bad shots into scoring opportunities. Having him coming off the bench just has no downsides in my opinion, and the earlier the better as far as I'm concerned.
Which summer league was he bad in? He dunked on Yao and stuffed Tayshaun Prince last year.If I started pushing for him in the preseason, can I be a charter member? I fell for his bad SL showing.
Well, whenever you do fully come around, and I believe you will, there's a place for you on the C.O.H board for you to chair.
Yeah, I'm much more a proponent of Mahinmi getting starts, as he has tools that can compliment and thrive off of Tim playing the weakside both offensively and defensively, and Mahinmi seems to 'get up' for the game more against the higher levels of compe ion.
Blair is a little like Manu in that they can change the game with their energy, they can bring the crowd into the game, and it doesn't really matter if they're starting or coming off the bench; they're going to give you what they're going to give you.
The only reason I wouldn't mind seeing Blair get a few starts is because it's a good long-term approach. Like I said before, you save some of your veterans legs and you develop depth at the same time. Plus, there's a good possibility you're going to need Blair come the Playoffs, so accelerating the learning-curve and getting him comfortable with the team and terminology, on both ends of the court, would be more than a wise thing to do.
Here's what I want
starters:
PG Parker
SG Mason
SF Jefferson
PF Duncan
C Blair
subs:
PG - Hill
SG - Manu
SF - Finley
PF - McDyess
C - Ratliff
Hairston & Mahinmi playing here and there
Bonner guarding the Gatorade
Why would Pop even consider starting Mahinmi, especially with all of this year's new pieces? We need to establish chemistry ASAP.
scholarly written
It seems somehow funny that you want Blair to play center.
I would rather have blair with the subs and ratliff with duncan. This has balance offense and defense.
Do you actually want mookie to come in here?
Though I couldn't blame him for being himself this time...some of these posts blow.
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