I think they paid him that for reasons that Solid D stated, but also because this should allow Duncan and McDyess to play slightly less minutes, but more importantly sit out more games entirely next season.
The fact of the matter is, if Duncan goes from 31 to 30 mpg and McDyess from 21 to 18 mpg, sure it should help some, but it's not going to make a drastic difference in the grand scheme of things.
What Duncan in particular needs is to have the minutes he does play be less arduous. That means not playing small ball with anywhere near the frequency the Spurs did the first (roughly) two thirds of last season. But it also means sitting out more games.
Looking past next season though, is another major reason I believe the Spurs re-signed Bonner. If they let him go now, then a year from now they'd be searching for his replacement to replace McDyess in the rotation. I can't think of another readily available 40% three-point shooting big who makes in the $3-3.5 million range.
So if you believe that, why make the 5th big argument when 5th bigs usually don't play?
That is what some of the fuss is about. Some people don't want him playing. They understand his skill set, but many don't think it is worth it to have him on the court.
I understand the reasons for signing him, it is obvious the Spurs value Matt. I just did not understand the point of bringing up the 5th big argument in this context.
Either way, it does not look like a great move. Either you over paid for your 5th big or you are playing Bonner at the expense of other people because they value his skill set. We have seen what Matt does in the post season.
Lets just hope he is a regular season fixture then gone come playoff time.
Sequ is 10 or 12 maybe 50 personas in this forum.
I will take Coach Pop and his 4 championship winning basketball a en over Sequ and his 5'2 worth of ignorant diatribe that he spews forth daily. Pretty easy to rack up thousands of post counts when you post dozens of times a day and not one single post being worth a damn. Sequ's MO is to post the most ignorant spiteful thing he can think of then sit back and watch people's reactions. And he does it all day every day. Pretty sad but that is your King of Spurstalk. Some on here defend him but regardless, in the real world he does not amount to much.
If you told me at the all star break last season out of Mason, Bogans, Fin, and Bonner, we would be rid of 3 out of the 4. I'd be satisfied.
Further more if you told me I had to keep 1 of the 4, i'd choose bonner.
Ill call it a win off season
If you go by Minutes/Game, Matt Bonner was the 4th Big last season:
2009-10 Minutes/Game
Tim Duncan 31.3
Antonio McDyess 21.0
DeJuan Blair 18.2
Matt Bonner 17.9
Now Tiago Splitter enters the picture and Pop has already told DeJuan he wants to play him at the PF slot this year so "work on your jump shot". Tiago will get minutes. With Splitter in the picture at Center, I believe that the Spurs will likely play 2 Bigs on the floor more frequently than last season. The Spurs now have more versitility and a more talented front line. The 5th Big no longer becomes injury insurance nor a human victory cigar.
Think matchups. Think versitility. Matt Bonner's salary may seem a bit high to some, but then again, Blair is a bargain for at least 2 more seasons ($918K, $986K) and maybe a third.
Think 5th Big as a player getting floor-time this season...at least that is my contention.
In what context?
Basically my point was he's not a prototypical fifth big. Technically, that may be the most accurate designation for his place on the roster for the upcoming season, but he's not going to be reprising the role of Mbenga or someone of that ilk. Then, after next season, he's going to be bumped back up to fourth big status.
That, the fact that obviously they value him and the fact that his contract is market value for what he brings, is why they paid him what they did.
that has probably happened only once in a regular season game.
When is the last playoff game Bonner has scored more than 1 3-pointer the entire game?????
He was 2/5 in Games 2 and 5 of the 09-10 Dallas series, and 3/4 and 2/3 in Games 3 and 4 of the Phoenix series, respectively.
that has probably happened only once in a regular season game.
When is the last playoff game Bonner has scored more than 1 3-pointer the entire game?????
The only other time before that...
4/20/09
08-09 Spurs v. Dallas Game 2
3/4 3pt
well my bad, all my memories of playoff Bonner are filled with grief, embarrasment and failure.
I wish I could argue with that, but then I remember that there are two sides to the basketball court.
Don't do that. Facts have no place in a discussion like this, and they only make people uncomfortable. Easier just to say than to back it up.
We love Bonner when he does well and hate him when he plays bad. The problem is he usually plays more bad than good and let's not get started about the playoffs.
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