If anything Pop should hold a grudge against Bonner for the myriad of missed defensive rotations that has become routine with him.
Yeah, and I'm sure the fans who have already paid money to watch the game in person on Friday would be thrilled to learn that the two best Spurs are not gonna play.
When a team chooses to hold out uninjured players, they should offer full or partial refunds, or at a minimum, provide free food and drink to the thousands of loyal fans who support the team -- not from their couch or computer -- but inside the arena ... a.k.a. with their pocketbooks.
The one thing that was holding Splitter back earlier this season was his hesitation on offense. He was weak, indecisive, slow...
However, hes really turned it around in the last 10 games or so. The 3rd quarter against portland will probably stand out the most. But now Splitter is being physical and confident when getting the ball in the post. Hes shooting 58% from the field and 71% from the FT line. I see no real reason not to play him 25 minutes a game when hes capable on the offensive end and I guess I should mention, if anyone cares, that hes one of our best defensive bigs right now.
...and better than Matt Bonner has ever been since he's been a Spur.
I'd go even further, and say that Splitter is the 2nd best overall defensive player on the roster, tbh..
Actually, considering his newfound ability as a shot-blocker, to compliment his mobility, he's probably the best overall defender on the team, at the moment..
LOVED his up & under.... Pop needed to give him more mins!
This might sound like sacrilege, but who's first?
Plus, he flashed quite a bit of potential in the midst of his sucking. Despite being soft, he displayed nice passing skills and smart offensive. He also showed off a variety of post moves (which weren't going in because he was playing soft.) So I always felt that he just wasn't confident/in shape/used to the physicality etc etc but once he figured "it" out he would be more than capable on offense. Looks like that is in fact the case.
Exactly why he has to start. His defense is wasted on bench scrubs. He and TD are the only chance the Spurs have of defending the elite frontcourts in the league. The Spurs have the advantage on the perimeter with TP and Manu but they waste that advantage when they have to cover for Bonner/Blair.
I was wondering how much longer Obstructed_View was going to be able to bite his tongue regarding the Bonner/Splitter situation . . .
I had no doubt he would get better on offense. He's a smart player. Now he's making Pop look like an idiot. Another advantage of him playing with TD is the Spurs can punish teams that want to play small ball or weak frontcourt defenders. Blair's not great at drawing fouls and Bonner can't draw fouls by shooting 3's.
Playing Splitter wouldn't be fair the team, guys.
Focus on the positives. Like how we still have Bonner and Jefferson locked up and soaking up a lot of minutes.
They are Spurs basketball.
And hopefully Kawhi Leonard can get over his South Beach Flu. He's been fighting through screens like Roger Mason and that's not good.
But it still creates the colossal problem of having to play Blair and Bonner at the same time. Unless Pop creates a clever rotation that features the available minutes between the 4/5 split between Duncan, Splitter and Blair, there's no other way to make it work. It's almost as if all the potential positives that Splitter and Duncan bring to table will inevitably be un-done in devastating fashion when the Blair/Bonner duo take over.
It really sucks that we don't have Mcdyess or that this isn't the 2010-2011 season..
If McDyess was here Splitter would be getting zero minutes. And then the SA lapdog media would be insisting that Splitter was ill with Ebola or someother nonsense while insisting that Bonner was the secret weapon and why the Spurs would win the western conference.
The likely suck ude of rare minutes of a Bonner/Blair combo doesn't outweigh the positives of playing Splitter more and as a starter to help the team start games well with their best players playing.
God damn that was hard to click on 'Quote' while covering my eyes from your sig.. I've made the point a couple of times that Tiago has quietly become the Spurs best defender.
1. Splitter
2. Duncan
3. Leonard
4. Manu
Those are the top 4 imo..Leonard and Tiago are clearly the two best man-to-man defenders.. Tim is the best rim protector (although you could argue Tiago is at least his equal now) but Tiago .. when you combine one-one-one defense.. pick and roll coverage.. and protecting the rim.. is the best defender. He's basically a Tyson Chandler/Kevin Garnett lite. Its pretty uncommon for a long 6'11 guy to move his feet aswell as he does + have great defensive instincts + great rotations + great timing on blocked shots.
Its kind of scary how much improvement he has made this season on both ends.. its just a shame Pop is holding the team back by playing him 20 minutes a night.
If that did actually happen I probably wouldn't be following basketball at all this season. I was already so demoralized during the playoffs that I didn't bother watching games 5 and 6. I didn't pay much attention (I did watch the draft though) until the preseason (couldn't help but feel excited that basketball was back) and started following super closely again.
If Duncan and Splitter started together and wound up spending a lot of time on the court together, Bonner+Blair combo wouldn't be rare. That's my main concern with the concept right now. Even then.. I'm for giving it a shot.
Why can't you start Duncan and Splitter, sub Blair for Splitter, Splitter for Duncan, Bonner for Blair, Duncan for Splitter? There is no rule that the bench players has to play together! If the best players get 30 minutes there is no need for that. Also, when we go small there is no need for Bonner or Blair and one of Duncan/Splitter gets some rest.
I don't really care who starts but there is no excuse not to give Splitter more minutes except if he is injured or in bad shape (which doesn't seem to be the case). Pop has decided Spurs should be a 3 pt shooting team with average to bad defense and he just loves Bonner.
Last edited by DrSteffo; 01-19-2012 at 02:57 AM. Reason: spelling
Another thing.. Splitter is basically a PF.. he's just used as a backup C because of the trash the Spurs have at PF in Blair and Bonner. Thats what makes him a really good fit next to Duncan who at this point is a C in every sense of the word. If you play the two together.. you take a huge burden off Tim and allow him to concentrate on guarding the C and staying closer to the rim where hes most effective defensively. Let Splitter use his length and quick feet to guard the 4's.
Thinking towards the playoffs.. i wont know what to do with myself if the Spurs end up in a series with the Grizzlies again, or the Mavs, or the Lakers, or the Clippers, or the Blazers and guys like Randolph, Dirk, Gasol, Griffin, Aldridge all start going off on Blair and then Pop panicks again and thrusts Splitter into the starting lineup when the team is down 2-0 or 3-1. I honestly wouldnt put it past him.. i thought he learnt his lesson from last season, but it looks like he hasnt.
You cant bring your best defender off the bench while the best players on the other team are going off in the first quarter and setting themselves up for a huge game.
dp.
Thats a valid concern, but stating the obvious..thats why you have a bench. They would be playing against other bench players who cant exploit their defensive shortcomings as much. Its not ideal.. but i would rather the Darrel Arthurs' and Josh McRoberts' of the worlds getting a couple of extra buckets than Zach Randolph and Pau Gasol having a field day early and then often.
Haha, maybe RC would ask the big three to dance during the half.
I think it's obvious to everyone at this point, including 4-time champion and one of the best to do it ever, Gregg Popovich, that Splitter deserves and needs more minutes. Additionally, he truly is better than Bonner will ever be and has ever been at everything but shooting the basketball.
HOWEVER
I am trusting in His Holiness of the Church of Popovich, Coach Pop, and in doing so, wonder what logical reasoning backs his limiting Splitter's minutes.
A few possibilities spring to mind. Some could be true, or none, or others, or maybe all, I really don't know.
One, Pop could be saving Splitter for the play-offs. Although the roster is already injury ridden in this early season and lacking capable big men as a whole, Pop truly may still believe there's hope for this Spurs squad winning a le if Splitter, chief among others, is healthy and capably steps up his game in the postseason. Tiring Splitter out early, or him suffering an injury, or worse - such as having him hit some sort of unpredicted "wall" mid way though the season and lose his confidence in Pop's barking - could all spell disaster for the Spurs. The Spurs have a tough road ahead without Manu and delicate management of the situationals is obviously quite important.
Two, Pop could be simply worried about the big man rotation and is overplaying Bonner to compensate. From the most logical standpoint, an injury to Bonner would be the best possible scenario out of all four primary big men being injured. For example, Blair's offense is needed and his learning needs continue; Bonner, on the other hand, won't be getting any better any time soon. In fact, with every passing day it has become clear that he is worse. Ultimately, Pop's conservative rotations regarding Splitter could leave the rotation feeling decently fresh come playoff time without a major move. Considering the cir stances, this scenario is quite possible.
Third, Pop could be exerting his influence as a coach on Splitter. Not in a bad way, just in a way that lets Splitter know whose boss, and what he must continue doing to earn meaningful minutes often. Pop and the Spurs organization in general has proven stubborn in its mandates, especially concerning a player's general respect for the coaches, fellow players, and especially townsfolk. Splitter seems like a great guy but we don't know exactly what goes on in the background, and Pop's actions may be reflecting unknown events in the locker room and beyond.
The only thing that makes Pop's rotation (not playing Tim w/ Tiago) make sense, and I hoping is the case. Is rotation is simply to manage the situation we are in , regular season in compressed season, back to back. By not playing Tiago and Tim together you can keep both relative fresh and manage their minutes.
The only other thing I could think off , is Pop wanted to matchup with Anderson a stretch 4. So bonner was in , while rotating Timmy and Tiago on Howard , to keep both fresh
I guess people worried that Parker has lost a step earlier this season can now be reassured after his last few games.
It's likely to be one of the game of the next b2b vs Sacramento and @ Houston.
The safe way would to play Duncan against Kings and then tank the game at Houston by resting Duncan, Parker and co.
The confident way would to try to win against Sacramento without Duncan and then trying to win the game against Houston with the full squad.
I rather go with the safe way. Splitting the next b2b is fine and It will alow to give some rest to other players.
There are currently 1 users browsing this thread. (0 members and 1 guests)
Posting Permissions
Reply With Quote
