Pop to Rest Duncan, Ginobili and Parker Tonight

[SA210]

Just when I think Pop is doing better, he pulls some dumb again. Rest Manu and Duncan if you must, but Tony doesn't need to be rested the entire game, PERIOD! It's like the asshole does this on purpose. ALL 3? Tony should have played.

[T Park]

He's injured. Derek Rose missed several games ... He was injured. D Wade missed games ... He was injured. Notice a trend?

Manu Parker and Duncan are injured too.

Voila, your excuse is now.

[T Park]

Just when I think Pop is doing better, he pulls some dumb again. Rest Manu and Duncan if you must, but Tony doesn't need to be rested the entire game, PERIOD! It's like the asshole does this on purpose. ALL 3? Tony should have played.

Yeah run the MVp candidate into the ground!!!!!!!

We must win every single game!!!!

Screw the playoffs!

[jjktkk]

I would agree with you if all the other NBA teams sat their best healthy players for several games each season, but they don't. There's a HUGE difference between being concerned about health and obsessing over health. Pop obsesses. Too smart for his own good?

Most of the teams best players are not in the twilight of their careers like Tim and Manu, and to a lesser extent Tony. Have you forgotten Manu breaking his arm right before the playoffs last year in a meaningless game against Phx.?

[TheSkeptic]

Yeah run the MVp candidate into the ground!!!!!!!

We must win every single game!!!!

Screw the playoffs!

You don't seriously think Tony would've had to play more than 20 minutes to lock this up do you?

[Old School 44]

Terrible move . . . and I'd have said so before the game, had I been on. Everyone single player has had their minutes managed recently, almost all of them have sat out games in recent weeks, the Jazz are equally as fatigued and they get a day off tomorrow, yet they needed this one off, why?

When will this paranoid goof accept that, no matter how hard he tries to manage minutes, once the playoffs start, they're still going to be worn down throughout a series? There's irrefutable evidence of this from the previous few post seasons. The big three did not go up a level come the playoffs, despite manically having their minutes managed.

I can understand one of the back-to-back-to-backs and the last game or two, if they're locked into their position, but that's it. Why throw away home court, when you don't need to? They could probably win it while playing only Parker in excess of 30 mpg from here on out, but instead their coach would rather throw it away, to do something that's not going to help them come playoff time. I don't get it. Yet the masses will rush to his defense, because they've been brainwashed.

I agree. My questions are if the Spurs get to the final two/three games and can overtake OKC for the number one seed if we win out, do we go with the full team and risk injury before the playoffs? Or do we just rest some/all of the big three and be happy locked in as the second seed?

[TD 21]

I agree. My questions are if the Spurs get to the final two/three games and can overtake OKC for the number one seed if we win out, do we go with the full team and risk injury before the playoffs? Or do we just rest some/all of the big three and be happy locked in as the second seed?

There's no question Pop will rest the entire big three. He'll be all too pleased to do it too. So that he can remind everyone who covers/follows the league how cool he is for not caring about seeding and how clever he is for manically managing his players minutes. And why shouldn't he? It's worked so well the past few seasons.

[jjktkk]

Just when I think Pop is doing better, he pulls some dumb again. Rest Manu and Duncan if you must, but Tony doesn't need to be rested the entire game, PERIOD! It's like the asshole does this on purpose. ALL 3? Tony should have played.

Lol, one of the Pop hater brigade comes out from hiding to post a ty take. I would of thought you would of posted your jibberish when the Spurs are in a losing streak, or an early playoff exit, but this one, particular loss? And how do you know when is a good time for Parker to play, or rest? You got a contact within the Spur's training staff?

[jjktkk]

There's no question Pop will rest the entire big three. He'll be all too pleased to do it too. So that he can remind everyone who covers/follows the league how cool he is for not caring about seeding and how clever he is for manically managing his players minutes. And why shouldn't he? It's worked so well the past few seasons.

One loss, and it looks like your leading the meltdown army on here. Fight the good fight.

[Old School 44]

I have no problem with resting players on back to backs, but this situation was unique, you're playing the same team on the back to back. They went through the same stuff you went through the night before, including the travel time/distance. I say go out and get this very winnable game instead of giving it away.

[angelbelow]

In general, I tend to favor playing the players. I don't really care about the "injury prone" or "cardio" label.

But this 8 games in 11 days is ridiculous and I don't blame Pop for managing the minutes/games. The only other time I would sit players is at the end of seasons where the playoff seed is already determined.

[DMC]

Good thing. Losing with all three playing would be worse (not that we would lose). Also, the are bottom tier presence, not a threat to us. We want to get them in the 1st round if possible.

[Dex]

Spurs fans are still spoiled rotten. 1st loss in 12 games, and a calculated loss at that, and some of these fools are actually up in arms.

You folks are in for a rough ride here in a few years.

[Spurs da champs]

Spurs fans are still spoiled rotten. 1st loss in 12 games, and a calculated loss at that, and some of these fools are actually up in arms.

You folks are in for a rough ride here in a few years.

It's not the fact that it's just a loss, it's the fact that this team failed to execute in the 4th quarter & Pop playing Bonner instead of Diaw. This was a winnable game.

[Borosai]

Pop made the right call.

[Keepin' it real]

Most of the teams best players are not in the twilight of their careers like Tim and Manu, and to a lesser extent Tony. Have you forgotten Manu breaking his arm right before the playoffs last year in a meaningless game against Phx.?

You're proving my point. That Phx game WAS meaningless, but it's too early to tell if a game like tonight's or others that have come before are meaningless. Play your best players until the games are meaningless.

And oh by the way, in that Phx game, even after Manu was injured, Pop kept Tim and Tony in the game. Unbelievable.

[Legacy]

It's not about being spoiled (for me) ... it's about him treating his players like they are aircraft on a frickin' flightline (again... AF talk). Nobody is going to DIE, General Pops. Stop thinking too damn hard. I am OCD, I admit -- but nothing like he is. ... And I will NEVER be one of Pops' ass-kissers like the rest of 'em. Not talking about the people on this forum. You guys are a sharp bunch, so please don't take offense, and just let me have my rant for tonight. Trust me -- This goes BEYOOOOND "The Game."

[SA210]

Lol, one of the Pop hater brigade comes out from hiding to post a ty take. I would of thought you would of posted your jibberish when the Spurs are in a losing streak, or an early playoff exit, but this one, particular loss? And how do you know when is a good time for Parker to play, or rest? You got a contact within the Spur's training staff?

It's called being an NBA player, and a professional that's required to play every game that you aren't injured. Nuff said. And get ur facts straight, I love Pop, but he does stupid a lot, and mainly in the past few years.

[TD 21]

Here come the flood of brainwashed robots, who conveniently ignore the fact that the maniacal, obsessive managing of minutes hasn't paid off at all in recent seasons.

[DesignatedT]

Not to mention that this is a condensed season. People seem to forget about this. It's not a normal b2b in an 82 game season. The amount of games played in the short amount of days is re ed.

The Spurs are going to play 11 games in 16 nights to end the season with 1 day of rest after that before the PLAYOFFS START.

Certain guys definitely need to have their minutes managed.

[jjktkk]

It's called being an NBA player, and a professional that's required to play every game that you aren't injured. Nuff said. And get ur facts straight, I love Pop, but he does stupid a lot, and mainly in the past few years.

This is a lockout, condensed, season. If you can rest your top players, you do it. Its one loss, use your brain and try to look at the big picture.

[Spurs da champs]

This is a lockout, condensed, season. If you can rest your top players, you do it. Its one loss, use your brain and try to look at the big picture.

But Pop sucker if it hasn't worked then why now?

[Reck]

I'm surprised people down stairs didn't go into overdrive with the LOL Spurs threads tonight.

[therealtruth]

Watch when the playoffs start and the Spurs are well rested and the other teams are tired. They'll be dusting the floor with them. Oh wait didn't this happen last year? The Spurs looked soft and like they couldn't play 48 minutes of hard playoff basketball.

[SA210]

This is a lockout, condensed, season. If you can rest your top players, you do it. Its one loss, use your brain and try to look at the big picture.

My brain tells me Tony can handle 20 minutes.