Does Diaw start next season?

[Brunodf]

Diaw would allow the offense to run to perfection. Remember, Duncan wouldn't have to be the 1st or even 2nd, option, you could give a big portion of the scoring load to Leonard. Leonard benefits by being able to attack the paint, you can run post plays for him, he can rebound with big men and guards, it opens up the paint for him to take high % shots that he's proven to make. When he penetrates, the defense collapses, he kicks out to the wide open man, they break down the defense with passing to a wide open 3. Pretty much everyone benefits out there on the court.

The Spurs would come out guns blazing, allowing them to jump out to huge leads and take control early, by half time the game is already over. Duncan would rarely have to play.

You are assuming that Diaw 2.0 will show up in the regular season after winning the championship/big contract this season... Also starting Diaw makes TD carry a larger role on the defensive end...

[Mugen]

No question, Tiago should start. He's by far the most versatile defensive big on the roster and him playing heavy minutes is key for keeping both Tim/Boris fresh for the playoffs.

[TD 21]

Nah stick with Splitter. Might not be the most efficient lineup offensively with TD/Tiago but it allows TD to take the easier assignment defensively and helps conserve his body throughout the long grind of the season.

This is just not true. Who Duncan defends has virtually nothing to do the caliber of player they are and virtually everything to do with how much mobility/range they possess.


As far as the question, there's no reason to think they won't continue to determine it based on the match-up, which means Splitter will be the usual starter. Ideally, it would be nice to start Diaw or at least a rangier/more mobile power forward full time. But the issue with that is, it means Diaw would have to play significantly more minutes and Bonner would have to be a full time rotation player.

[SupremeGuy]

Depends on the team we're playing that night, tbh.

[Galileo]

Trivia question regarding the 2013 regular season. Name the Spur who had:
- the highest PER on the team
- the best Drtg and defensive win shares
- the best rebound rate
- 2nd highest usage rate

Answer: not a guy you want to bring off the bench if you want to win 60+ games

Blair?

[AFBlue]

I think Pop will be a mad scientist with the roatations again this year in an effort to get players more rest and keep the team challenges to continually perform. I would expect Diaw to start with more than one frontcourt mix and backup at three different positions. Should be fun.

[TMTTRIO]

We're fine with our starting unit. We need a good playmaker/sixth man kind of player coming off the bench. I don't see Manu playing very much at all and with Patty Mills out we need him out there to help the second unit.

[Beaverfuzz]

No, Diaw is great coming off the bench.

[outmap]

i don't know if your'e joking or not. but i actually like this idea the best. I hope Pop does "mad scientist" a starting lineup of Parker, Green, Kawhi, Diaw, Splitter. At least for a few games. As bold as it is, Splitter has proven his starting caliber on both ends of the floor. Diaw has proven his starting caliber offensive versatility. Saving Timmy is always the goal, so check that box. Timmy would have the edge on bench bigs and gassed starting bigs. A timmy bench might seem under-powered, but at some point it's due a Mills, Manu boost.

I wasn't joking. Experimenting with the line-up has been a staple in Pop's system, the goal is to preserve Duncan (and Manu) until the playoffs, not to win 60 games during the "regular" season nor for individual players to have their "stats", if we win a ton of games while messing up with the line-up will just be a bonus but not the ultimate goal. This is the year we repeat!

[exstatic]

I wasn't joking. Experimenting with the line-up has been a staple in Pop's system, the goal is to preserve Duncan (and Manu) until the playoffs, not to win 60 games during the "regular" season nor for individual players to have their "stats", if we win a ton of games while messing up with the line-up will just be a bonus but not the ultimate goal. This is the year we repeat!

The goals have changed slightly

1) rest
1.0001) wins

Pop doesn't throw nearly as many games as he used to. He's also never going to bring Duncan off the bench unless it's maybe one game coming back from injury time off.

[Prose]

Will we see less TD-Splitter? As great as a defensive combo both of them are, they severely limit the offense because they can't stretch the floor. Spacing it seems has become more important than ever with Leonard's emergence, it also helps the ball movement. Examples, game 6 of the WCF when Pop started Bonner, after game 2 of the finals when Pop started Diaw for Splitter.

Or Can an a Splitter/TD combo work with Leonard?

let splitter be the work horse and the TD/Splitter combo is great defensively. When we play OKC and a few other teams in which we need to pull the shotblocker out of the pain we slot in diaw or bonner. That is the beauty of the spurs, it dosent matter who starts.

[cd021]

I like the idea of Diaw starting ,actually. With Splitter coming off the bench the Spurs have more options in terms of units i.e. Anderson, Daye or Bonner at the 4 along with Cojo, Ginobili and Belinelli.


Diaw does a lot of have mileage recently. But he could play around the same amount of minutes as he did off the bench. He averaged 23.5 mpg when coming off the bench.

[Prose]

or just bring duncan off the bench with diaw and splitter as stated above. couldnt see it happening beacuse pop wants to have that continuity from season to playoffs

[exstatic]

It's not a coincidence that Diaw starts games 3,4,5 and Kawhi goes off, with room to operate.

[littlecoyotecoin]

I wasn't joking. Experimenting with the line-up has been a staple in Pop's system, the goal is to preserve Duncan (and Manu) until the playoffs, not to win 60 games during the "regular" season nor for individual players to have their "stats", if we win a ton of games while messing up with the line-up will just be a bonus but not the ultimate goal. This is the year we repeat!

I don't believe bringing Duncan off the bench preserves him in any way other than he might play against lesser compe ion, but I don't know that that takes an appreciably smaller toll on his body. May be even more dangerous, as scrubs might not be all that smart or predictable-and catastrophe prone. Sure, Pop will experiment. Diaw will start some games, probably. I guess that's in line with the letter of the thread: Will Diaw start next season. Sure, a few games during the mix of the regular season. But, the spirit of the thread? No, he won't be the "regular" starter. Neither will Austin Daye be the regular starter, even though HE did start a game or two last season, and may start some this season. Pop will mix it up? Yes, but him mixing it up doesn't make these laboratory line-ups "The Starters". Splitter will still be the "REGULAR" starter and hopefully Duncan can be subbed for earlier when possible, diminishing his minutes when feasible. It is possible to regulate Tim's minutes as a starter, just like when Manu came off the bench when he was younger, yet he played "starter" minutes. Minutes can be altered either way. Very unlikely you see Duncan coming off the bench, IMHO, unless he signs a three year deal this off-season.

[littlecoyotecoin]

It's not a coincidence that Diaw starts games 3,4,5 and Kawhi goes off, with room to operate.

It's a good argument. I throw my hands up. Embarassment of riches. If it ain't very broke don't fix it too much. Maybe Tim has develpoed a three point shot over the summer, making the decision moot.

[BG_Spurs_Fan]

It's a good argument. I throw my hands up. Embarassment of riches. If it ain't very broke don't fix it too much. Maybe Tim has develpoed a three point shot over the summer, making the decision moot.

Probably unlikely but a lot of bigs will start chucking corner 3s next season, esp the Gasols.

[Ed Helicopter Jones]

Don't fix what isn't broken.

[100%duncan]

Don't fix what's not broken imho.


edit: oh damn^

[anakha]

Whatever saves Duncan the most effort in the regular season.

Right now, Duncan seems to exert more effort defensively than offensively in the Spurs' system. Splitter starting would then help conserve Duncan more, IMO.

[littlecoyotecoin]

Probably unlikely but a lot of bigs will start chucking corner 3s next season, esp the Gasols.

That was tongue in cheek, but I am sure Tim would like the green light from the arc and also to play point some

[ambchang]

No.

1) Why do you want to show your cards before you have to? Playing Diaw and showing the cards just give other teams scouting reports.

2) Diaw coming off the bench gives the 2nd unit a boost in offensive productivity, help the 2nd unit familiarize with the offensive sets with his passing, and thus giving the 1st unit much needed rest.

3) Diaw vs. the Heat was simply a matchup issue. Heat played a positionless brand of basketball, with their defensive strategy being a trapping defense based on quickness. The best way to beat a trap is to pass, and Diaw passes fantastically, especially for a big man. Splitter allows the Spurs to play more traditional offensive and defensive sets, allowing the Spurs to use picks to free up shooters better, defend the paint better and such. Splitter is also a great passing big man, not as good as Diaw, obviously, but good nonetheless. Splitter also doesn't have the range of Diaw, but that is not necessary against most teams in the regular season.

4) Diaw needs some rest

5) The Spurs play a modular type of basketball. Whether someone starts is not all that important.

[EP Money Man]

He starts in 17% of the games this season.

17% of the time he'll start every time.

[ceperez]

Seriously, this. Pop knows what works with those guys already. He didn't "figure out" that Bonner could space the floor v. Ibaka, he just bided his time until it was ripe for the picking. He knows who he can steal a few minutes of post defense against with Bonner. He knows when and against whom to use Duncan Splitter and Duncan Diaw.

These are all relatively known commodities. I would be surprised to see many changes in these rotations, despite all the gnashing of teeth over it. It worked great, it will probably continue to do so.

Much more interesting events will be if regular season rest can be obtained from the end of the bench.

Boris is no spring chicken anymore. After a lot of off-season international play, can Austin Daye and Kyle Anderson take a minute or two each off of his average PT, and still get us to 60 regular season wins?

Don't laugh, but can Austin Daye and to a lesser extent Kyle Anderson do the same for Tim Duncan?

Can Ayers eat as many or more minutes on the way to 60 wins, as he did last year? Can he show even a little improvement in his second year? Any improvement would be gravy. Will he be able to cover for Baynes' absence, if Baynes doesn't return?

Same goes for Marco. He was a minute eating beast in that 62 win season last year. Can he do it again, while maybe even showing a little second year improvement?

Will Baynes return to provide this kind of relief, as well, or do we get a guard, forward or center to replace him? Do we roll with an open roster spot?

Do Cojo, Marco, Anderson sufficiently absorb Patty's minutes early in the season so Manu and Tony don't have to increase their minutes at point? Or, does Baynes spot get filled with a guard because they are suffering?

Duncan, Parker, Boris, Green, Leonard, Bonner, Splitter, and Mills...it's all about maintaining their trajectories this year. Minimizing the declines of the older. Maintaining upward slopes of the younger, but their roles won't change much. Boris probably won't be starting much more this year than he did last year. It's all about organic internal growth this year, and health.

if we get something welcome and new out of Anderson, Daye, or that 15th spot if Baynes doesn't return, great. But, let's just make sure we're whole in May.

I hit return a lot.

I agree, a lot of the folks at the end of the bench will receive a lot more minutes.

I'm still hoping that they resign Baynes, someone needs to take the place of Splitter or Duncan while they rest. Unless the F.O. thinks someone else like Daye, Ayers, Bonner or even Anderson can replace Baynes at C.

Spurs may not even miss Mills. Cojo may have an improved offense (Joseph's percentages have improved every year). Anderson should be decent for some PG duties.

[littlecoyotecoin]

No.

1) Why do you want to show your cards before you have to? Playing Diaw and showing the cards just give other teams scouting reports.

2) Diaw coming off the bench gives the 2nd unit a boost in offensive productivity, help the 2nd unit familiarize with the offensive sets with his passing, and thus giving the 1st unit much needed rest.

3) Diaw vs. the Heat was simply a matchup issue. Heat played a positionless brand of basketball, with their defensive strategy being a trapping defense based on quickness. The best way to beat a trap is to pass, and Diaw passes fantastically, especially for a big man. Splitter allows the Spurs to play more traditional offensive and defensive sets, allowing the Spurs to use picks to free up shooters better, defend the paint better and such. Splitter is also a great passing big man, not as good as Diaw, obviously, but good nonetheless. Splitter also doesn't have the range of Diaw, but that is not necessary against most teams in the regular season.

4) Diaw needs some rest

5) The Spurs play a modular type of basketball. Whether someone starts is not all that important.

Thanks for mentioning 1), I agree, and thought about mentioning it but neglected.