Don't tell me Matt Bonner is starting C again

[portnoy1]

Amen brother. Thats it in a nuts .

[Agloco]

Thats funny cause Everytime Bonner is mentioned by Pop he talks him up bigtime. When they talk about Blairs contribution he always says something negative. That tells me something is going on. Pop didnt deal with GHill like this. GHill got his playing time and Pop gave him due praise. When it comes to Blair He says stuff like he'll be a good player n junk. But he always says something like we did fine without him. Pop is a nice dude, and for him to say something in that conotation makes me think theirs a problem behind the scenes.

Pop is a master psychologist. He doesn't want Blair to get a big head about things, nor does he want Bonner's nuts to shrivel up and blow away in the wind. Hence all of the emotional head for the Red Rocket.

[portnoy1]

Pop is a master psychologist. He doesn't want Blair to get a big head about things, nor does he want Bonner's nuts to shrivel up and blow away in the wind. Hence all of the emotional head for the Red Rocket.

Weird, you act as if Bonner had nuts to begin with.

[Agloco]

Weird, you act as if Bonner had nuts to begin with.

Fail......

I merely point out how Pop uses words with his players like a physician would use psychotropic drugs on a patient. Indeed it's Pop who acts as if Bonner had nuts to begin with, and if he keeps ing with his head, (read: Alternatively putting him on the bench and back in the starting lineup) it will all but ensure that we get the castrated version of Bonner. We don't need that now do we?

[portnoy1]

Fail......

I merely point out how Pop uses words with his players like a physician would use psychotropic drugs on a patient. Indeed it's Pop who acts as if Bonner had nuts to begin with, and if he keeps ing with his head, (read: Alternatively putting him on the bench and back in the starting lineup) it will all but ensure that we get the castrated version of Bonner. We don't need that now do we?

No we dont.

[SenorSpur]

Despite the benefits of how Bonner spreads the floor with his shooting, he's STILL an obvious defensive liability. Sounds like Green got the best of him last night. And it's not just that. THe longer he plays the more he gets exposed. I recall vividly how the elite teams attacked him repeatedly last year.

The good news is Bonner KNOWS the system and will be an excellent fallback option until the new guys get "up to speed". Bonner is certainly a valuable role player for this team, but in a RESERVE role only. Much like Finley, it's diminishing returns when he has to log longer minutes. I certainly don't think he should start, but he may have to until around midseason.

At some point, Pop is going to have to decide whether he wants great offensive spacing, while sacrificing some defensive rebounding and interior defense, versus giving up some spacing in exchange for some automatic elbow jumpers and solid rebounding and defense.

Starting is not such as big deal as finishing. Personally, I don't want to see him on the court in crunch time. McDyess is quite simply THE superior player - even at his advanced age. I'm sure Pop will make the right call.

[baseline bum]

I'd rather start Finley than Bonner. , I think I'd rather go back and start Van Exel over Bonner.

[ElNono]

See, there's a problem with this.

I think we can all agree upon 1 thing, regardless of if you hate Bonner or not, for whatever re ed reason: He can hit the 3 and spread the floor with the best of them.

So knowing that, against the Lakers, Bynum/Gasol would be forced out to the 3 point line to defend him. It brings a 7 footer away from the basket. Meanwhile, on offense... Kobe Bryant is going to be chucking, correct? You put Bonner on Bynum and force Bynum to beat you. Which #1, the Lakers will not feed him the amount of times it will take to make it a significant advantage. And #2, Kobe will be chucking with that first group anyway. And #3, Bynum has never shown he can dominate a game of meaning at all.

Phil Jackson is the master of clogging the paint and daring you to beat him from outside. If I'm a coach and I have to give up a shot between Duncan, Manu, Tony, Jefferson or Bonner, I'll pick Bonner every time.
So while in theory Bynum or Gasol should be forced to the 3 point line, that never really happens. The odds that Bonner is going to win one game for you might be decent. But a seven game series is highly unlikely. Plus having him on the court has the added bonus that Gasol, Bynum and Odom will most likely have a direct line to the rim... I'm sorry, but I just can't sugarcoat it.

[xtremesteven33]

Starting Bonner over Mcdyess/Ratliff/Blair is like a middle finger in the face of every Spurs fan...haha

[bless1187]

man after game 5 of last year's playoff, i really thought that be the last i see M. Bonner in a Spurs's jersey; After the offseason in which we added D. Blair, M. Haislip, A. McDyess, T. Ratliff; i was definitely sure he would be traded or at worst be a 5th big on the team. I can't believe the season is one week away and it looks like M. Bonner is going to be our starting C again. I'm sorry but i don't care how good he stretches the floor, starting M. Bonner as our starting C is the equivalent of the Celtics starting B. Scalabraine as there C.

[HarlemHeat37]

Bonner is a 40+% 3-point shooting big man that has solid all-around offensive capabilities, he's not Scalabrine..while he shouldn't be starting, he's still an asset..

[ElNono]

So let me get this straight, because Phil Jackson likes to clog the paint... you don't want Bonner in the game. LOL!?

I don't want Bonner in the game because I rather have a MAN in Dice that can fight for rebounds, or Ratliff that can block shots. ESPECIALLY against the elite teams in both the west and the east.

You know, people that actually help TD man the paint and get our interior defense back to pre-Bonner standards.

[BillMc]

Okay, I won't tell you that Matt Bonner is starting at C again. (Someone else might though...)

[SequSpur]

Bonner is not an asset. He is a 11th or 12th man on any other wnba team...

WTF?

Bonner spreading out the Lakers? wTF? dude is scared less to play against any other team not named the Clippers...

Seriously...dude, I can't take this ..you don't go and break the bank for players and continue to run with the same that barely got you in the playoffs and that you exited with against a ty dallas team that was run out of the building vs. denver...

come the on already.

[SequSpur]

McDyess isn't even as tall as Bonner. He isn't exactly an enforcer. He also doesn't have Bonner's range. Ratliff is a joke. He would be left unguarded by any team that played against him.

Elnono is right...do you want me to give you the link to the wnba forum? you might be able to talk up matt bonner there.

[peskypesky]

2004 Pistons
2005 Spurs

Ben Wallace and Nazr Mohammed are not known as 3point shooters. Not on this planet.

[Mel_13]

Ben Wallace and Nazr Mohammed are not known as 3point shooters. Not on this planet.

If Bonner is a center, so were Sheed and Horry.

[ElNono]

McDyess isn't even as tall as Bonner. He isn't exactly an enforcer. He also doesn't have Bonner's range. Ratliff is a joke. He would be left unguarded by any team that played against him.

LOL, Bonner better than Dice. Now I've seen it all. And we can afford to have Ratliff unguarded when you have guys like Manu, Tony, RJ and Duncan out there. If anything, it allows for an offensive board on a miss. But most important of all, we actually can have a semblance of intimidating defense, which is what our team needs to refocus on.

[peskypesky]

If Bonner is a center, so were Sheed and Horry.

i don't follow your logic. sheed and horry were PFs. bonner is a center. and you clearly don't know about basketball if you think bonner's game is the same as horry and sheed. there's no comparison.

[Mel_13]

i don't follow your logic. sheed and horry were PFs. bonner is a center. and you clearly don't know about basketball if you think bonner's game is the same as horry and sheed. there's no comparison.

The original post was a joke meant to poke fun at your dramatic over-the-top post.

Your over-the-top response to my response would indicate that you apparently don't see the humor in either post.

Can't win 'em all.

[peskypesky]

The original post was a joke meant to poke fun at your dramatic over-the-top post.

Your over-the-top response to my response would indicate that you apparently don't see the humor in either post.

Can't win 'em all.

oh. ha ha ha.

[ElNono]

I didn't say he was better. But the fact is McDyess is old as dirt and isn't a lockdown defender, he also doesn't have 3 point range. So basically he's a man of many traits, and a master of nothing.

Dice is:
1) A better scorer than Bonner
2) A better rebounder than Bonner
3) A better defender than Bonner

...and this is not up for discussion. I don't care if he's 35 years older than Bonner. All of the above still hold true.

Based on what? Is this 2005?

It's 2009 and you still don't seem to know who we run our offense through.
At least with guys like Mel, I can disagree, but he knows how we play.
But not knowing is par for the course for you.

Then you make a deal for someone who isn't a scrub, which Ratliff is.

We did. We got Dice. Ratliff came to play a secondary role off the bench when we need more shotblocking.

[DJB]

At some point, Pop is going to have to decide whether he wants great offensive spacing, while sacrificing some defensive rebounding and interior defense, versus giving up some spacing in exchange for some automatic elbow jumpers and solid rebounding and defense.

Waiting for that decision is going to be almost unbearable.

[peskypesky]

Dice is:
1) A better scorer than Bonner
2) A better rebounder than Bonner
3) A better defender than Bonner

...and this is not up for discussion. I don't care if he's 35 years older than Bonner. All of the above still hold true.

isn't it painful trying to argue with knuckleheads? don't waste your time or energy. instead, let's try to have intelligent discussion and ignore the fools.

Bonner = scrub

[TJastal]

Oh, how convenient. Considering you're decidedly wrong.

Last year:

Bonner 8.2PPG (50%FG, 44% 3PTFG, 74%FT) in 23 minutes
McDyess 9.6PPG (51%FG, N/A 3PTFG, 69%FT) in 30 minutes

You sir, have been owned. Come again.

In the playoffs last year when it counted.

Bonner's averages in 5 games (20 mins/game): 3pts | 3.2 reb | 0 asst | .4 blocks. Shot a whopping 23% from the field, and 21% from long range

Wow, Bonner sure was an offensive juggernaut last year against the mavs.