Q&A: What does Pop do now?

[TheManFromAcme]

LOL...what??? "Personnel that would have other coaches pulling out there hair." You mean having two of the most dominant post men in NBA history that are low key and not driven by ego and willing to be coached. Or maybe one of the quickest point guards in the world in his prime. Or maybe a foreign player that has won at every level. Not to mention all the other pieces of which almost all were coachable and not trouble makers.

I give all the credit in the world for the FO and Pop for finding some of those players. But to make it seem like Pop molded a ragtag bunch of scrappy players into world champions makes me snort beer out my nose.

..start snorting the brew then pal because that's what happened (I strongly suggest a smooth Boddingtons Ale...creamy and stout and won't harm your nose hairs)

take a step back and look at your past rosters beyond Manu, Tony, Bruce and Tim......I mean are you really questioning this?

I am propping Pop because of his ability to mold a contender post-Robinson when many doubted the Spurs team

[rmt]

Pop:Is it MATT BONNER?

That is as far as anyone has to read to discover that Pop is still delusional.

If you keep supporting him...go ahead...but be prepared to keep losing...that is just plain common sense.

Anyone with a brain can see that players like Bonner will never be enough against playoff teams with young athletes that can ball.

Pop is still trotting out that 1950's bull that athlete's aren't necessary...that a player with intelligence and character can help more than an athlete. Well of course...if the athlete in question is dumber than a bag of rocks...but today's athletes are not only athletic...but also have smarts,character and discipline.

Why continue to depend on a BONNER with no athletic ability, no balls, short arms and no in' mental toughness when other teams just attack and destroy him at will?
To prove what?

That nice guys CAN succeed? That character guys who suck off the coach can implement that coach's system without ever making a mistake or take a bad shot.....while LOSING?

I tried very hard to keep supporting Pop for years and years...

Once upon a time I believed in Pop and pounding the rock and all that hoo-rah spurs philosophy crap...until I opened my eyes and thought to myself;

hmmm...

It appears that Pop stresses defense and will jump on your if you miss a defensive rotation...that is good...b-but wait...Finley s up left and right...and Pop seems to just overlook it. Is it because Nellie recommended Finley? Is it cause Pop loves Finleys jump shot? Why is it that Bruce Bowen is in the doghouse...yet Finley is spared?

I kept watching...and wondering....

Why is Pop trying to match up with other teams going small by going smaller? Why is Naz'r, Rasho, and any other bigs...rotting on the bench while teams continually drive in for layups? Why is Bogans a centerpiece of a defense that can't stop anyone? Why?

This continued and got worse with Bonner....who ANYONE could see was getting killed each and every time he stepped on the floor? Why? Why would you continue to overplay a guy who does nothing but get killed on defense...yet you continue to lie to yourself that defense is the first priority? Why?

Finally, this past season...

To me...after being a diehard spurs fan since the red,white & blue ABA days...through thick and thin...through suffering through elimination after elimination....through all that...why was this season ---for me---

the absolute worst?

This season I found myself...unhappy...AFTER A WIN!!!!

Each time that the spurs won...I found myself unhappy???? I could not understand why????


Then it hit me....


This season the spurs acquired a big man...finally...

Tiago Splitter....


Finally...Pop will go back to the defensive schemes that won the spurs 4 les....championship spurs defense is back!!!!!!

Except...Pop refused to play him....Pop buried him on the bench...Pop at first blamed Tiago's injuries....then blamed Tiago missing training camp....then blamed the complicated spurs system as too complicated for rookies....then Pop just buried him.

Even when Tiago got healthy and was fresh from not playing all season...still...Pop would not play him.
Each victory was more of the same...yay...we won...but we played no defense...Bonner played 30 minutes and Tiago got another DNP....the worst thing was that you could not really be mad at Pop...because...hey--we are winning...but still no defense. No presence down low...no blocked shots--except for Timmy...no dominance.


The wins were not even satisfying....was I just a hater? Did I just fall out of love with my team that I had supported in good times and bad since 1973? (When they were the Dallas Chapparrals)....

The reason was that I just saw through the fact that Pop was not helping the team but hurting it. That the spurs were winning ---in spite of Pop---NOT BECAUSE OF HIM.

This is the truth if anyone wants truth.

If you want to continue losing in the first or second round...or worse...then keep believing in Pop...he was once great but now is just old and senile.

Great post - my feelings exactly. The greatest regret I have this year is that our second best defensive big was sitting on the bench all year. In previous (recent) years, at least they didn't have the personnel but to have it and not use it is inexcusable. And what a waste of an opportunity in a year when LA and BOS are out of the playoffs and there are no other teams with championship experience left

[Warlord23]

..start snorting the brew then pal because that's what happened (I strongly suggest a smooth Boddingtons Ale...creamy and stout and won't harm your nose hairs)

take a step back and look at your past rosters beyond Manu, Tony, Bruce and Tim......I mean are you really questioning this?

I am propping Pop because of his ability to mold a contender post-Robinson when many doubted the Spurs team

I personally think the "old Pop" of the championship years deserved his accolades - he brought out the best in his players by emphasizing defense and toughness. He turned role players like Bowen, Malik Rose and Nazr into important contributors that helped win championships. He may not have had the most talent, but he made up for that with his "pound the rock" approach.

It's just that the "new Pop" is completely different. He awards playing time for reasons other than on-court performance/potential. He's done a U-turn on the type of role players he wants on his team of late.

He was great till 2005. After that it's been a steady decline.

[cantthinkofanything]

take a step back and look at your past rosters beyond Manu, Tony, Bruce and Tim......I mean are you really questioning this?

Oh I get it now. It also made me realize what a genius Phil Jackson.

I also stepped back and looked at the Laker roster without Kobe, Shaq and Pau.

And then I stepped back and looked at Chicago witout Jordan and Pippen.

And then I carried it back to note the genius of Riley by examing the 80's Lakers without Magic, Kareem, Worthy, and Cooper.

Then there were those crappy Boston lineups after you look past Bird, McHale, and Parish.

Man, all of the great teams had great coaches that were able to offset their sorry rosters with better motivation and game planning.

[elemento]

We all have to appreciate what Pop and our FO have done so far. And I think most of us appreciate that. But that does not mean that we cannot criticise them we they make dumb moves. And when i say that, I mean in-court and off-court moves.

The fact that the Spurs won 4 les with Pop and Buford does not turn them into untouchable gods.

Of course we applaud good moves, but as fans, we have the right to criticise when they make dumb moves. When they first brought Jefferson, most of us thought it was a good move, a nice gamble. But after 1 season with , we knew he was not the player we were looking for.

Yeah, most of new Spurs players have a better 2nd year, but that does not mean that we have to give a bad fit 39m for a second try.

Our draft picks were just fine. The problem was the off-season moves, especially after the Scola gift.

[cantthinkofanything]

We all have to appreciate what Pop and our FO have done so far. And I think most of us appreciate that. But that does not mean that we cannot criticise them we they make dumb moves. And when i say that, I mean in-court and off-court moves.

The fact that the Spurs won 4 les with Pop and Buford does not turn them into untouchable gods.

Of course we applaud good moves, but as fans, we have the right to criticise when they make dumb moves. When they first brought Jefferson, most of us thought it was a good move, a nice gamble. But after 1 season with , we knew he was not the player we were looking for.

Yeah, most of new Spurs players have a better 2nd year, but that does not mean that we have to give a bad fit 39m for a second try.

Our draft picks were just fine. The problem was the off-season moves, especially after the Scola gift.

Well said.

[HankChinaski]

The interview was interesting. I found it somewhat reassuring and also scary at the same time with how pop responded and thought of how they team played out this year and what the plans are for the off season.

I am officially on the fence with pop this off season going into the start of the season. If the roster looks the same or the team is still harboring certain collections of individuals in the roster still and with just some dump of a contract signing with the MLE to add defense to the team. I'm going to be severely irrate as a fan.


My version of the Bonner leash for Pop has come to its end.

[ElNono]

If he felt so uneasy with the 'spotty defense', why did he have to wait until next season to 'do whatever he needs to do, personnel-wise, or drill-wise or demand-wise'?

It really sucked when I read that part.

Pop needs to understand that drills or demands will not make poor defenders into good defenders. Some of the personnel will have to change.

[wunderkindepiphany]

I like how some people want act like Pop is some kind of genius that is head and shoulders above every other professional coach because he has four rings. The fact is Pop himself gives all the credit to Tim Duncan and the supporting cast because he knows a coach can only do so much but in the end you can't win without talent.

Since you brought up the fact that Van Gundy hasn't done with Dwight Howard, I would like to remind you that they went to a championship and lost to a far superior team. For you to bring this up suggests that you think Pop could have already won a championship if he were the coach of the Magic with D.Howard. That is an absolutely idiotic thought. So why did you bring Howard and Stan up if Pop couldn't have done any better? Please don't tell me you think Pop could have won a ring already. However if you want to make me laugh do tell.



I agree that he wouldn't admit this even if he thought it. However, I am not so sure he really does think Memphis was the better team.



Pop is a good coach but that doesn't mean he would have led any of the teams with the HoFers you mentioned to win a championship. I would say it is highly unlikely that Pop would have been able to produce more than the zero rings they actually did produce. On the other hand I do think many coaches would be able to coach the Spurs with Tim Duncan and the supporting cast to a few championships. Just because he has four rings doesn't mean his basketball knowledge and implementation of that knowledge is far superior to other professional coaches.

I never said that Pop was a genius, I just said that he is one of the very best in the league. His record speaks for itself; he'll be HOF when its all said and done. As for him being a genius, well, I wouldn't know. If you were to take a glance at a couple of the other threads, you'd see me commenting on how Pop praises his players and defers a lot of the success he's had to the players that he had the privilege of working with. So, as to that point, I think that you and I are on the same page.

As for the Magic, that comment was in response to a post, preceding it, by a poster who suggested that, were the Spurs to hire a new coach, so long as he were able to work with "a young TD level talent", that he'd bring the same type of success to the table as Pop did, in his tenure with the Spurs. My retort was that Van Gundy has one of the most dominant big-men in the league (if not THE most) and he hasn't won a championship, yet.

I realize the achievements that the Magic have made and I am not trying to downplay them. In fact, I have liked the Magic for quite some time now, they were my dark-horse, this year. As to whether Pop could have taken them to the championship, I don't know about that. I don't really like to get into this hypothetical thing where I predict imaginary scenarios. All I'll say is that Pop has done way more, with way less. The Magic have been stacked. Richardsons, Turk, Nelson, (although he gets under my skin) Arenas, Pietrus, Howard, Carter, etc. They've had the tools. . .

[wunderkindepiphany]

We all have to appreciate what Pop and our FO have done so far. And I think most of us appreciate that. But that does not mean that we cannot criticise them we they make dumb moves. And when i say that, I mean in-court and off-court moves.

The fact that the Spurs won 4 les with Pop and Buford does not turn them into untouchable gods.

Of course we applaud good moves, but as fans, we have the right to criticise when they make dumb moves. When they first brought Jefferson, most of us thought it was a good move, a nice gamble. But after 1 season with , we knew he was not the player we were looking for.

Yeah, most of new Spurs players have a better 2nd year, but that does not mean that we have to give a bad fit 39m for a second try.

Our draft picks were just fine. The problem was the off-season moves, especially after the Scola gift.

Agreed. Scola was a fiasco, Bonner's rotations were a fiasco, re-upping on for the price-tag we did was a fiasco. I contend that Splitter was utilized about as much as he could have been, considering his injury and his conditioning. But that will be the bone that many have to pick with Pop till the end of time. Either way, I wouldn't call for his termination/resignation. You spend the Summer making adjustments and gear up for next season. Its re ed to think that so many fans want to hit the reset button, considering the shape were in. Its like Y2K on this board, everybody's scrambling like chickens with their heads cut off.

[SA210]

I wouldn’t change the game plan a lick. There’s nothing we’d do differently.

[SA210]

Pop:Is it MATT BONNER?

That is as far as anyone has to read to discover that Pop is still delusional.

If you keep supporting him...go ahead...but be prepared to keep losing...that is just plain common sense.

Anyone with a brain can see that players like Bonner will never be enough against playoff teams with young athletes that can ball.

Pop is still trotting out that 1950's bull that athlete's aren't necessary...that a player with intelligence and character can help more than an athlete. Well of course...if the athlete in question is dumber than a bag of rocks...but today's athletes are not only athletic...but also have smarts,character and discipline.

Why continue to depend on a BONNER with no athletic ability, no balls, short arms and no in' mental toughness when other teams just attack and destroy him at will?
To prove what?

That nice guys CAN succeed? That character guys who suck off the coach can implement that coach's system without ever making a mistake or take a bad shot.....while LOSING?

I tried very hard to keep supporting Pop for years and years...

Once upon a time I believed in Pop and pounding the rock and all that hoo-rah spurs philosophy crap...until I opened my eyes and thought to myself;

hmmm...

It appears that Pop stresses defense and will jump on your if you miss a defensive rotation...that is good...b-but wait...Finley s up left and right...and Pop seems to just overlook it. Is it because Nellie recommended Finley? Is it cause Pop loves Finleys jump shot? Why is it that Bruce Bowen is in the doghouse...yet Finley is spared?

I kept watching...and wondering....

Why is Pop trying to match up with other teams going small by going smaller? Why is Naz'r, Rasho, and any other bigs...rotting on the bench while teams continually drive in for layups? Why is Bogans a centerpiece of a defense that can't stop anyone? Why?

This continued and got worse with Bonner....who ANYONE could see was getting killed each and every time he stepped on the floor? Why? Why would you continue to overplay a guy who does nothing but get killed on defense...yet you continue to lie to yourself that defense is the first priority? Why?

Finally, this past season...

To me...after being a diehard spurs fan since the red,white & blue ABA days...through thick and thin...through suffering through elimination after elimination....through all that...why was this season ---for me---

the absolute worst?

This season I found myself...unhappy...AFTER A WIN!!!!

Each time that the spurs won...I found myself unhappy???? I could not understand why????


Then it hit me....


This season the spurs acquired a big man...finally...

Tiago Splitter....


Finally...Pop will go back to the defensive schemes that won the spurs 4 les....championship spurs defense is back!!!!!!

Except...Pop refused to play him....Pop buried him on the bench...Pop at first blamed Tiago's injuries....then blamed Tiago missing training camp....then blamed the complicated spurs system as too complicated for rookies....then Pop just buried him.

Even when Tiago got healthy and was fresh from not playing all season...still...Pop would not play him.
Each victory was more of the same...yay...we won...but we played no defense...Bonner played 30 minutes and Tiago got another DNP....the worst thing was that you could not really be mad at Pop...because...hey--we are winning...but still no defense. No presence down low...no blocked shots--except for Timmy...no dominance.


The wins were not even satisfying....was I just a hater? Did I just fall out of love with my team that I had supported in good times and bad since 1973? (When they were the Dallas Chapparrals)....

The reason was that I just saw through the fact that Pop was not helping the team but hurting it. That the spurs were winning ---in spite of Pop---NOT BECAUSE OF HIM.

This is the truth if anyone wants truth.

If you want to continue losing in the first or second round...or worse...then keep believing in Pop...he was once great but now is just old and senile.

Best post I've read in a while. I agree with EVERYTHING, you were spot on. Thanks for taking the time to post this. Well done.

[SA210]

I wonder how much of this is Popovich trying to save his own ass. Trying to deflect the fact he was, again, outcoached by a rookie head coach in the NBA playoffs. For the 2nd time, he had the team with immensely more talent, and somehow managed to lose.

[SA210]

The untouchables are Bonner, Matt, #15, and the Red Rocket
not necessarily in that order

[jiggy_55]

Article by McDonald on mysa as a continuation to the Q&A with Pop:
http://blog.mysanantonio.com/spursna...%99s-sidekick/

"“I think Tiago has to be a linchpin for our future here, because he has the size, the length, the toughness, the grit, the consistency,” Popovich said. “He’s going to be a stalwart of this team going forward.”

A limited offensive player, Splitter already has begun offseason work with Spurs shooting guru Chip Engelland to work on his free-throw stroke and to move his game a bit further from the basket. That work, however, is likely to be interrupted when Splitter joins the Brazilian national team for preparations for the Tournament of the Americas later this summer, and won’t resume until the NBA’s collective bargaining issues are settled.

Though Splitter did not spend much time paired with Duncan this season, and doesn’t have a jumper to spread the floor as McDyess did, Popovich thinks the two could coexist. For proof, he points to Fabricio Oberto, a player similar to Splitter who started next to Duncan on the Spurs’ 2007 championship team."

Nice to hear he considers him a serious part of the future and that he can work with Duncan. Also nice to hear he is working on his shooting as much as he can.

[Spurs da champs]

Article by McDonald on mysa as a continuation to the Q&A with Pop:
http://blog.mysanantonio.com/spursna...%99s-sidekick/

"“I think Tiago has to be a linchpin for our future here, because he has the size, the length, the toughness, the grit, the consistency,” Popovich said. “He’s going to be a stalwart of this team going forward.”

A limited offensive player, Splitter already has begun offseason work with Spurs shooting guru Chip Engelland to work on his free-throw stroke and to move his game a bit further from the basket. That work, however, is likely to be interrupted when Splitter joins the Brazilian national team for preparations for the Tournament of the Americas later this summer, and won’t resume until the NBA’s collective bargaining issues are settled.

Though Splitter did not spend much time paired with Duncan this season, and doesn’t have a jumper to spread the floor as McDyess did, Popovich thinks the two could coexist. For proof, he points to Fabricio Oberto, a player similar to Splitter who started next to Duncan on the Spurs’ 2007 championship team."

Nice to hear he considers him a serious part of the future and that he can work with Duncan. Also nice to hear he is working on his shooting as much as he can.

Too bad Tim can't teach him post moves or somethin.

[pancakechef]

We have one of the very best coaches in the league and everybody wants to on him cause he deflects media bull with sarcasm and plays Bonner too long. You know, when he finally does leave San Antonio, well see how well the next guy fills his big ass shoes.

Great work with the continual foul language! Why will we be upset? Because we will finally realize that anyone could have won with Tim in his prime and ANYONE could coach a team to four consec meltdowns at the end of the season?

I don’t care about the age, the “athletic” thing. I care about performance. That team won 61 games. I contend if Manu was healthy, we’d still be playing. I don’t have any doubt we’d still be playing. - that stuck out to me.

A blatant lie, followed by an excuse. Way to go

[wunderkindepiphany]

Great work with the continual foul language! Why will we be upset? Because we will finally realize that anyone could have won with Tim in his prime and ANYONE could coach a team to four consec meltdowns at the end of the season?

I don’t care about the age, the “athletic” thing. I care about performance. That team won 61 games. I contend if Manu was healthy, we’d still be playing. I don’t have any doubt we’d still be playing. - that stuck out to me.

A blatant lie, followed by an excuse. Way to go

You know, I dont need you on my back patroling for bad language. I got my Bachelors and am working on Masters right now, and I didn't get the first degree by cussing my way through assignments. Funny thing though, I'm not on this board to get critiqued on my writing. I'm here to shoot the with friends and chat about basketball. So, whether you think bad language detracts from my point or if it just bothers you, I could give a tiny rat's ass.

[wunderkindepiphany]

Great work with the continual foul language! Why will we be upset? Because we will finally realize that anyone could have won with Tim in his prime and ANYONE could coach a team to four consec meltdowns at the end of the season?

I don’t care about the age, the “athletic” thing. I care about performance. That team won 61 games. I contend if Manu was healthy, we’d still be playing. I don’t have any doubt we’d still be playing. - that stuck out to me.

A blatant lie, followed by an excuse. Way to go

Furthermore, the idea that "ANYONE could have won with Tim in his prime" and the following swill you put up shows how much you know about coaching. Have you even coached a high-school basketball game? Its professional sports, for God's sake. If you walked into the locker-room, the players would probably take one look at you and laugh.

[SenorSpur]

A limited offensive player, Splitter already has begun offseason work with Spurs shooting guru Chip Engelland to work on his free-throw stroke and to move his game a bit further from the basket. That work, however, is likely to be interrupted when Splitter joins the Brazilian national team for preparations for the Tournament of the Americas later this summer, and won’t resume until the NBA’s collective bargaining issues are settled.

I wonder if Pop has salacious thoughts of having Splitter eventually improving his range out to the 3-pt line?

Seems to me as though the second priority, right behind improving his free throw shooting, would be improving both his footwork and post moves around the basket.

[Fabbs]

Originally Posted by Fabbs

Jeffery McDonald had earlier emailed me and said oftentimes Popped makes comments on the side that do not get printed. I asked him to please elaborate on what his love affair with giving Matt Bonner significant playoff minutes and role is. ... (Also said before that Mike Finley 2008 09 1/2 10)
Stay tuned. If there is a response.

What's really funny about Pop's long leash for Bonner, is that he normally doesn't give a long leash to players, who have clearly underperformed.

Hedo Turkoglu, a far better player than Bonner, was only given a year to prove himself. Same for the likes of Nazr Mohammed , Francisco Elson & Kurt Thomas, who were given roughly 1 or 2 seasons to clearly demonstrate that they could become regular contributors.

The point being is that all these players were acquired via trade or free agency. They were given a window to demonstrate their wares, then were moved out.

Only Bonner, like Finley before him, has been given the red carpet "royal" treatment by Pop. The coach has continued to force-feed him minutes and entrust him with defensive assignments, when clearly his skills, physical limitations and on-court deficiencies indicated otherwise.

Bonner, unlike Finley, has proven to be a continuous, royal playoff choker, and he keeps getting a pass from the coach, along with being rewarded with a 4-yr extension.

The decision by Pop to continue investing money and years into an end-of-the-bench player like Bonner, forcing him into a prominent rotation role, where he obviously cannot succeed, and yet expecting different results clearly demonstrates that Pop has lost his mind.

SenorSpur, i am not making this up.
Jeffery McDonald was good enough to write back, and i emphacise Jeffrey is printing what the coaches said, not what he himself (Jeffrey) thinks:

"Spurs coaches like Bonner because he spreads the floor on offense, and moves one of the other team's shot-blockers away from the rim. This generally makes it easier for guys like Parker and Ginobili to penetrate.

Bonner does have his uses. I agree he should not be starting. And I doubt he will be." end response.

I'm going to write JMc back and tell him it's a Spurstalk standing joke about but but but....Bonner spreads the floor

And see if i can get him to press Popped.

[TJastal]

Originally Posted by Fabbs

Jeffery McDonald had earlier emailed me and said oftentimes Popped makes comments on the side that do not get printed. I asked him to please elaborate on what his love affair with giving Matt Bonner significant playoff minutes and role is. ... (Also said before that Mike Finley 2008 09 1/2 10)
Stay tuned. If there is a response.


SenorSpur, i am not making this up.
Jeffery McDonald was good enough to write back, and i emphacise Jeffrey is printing what the coaches said, not what he himself (Jeffrey) thinks:

"Spurs coaches like Bonner because he spreads the floor on offense, and moves one of the other team's shot-blockers away from the rim. This generally makes it easier for guys like Parker and Ginobili to penetrate.

Bonner does have his uses. I agree he should not be starting. And I doubt he will be." end response.

I'm going to write JMc back and tell him it's a Spurstalk standing joke about but but but....Bonner spreads the floor

And see if i can get him to press Popped.

I guess the spurs "coaches" missed the whole grizzlies series where they routinely used guards and small forwards to check Bonner out on the 3pt line.

[lefty]

That's what Pop said recently about Tiago :

“I think Tiago has to be a linchpin for our future here, because he has the size, the length, the toughness, the grit, the consistency,” Popovich said. “He’s going to be a stalwart of this team going forward.”



No , Pop

Thanks a lot


Asshole

[ChumpDumper]

spurfan loves being angry.

[SenorSpur]

Originally Posted by Fabbs

Jeffery McDonald had earlier emailed me and said oftentimes Popped makes comments on the side that do not get printed. I asked him to please elaborate on what his love affair with giving Matt Bonner significant playoff minutes and role is. ... (Also said before that Mike Finley 2008 09 1/2 10)
Stay tuned. If there is a response.


SenorSpur, i am not making this up.
Jeffery McDonald was good enough to write back, and i emphacise Jeffrey is printing what the coaches said, not what he himself (Jeffrey) thinks:

"Spurs coaches like Bonner because he spreads the floor on offense, and moves one of the other team's shot-blockers away from the rim. This generally makes it easier for guys like Parker and Ginobili to penetrate.

Bonner does have his uses. I agree he should not be starting. And I doubt he will be." end response.

I'm going to write JMc back and tell him it's a Spurstalk standing joke about but but but....Bonner spreads the floor

And see if i can get him to press Popped.

Fabbs, don't get me wrong. I wasn't implying that you were making any of this up at all. Like you said, the whole notion of Bonner's ability to "spread the floor" IS indeed a running joke. The unfunny part of the joke is that Pop and the Spurs brass seemingly either doesn't care or choose to simply ignore the giant, assorted "elephants in the room" regarding Bonner. Those elephants are as follows:

- Bonner possesses the ability to spread the floor, but only during the regular season.
- Bonner shooting ability comes with at a huge sacrifice because he's such a liability on the defensive end.
- Bonner has earned a deserving reputation for being a playoff-choker and one who routinely comes up small in big moments.
- Bonner is really nothing more than a limited-skilled, one-dimensional role player, who provides nothing in the way of rebounding, defense or shot-blocking.
- Bonner's skill limitations place a huge burden on whomever else he's playing alongside with, requiring them to pick up the slack.

All these known facts about Bonner and yet how is handled? By Pop rewarding him with a new 4-year contract and giving him increased playing time.

After 3 large sample size seasons of postseason failure, it's obvious that it's time for Bonner to be moved off this roster. No matter how much Pop tries to fit this "square peg" into that gaping, round Robert Horry, he's not. He never will be. The frustrating part to all of this is that Pop is the one who, for whatever reason, either fails to realize this or simply chooses to ignore it. And the Spurs will continue to be much worse off for Pop continued trust and faith in this guy.