More Minutes for Theo Ratliff

[ElNono]

Keeping in mind who would come off the bench and provide the same. Out of these possible starter combinations which would you think would do the best in your scenario... Duncan/Bonner, Duncan/Blair, Duncan/Ratliff or Duncan/McDyess?

I would do what most every other team in the history of Basketball has done, and that for some reason has been lost somewhere by our coaching staff, which is to start your best players: Duncan/McDyess. Then I would make Blair the third big, Ratliff the fourth and Bonner the fifth.
I would love every game to be a blowout, so we can play Bonner more in garbage time.
And Duncan is the guy I would want to preserve, not Theo.

[BatManu]

I can understand starting Bonner to stretch the floor, but his defense and rebounding are non-existent and McDyess can hit that shot from 15 all day which is more than we are getting from Bonner's 1-for-4 from downtown anway, so really, why not roll with McDyess?

[MaNu4Tres]

I can understand starting Bonner to stretch the floor

Then why not bring back Steve Kerr, Dale Ellis, Chuck Person, or Jaren Jackson and put them at the 4.

[SamoanTD]

save Ratliff for the playoffs. in fact, i think they should put him in a suit for a while and dress Ian.

sounds good to me patna

[SpurNation]

I would do what most every other team in the history of Basketball has done, and that for some reason has been lost somewhere by our coaching staff, which is to start your best players: Duncan/McDyess. Then I would make Blair the third big, Ratliff the fourth and Bonner the fifth.
I would love every game to be a blowout, so we can play Bonner more in garbage time.
And Duncan is the guy I would want to preserve, not Theo.

Point accepted. But who is the "best" player to have on the court with Duncan in the current system now in place?

At his age, do you think McDyess is going to have the legs to maintain how the weak side defender has to play now? McDyess would run out of gas by the first half. That plus his shot would be no where near as effective with tired legs.

From and armchair coach perspective this is what I'd like to see...Run Duncan and Blair as the starters while switching McDyess and Duncan in regular intervals depending on game time situations. Ratliff and Bonner used sporatically to sub out for Blair all the while switching weak side responsibilities during those times as to allow for reducing the physical demands inheritly associated to playing the weak side in this system.

[ElNono]

Point accepted. But who is the "best" player to have on the court with Duncan in the current system now in place?

At his age, do you think McDyess is going to have the legs to maintain how the weak side defender has to play now? McDyess would run out of gas by the first half. That plus his shot would be no where near as effective with tired legs.

From and armchair coach perspective this is what I'd like to see...Run Duncan and Blair as the starters while switching McDyess and Duncan in regular intervals depending on game time situations. Ratliff and Bonner used sporatically to sub out for Blair all the while switching weak side responsibilities during those times as to allow for reducing the physical demands inheritly associated to playing the weak side in this system.

You asked what combo would do best in MY scenario.
In MY scenario I wouldn't play the new/current system. I would go back to the old system, where the C and PF pretty much camp in the lane, and dare the other team to beat you with jumpers, limiting that to a single shot, whenever possible. It also works in our advantage in that if you rebound well, you can get the fast break started fairly quickly for a guy like TP and RJ.
I think the personnel we have lends itself more to that 'old' system. In that context, I would take the better rebounder/scorer, which is McDyess.
Don't forget Antonio is actually used to playing quite a lot of minutes. If my memory serves me well, he averaged near 30 mpg the last couple of seasons.

[angelbelow]

I think Theo would definitely help us out but I dont mind him not logging any minutes - since hes so injury prone. I would rather we hold off until Feburary or March before we start playing him regularly. For now, just a few spot minutes here and there.

[SpurNation]

You asked what combo would do best in MY scenario.
In MY scenario I wouldn't play the new/current system. I would go back to the old system, where the C and PF pretty much camp in the lane, and dare the other team to beat you with jumpers, limiting that to a single shot, whenever possible. It also works in our advantage in that if you rebound well, you can get the fast break started fairly quickly for a guy like TP and RJ.
I think the personnel we have lends itself more to that 'old' system. In that context, I would take the better rebounder/scorer, which is McDyess.
Don't forget Antonio is actually used to playing quite a lot of minutes. If my memory serves me well, he averaged near 30 mpg the last couple of seasons.

Yeah... in your scheme scenario that works for me too.

[ElNono]

Trial by fire tonight... starts for Duncan...

[Amuseddaysleeper]

Trial by fire tonight... starts for Duncan...

[slick'81]

no choice big man has to get some burn tonight

[Cant_Be_Faded]

playing theo too many minutes is a gamble

he's fragile. Back in the horry era, we'd save him and use him hardcore in the playoffs. This year we have two guys we'd ideally like to do that with: mcdyess and ratliff. Either way, ian's fragility has screwed us over.