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If he starts he will be getting too many minutes. Bonner should be nothing more than an end of the bench fill in now.
I agree as well. Robert Hory has been the only 3pt shooting big in history that I can think of but even he was not just a 3pt shooter if anyone fallowed his game he did so many things. IT seems ever since Robert it's stuck in Pop's head that he needs a 3pt shooting big, but the sad part is "there will never be a player like Robert Horry"You got that ing right!! Has there EVER been a championship team with a 3-shooting Center? Ever?
that. Bonner. Pop for playing Bonner.
I hope to God that Blair breaks Bonner in half in practice and puts him out for the season.
The game is played with 5 players on the court with each his roll. All teams need their bigs playing there roll of enforcer to be in there muscling in for rebounds, defending the paint, and posting up. There are 3 other positions out there where the 3pts can come from.
It's like with Tim. He freaking won the spurs 3pt contest lol. However you don't see him jacking up 3's in game do you. IT's because he knows his roll and he knows that there are a reason why he has forwards and guards out there.
If he starts he will be getting too many minutes. Bonner should be nothing more than an end of the bench fill in now.
As much as some of you hate, this could our starting lineup:
TP-Finley-RJ-TD-Bonner
Hill-Mason-Manu-Blair-Mcdyess (2nd unit)
TP-manu-RJ-TD-Mcdyess (to end the game)...
Not a bad idea to keep your starters fresh cause this 2nd unit is pretty damn good
Sequ, I'm just being truthful, my friend. Bonner is an option. That's all I'm saying. He is a defensive rag-doll but he can pull an opposing big away from the paint on offense. He's an option during the course of a game. McDyess and Blair are better players than Matt, no doubt. As Brent Barry said in the Spurs' special on nbatv, Timmy hasn't had a "4-man" running alongside him with the offensive abilities of McDyess. As Brent knows, Timmy has been playing Center, not Matt Bonner.
Sheed doesn't plant his ass on the 3 pt line as much as Bonner does and Nazr doesn't count!
Bonner is going to start, at least early on. He's been shooting lights out in the preseason so you got to go with the hot hand. Also Mcdyess is not yet in game shape, but he is going to get there and he eventually is going to be the starter.
Im more worried about Blair, he was not in the primary rotation last night, I think that pop might give the G.Hill treatment.
Sheed and Horry.Sheed doesn't plant his ass on the 3 pt line as much as Bonner does and Nazr doesn't count!
They were both centers to a greater extent than Bonner ever was.
This whole debate is silly.
Bonner is the 3rd or 4th best big currently on the roster. Over the course of the year, he'll play 15-20 mpg because someone has to play those minutes. Unless Mahinmi or Haislip proves they are good enough, that's just the way it is. And don't point to Ratliff unless you've checked out how much he has played in recent years. At best, he plays in 40-50 games as a situational big.
With Duncan and McDyess having their minutes limited and scheduled days off, Ratliff's recent history, Mahinmi and Haislip being totally unproven at the NBA level, and Blair never having played more than 37 games in a season, a proven NBA player who can be relied upon to play every game for 15-20 minutes has value. That is, until someone else emerges or a trade is made.
I'll leave it to Pop to figure out the best way to deploy various combinations of Duncan, McDyess, Bonner, and Blair over the course of the regular season. Quite frankly, I don't understand the gnashing of teeth over Bonner getting his minutes to start the first and 3rd quarters as opposed to bridging the 1st/2nd and 3rd/4th.
If he starts playing 30mpg or closing out the final minutes of close games, I'll get concerned. Not until then.
Actually (and I hate Bonner's uninspired D as much as the next guy), I would much rather have Bonner letting it fly early on...he's been known to get hot and help us break out into an early lead a time or two. I think his confidence is up this year, obviously, and I think he might be able to help us early (when we don't need stops).
BUT MORE IMPORTANT...I don't want to have to rely on his D late (obviously) because he can't slow down anyone in the league. What's more, improved confidence or not, Matt has not shown to be a reliable shooter in the clutch. So I see how it might be best take let him take a few shots early, rack up 5-10 points over 15 minutes in in the first half and leave it at that.
(Then again, if we get on offer for his services, let's take it quick.
Haha, wake me up when Bonner starts AND plays 40+ minutes. And Blair, Dice, Theo are put into Pop's dog house for no reason. Then we'll talk and jump together.
The problem with him starting is that it makes timmy work too hard on defense early in the game, tiring him out. Put him in when everyone else is tired too.
It might leave Tim in a 1 on 1 situation, but it limits offensive Rebounds. When Oberto was with the spurs he got layups cause he would move without the ball around the paint area and would get passes from Duncan. He also was able to get O boards. Bonner has some trouble getting rebounds on the offensive and Defensive end. Everyone keeps saying that its ok for him to start as long as he doesnt finish. Thats nonsense. If he starts the First 6-8 minutes we'll have 1 of 2 results. 1 - He makes 3's and opens up the floor. 2 - He doesn't hit any shots and all his faults come to light since he can only shoot. That means that in the 1st quarter we'll find the spurs down 8-10 pts getting outrebounded and swallowing a whole bunch of points in the paint from the other teams bigs ( posting up Bonner ) or their smalls ( with Bonner standing at the Rim as the help Defender ). So I ask yall, Do yall really mind Bonner starting at Center?
All that you just said is the reason we need a trade for a big. Jeff Foster is looking pretty good right about now, wouldnt yall say? the good thing is that he was born and raised here. he is 32 but is a solid rebounder and passer and was pretty durable last year. He also is a legit rebounder, unlike Biedrins or Lee who play alongside 4 guards and thus get all the rebounds they can ask for. He gets rebounds playing alongside my man Troy Murphy who was 2 leading rebounder in the league behind Dwight Howard. Which means if he plays next to Tim he can still get 7-10 rebounds in limited minutes unlike Kurt Thomas who was pretty solid but still had trouble playing with a solid rebounder in Tim ( he only averaged 5brds ). Part of that was his playing time though.
What you say would hold more water if you backed it up with facts rather than unfounded assumptions. The game logs are out there. Examine the first and third quarters of last season's games and prove your point. Given Bonners +/- numbers from last year, I'm guessing you won't be able to do it.
Furthermore, the dire consequences you predict during Bonner's time on the court would happen no matter when he plays. Do you want him to share the frontcourt with Tim or Blair for the majority of his minutes? Cuz he's gonna get minutes at some point in the game.
I'm glad to see you have come on board the Foster bandwagon. Much better option than Diop and not a pipedream like Pryz. A trade that included Bonner going out and Foster coming in would increase the Spurs chances of winning a le this year.
I'd play him with Mcdyess or Tim. Not Blair cause of the height situation. Timmy being able to go 1 on 1 isnt that important anymore when you have other weapons. TP slashing / Manu Slashing / RJ posting up. Also keep in mind Tim doesn't get double team as much anymore. So bonners importance in stretching the defense is not that big anymore. Mcdyess has enough range to make another big come outside the paint anyway.
So either starting with Tim or coming off the bench with McDyess? To come off the bench with McDyess means that Blair starts with Tim. So it seems like you're actually OK with Bonner starting with Tim, no?
My bad I thought you meant him just getting playing time with certain players, not neccesarily starting. In that case I would want him coming off the bench with Blair hands down. That might open up things for Manu and GHill. And Hopefully for that short stint Blair can cover for him in the rebounding department enough to where it doesn't hurt us.
Then we'll see. I don't think a Bonner/Blair frontcourt for 15 mpg will work and I really don't think we'll see Pop employ that combination. I believe we'll see both Blair and Bonner paired with either Tim, McDyess, or Ratliff in those games where Theo is active.
I dont have a real problem with Bonner, i just dont like him playing against the bigmen in the west. Some folks let Bonner off the hook with his rebounding cause he'll hit the 3. But if your a C or a PF you need to have a strong rebouding game no matter if your 7-0 Bargnani or 4-11 Nate Robinson.
Bonner has his flaws, and they have been well-do ented and discussed at length. The bottom line is that he will play 15-20 minutes per game until a trade is made or one of Ian/Haislip proves more worthy of those minutes. I don't think there's much chance that Bonner will play the majority of those 15-20 minutes paired with Blair.
I believe those games against the Bynums/Odens/Nenes of the West will be the games we'll see Ratliff in uniform.
I heard some stuff that Blair aint gonna get that much light. So Bonner will most likely get those minutes. Ian/haislip have a casual approach toward the game.That wont fly with Pop. How bout we trade Blair/Mcdyess/Ratliff for Diop?
You guys keep saying bonner is this and that, he can shoot, blah blah, let's face it, if he plays AT ALL when we play the lakers, we will lose. So there is no need of having him play now.
Our lineup should be something like:
Tony/Hill
Finley/Mason
Jefferson/Manu
Duncan/Blair/Bonner
Theo (only for 6 minutes in the beginning)/ Mcdyess/Ian
I dont want to see bonner on the court, even if hes averaging 20 PPG, he leaves Duncan VERY vulnerable and is too slow.
Show how you divvy up the 96 minutes at PF/C without playing Bonner.
I haven't really a problem with Bonner starting. What sucks is Finley starting, Mason should be the starter.
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