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Bruce needs to start and play more minutes
The defense without him is terrible. I don't care if he can't score, we need D
I don't see Bonner losing it if he keeps playing like he has.
I think Bonner ran out of gas in the second half tonight, but he looked good.
Bruce needs to start and play more minutes
The defense without him is terrible. I don't care if he can't score, we need D
I'd say it's about time..it's the end of January, he should start getting minutes on this trip..
he's been the only positive in today's game..he played solid D on Kobe, he's the only perimeter player on our team that rotates consistently..
Spurs basketball starts and ends with defense. So why is our best defender (by far) starting from the bench??
Bruce brings the defensive poise that our team needs!
Bowen looks like a leopard out there. Unhook his chain Pop!
He has to start but … the question is…. Who is gonna be benched…. Mason or Finley….. I’d rather have Finley out of the starting line up for…. But that wont happen
that is not even a question. of course bench Finley.
bowen just lacks one step to start at all-star weekend, but he's still miles away from a starting positon on spurs team.
What a joke.
Agreed. You don't bring guys off of the bench to "spark the defense" like you would an offense and Bruce is the one aged player we have whose conditioning offsets his mileage. I like what Fin contributed offensively to start the season, especially when Tony went down on top of Manu.... , I didn't think he had anything left to give at all and he proved me wrong on quite a few occasions so far. Still, I think it's time to set a better tone defensively at the beginning of games, at least on the perimeter. Tim could still use some help downlow so he can stop guarding the opposing team's best big so often.
there's really no reason to be starting Finley..any other team in the NBA with a player like Finley has him coming off the bench, providing the occasional offensive spark..
one day we're going to find out that there's a secret between Pop and Finley..Mike must have caught Popovich doing something, or Mike must have saved Pop's life, and Pop didn't wanna tell anybody about it..
I'm not joking, which is sad..
Everybody played badly against the Lakers, not just Finley. Didn't he score the clinching 3-pointer just a couple of nights ago?
His game-clinching 3-pointer that night has nothing to do with sitting him for Bowen at the beginning of games for defensive purposes. Pop would put him in position to take and make that shot regardless of whether he starts or subs 10 times out of 10.
I totally agree with you! Spurs need to set the tone on defense first then offense.
Bruce the Panther Bowen deserves more minutes
Bowen was a beast in the fourth. He single-handedly came in and quieted Okur.
Pop better just be resting Bowen because if he really thinks players like Finley and Udoka should be ahead of him in the rotation ........... then he needs to cut back on his wine intake.
Bowen guarding Okur was awesome and those four quick points was a nice boost too.
How many times does Spurs Brazil have to say start Bruce?
I've said it at various points in the season too, but to be fair other posters have pushed a lot harder for it.
I hope Pop is just resting him and will make that move later.
AWESOME game from Bruce. I LOVE defense.
I can't see any possible reason for Pop not playing him his usual minutes, other than the possibility of saving him for the playoffs..Bowen is still a top 3 perimeter defender in the NBA, and I've seen NOTHING this season to make me think otherwise..he's still the craftiest defender in the NBA, he still gets in players heads, he's even added some offense..
like I said yesterday..Bowen's offense is basically the same as Finley's, and I honestly believe that..the only difference is that Finley is a better 3-point shooter from various spots, as opposed to just the corners..Finley doesn't drive, he doesn't score off the dribble..there's really no reason to have him start..
Pop seems to be sticking with resting Bowen for the playoffs.
I know the defense has been bad in stretches but who would have thought we'd have the record we do with Bowen playing such limited minutes?
If he's going to make a change he'll need to leave plenty of room for whoever is going to the bench to adjust before the playoffs.
I've got to think Pop is saving Bowen. He has done very, very well in his time this season.
I take it back, over the last couple of games, Fab has made me wish he was the starting C again. I think Bonner could still get 25+ minutes as the backup big with Thomas.
He's getting the Robert Horry treatment..
Close this thread..
We are going to get 2nd seed in the West and no HCA in the finals if we really can get there either way, starting Bruce or not. I think Bruce should be our X-Factor.
There is no need to speculate why Bowen didn't get more playing time because Pop explains it clearly earlier this month :
http://blogs.mysanantonio.com/weblog...nald-p-28.html
Of Bowen, the team's one-time iron man whose role has been reduced this season, Popovich said, "He is getting older. People don't realize he's 37 years old. That's pretty old for a guy at the three position, guarding arguably the best player on the other team every night."
Popovich said he's been giving more minutes to newcomer Roger Mason with the starters, so Mason can continue to get used to the Spurs' system. The coach hinted at the possibility of Bowen's role beginning to expand again as the season moves along.
"I just want to make sure he's there come playoff time, so I'm trying to reduce his minutes now," Popovich said.
damn watching him THAT hungry shutting down players in the 4th reminded me of him in 2005.... i think Pop is saving his all fot he postseason... and btw i don't think he last lost a step... with his conditioning he may play until he's 40...
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