When I first heard of Michael Finley being released, I thought it was a good move by both sides. Finley gets to go play for a championship contender and possibly get more minutes, while the Spurs cull the swingman herd and open up an opportunity for Malik Hairston. I posted my thanks to Finley and gave him props for being a model teammate over the years.
But after hearing more details surrounding Finley's release, I've changed my tune. From various accounts, Finley had been whining privately for a while before telling Pop he wanted out.
I can understand wanting more playing time but in this situation it was a very weak move on Finley's part. First of all, the Spurs needed him to be a veteran leader this season and help out the new players -- not whining behind the scenes about playing time.
Secondly, how the heck can Finley complain about minutes? He's been a pretty damn bad basketball player for years now and has gotten way more minutes than he deserved. Pop basically ended Bruce Bowen's career just so Finley could play more. There hasn't been a Spurs player in recent history who has gotten so many unwarranted minutes. Even this season, he inexplicably began the season as a starter. If he didn't miss a couple months due to a mild sprained ankle, he probably would still be playing too many minutes.
Third of all, how can Finley bail on a team that was so good to him during the 2007 championship run? Everyone said that winning for Fin was a big motivation. They treated him as he if wasn't the easily replaceable bit player he was at the time.
The Spurs give him a champion, give him an abundance of minutes, showered him with praise and he repays the team by asking out of his contract? That is just lame. The least he could have done is be the positive locker room influence who would be willing to go down with the ship if he couldn't help steady it.
Hopefully Fin signs with a contending team and gets plenty of unwarranted minutes. That would create one less contender.
As far as the Spurs are concerned, it's a glorious day that the Finley reign is finally over. He can take his bandwagoning ways and hit the road. I'll remember him as a coat-tailing ex-Sun Maverick who wanted out when the going got tough.
Good riddance.