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Only by leaving it.
Entering the season the spurs biggest question mark was their big man rotation. We have 5 big men; Duncan, Splitter, Diaw, Bonner & Blair. Without adding another big-man ,before the season, the Spurs front line has already improved. While Duncan has been a beast to start ,and deserves alot of credit, some of the improvement is indirectly related to Matt Bonner.
Dejuan Blair-Since the Denver game, Blair has seeming overtaken Bonner in the rotation. During the off season, he lost more than 25lbs and worked on his mid range game in the off season. He was recently moved back into the starting lineup, by Pop. The move makes sense, Blair is a hustle player who can score in the paint and helps on the boards (mostly on the offensive glass). Blair is also a fantastic, if underrated, passer. Defensively he is capable of forcing turnovers with quick hands (in 3 full seasons he’s ranked 10th, 2nd, and 4th in steal among centers).
He lost favor late last season, due in part; to a lack of range, he possessed no consistent shot out of the paint. Bonner is a career 42% 3pt percentage. Blair worked on his range in the off season to compete not only with Bonner but Diaw, as well, for minutes.
In the last 8 games his production has dropped. Against Memphis he played 17 minutes, had 1 point & 2 rebounds. Since the breakout Denver game (19 Pts in 23 Minutes) He has only scored more than 10 pts, once. Blair has scored 5 points or fewer in four of those games, while averaging 16 mpg. Even if the Spurs are starting him to showcase him for other teams, he need to play better or risk losing the little playing time he has in a contract year.
Tim Duncan- Duncan is still one of the best post players in the league. Without a bulky 7'0 big in the opposite post, opposing teams have a harder time sending doubles at Tim. Send a wing at Duncan and he can find the open man easily. Bonner provides him with leg room, of sorts. Even when Bonner isn't scoring, he surprisingly impactful. He opens the drive lanes for Parker, Neal, & Manu and keeps a big away from the rim. Last season, many of the spurs best +- rotations included Bonner.
Tiago Splitter-Bonner’s impact on Splitters game is similar to Duncan’s. Splitter can score in the low post. Allowing Bonner to play alongside Splitter, his range stretches the D and clears the lanes for Jackson, Mills, and Neal & Manu. Also Splitter has an easier time finishing the pick and roll without an opposing PF attempting to challenge him at the rim. When Bonner & Splitter played together in the 1st quarter @, Miami Bonner forced Rashard Lewis away from the rim as a result Splitter score 4 baskets of pick and rolls,
Boris Diaw-While the two have played sparingly together, Bonner impacts him as well. Diaw is easily the most versatile player on the team. For most of his time in San Antonio he has played Center. Due to injuries he’s also played both PF & SF this season. Diaw is not nearly as good of a perimeter shooter as Bonner is.
Diaw is a career 33.5% 3pt shooter but has shot much better than that number in the past. In the ‘10-11 season, he hit 70-167 (42 3pt %) with the Bobcats. Part of Diaw’s value is his ability to stretch the floor and his passing. He needs to shoot more from downtown in order to receive more minutes in the rotation. In 20 games last regular season (with the spurs) he went 8-13 (61.5 3pt %). this season he’s went 9-18 (50%) in 18 games.
Diaw has been benched late in some games recently in favor of Bonner. Bonner can more effective that Diaw in stretches. Take the .Clippers game just before the road trip, for example. He hit 3 3’s in the 4th quarter and his presence kept Blake away from the rim.
Bonner also brings defense to the table as well as shooting. While he is usually considered to be the worst defender on the spurs, he isn’t nearly as bad as he is made out to be. He is an excellent post defender. He stands his ground, moves his feet accordingly, and keeps his arms raised avoiding swing through's & up and under moves.
After Duncan & Splitter, he is the best rotating big we have. He seldom if ever is late rotating to the weak side. He gets to the spot, on time, with arms raised forcing opposing wings to adjust. While he's not Varejao (understatement of the year?), He is useful in stretches, defensively, against big front lines.
Against Memphis, was case and point. Randolph posts, pivots, pump fakes, leans into the defender to keep them from jumping straight up, and he is able to adjust and shoot over bigger players. Bonner doesn't go for pump fakes easily. Since Bonner keeps his arms high and in the sight of refs, Z-Bo is forced to back him down closer to the rim for a more difficult basket given his lack of height and Duncan’s help defense.
The Spurs "post defense handbook" usually sends wings to the post to swipe at the ball (the almost never actually attempt to steal it) it’s sort of a, hurry the up move. Defenders may believe that an aggressive double is coming after several "decoy double teams" and take a shot that isn't the best he could have taken. Manu has perfected this, roam to the post, swipe and return to wing, without giving up an open look from the perimeter.
Without making a trade, the spurs already have enough talent and depth to compete with any teams front-line. Having Bonner on the team is much more of an asset than an liability. Against teams like the Clippers & Grizzlies and even the Lakers he can be effective offensively without hurting the team defensively.
Only by leaving it.
Color me skeptic. This is your typical regular season Bonner. Don't know why people do this? How many times must he choke in the playoffs for people to accept that he can't handle the pressure? He can rack up the 3s, be king of the +/- in the regular season and fool people into thinking that maybe this time will be different. Same old story.
he spreads the floor that is a improvement for shoo
He should never have got that many chances.
I'm assuming this thread is an elaborate joke and troll job. in which case you've done well... 8/10
As Charles Barley says "Role play better at home in the post season", Superstars are supposed to take over on the road". He only averaged 10 mpg in the post season, You act as though he's A-ROD. He can produce in the post season in limited minutes, 10 mpg is enough time to see if he can get it going. Even if he doesn't score he is still valuable.
If he can, he can rack up points in bunches. Adjust your expectations for a player who's making less than the league average, yet is one of the most efficient offensive players in the league (seldom turns the ball over, high pts per attempt rate)
8/10 really? i was hoping for a perfect 10. Seriously any advanced stat would tell you how awesome the spurs are when he is on the floor. Zach Lowe (One of the few national writes who actually takes the Spurs seriously) stated that when he was on the floor last season the spurs where scoring at historic rates. $4 Million for that, You must be high if you don't think some of that is Bonner's doing.
This. Duncan is directly and indirectly the entire reason why the Spurs frontline has shown improvement this season. And that's with Diaw in a prolonged funk.
To be honest, Bonner is a pretty damn good regular season big. He plays within the system and for the most part plays well... even when his shot isn't going down.
Problem is this takes a 180 come playoff time and we all know what happens at that point.
I agree with pretty much everything cd021 said.
I noticed some junk responses saying stuff flike "troll," without saying why. A couple trotted out the postseason argument, but we're not in the postseason. Someone at this point inevitably will trot out the "why play him now because then Pop will play him in the postseason," yet another baseless argument; we've learned via DeJuan Blair that Pop has no problem playing someone in the regular season and sitting them in the playoffs.
cd021, keep up the good points and the education.Ignore the people who attack your post without providing any evidence to the contrary. I have learned over time that their minds are closed.
No problem here seeing Bonner take Blair's minutes. Whichever one you want to play though won't cut it come playoff time. That's fact.
no it isnt ... blair was benched the last 2 playoffs = spurs eliminated .....
lol
^ and this.
my mind is indeed closed with Swiss Vault like security to ANY idea of Bonner being a help to our frontline.I agree with pretty much everything cd021 said.
I noticed some junk responses saying stuff flike "troll," without saying why. A couple trotted out the postseason argument, but we're not in the postseason. Someone at this point inevitably will trot out the "why play him now because then Pop will play him in the postseason," yet another baseless argument; we've learned via DeJuan Blair that Pop has no problem playing someone in the regular season and sitting them in the playoffs.
cd021, keep up the good points and the education.
Uh, I don't think so.
This is where you lost me.
I briefly contemplated constructing a 10 paragraph essay on why Bonner doesnt help when it matters most... rife with statistics, expert observation, and a few F bombs. but then i remembered this thread is a joke and a troll job.
This may be the best sentence I've ever read on ST.Bonner’s impact on Splitters game is similar to Duncan’s
We go through this crap every damn year, if you think it will change things then you are still delusional. Bonner is BONNER, a good 5th big and a role player at best. He will choke in the playoffs and we all know that by now, he is not a saviour nor a key link to another le and thats proven. He is what he is.
Bonner 2012 playoffs 10-1 when playing 0-3 when on the bench.
Thanks. I will. People tend to say stuff online that they would never be able to say face to face.I agree with pretty much everything cd021 said.
I noticed some junk responses saying stuff flike "troll," without saying why. A couple trotted out the postseason argument, but we're not in the postseason. Someone at this point inevitably will trot out the "why play him now because then Pop will play him in the postseason," yet another baseless argument; we've learned via DeJuan Blair that Pop has no problem playing someone in the regular season and sitting them in the playoffs.
cd021, keep up the good points and the education.
Pretty much this. That said, you expect Tim's minutes to go up during the playoffs and the rotations to shorten... so the only problem would be with Matt eating Splitter minutes
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