Question: How bad does Nazr have to play?

[pache100]

Anyone want to call Robinson and ask him how that back is feeling?

Or Seany? He actually did work out with them earlier. Said he couldn't do it anymore.

[exstatic]

Dear Pop,

Please, play Horry in the playoffs, win the le, and then ship both Nazr and Rasho somewhere.Anywhere. Then, please, bring Javtokas and/or Scola.

With best regards from all of us Spurs fans who remember and love DRob!

Scola is an undersized PF and not much of a defender. Javtokas made a great recovery from his shattered leg, but I wouldn't count on it to hold up to the Spurs usually 100+ game schedule. Our best bets in Europe are probably Mahinmi (big) and Sanikidze (wing). I'm not sure either one of them is ready.

[ploto]

Rasho hasn't played a lot since march 1st. I don't see Pop changing his rotation just for the playoff.

But he has played this week, leading into the play-offs! Wouldn't you think Pop would be settling into his play-off rotation with 3 games to go, but he isn't, at least where Nazr and Rasho are concerned. Rasho has played more minutes than Nazr the past 2 games. I mean- he even started Rasho the second half. Wouldn't it seem more important to get Nazr into a better rhtyhm than giving Rasho time if Pop thinks Rasho will hardly play in the play-offs.

[Gin N Juice]

Tired of hoping these two turn the corner and play well CONSISTENTLY.
I've defended Rasho with "he just needs a little time to get familiar" ( ok its been 3 years come on)
Nazr I just don't get him one night he's pretty damn good and the next he looks completely lost. (those hands sheesh.. do what Jordan used to do to Cartwright just fire the ball at his face and he'll catch that er.)

Bring in some guys with some passion and desire to prove something.

[Bruno]

But he has played this week, leading into the play-offs! Wouldn't you think Pop would be settling into his play-off rotation with 3 games to go, but he isn't, at least where Nazr and Rasho are concerned. Rasho has played more minutes than Nazr the past 2 games. I mean- he even started Rasho the second half. Wouldn't it seem more important to get Nazr into a better rhtyhm than giving Rasho time if Pop thinks Rasho will hardly play in the play-offs.

Horry was out against Seattle and Howard was a bad matchup for Nazr.

I agree with you that Nazr has played quite bad lately but I think that Rasho will only play significative minutes if :
- The matchup is bad for Nazr. If we reach the final against Miami and Shaq, Rasho will play more than Nazr. When you look at the playoff picture, there are few good matchups for Rasho.
- Nazr sucks : If he plays in playoff like he did last week and if Spurs start losing, Pop will likelty give more playtime to Rasho and put Nazr in the doghouse like he did with Beno against Detroit.

My point is that even if Nazr is average during the playoff, Pop will stick with him and Rasho will stay on the bench.

[ploto]

Horry was out against Seattle and Howard was a bad matchup for Nazr.

I agree with you that Nazr has played quite bad lately but I think that Rasho will only play significative minutes if :
- The matchup is bad for Nazr. If we reach the final against Miami and Shaq, Rasho will play more than Nazr. When you look at the playoff picture, there are few good matchups for Rasho.
- Nazr sucks : If he plays in playoff like he did last week and if Spurs start losing, Pop will likelty give more playtime to Rasho and put Nazr in the doghouse like he did with Beno against Detroit.

My point is that even if Nazr is average during the playoff, Pop will stick with him and Rasho will stay on the bench.

I know Horry was out against Seattle and that is why Rasho had the opportunity, but he actually played more than Nazr that night, which is surprising. I agree about match-ups in that Pop seems content with Nazr if the opposing center is not much of an offensive threat, but I am much more concerned about Nazr's poor rebounding and subsequent decreased FG%. When he was mostly shooting off of offensive boards, it worked well. But now he is hardly grabbing offensive boards and trying to "create" offense and that is just not working. He seems to be back to getting in Tim's way offensively.

I think too that I am merely expressing my surprise that Pop would go with match-ups, in a sense, this late in the season. I would think he would be more focused on setting a play-off rotation, like usual. I just think it shows some dissatisfaction and lack of surety as to what exactly the Spurs do intend to do with the play-off rotation. Other posi ons seem more sure. You know like clockwork that Finley is coming in about 6 minutes into the game- whether Manu or Brent start. Then when Bruce comes out, Manu (or Brent with Manu hurt) comes back in. Every game it is different with Tim, Nazr, Rasho, and Horry. Sometimes Horry is the first big off the bench- sometimes Rasho (match-ups, I assume). Some games I think Rasho plays well in the first half and never plays in the second half and then two games later he is starting the second half. It just usually does not look like this in April- even taking into account Horry's two missed games.

[Bruno]

Nazr hasn't played well last week but I don't think it's a trend : he isn't the most consistent player and can play well next week.

For the rotation, Spurs aren't only working to prepare the playoff, they try too to clinch the first seed. Pop has changed is rotation because our bigs are very inconsistent and he try to find the hot hand to win games :
- Duncan with his PF and his flu has been inconsistent (B2B...).
- Horry has been out for two games. When Horry is in cruse control (it's still regular season) and when is shoot is off, he is an average player.
- Nazr is an inconsitent player : sometimes he is agressive, grab boards and score points, the next day he make turnovers, stupid mistakes and fouls. Add the matchup troubles against some players.
- Rasho isn't very consistent : sometimes he plays great D, has a nice touch around the basket and make some tip-in (like against Seattle) sometimes he is soft, too slow to defend on his opponent and can't grab a board.
- Oberto has been great against Mavs but most of the times he makes too much fouls.

For the playoff, Horry and Duncan will likely be consistent.
If Nazr is in a good day, I think pop will play with the same ratation than last year : Duncan/Horry/Nazr.

Now the question is : If Nazr sucks during a playoff game, what will Pop do ?
- Continuing to play Nazr with the hope of an improvement ?
- Giving more playtime to Horry and Duncan ?
- Open his bench and using Rasho if the matchup isn't too bad for him ?

I'm not in Pop's head but my guess is the we will see a lot of Duncan/Horry if Nazr sucks because Pop doesn't open his bench a lot in playoff.

[leemajors]

horry was playing fairly well last night, he grabbed more than a couple offensive boards. unfortunately the spurs couldn't turn those into scores.

[wildbill2u]

Unfortunately, Pop bought into the Nazr thing after his one big game in LA. He stopped playing Rasho and went with Nazr, thinking he'd finally turned the corner.

Wrong. Now you have Rasho without much time and that has to affect his conditioning and general basketball skills.

[picnroll]

Shoot me if next year the Spurs only have Nazr or Rasho to carry the torch that DRob passed.

[ata]

IMHO, if Pop decides to use Tim/Robert/Nazr or Tim/Robert/Rasho, he will stick to it. Nazr played decent most of the last year PO with same great performances (Denver). However, in first six games against Detroit he was lost as much as Beno.
Before game 7 I've started I thread, that Pop should consider to return Rasho in the rotation since Nazr was lost. That hasn't happened, of course, and Nazr finally show some basketball against Detroit in game 7.
Pop will most propably stick to whatever he decides on the begining of the PO.

[zeleni]

- Rasho isn't very consistent : sometimes he plays great D, has a nice touch around the basket and make some tip-in (like against Seattle) sometimes he is soft, too slow to defend on his opponent and can't grab a board.

Spurs are trying to clinch first seed.

For the playoff, Horry and Duncan will likely be consistent.
If Nazr is in a good day, I think pop will play with the same ratation than last year : Duncan/Horry/Nazr.

Now the question is : If Nazr sucks during a playoff game, what will Pop do ?
- Continuing to play Nazr with the hope of an improvement ?
- Giving more playtime to Horry and Duncan ?
- Open his bench and using Rasho if the matchup isn't too bad for him ?

I'm not in Pop's head but my guess is the we will see a lot of Duncan/Horry if Nazr sucks because Pop doesn't open his bench a lot in playoff.

Those are all serious points.

Rasho is the most consistent of them all. OK, TP was better. Rasho is mostly judged by his defense, so rbs and pts are sometimes less consistant. Still, Rasho-effect is better defense while playing with healthy Timmy.

Spurs are looking more for a 4th spot. I can argue that Pop doesn't want to play Artest unless he absolutely have to. Injury-wise that is the only reasonable thing to plan.

RoHo and TD will be playing the 4th. But not all the time. Now we have Finley for the finish touch to diversify our possibilities. A lot of posters are talking even about VanX.

The opening of the Bench? Why wouldn't Pop changed his mind this time. He is aiming to repeat, no?

[ploto]

Unfortunately, Pop bought into the Nazr thing after his one big game in LA. He stopped playing Rasho and went with Nazr, thinking he'd finally turned the corner.

Wrong. Now you have Rasho without much time and that has to affect his conditioning and general basketball skills.

I think that is what has impressed me about Rasho. He has gone these stretches where he hardly played, but usually when given decent mintues has played well- eg, in Houston and against Seattle. I just know that Pop is talking alot lately about needing better defense. But I do agree, Pop rarely changes his mind once the play-offs start- which is why these past 2 games were intriguing to me.