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Luckily no one. All 15 guys will be able to play at any given game. My thought is that injury will provide the chance for all to play at one point or another.
Starting last season teams are allowed to dress a maximum of 13 players for the game, while the maximum roster space is still 15.
Which means that two Spurs will be riding the bench behind the coaching staff. Last season it was Joseph and that Byars guy we signed at the end of the season.
Who will be the active 13 and who will have a free pass watching the playoffs live?
Luckily no one. All 15 guys will be able to play at any given game. My thought is that injury will provide the chance for all to play at one point or another.
Baynes for sure. I also get the feeling that Joseph will be inactive, unfortunately. It's looking like Neal is the backup PG and Mills/De Colo get situational minutes.
Rotation will be:
Splitter
Duncan/Diaw
Leonard/Jackson
Green/Ginobili
Parker/Neal
Bonner, Blair, De Colo, and Mills round out the 13-man roster. These four will most likely get their playing time during garbage time.
Since it can change from game to game, it will probably change.
I hate to say it...but it's gotta be Patty Mills and Aron Baynes. Cory Joseph is too good of a defender to leave out. Gary Neal is too important to the offense, and Nando De Colo is savvier and protects the ball better than Patty. As far as leaving Baynes out, it's just that he just isn't familiar enough with the offense yet. He looks lost out there most of the time. While Blair's defense is...terrible, he is a very crafty player and fits well with Ginobli and the second unit. People really harp on Blair a lot, but he really didn't get a shot in the playoffs last year despite starting for and helping the Spurs to the NBA's best record in the regular season. Also, the Spurs (and Pop) admire how professional Blair is, at least in terms of running the system and facilitating the offense. Really were not losing anything without either one of those two. Gary Neal is a better Patty Mills, and Dejuan Blair is just better than Aron Baynes (right now.)
If playoffs start tonight, we meet the Lakers in the first round, that's Dwight and Gasol. Memphis on the 2nd round, that's Randolph and Gasol. And on the WCF either Oklahoma, Ibaka and Perkins, or Clippers Jordan and Griffin.. I hope we bring along Mr. Baynes as spare big, because that's a lot of big guys.
as a spurs fan, i hope blair over baynes pans out in spite of my doubt. as a basketball fan, i hope clark/jamison or favors/kantor give blair a savagely thorough jermaine onealing.
i hate when the spurs suck. but man, i want blair/neal to suck real bad. i want pop and co. to lose faith in them. i want pop and co. to lose faith in blair/neal type player entirely. short, smart, defense, skilled offense stud/duds.
i expect baynes/ tiest pg will sit out. if they sit out blair/neal though, i bet they win the championship.
Hopefully 2 of Bonner/Blair/Neal
Well... one of the 3 B's and one of the 3 of CoJo, Nando, and Patty-O.
I think Patty stays. Pop may think Mills can play the Steve Kerr role.
Locks are
Duncan
Splitter/Diaw
Leonard/Jack
Green/Manu
Parker/Neal
Pick two of DeColo Mills CoJo Blair Bonner Baynes for any game in particular.
mills and baynes.
Would be nice if Baynes were allowed in at the 13th spot and Blair/Mills or Blair/De Colo are the odd men out.
I'd honestly rather gamble on Baynes at the end of the bench in the playoffs (despite lack of playing time thus far) than get another dose of Blair.
This. All this yammering I'm reading in this thread bout how great Blair has been at times in past seasons isn't gonna help him guard 7 footers.
Wish list inactives: Joseph and Blair.
Pop's likely choices: Baynes & Mills.
Baynes as the 13 th man. I don't care what pops thinks. Start the pe ion now please.
De Colo and Blair can wear suit and tie if it were up to me.
Neal the backup PG, yep we are ed.... Another year Pop makes a big mistake to realize it later, book it! Neal is some at backup PG.
LOL WOW at that lineup of teams we play, good lord we have to play out WEST HUH? Why not Houston and LAC round two! Then OKC? I would take that.
I echo this sentiment. I am also modifying my wish list inactives to Neal and Blair. While Cojo is too raw to rely on in the full time backup role IMO his defense at that position can't be ignored and gives the spurs something they may need in the playoffs. Neal's role on the team as scorer can very easily be filled by Patty however.
That said, I fully expect to see both Blair and Neal not only on the active roster but getting crucial minutes in the playoffs. Let us all pray...
It looks like thats the case.
The Bench Manu argument for Parker:
If theres time before the POs I would even like to see Parker coming the bench, yeah...thats my coaching. If TD, TS and KL keep playing they way they are playing, I would let Parker come off the bench.
With Manu is the same thing, the effect he has from the bench is bigger than when he starts, theres only 1 ball.
Enough with the crazy talk!
I only see Baynes being active against Dwight Howard just to throw some fouls and size at him. Dwight is frustrated easily for a star big
NDC, CoJo, Bain
i.e. Pop will go with Neal at backup PG as always, with Mills for offensive punch. He will not trust the erratic, no offense NDC or the young CoJo. CoJo does have an outside shot to get in over Neal b/c of his defense. But I can't see Pop leaving Mills off the roster. He likes Mills' instant offense too much.
Pop will keep Blair, Splitter, Duncan and probably Bonner (last in line) for the playoffs, as he will need Splitter insurance if he gets a papercut.
Backups rarely ever get to take the game winning shot in the NBA, but Patty's certainly played the hero before. He definitely isn't lacking the confidence to take clutch shots.
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