McDonald: Wrestling With A Choice, Spurs' Bonner Chooses To Shoot

[HarlemHeat37]

confidence was the ONLY issue with Bonner's game..everybody knew he had talent and was one of the better shooting bigs in the NBA..it's when he gets down on himself, that's when he starts struggling..I said it throughout October and November, and I'm happy that he's finally playing with some confidence..he can be a legit contributor and starter..

[Man Mountain]

Bonner is better than Scola - who woulda believed that!

[SpurSupremacist]

2 things that I've seen here that really stick out, the first is an interesting observation from Duncan.

“He's finally getting minutes, consistent minutes,” said Duncan

The reason this is interesting to me, is that the underlying feeling I have here is that I think this may have been a subtle stab at Horry.

The second is a lot more important, in my estimation, this is HUGE for a player like Bonner. It comes from Popo .

“I decided to stop screaming at him and just let him play,” Popo said.

That is HUGE. Maybe Popo has actually learned something with the Beno fiasco. If Bonner is allowed to play freely, he will continue to be productive. Bonner isn't the type of player that responds well to constant scolding, just as Beno didn't.

[z0sa]

2 things that I've seen here that really stick out, the first is an interesting observation from Duncan.

The reason this is interesting to me, is that the underlying feeling I have here is that I think this may have been a subtle stab at Horry.

I wouldn't say its a subtle stab at Horry - its at Bonner and at Pop's complete denial of Horry's Dinosaur Syndrome.

Bonner used to miss defensive rotations, and that pissed Pop off more than anything. The worst thing about it is that he would bench him for it. Believe it or not, rotations are only learned in practice. You have to go out there and execute them effectively, and that takes time. Pop didn't even give Bonner that chance. Bonner was just insurance all season while Horry coasted into his grave.

The second is a lot more important, in my estimation, this is HUGE for a player like Bonner. It comes from Popo .

That is HUGE. Maybe Popo has actually learned something with the Beno fiasco. If Bonner is allowed to play freely, he will continue to be productive. Bonner isn't the type of player that responds well to constant scolding, just as Beno didn't.

The problem was, Pop was out of bigs, needed energy, needed shooting, needed rebounding, looked to the bottom of his bench and saw the one player he should be kicking himself in the ass for not playing waaay more consistently - Matt ing Bonner. He has the ability to be one of our most solid roleplayers, and against LA he is a matchup nightmare (not individually, his place in the team offense) - aka no more triple teaming Tim without him making you pay.

I would go as far to say that if Matt can hit some open shots and play that lockdown D he's been, we will dominate the Lakers in our matchups.

[Ed Helicopter Jones]

A self-flatulating perfectionist, Bonner...

[Fingaroll44]

The second is a lot more important, in my estimation, this is HUGE for a player like Bonner. It comes from Popo .

LOL @ Popo ...now that would be a uva name for a pimp.