Rasho's minutes

[Bruno]

I'm not a Rasho hater but if you look at facts, Rasho's carreer with Spurs is almost over. I think he will play less than 200 min with a Spurs jersey.

Based on facts and barring something new:

1) Rasho is the 4th Spurs big.
2) Pop will mainly play with 3 bigs during the playoffs.
3) There aren't a lot of matchup where Rasho is a better fit than Nazr.
4) Rasho will barely play with Spurs during the playoffs.
5) Spurs won't keep Rasho and Nazr signed with a long term contract for next season.
6) Pop will rather keep Nazr over Rasho.
7) Nazr won't be more expensive than Rasho.
8) Spurs will try to trade Rasho this summer. If they find a taker, Rasho will be gone.

[exstatic]

1) Rasho is the 4th Spurs big.
2) Pop will mainly play with 3 bigs during the playoffs.
3) There aren't a lot of matchup where Rasho is a better fit than Nazr.
4) Rasho will barely play with Spurs during the playoffs.
5) Spurs won't keep Rasho and Nazr signed with a long term contract for next season.
6) Pop will rather keep Rasho over Nazr.
7) Nazr won't be more expensive than Rasho.
8) Spurs will try to trade Rasho this summer. If they find a taker, Rasho will be gone.

I don't agree with the points I have bolded. I'll break them down.
2. If Tim were healthy, this might be true, but he isn't, and Nazr is the Human Foul Machine.
4. It's the playoffs. The pace is slower and more defense is played. That makes this point wrong.
7. Bigs who can walk and chew gum are ALWAYS overpaid on the open market. Nazr qualifies, barely.

One more thought is that if 6 is true, then Rasho will be here. Pop is the coach, and EVP for baskeball operations. While he isn't GM anymore, RC listens to what Pop needs (and doesn't need ) and gets it, or gets rid of it. If Pop wants someone, they're here.

[jmard5]

4. It's the playoffs. The pace is slower and more defense is played. That makes this point wrong.

Exactly.

And depending on the teams the Spurs will face in the playoffs, it is good to have a good number of big men in the middle.

Nazr's tendency to bring down the ball during put backs should be addressed. He also pump-fake too often.

[Bruno]

I disagree with your disagreement

I don't agree with the points I have bolded. I'll break them down.
2. If Tim were healthy, this might be true, but he isn't, and Nazr is the Human Foul Machine.

Disagree for 3 reasons :
- Pop has played the playoff with Duncan/Horry/Nazr last year and Duncan wasn't very healthy.
- Duncan's injury doesn't limit his playtime: he play more than last year.
- Nazr isn't a fouling machine and make less fouls when he starts.

4. It's the playoffs. The pace is slower and more defense is played. That makes this point wrong.

Disagree : it's not a question of pace but a question of matchup. Rasho is a better fit than Nazr against true centers with a good offensive game and Spurs likely won't face one.

7. Bigs who can walk and chew gum are ALWAYS overpaid on the open market. Nazr qualifies, barely.

Agree, Nazr will be overpaid but less than Rasho. Rasho was an 11/8 seven footer and got $42M/6years 3 years ago. With the BRI and salary cap raise, it's like a $46-48M deal. Nazr won't get that much money : Rasho was better, bigger, younger when he get is contract. Nazr won't get more than $40M/6 years.

One more thought is that if 6 is true, then Rasho will be here. Pop is the coach, and EVP for baskeball operations. While he isn't GM anymore, RC listens to what Pop needs (and doesn't need ) and gets it, or gets rid of it. If Pop wants someone, they're here.

I've made a typo for 6 :Pop will rather keep Nazr over Rasho.

[Slinkyman]

There's still no evidence that Rasho is that much of a better defender then Nazr. How do you measure D? how about PPG allowed? With Nazr starting we're giving up 1 more point per game. WOW! also Ploto your stats are wrong, after tonight we're 7 and 3 when rasho plays less the 10 minutes but i guess you didn't count the PHX games, how convenient. In the end i trust Pop and if he doesn't want to play Rasho, i have to give him the benefit of the doubt.

[ploto]

There's still no evidence that Rasho is that much of a better defender then Nazr. How do you measure D? how about PPG allowed? With Nazr starting we're giving up 1 more point per game. WOW! also Ploto your stats are wrong, after tonight we're 7 and 3 when rasho plays less the 10 minutes but i guess you didn't count the PHX games, how convenient. In the end i trust Pop and if he doesn't want to play Rasho, i have to give him the benefit of the doubt.

Excuse me mathematician- but I did count the Phoenix games. And we surely did not win tonight because of anything Nazr did. He was AWFUL. We are 5-3 when Rasho plays less than 20 minutes.

As for how you measure defense- it is simple.

Rasho on court-- Defense: Pts per 100 Poss. 96.6 Best on the whole damn team!!

I really have no reason to read ANYTHING else you write, if you can not even see that Rasho is a better defender than Nazr.

[Slinkyman]

Excuse me mathematician- but I did count the Phoenix games. And we surely did not win tonight because of anything Nazr did. He was AWFUL. We are 5-3 when Rasho plays less than 20 minutes.

As for how you measure defense- it is simple.

Rasho on court-- Defense: Pts per 100 Poss. 96.6 Best on the whole damn team!!

I really have no reason to read ANYTHING else you write, if you can not even see that Rasho is a better defender than Nazr.

As far as i can tell you haven't read anything i've said yet. I said that rasho isn't that much better, or i think they are both average defenders at best. How many people thought Rasho a great defender at minn? Nobody! Maybe it's because in the spurs system he gets the benefit of being on a great defensive team? also, games spurs won where rasho played less then 10 minutes:
2/24 memphis
3/2 dallas
3/9 phx
3/17 phx
3/30 lal
4/1 was
4/9 mem

that's 7 games my friend; i hope the best for you and your boy Rasho next season when he's playing on another team!

[Slo spurs fan]

There's still no evidence that Rasho is that much of a better defender then Nazr.

Sincerly
Stevie Wonder

[ploto]

You are correct. I got 2 games into the wrong division on the bottom half, but that does not change the total for those 2 lower levels-- when Rasho plays less than 14 minutes the Spurs were still at 8-5; 2-2 at between 10 and 14 minutes and 6-3 at less than 10 minutes. That was my major point. When Rasho plays 14 minutes, it means he got the usual run in both the first and second half. When he doesn't, it usually means he only played in the first half.

And you know you can not compare Rasho's minutes to Fabricio's because when Fabricio plays extended minutes, it is almost ALWAYS because of a blow out and garbage time. The games where Rasho has played extended minutes, it was during the heart of the game that matters. You also can not claim that Rasho did not contribute to a win because of who it was against or how much it was by. Maybe he contributed to the BLOW OUT!

Do you realize as we head onto the playoffs, trying to get on a roll, that over the past 5 games, Nazr is averaging 19.2 minutes with 37.5% FG and a whopping 4.6 rebounds per game. Yippee!!

[RashoFan]

Since the All-Star break, the Spurs are 18-6 with Rasho not starting. I said back then I understood advantages for the team to starting Nazr and having Rasho come off the bench, but my problem has been with those games where Rasho has hardly played. So I checked, and this is what I discovered. Apparently, I was not imagining what I thought I had observed.

Since All-Star break:

Rasho played > 20 minutes; Spurs 5-0
Rasho played 14<x<20; Spurs 5-1
Rasho played 10<x<14; Spurs 4-2
Rasho played <10; Spurs 4-3

Rasho played 20 mins (and we won tonight's game)...made his first five shots to open the game, he was 5/6 tonight, even attempted a 3pt shot( he missed but that is okay), 6 Rebounds and a couple of blocks. Yeah he had 3 TO and 4 fouls....can't have everything...but I do like this...Rasho hit three straight shots for the Spurs.

[ChumpDumper]

It's nice to see Rasho do well against an athletic frontline.

Remains to be seen whether he would've gotten the minutes if Horry was present.

[pache100]

What the got into Rasho in that first quarter? He was a monster. Rasho the Beast. That was awesome.

[angel_luv]

Fear the Sho!

[CubanMustGo]

What the got into Rasho in that first quarter? He was a monster. Rasho the Beast. That was awesome.

Rasho the guy who we signed away from Minnesota.

[ploto]

Perfection spoiled: Spurs backup center Rasho Nesterovic made his first five shots before missing a 55-foot heave at the third-quarter buzzer.

"I know it spoiled my 1,000 percent," Nesterovic said, "but it would have been a of a shot if I made it."

It was the first 3-point attempt of Nesterovic's three seasons with the Spurs, and just the sixth of his seven-year NBA career. He has yet to make one.

"But I made some in Europe," he said. "The line is shorter there."

http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/s....12d3f98d.html

[ploto]

It's nice to see Rasho do well against an athletic frontline.

Remains to be seen whether he would've gotten the minutes if Horry was present.

Unfortunately he wouldn't have.

But it was great to see him play the way I know he can.

[RashoFan]

Perfection spoiled: Spurs backup center Rasho Nesterovic made his first five shots before missing a 55-foot heave at the third-quarter buzzer.

"I know it spoiled my 1,000 percent," Nesterovic said, "but it would have been a of a shot if I made it."

It was the first 3-point attempt of Nesterovic's three seasons with the Spurs, and just the sixth of his seven-year NBA career. He has yet to make one.

"But I made some in Europe," he said. "The line is shorter there."

http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/s....12d3f98d.html

I do not remember which game it was BUT Rasho did attempt one other 3 pt shot ( yeah he missed, but damn...he tried!!! ) It was closer to the start of the season...

[SequSpur]

Rasho has a few games left and then he'll be back in Club 200 selling cotton candy for the playoffs.

[ploto]

I'm bumping this back up simply to explore. In the past 3 games Rasho has played more minutes than Nazr all three games. Over this time, Rasho is averaging about 21 minutes per game and Nazr is down to 15 minutes per game. For the second game in a row, Pop started the second half with Rasho. I still don't buy that on a night that Bruce played 33 minutes, Finley 30, Manu 23, and even Tim 20 and Horry 18 that there was a need to rest Nazr so much so that he never played after the first quarter and totaled less than 10 minutes for the night. Last night I saw the same thing happen that happened the Orlando game. After the first play when Nazr traveled, Pop walked down the bench and went to talk to Rasho immediately.

In the first 28 games that Nazr started, only once did Rasho start the second half and that was in Houston on the second game of a back-to-back when Yao had been tearing up the league and Rasho was doing a great job on him. There were other games where Nazr did not play so great or where Rasho would have been a better matchup, but Nazr still started the second half each of those games. I just find it intriguing that with 2 games to go in the season, Rasho suddenly has started the second half twice in a row.

This is what Tim said after last night's game:
"It's a good time right now to get some rest, but we also want to be on a little bit of a roll heading into the playoffs" Duncan said. "So we want to get the guys in our lineup the right kind of minutes and in the right kind of situations."

It just makes me wonder why Rasho is getting more and Nazr less. Rolling into the play-offs, you would think that your starting center would play more than 9 1/2 minutes. I don't see how you could classify that as the "right kind of minutes."

Nazr's stats:
Past 8 games
19 minutes
39 % FG
4.6 rebounds per game (including 3 games with only 2 rebounds each)

We all know that Pop gets into that -what have you done for me lately mode.

[Dario]

I dont want to take anything from rasho, but if nazr isn't going to produce like he has in last years playoffs, spurs can kiss their championship goodbuy.

[zeleni]

I dont want to take anything from rasho, but if nazr isn't going to produce like he has in last years playoffs, spurs can kiss their championship goodbuy.

I disagree. Rasho>Nazr in playoffs

[leemajors]

I disagree. Rasho>Nazr in playoffs

we are gonna need rebounds, and nazr is our best chance at that vs teams without a traditional center. they both need to produce, but nazr really needs to board.

[Bruno]

I'm bumping this back up simply to explore. In the past 3 games Rasho has played more minutes than Nazr all three games. Over this time, Rasho is averaging about 21 minutes per game and Nazr is down to 15 minutes per game.

3 games isn't enough to draw a conclusion :
- Against Seattle Horry was out and Rasho played great.
- Howard was a bad matchup for Nazr (like Yao).
- Rasho enter against Minny when Spurs where up by 17 and mainly played in the second half. Spurs were up by 31 after 3 minutes in the second half and the rest was garbage time.

For the second game in a row, Pop started the second half with Rasho.

And Beno too : does that mean that beno is the starting PG or the main backup PG : I don't think so.

I still don't buy that on a night that Bruce played 33 minutes, Finley 30, Manu 23, and even Tim 20 and Horry 18 that there was a need to rest Nazr so much so that he never played after the first quarter and totaled less than 10 minutes for the night.

You should buy that. Bruce, Fin and Manu have played more since Minny has played a lot of small ball. When the 5 bigs played 78 min, there are a lot of playtime for the 7 other players.

Last night I saw the same thing happen that happened the Orlando game. After the first play when Nazr traveled, Pop walked down the bench and went to talk to Rasho immediately.

To say what ? Be ready ?
Rasho enters in the game at the end of the second period, 10 minutes after the last minute played by Nazr.
You're like Fox mulder and the "I want to believe" sentence : you want that Rasho gets playtime so you interprets everything as a sign that Rasho will get it .

In the first 28 games that Nazr started, only once did Rasho start the second half and that was in Houston on the second game of a back-to-back when Yao had been tearing up the league and Rasho was doing a great job on him. There were other games where Nazr did not play so great or where Rasho would have been a better matchup, but Nazr still started the second half each of those games. I just find it intriguing that with 2 games to go in the season, Rasho suddenly has started the second half twice in a row.

Howard is a bad matchup for Nazr like Yao.
Spurs were up by 21 against Minny at the half.

This is what Tim said after last night's game:
"It's a good time right now to get some rest, but we also want to be on a little bit of a roll heading into the playoffs" Duncan said. "So we want to get the guys in our lineup the right kind of minutes and in the right kind of situations."

It just makes me wonder why Rasho is getting more and Nazr less. Rolling into the play-offs, you would think that your starting center would play more than 9 1/2 minutes. I don't see how you could classify that as the "right kind of minutes."

You underline the right kind of minutes, I will underline the right kind of situations.
The first quarter subs utions looked a lot like playoffs subs ution.
After 7 minutes : Horry and Finley for Manu and Nazr.
After 9 minutes : Nazr for Duncan.
After 11 minutes : NVE and manu for Parker and Bowen.

It was way more meaningful that the minutes played by Rasho in garbage time.

Nazr's stats:
Past 8 games
19 minutes
39 % FG
4.6 rebounds per game (including 3 games with only 2 rebounds each)

We all know that Pop gets into that -what have you done for me lately mode.

Rasho's stats:
Past 8 games
14 minutes
46 % FG (but 3ppg)
3 rebounds per game (including 3 games with 1 or 0 rebounds)

I agree with you that Nazr has been very average lately (to be kind with him) but there are no real sign that Rasho will get Nazr's minutes in playoff.
The playoff rotation will likely be :
Starter : Parker/Manu/Bowen/Duncan/Nazr
Bench : NVE/Finley/Horry
Situatinol players : Barry/Rasho
No playtime outside the garbage time : Udrih/Oberto

[ploto]

we are gonna need rebounds, and nazr is our best chance at that vs teams without a traditional center. they both need to produce, but nazr really needs to board.

But that's the thing- he isn't. If he and Rasho are rebounding at about the same rate, then Rasho should play, and he has been.

It just appears to me that in the past week, and since the big slump, Pop has has made sure to give Rasho the minutes to be ready for the play-offs-- to be in good shape and into a rhythm. Plus, Pop has seemed ready with the quick hook for Nazr.

[ploto]

Pop stated why Beno started-- to rest a sick Tony and to give Beno experience against Banks. He never said he needed to rest Nazr, especially given that Nazr barely played the previous game.

You explain to me why Rasho is playing more and more as the play-offs get closer and Nazr is playing less and less. It is not just about Rahso's increased minutes- but Nazr's DECREASED playing time. You can't say that last night was a regular rotation when Nazr NEVER played in the second quarter. The Spurs blew the game open in the second quarter with Nazr on the bench.

So are you claiming that the Spurs did not need to rest Tim or Rob in the second half but they needed to rest Nazr? If it was all garbage time, why did Tim start the second half and Horry play in the second half?

As for what Pop says to players on the bench, I sit close enough to read some lips and sometimes even to hear. When Pop put in Nazr in the fourth quarter against Orlando and Nazr screwed the play up-- Pop turned beat red, beat the table, and yelled, "Rasho, get back in there for him!" Not too hard to tell what was going on there. Nazr lasted 20 seconds. And yes, there have been times that Pop went down to talk to Rasho to tell him to be ready. Last night, Nazr pulled his head out and started rebounding and that is why he stayed in and didn't get pulled again. But, Pop is ready with a quick hook. That is plain to see.

I contend that 3 games leading into the play-offs do mean something. Watch tonight.