I do not see him replacing anyone right now. The Spurs have played their best basketball since Finley and then Bonner went down. I know Bonner was shooting and playing well at one point, but we were not winning the games. The Lineup pop has now can bring everything that they need. There is no need to change.
This.
I see him as strictly a Manu and Mason backup coming in for 10-18 per night depending on the situation. I don't think he replaces Bogans unless our offense is lacking down the stretch of some games (like against Toronto or Dallas for example).
The real quandry, with Blair coming into his own is how Pop will re-integrate Bonner.
Bonner is much more valuable than Finley at this point, Bonner off the bench for 5-10 minutes a night is instant offense.
The Spurs have employed a nine-man rotation since Bonner's injury. At this point in the season, I can see them going back to a ten-man rotation, but not eleven. So who falls out of the rotation?
At the time of Finley's injury he had been reduced from starting SG to backup SF and was playing around 12mpg. His injury moved Manu into the backup SF role and opened minutes at SG for Mason and Hill.
Bonner was averaging around 20mpg as the 3rd or 4th big in the rotation. His minutes have largely been filled by an increase in minutes for Blair and a marked increase in smallball from the early part of the season. The increase in smallball further increased Mason's minutes as he played SF in smallball sets in addition to his minutes at SG.
So Mason has the most to lose when Bonner and Finley are ready to play. Bonner will, IMO, almost certainly get back a spot in the rotation, perhaps at the 15mpg level rather than at 20mpg. Most of Bonner's minutes will come from a return to early season smallball levels. This will negatively impact Mason's minutes.
The impact of Finley's return is more difficult to predict. He could go back to a role as backup SF playing about 12mpg. At least 4 of those minutes could come from reducing Manu from the 29mpg he has averaged in January back down to about 25mpg. The other 8 minutes would hit Mason the hardest.
The other possible option is for Finley to be reduced to Hairston's role plus a few minutes as designated shooter. Since I believe that the Spurs will not employ an eleven-man rotation at this point in the season, it seems inevitable to me that it will come down to Finley and Mason for the role of Human Victory Cigar/Designated Shooter.
Unless Spurs play a lot of small ball, there isn't minutes available for all Spurs' perimeter player. One of Mason or Finley will be in the doghouse and with Mason playing well lately, it could be Finley.
With Finley being quite expendable, his expiring contract is also a nice trading asset.
Very good take.
I don't want to think about Finley's pending return. This time apart has been too enjoyable.
Sorry, Fin. Nothing personal but you aren't a rotation player on a championship team any longer ... and I doubt Pop realizes that.
ouch, but true
Unless we make a trade....
Bonner will return to the bench for Blair when he returns, and Finley will replace Mason.
Both moves I disagree with, but it's Pop, who ing knows what he'll do.
excellent
I hope Finley takes some of Parker's minutes. Tony needs to play less with his foot injury, IMO.
If Bogans keeps shooting 1-7 and Mason has a couple more 2-6, 2-8 shooting nights, Finley will get his chance back into the rotation on that alone.
We really need a legit starting wing..
Bonner and Finley will provide some fresh legs out there at least. Some of these guys look gassed and it's not going to get any better when the RRT comes along.
If nothing else, they were shooting the ball well before injury.
Finley with fresh legs . . . ugh
From the post game recap.
Popovich said G Michael Finley (ankle) is “within a week or a week and a half” of returning.
It's so strange that he's out at least another week.
/rant on
Bogans is a good defensive player but there is a reason nobody was knocking at his door this past off season..until Popovich called and gave the poor guy a job.
He can't be counted on to knock down shots with any kind of accuracy when it matters. Cuz he's not just missing them slightly, his shots are barely catching iron alot of times.
It really pisses me off that we threw a good young potential rotation player in the making (Hairston) away in order to get this guy off the unemployment line.
/rant off
Oh, and to keep this thread related, if it would mean Bogans goes to the end of the bench, I would even suggest starting Finley again.
if Finley is back in one week, he would have been out for 7 weeks while the initial diagnostic was 2 to 4 weeks. That's quite strange.
If he actually missed one more week, my initial prediction would have been correct.
What has Hairston shown you that makes you think he's a good player in the making?
when I went back to check when he got hurt and reports and such I found expectations of 4-6 weeks. Was it revised after an initial diagnosis?
Yep, it was. At first it was 2 to 4, then 4 to 6 and it looks like he will miss 7 weeks.
Missing 7 weeks due to ankle sprain is very strange to me, even if it was a grade 2..I've had major sprained ankles and came back to play ball in a few weeks, I see it in the NBA all the time..I realize it takes longer to heal as you get older, but 7 weeks is still a very long time for this type of injury IMO..
Hopefully the Spurs have been shopping Finley around or something..
There are currently 1 users browsing this thread. (0 members and 1 guests)
Posting Permissions
Reply With Quote
