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Don't do it, Pop.
Maximum Sports @MaxSportsSA
Tony Parker is also at airport. It's official. Big 3 will travel to at least Phoenix for 2 game road trip.
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Doesn't mean they will play though.
Don't do it, Pop.
it's a must to get them to play in at least one of the games. the last thing we want to start a playoff run is a quick loss due to the rust factor. i think its better to use the starters (in limited minutes of course) against phoenix rather than golden state since it would better simulate a playoff team. phoenix is at least on the cusp whereas golden state is tanking. playing starters against the warriors wouldn't really do much but keep their conditioning up. phoenix could be one final tune-up.
on a side note, if the starters can do what they do and give us a win against phoenix, im sure our bench can handle the warriors anyway. this will give us our 3rd double digit win streak of the year (not that important), but will also extend our nba record 50-win streak, even in a shortened year
all 3 should play both games, but limited minutes.
Maximum Sports @MaxSportsSA
No sign of Gary Neal; he's got a shoulder "stinger" if you believe team injury report. Neal could also have jumped on the plane early.
If Ginobili gets injured, I am going to bludgeon Pop to death with every wine bottle in his cellar.
Neal took the 2AM Steamer
Don't you GNSF this up, Pop.
Spurs lost the first game of the 2003, 2005, and 2007 NBA playoffs.
In 1999, they split the first two home games with Minnesota.
Tony Parker already said that he's going to play at least one of these games. He mentioned it in his postgame interview last night. Taking Tuesday through Friday (or Saturday) off without an actual game is just "too much."
I don't know about Ginobili and Duncan, though.
Crap, I wouldn't have had them travel.
I don't mind them traveling but if Pop plays any of them...it'd be a terrible unnecessary gamble.
My guess would be they are going to play limited minutes against Phoenix to give them some burn, then send them home while the rest of the team heads to GS. Gives the Big 3 a workout so they aren't rusty, but also gives them a little bit of a break before the start of the playoffs on saturday.
You can't wrap him is bubble wrap. He has to play 16-28 games in playoffs, so having him play out the reg season to keep sharp is not a sin, but a must. Manu missed 30 games, so he is not even in midseason form yet, he must play 20-22 mins in these last two games.
Play them limited minutes so they are ready to go in the playoffs without any rust. While I agree with Pop's rotations and minute management this season, like last season's Ginobili just happens - you can't let the hated "i" word scare you with the playoffs literally days away.
I'd give TD the night off in Golden State though, he is already in shape for playoffs.
Don't you dare Pop!
Play Manu 10-15 min against GS.
Play Parker 10-20 min in both games
Play Duncan 20 min against the Suns.
I would consider resting Kawhi for at least 1 night, maybe both. He hit the rookie wall a while back, and has been kind of off and on since. Maybe Green as well; he's not a rook, but he's been doing a lot of work all season...
There's also playoff matchup consideration if Phoenix wins today in Utah.
Pop then gets to decide who he wants in the 1st round. We sandbag against Phoenix and give them the 8 spot, or we could beat them and give Utah the 8 spot.
If Phoenix wins today, Pop will be juggling match-up considerations, injury risk considerations (especially for Ginobili), rust-factor considerations, team chemistry considerations (do you really want our 2nd and 3rd units to get accustomed to playing without the Big 3 for 2 games right before the playoffs?).
I almost want to say if nothing else, Tony Parker will either play one of the two games or limited minutes in both games just so the other guys are used to having an alpha dog playmaker on the court. Tony can easily subs ute for Manu's role as far as "team chemistry" is concerned in this regard. Both of them are playmakers and distributors that handle the ball.
Duncan isn't as important for chemistry issues. It's most important to have either Tony or Manu on the court, and I think we'd all err on the side of Tony playing that role after last year.
Yeah, because I was totally serious. Obviously.
You can't wrap him is bubble wrap. He has to play 16-28 games in playoffs, so having him play out the reg season to keep sharp is not a sin, but a must. Manu missed 30 games, so he is not even in midseason form yet, he must play 20-22 mins in these last two games.
I have no problem with the big 3 playing some limited minutes for the last two games because they haven't played a lot lately. It isn't that much of a big deal.
If Neal is really staying in SA, I'm curious to see what Pop will do with Joseph. Will he let him playing the D-League finale or will he call him back to have one more body for these games?
Patty Mills time! lol
Shiiiet.. 10-15 minutes at the most. If someone get's injured then Pop is fired.
sorry, I missed your facetious comment. Yesterday, I got called an idiot because I said Pop should play Manu some minutes.
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