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Pretty good take actually. I said it early in todays game that the Spurs NEED the role players to step up and help Tim, Tony and Manu out.
Pop has been looking ahead. Against the Mavs, he knew they were in for a real tough time, so he made all the "common sense" moves (like benching Bogans, Bonner, Mason, etc., and playing Timmy very heavy minutes). He coached like that was the only series the Spurs were going to play.
He didn't have the same fear of the Suns, and that's why he's been trying to buy time with the scrubs.
Obviously, Pop knows that if his only goal is to win this series, he should start Tony, keep Bonner, Blair, Bogans, etc. glued to the bench, and have a six man rotation. The Spurs would beat the Suns and have nothing left in the tank and get clobbered by the Lakers.
Pop knows that if the Spurs are going to really contend, George Hill is going to have to be a factor. That's why he's been trying not to bench him and destroy his confidence. Pop knows that he has to find a way to get Timmy some rest. He knows he can't keep a six man rotation and go much further.
Now that his back is against the wall, I expect Pop to make all the adjustments. I expect the Spurs to take the next two in San Antonio and have a good chance to win the series. I also expect them to put up only token resistance to the Lakers if they do get to the next round.
Pretty good take actually. I said it early in todays game that the Spurs NEED the role players to step up and help Tim, Tony and Manu out.
The only thing I'll blame Pop on is playing Bonner all the ing minutes he plays. At this point, Roger Mason might do better.
I don't buy it, this Suns team is different than the Mavs. The Mavs had 2 Centers who didn't provide anything offensively, meaning he could afford to play Duncan a lot since he didn't have a real threat down low. Frye a 3pt shooting Center + Amare a low post threat is killing Duncan. Kidd never attacked offensively, Nash is totally different. Butler got his but was never really a factor at the end of the day, Richardson is hitting crucial 3's and attacking if the Spurs close out on him. Unlike Marion, Grant is penetrating and then hitting jumpers. And I'm not even mentioning the effect the Suns bench has had in this series so far.
I do think that he hasn't benched Hill for his confidence but he'll probably start Parker at home.
6 man rotation
so ur tellin me blair or even temple/mahinmi cant play against the suns scrubs?
fck pop this is like the mavs series last season, no adjustments
i still think Hill will start because spurs need someone to spark the 2nd unit. spurs did a good job on trapping Nash in the first half so that should help keep Hill on the starting unit.
biggest adjustment will be on shot selection. jacking up 3s on fast breaks when you're trying to cut the lead is a bad idea whether the shot goes in or not.
Manu should return to be the 6th man. he had always been brilliant in that role.
6 man rotation, as in Dice and Duncan play 48 minutes a game?
Duncan was already gassed with just 39 minutes tonight, he would be a corpse if he played the whole game.
Yea, this series is a knife fight and last series was a baseball bat bashing. The Suns are nicking us throughout the game and then slit us open at the end of quarters or the game itself. They just seem to tire us out, then BAM.
I'm still not worried though, the Suns simply protected home court and I think we'll do the same. We gotta find a way to kill their confidence cuz right now they probably feel they can take anything from us.
I actually agree with a lot of points showed by the thread starter.
If I'm in Pop's head and I know Bonner is playing like garbage and he's just a liability, and I know this since the playoffs started.
And if I know Mason despite all the opportunities given is invisible and if I know that Bogans can't be trusted too much.
What should I do if I'm Pop? That would tell me I only have 7 good players to try win it all and I have to manage their minutes if I want to have any chance to compete, not in the 1st round, by in the conf finals and finals.
I don't believe there's any value other than statistical to win a couple rounds and then get owned at the finals because your small rotation is totally gassed.
What does Bonner give us that Mahinmi can't?
6 man rotation, as in Dice and Duncan play 48 minutes a game?
Duncan was already gassed with just 39 minutes tonight, he would be a corpse if he played the whole game.
No. Dice and Duncan will play heavy minutes, but there will also be plenty of small ball (meaning one of Dice and Duncan) and maybe a cameo appearance by Blair or Bonner.
And yes, looking at things one game at a time, a gassed Duncan is still much better for the Spurs than having Bonner and Blair together on the court. Of course, that means Duncan will wear down soon, but if your only objective is to win one game, you play Duncan 40+ minutes. That's what happened against Dallas in some of the games.
8-man rotation: TP, Manu, RJ, Duncan, Dice, Hill, Blair and Bonner spot minutes only. (More Blair than Bonner.)
Agree! I also agree with the tread poster that Pop is looking ahead to the le. For the Spurs to win it all, the role players have to start having confidence (although they are scrubs right now) and playing better. It's risky to win a series, but if he wants to win it all, he has to risk it for the future. I am not happy with the loss, but hopefully, things will turn around from this point on. Go Spurs Go!!!
Last edited by ThaiFanofSpurs; 05-06-2010 at 12:13 AM.
Wrestling with two big, 7-footers all game isn't easy. Plus, Pop had to put Dice on Dirk, which mean Duncan had to check Haywood or Dampier. Those two may not be skilled offensively, but they'd dunk over any 6'6" player the Spurs sent at them (and feast on the offensive boards).
Mahinmi would pick up 3 fouls in two minutes or so and put the Spurs in the penalty.
The difference though is that Frye pushes Tim outside leaving the paint open. If you want to switch a quicker guy on him that leaves Tim to guard a smaller faster guy. Amare will attack and in turn if you double him he'll kick it out to a shooter.
Ian's fouls would be physical & not touch fouls, Hill plays so much better at home, I expect the Spurs to easily win both at home
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