Can we use NO plan to minimize twin towers ?

[TD 21]

The first time he guarded Bynum, ever, Bynum scored on him. That's obviously the point where you completely stopped watching Splitter play, because everything that happened subsequent to that flies in the face of your conclusion.

Splitter went right down on the next possession and drew a foul on Bynum. Gasol came in for Odom and those two collectively scored one point while Splitter was on the floor after that.

The Dice tip-in game had Splitter defending Bynum in the post, and Bynum tried to throw his weight around. He was completely unsuccessful doing it. Splitter drew an offensive foul on him and he was very frustrated at Splitter's ability to keep him from his spots.

Collectively for Splitter against Bynum in those two games, Bynum scored three points, had two fouls, and the Lakers scored two points in the paint (Bynum's first basket). Not too shabby for a rookie that can't earn playing time ahead of Matt Bonner.

I watched the entire game. Bynum pushed him around. That doesn't mean he did a terrible job and isn't a better option than every Spur not named Duncan. You're making this anti-Splitter and it's not, which you'd know if you had any semblance of reading comprehension. He should absolutely play, I just don't expect him to have as much success defending the Bynum's of the world as guys like Collins/Gray. That's all I'm saying.

rmt, nothing I said was anti-Splitter, which is how both of you are making it out to be. I said the difference between guys like Collins/Gray and Splitter is that they're wide bodies and he's not. But I also said, he should absolutely be playing about 5000 times and that he should sometimes be paired with Duncan in this series.

I agree that the roster is imbalanced, in that it's overloaded with too many natural PF's and SG's. They're going to need a legit C in the off season and a better third PG (obviously, this is less pressing).

[rmt]

rmt, did you even read what I said? Nothing I said was anti-Splitter, which is how both of you are making it out to be. I said the difference between guys like Collins/Gray and Splitter is that they're wide bodies and he's not. I said he should absolutely be playing about 5000 times and that he should sometimes be paired with Duncan in this series.

I agree that the roster is imbalanced, in that it's overloaded with too many natural PF's and SG's. They're going to need a legit C in the off season and a better third PG (obviously, this is less pressing).

OK. At this point, I don't even get upset at Bonner. He's who he is. It's Pop who concerns me - just don't see why he won't play Splitter when the glaring problem is defending bigs.

The imbalance in the roster is going to bite them. It seems that the #1 criteria of the FO for getting players is if they can shoot. If they get to LA or even OKC, they'll have to play Manu, Hill or Neal on Artest or Durant if all 3 are getting playing time.

[Bito Corleone]

Yep...our big man rotation should have been.

6-11 Tim Duncan
6-11 Tiago Splitter
6-11 Ian Mahinmi
6-9 Luis Scola

Mahinmi...the guy ing sucked...and still sucks. People need to let it go.

Scola doesn't suck, but that was how many years ago? Let that go too.

[TD 21]

OK. At this point, I don't even get upset at Bonner. He's who he is. It's Pop who concerns me - just don't see why he won't play Splitter when the glaring problem is defending bigs.

The imbalance in the roster is going to bite them. It seems that the #1 criteria of the FO for getting players is if they can shoot. If they get to LA or even OKC, they'll have to play Manu, Hill or Neal on Artest or Durant if all 3 are getting playing time.

I've been more annoyed with Blair than I have with Bonner this season. Blair looked ridiculously good in the preseason. I know it was only the preseason and he'll always have limitations because of his size, but I was expecting more. Statistically, he was good again. But he just didn't improve in any specific area to the extent I thought he would.

He won't play Splitter because he's determined to be loyal/stubborn to the bitter end. That's what this is about. It's the same reason he was continuing to trot out Finley early last season and went with Vaughn to start the Mavs series in Hill's rookie season. He'd rather risk throwing away potentially the final chance at a championship in the Duncan era, because him being loyal/stubborn and doing things the way he's always done them is more important than what gives his team their best chance at a championship. That's ego.

It's so imbalanced that the bench basically consists of two undersized power forwards, two shooting guards (one of which is undersized) and one combo guard, who's undersized as a shooting guard. And they wonder why they're a mediocre defensive team. It's a minor miracle they're even that, considering the fact that Duncan played 28.4 mpg and Splitter wasn't in the rotation.