If we're striving to be the defensive team we once were, and given that this season we should have the talent to do that, one of those sentences above doesn't go with the other.
I agree that there look to be 10 very good players on this bench that could start on most teams. Constant offensive force combined with consistently increasing defensive pressure = Win.
With this many good players, Pop can run multiple units with their own unique characteristics. Reminds me of Hubie Brown Grizzlies (2003) before he retired. That was a deep team, if I remember right which caused a lot of teams to burn a lot of energy.
I would have to agree with most of the OP if the Spurs can create leads or not be losing by more than 10 when the rotation changes are made.
Finley is better than Mason at shooting and defense...so the Spurs would have the better of the two starting the game. Ginobili is, and probably until his tenure with the Spurs is done, will be coming off the bench.
The improved depth the team has in the post compared to last year also allows this scenario to work. If Bonner is having a bad game. And I think the proof is overwhelming that if Bonner starts off bad...he ends up bad...the depth of McDyess and the emergence of Blair can compensate for a bad start of Bonner if replaced soon enough before damage is out of hand.
The only question I have with this starting lineup is where does Mason fit in the equation? Too small to play SF...not enough minutes to play SG. IMHO...that would be a waste.
But if it works and produces W's...
Ridiculous comparison. Nobody plays every play in basketball. Your bench guys are going to get some minutes - so it doesn't really matter whether they are at the beginning or the middle, you just want your best guys in there together at the end.
As for Jackson, he did bring in Kukoc off the bench, even though TK was easily one of the Bulls' 5 best players during that era.
Do NOT take this as advocating to start Finley & Bonner!
we didnt have another servicable big. what were we going to do? play kurt for 48? get ian out there on crutches to defend? we had no choiceBonner's one value could be like an "innings eater" in baseball -- a starting pitcher who protects the rest of the staff by pitching a bunch of innings so they don't have to. Such a pitcher disappears durning the playoffs in favor of the fresher, more talented arms that he protected.
Bonner could be a "minutes eater" who protects McDyess, Blair, Ratleff, etc. for the playoffs.
Only problem is, I thought that's what they were doing with Bonner last year. But Bonner ended up playing big minutes in the playoffs and coming up small.
Ginobili can't be the only real offensive threat on the floor, how long would it take for the other team to start doubling him? Having said that, there are enough weapons on the team where that shouldn't happen. To me the pure shooters like Mason, Fin, and Bonner need to be on the floor with guys like Tony and Manu who can get in the paint and dish, that's a no brainer though
You did not read my article. I am not advocating for a lineup that specializes in defense. I think that since we do not have a defensive stopper this year, we have to go on the offensive. We can preach defense all we want, but without a Bell/Battier/Bowen, Kobe will drop 45 on RJ, Fin, or Mason.
I think our starting lineup, at least to start with, should be one that knows how to play together. Bonner started 67 games and Finley started 77 games last season. I think that is the way that Pop will lean to begin with.
Truth be told, I would rather have McDyess start in front of Bonner. And I would like to see a starting lineup that consists of Parker, Ginobili, RJ, McDyess, and Duncan at least a few times for kicks. My article was more about explaining the logic behind the players that I feel are probable to start the first game of the season.
I disagree. I think our team as a collective needs to go back to winning with defense as opposed to winning by trying to outscore opponents. It's true we don't have a defensive stopper like Bowen in his prime, but collectively we can do a whole lot better that we've done. People forget it wasn't just Bowen that stopped Lebron the last time we were on an NBA Finals. It was above par team defense. Nobody missed rotations, everybody boxed out, TD could block a shot, Horry could block a shot, everybody rebounded, etc.
I'm actually not really concerned with Kobe scoring 45. I doubt he will basically on the premise that Kobe himself has evolved a lot as a player lately, and he understands that getting his teammates involved is more important than his personal point tally. And that's a credit to him. The big problem is when you have guys like Gasol putting 20+, Bynum putting 20+, Odom putting 15+, Fisher scoring in double figures, Vujacic off the bench scoring in double figures, etc.
The way you go back to being a top defensive team is playing your best defenders most of the time, and rolling out the 1 trick offensive ponies when you get in a drought. Under that premise, Bonner should really be behind Ratliff in the rotation.
Makes no sense. Dice will learn how to play with Duncan by coming from the bench but he won't learn if he is a starter? But Richard Jefferson knows how to play even though he just arrived to the team, just like Dice...
I tell you what... you tell me Pop is playing them early to see what they have left to offer, and I might buy that...
at ppl freaking out over starting lineups in October.
I do appreciate the discussion on the offensive/defensive emphasis in Spurs ball. - carry on
Let's be serious here...Bonner is only going to be starting for the first few weeks. McDyess will be starting by early/mid-December. I honestly don't care if Finley starts at the 2 as long as RJ is on the floor with him and Finley's minutes stay around the 15-20 min range, depending on how hot he is from behind the stripe.
You people need to take some Xanax.
I agree, the best part is ppl commenting w/o reading the article thinking that what he was saying is; Fin should start over RJ
I'm just bored... season can't start soon enough...
I'll still about Fin-Bo starting every once in awhile, but I do love that bench lineup. The only way to keep it would be For Ian/Theo to show enough to start alongside Tim. I know people will argue about Theo starting because he is so fragile, or Ian because he is fragile AND foul-prone, but using both for 5 minute bursts alongside Timmy would do wonders for the Spurs D, and Ian's confidence. I'd hold off on Ian starting until the middle of January, and just play him 10-15 minutes a game, see if he can squash his bad habits.
Spurs have had much success in the past cobbling together a 2 or 3 headed beast to fill the 5 spot, in the absence of a clear 20 - 10 type starting center. I like our prospects of doing the same this year, with the variety of big men we have on our roster that are NBA starter caliber in the categories of defense, rebounds, energy, mid-range, and outside shooting... even if no one player possess all those skills.
p.s. Nice article Fred.
totally agree with you on this!!! lets not get easily influenced here, matt bonner cant stop bynum!!! what in the is he going to do? as far as bench players being ginobili and mcdyess i understand that but so does phil jackson so if i were phil i would just bring kobe in when ginobili comes in and that would settle that. think about it even if manu comes in scoring twenty against a scrub from l.a it means nothing because kobe is going to do the same thing to finley get what im saying? and likely score more on finley than manu would on a scrub. so all theyll do is go after finley and bonner when we start, then slack up on finley to double whoevers more of a threat. it just really doesnt make sense to put that many starters on the bench
Last edited by lennyalderette; 10-22-2009 at 05:43 PM.
we should have our one weapon Gino, or maybe 2 now blair, and let our starters handle the their starters and b team handle their b team
Seriously? Have you not read all the, "That guy clearly didn't read the article" posts? I wrote about the likely starting lineup of the Spurs' first game on the 28th. I did not write about the starting lineup against the Lakers. I did not say this was going to be the starting lineup for the year. I think the lineup will, and should, evolve as different players step up. The point was that I think Finley and Bonner might start the first game and I can understand the logic behind it.
no im not talking about you at all, im just speaking out of frustration in case they do go up against l.a with this squad its not directed towards this particualr article, just the possibilities of them keeping this starting line up. this line up would work well against teams that dont have a strong five
The hate for Bonner on this forum is hilarious...
I agree. Bonner is not great by any means but at least he is goofy, takes every shot possible, and hits his threes. There are worse things.
For example, Oberto, Elson, the corpse of Robert Horry (I mean his last year with us, not when he was awesome,) Nazr, Rasho (was he not the worst? At least Nazr could get in the way defensively, although he had bricks for hands,) Sean Marks, Massenburg, the corpse of Kevin Willis, the soon to be called corpse of Theo Ratliff, and Danny Ferry (who did play underneath.) Do you like any of those options? Some bring defense with negative offense and some bring below average offense with negative defense (looking at you Rasho.) If Bonner arrived this season, I would argue people would be glad of the addition, and, admittedly, glad that McDyess would start game 1.
There are currently 1 users browsing this thread. (0 members and 1 guests)
Posting Permissions
Reply With Quote
