Spurs Practice Interviews 1/29: Pop and Parker (Pop says Duncan is questionable)

[Seventyniner]

I caught this too. He didn't say the typical things he says when he has no intention of a new player being in the rotation in their first season. If this is indeed the case though, then Blair is 100% gone, otherwise I don't see Baynes even being active, let alone on the fringe of the rotation. So basically, don't expect to see much of him until after the deadline.

Disagree that losing one of these two games wouldn't be a big deal. Getting the 1 seed is important and if they're to maintain it, then they have to win games like these. So as long as Duncan's knee feels fine tomorrow, he should play. Given the compe ion, it's a perfect opportunity to ease him back in before the RRT anyway. I'd prefer they do that than unnecessarily sit him for too long and have him lose game shape and increase the risk of him losing his rhythm.

But the next two games are home games against the Bobcats and Wizards with 2+ days of rest for each. These are the opposite of the scheduled loss at Miami earlier this season. This is a perfect time to sit Duncan and give Baynes 8-10 minutes to see what he can do.

[Rito3d30]

Is that Timmy shooting in the background

[stéphane]

u guys gettin over excited about a scrub who has yet to show his euro game translate to the nba...

his only played 1 min, and most of you clowns think his the adonis thats going to deliver that 5th ring....

Exact same feeling we have after reading one of your posts, your bark's impressive but ya always fail to deliver.

[Obstructed_View]

For Pop, it would be awfully tempting to shut down Duncan for 2 more games (vs. Bobcats and vs. Wizards) and gives him an additional week of rest. It will allow Duncan to have two full weeks of rest and has other edges like showcasing Blair and giving some minutes to Baynes. If Spurs are serious they should be able to beat these two teams even if Wizards have been better lately. And with Spurs record, losing one of these games wouldn't be a big deal.

If I were Pop, I would say that Tim isn't at 100% and wait the rodeo road trip to put him back on the court.

Agreed 100%.

[TD 21]

But the next two games are home games against the Bobcats and Wizards with 2+ days of rest for each. These are the opposite of the scheduled loss at Miami earlier this season. This is a perfect time to sit Duncan and give Baynes 8-10 minutes to see what he can do.

I realize that, but, again I'll say, so long as he's fine (and if he weren't, I don't think he'd be going through practice and shoot around and running on the treadmill), he should be playing at this point. Are we to believe that he's suddenly going to be more spry in the middle of the playoffs because he had 14 or whatever days off instead of 8 in late January? At this point, game shape/rhythm should take precedence.

[Paranoid Pop]

I realize that, but, again I'll say, so long as he's fine (and if he weren't, I don't think he'd be going through practice and shoot around and running on the treadmill), he should be playing at this point. Are we to believe that he's suddenly going to be more spry in the middle of the playoffs because he had 14 or whatever days off instead of 8 in late January? At this point, game shape/rhythm should take precedence.

So you think his knee is 100%?

Or even crazier : never was less than that and he limped on purpose?

It's like the theory that Blair being traded is the reason he's not playing instead of the obvious explanation that given by the team, sounds like wishful thinking.

[TD 21]

So you think his knee is 100%?

Or even crazier : never was less than that and he limped on purpose?

It's like the theory that Blair being traded is the reason he's not playing instead of the obvious explanation that given by the team, sounds like wishful thinking.

I think it is now, sure. Why else would he have went through practice (and been shooting threes post practice) and shoot around and ran on the treadmill?

No, I do think it was less than that for a few days after it happened last week and I don't buy that he limped on purpose. In fact, he probably wanted to return either last game or for sure this one, but they've probably told him to take another one or two off as a means of essentially giving him a mini off season mid season.

[Obstructed_View]

Are we to believe that he's suddenly going to be more spry in the middle of the playoffs because he had 14 or whatever days off instead of 8 in late January?

I don't think there's an emphatic enough way to say "yes".

Problems he's had in the last few years are related to his knees, so Pop played him fewer minutes per game to try to keep him healthy. Once the playoffs rolled around, Timmy would destroy teams in the first half and then run out of gas in the second. Shortened rotations and stronger opponents mean your superstars have to play more minutes in the playoffs. It's a reality that Pop's likely figured out, and is working to adjust. This decision was probably made by everyone after the Substantial Sanctions© were handed down.

I'd MUCH rather he have a month off in the middle of the season, then get his wind back over the last part of the season so that he's ready to destroy people for 38 minutes a night if necessary.

[TD 21]

I don't think there's an emphatic enough way to say "yes".

Problems he's had in the last few years are related to his knees, so Pop played him fewer minutes per game to try to keep him healthy. Once the playoffs rolled around, Timmy would destroy teams in the first half and then run out of gas in the second. Shortened rotations and stronger opponents mean your superstars have to play more minutes in the playoffs. It's a reality that Pop's likely figured out, and is working to adjust. This decision was probably made by everyone after the Substantial Sanctions© were handed down.

I'd MUCH rather he have a month off in the middle of the season, then get his wind back over the last part of the season so that he's ready to destroy people for 38 minutes a night if necessary.

Have you learned nothing from the past few seasons? They held him to roughly 28 mpg in both and last year they even were able to get the entire team significant rest between rounds, yet it didn't matter come the WCF. It didn't suddenly mean he, nor Parker and Ginobili, could play significantly more minutes than they're used to without it affecting their play. Ginobili played upper 30's minutes one game and two days later, with the season on the line, he looked gassed because he was so unaccustomed to playing that much.

I'm not saying Pop should run them into the ground in the regular season. What I'm saying is, at a certain point, it makes no difference. Like the difference between him playing 28 mpg the past two years or 30 mpg this year or the difference between 8 and 14 days off, in late January. That's not going to matter come the playoffs.

[Obstructed_View]

Have you learned nothing from the past few seasons? They held him to roughly 28 mpg in both and last year they even were able to get the entire team significant rest between rounds, yet it didn't matter come the WCF. It didn't suddenly mean he, nor Parker and Ginobili, could play significantly more minutes than they're used to without it affecting their play. Ginobili played upper 30's minutes one game and two days later, with the season on the line, he looked gassed because he was so unaccustomed to playing that much.

I'm not saying Pop should run them into the ground in the regular season. What I'm saying is, at a certain point, it makes no difference. Like the difference between him playing 28 mpg the past two years or 30 mpg this year or the difference between 8 and 14 days off, in late January. That's not going to matter come the playoffs.

I somehow think we're saying exactly the same thing, but you don't realize it because you assumed the opposite of my meaning while skimming my post.

Holding a guy to fewer minutes PER GAME means he's not accustomed to playing heavy minutes when it counts, and I agree that it was a completely failed strategy. I say give Duncan the next few weeks off, bring him back, and have the shortened rotation ready to put in heavy minutes by the end of the regular season so that he CAN do it if and when necessary. He's proven that the reduced weight on his knee allows him to play at a much higher level. The Spurs have the best record in the league and can afford to give up some ground while he rests. Then they have three months to get his wind back and get the team rolling.