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Pop was trying to use Bogans and Bonner tonight, because he knows, that fatigue can kill Spurs.
With other series likely going into 7, Spurs need to close this serie asap
Tim, Dice, Manu, Rj, and Hill are starting with only Tony, Bonner, and maybe blair (game 4) playing significant minutes.
It seems to be working now but does fatigue set in?
What do you all think?
Pop was trying to use Bogans and Bonner tonight, because he knows, that fatigue can kill Spurs.
With other series likely going into 7, Spurs need to close this serie asap
They can't win with 6 consistent contributors, which is what the Spurs have now..they need a 7th guy, and it'll be fine if Bonner and Blair can alternate(I wouldn't count on both contributing)..the 7th guy is crucial though..
Blair finally showed up tonight, but Bonner absolutely must show up at some point in the playoffs, even though he probably won't..
If this Spurs team had a 3rd big with Duncan-Dice(Splitter), I don't know if anybody would beat us..
That's usually what championship teams do, have a rotation of 7-8 guys.
I was wondering about this myself. I mean, all that talk in the regular season about the Spurs having the best bench and now it seems pretty irrelevant.
7-8 man rotations is the norm for playoff basketball. What we need more then anything is for Hill and Jefferson to play consistently well and for Dice to continue nailing that 16-18 footer.
i think popovich is picking some spots to get help from the bench like what he did this game. bogans and blair got some minutes...it would help if we win some blow out games maybe in game 5...
Lakers used to do it.
This series just doesn't fit Bogans, Mason, Bonner (unless he starts hitting shots). If the Spurs win and move on Spurs will expand the rotation in game 1 to see if Pop can use them like he did in game 1 vs Dallas.
Hill, Parker, Blair, and RJ aren't going to be hurt playing extensive minutes, at all.
Dice probably won't either because he doesn't do a lot besides play D and take 18 foot jumpers. Less wear and tear.
Duncan seemed tired tonight, but our boys stepped up. I expect Timmy to dominate in Game 5.
Manu will just have to digg deep.
Yeah the lakers last year had what 4-6 consistent contributers. I'd say the Spurs are looking plenty deep. I mean how can you ask this after our role players won the game for us.
Let's win a first round series first...
I like what Pop is doing: He gives guys a shot to contribute to give the core players rest. IF/When things start getting out of hand, he yanks them. He's keeping them active and a part of the series so they aren't totally dispondent when they do get time (Bogues was bricking, but played some good defense during his timer).
I mentioned this in the Game Blog, but Pop just has to make sure he subs his bigs in and out the same way he does his perimeter players, gradually. When he makes wholesale changes to the lineup it throws the rhythm of the game off. If theis means resting Tim earlier in the 1st quarter than he'd like, so be it. Keep him and the others fresh down the stretch and keep the flow of the game in our favor.
Lakers won a le last year with 3 players
8 man rotations are pretty standard in the playoffs. Right now I have confidence in the starting five plus Parker and Blair off the bench but they need some contributions form Bonner as well. If they can get anything out of Mason/Hairston/ANYONE ELSE then thats gravy but I'm not counting on anyone but the 8.
He'll switch it up for the next series of course.. Pop is a mastermind!
The Spurs can't be beat with Parker, Hill, Ginibili, Dice, and Duncan down the stretch.
precisely. oh how i wish Mason would step up... but Bonner and Bogans HAVE to produce... or at least not kill us when they in.
8 man rotation with a 9th guy getting key minutes every so often is about what you expect come playoff time. Many teams only run 7/8th guy maybe getting minutes.
7-8 man rotation is the rotation teams play on playoffs I mean you would use your best guys rather than the 9th and 10th right? But I agree fatigue can beat us down in the playoffs. just like on 08 after beating hornets we got tired on the lakers
But this time there are more than 3 consistent contributors. It's the Big 3 plus RJ, Dice, and Hill. You really can't say anything about Blair until he's played around 20 PO games. That's if he averages close to 10 min, but if the Spurs face the Blazers/Suns, and the Lakers, he will get garbage minutes. If the Spurs make it to the Finals, I don't see one of the Top 3 East teams being a good matchup.
, I take that back. Pop has to play Blair, especially if Bonner continues his streak of missing wide open shots. As long as Pop can manage to send Blair out against bigs that have no offensive game to speak of, Dejuan's D shouldn't be much of a problem.
Bulls played with one player back in the day
yes.
Great line up going down the stretch but the problem is that this team needs at least a 7th and hopefully an 8th player contributing to round it out. With only 6 consistent contributers it will be extremely difficult to win a le. Without those other one or two players the main stays on this team will play way too many minutes and become more fatigued as each round of the POs progress.
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