Is Bonner being treated unfairly?..

[Agloco]

What I find funny is RARELY and I mean RARELY does anyone ever challenge any of the points that I make. It's basically just mindless, terrible attempts at talking.

Kinda hard to challenge nonsensical bull .....

Anyone who would argue that Bonner = Jefferson based on PER is just being dumb. Straight up dumb. If you insist on going that route though...... Beno's PER wasn't much better than Hill's (12.35 to 11.6). So what now?

Apparently in your world that's worth the extra 5 million he's getting this year.

You also keep pulling Scola out of your ass. He's your sole exhibit as to why the Spurs FO ed up and continue to be ups. It's quite lame really since he's done nothing of note in this league, yet there you are with your raging hardon for him. x4 and the fact that the Spurs are still contenders is all the evidence you need as to how the FO is doing.

Try skydiving with lead bricks attached to your ankles or perhaps scuba diving in a shark tank. The world would be a better place for it.

[Chieflion]

Bonner can just play spot minutes. Seriously, what the heck in the argument about anyway?

[timvp]

Matt is working out with the first team right now. They are expecting 15-20 minutes from him. The Spurs have already talked to his agent about a new contract. Not saying they wouldn't trade him but right now doesn't appear to be a possibility. Pop loves Matt.

What Olivier Pheulpin (French journalist who follows Spurs in SA) writes in today newspaper is that Bonner will start with Duncan, McDyess will be the first big from the bench and Mahinmi/Blair will fight for the rest of the minutes.

However, I guess nothing is set in stone and there is a whole training camp to change that.

Thanks for the info.

Yeah, on Day 1 of training camp, Bonner was playing with the rest of the starters (Big 3 + RJ). I'm 99% sure this is a move by Pop try to keep Bonner's confidence at a high level. He knows Bonner's game is all about confidence so he has to be gentle with him if he wants any production out of him at all this season.

Additionally, McDyess is well-known for using the early part of the season to get back in shape. He takes off the whole summer to help preserve his legs for the end of the NBA season.

Those facts added together will likely result in Bonner playing in a starting role for the time being. However, eventually Bonner will be demoted to the bench and McDyess will rise the starting level. I expect the move will take place at the end of the exhibition season at the latest.

Pop knows Bonner would be worthless if he makes Bonner uncomfortable or unsure in himself. We'll see if this move helps Bonner become a decent bench player.

[OrEmuN]

All I want to say is that I am disappointed that after 5 pages, no one has posted the famous Matt Bonner crossover move yet.

[ElNono]

Looks like this year's Bonner is last year's Finley...

When everybody here were saying last summer that "I'll take Finley as a 10-15 minute guy off the bench", he ended up playing 20+ minutes, as a starter, bricking everything and getting abused by guys like Durant, all the while Hill, who is 10x a better defender, was warming up the bench.

Are we really going to have Ian, Blair and Haislip warming up the bench while Dampier abuses Bonner? Have we learned anything from last season?

[mookie2001]

Am I the only one who has a flashback to the Mavs series every time I see a training camp picture or video featuring Bonner?

im the same way with manu

[timvp]

Looks like this year's Bonner is last year's Finley...

When everybody here were saying last summer that "I'll take Finley as a 10-15 minute guy off the bench", he ended up playing 20+ minutes, as a starter, bricking everything and getting abused by guys like Durant, all the while Hill, who is 10x a better defender, was warming up the bench.

Are we really going to have Ian, Blair and Haislip warming up the bench while Dampier abuses Bonner? Have we learned anything from last season?

Thankfully, there is a difference. Pop absolutely loves Finley. He has a long history of finding room for Finley no matter what.

Bonner is a different case. Pop went with him last year basically because he didn't have a better option. He's benched Bonner before and eventually benched him in the playoffs. I don't think Pop will play Bonner any more than he has to as long as he has options.

And really, if you read between the lines this summer, Duncan all but blamed lst season's struggles on Bonner. He talked about needing more size and more toughness in the middle. Pop had similar comments.

I would be shocked if Bonner starts as long as McDyess is healthy. I'd be shocked if Bonner plays 25 minutes per game regardless. On the other hand, I was laughing last summer at the people who thought that Pop wouldn't overplay Finley.

[TDMVPDPOY]

i dunno how you can say bonner is treated unfairly

do you SEE any other fkn club out there throwin 3m a season to him? NO.

[Brazil]

Great ! Bonner starting.. finally our dream come true fo the beginning of the season: mason running the point to launch the bonner rocket for a dunk parade or to pass the ball to finley for an open 3.

[Blackjack]

Probably better suited for this thread..

Ya know, I wouldn't be shocked if Bonner did start some games to start the season.

Obviously you want to throw the best starting-5 you've got out there night-in and night-out, but the age of the team and the length of the season could dictate otherwise.

Let's take the Manu argument for example.

I've always believed his 6th-man role was the best way to utilize him. Not because he's any less effective one way or the other, but because of how it effects the flow of the game for those around him.

You let Tony and Tim do their thing to start and get into a nice rhythm, and the lesser players thrive off of their doubles and penetration. Once they've got the game going into a decent flow, you unleash Manu to come in and pick up where one or both left off.

Manu now comes in as the focal point and gets more touches to find his rhythm. By that time, he'll usually be playing with role players that have already broken a sweat and found a rhythm in the first-unit and/or reserves that will only be made better by Manu's presence. Having Manu to come in and face most teams' second-unit is just such a luxury. Not only because of what he can do individually but he almost gives the Spurs' second-unit the confidence of playing with the proverbial playground bully. He's like the Danny Almonte of the NBA. -- He can't possibly be eligible to play with those guys, can he? -- And let's not forget, it's a whole lot easier to monitor and limit a players' minutes coming off the bench; a point that's surely never been lost on Pop.

So that's been my rationale, but there's something that Pop said last year that I just can't get out of my head.

When Pop stated that Manu would be starting in 'perpetuity', I really think that was his intention. Pop wanted his best players on the floor and Manu on the bench wasn't really a preference but a ploy of necessity to create a decent bench.

There's another reason Manu starting would make sense for Pop, as well.

Playing with the starting-5 not only puts his best players on the court, but it also gives Manu a less taxing role playing alongside better talent that he doesn't have to do as much for. Sure, he's a playmaker by nature and is going to end up being one no matter whom he's on the floor with, but he'd also be allowed to play off the ball and camp out at the 3-point line more often that would only help to ease the physical burden.

So it's really an eye-of-the-beholder-type situation.

Is it better on Manu's body to have him coming off the bench playing a more taxing role, but probably fewer ulative minutes?

Or, is it better for Manu to start in a less taxing role, with probably a fewer more ulative minutes?

That's really the context of how all of the decisions on roles will be made on this team.

Should 'Dyess probably start, at least from a pure basketball standpoint?

Absolutely.

Does that mean he will and that it will be in perpetuity?

Well, given his age, history of knee problems and importance to the team..

Probably not.

So, it wouldn't surprise me if the Spurs did actually start the year with Bonner for a stretch. The familiarity is there and with so many new faces and the Spurs looking to steal minutes in order to keep an older team fresh and ready for a le-run... It's something that, well, let's just say, is not out of the realm.

I can't say I'd be real enthusiastic about seeing Bonner starting but I wouldn't be too worried about it during the regular season when you're not going to be seeing the elite teams of the league on a nightly basis. The team was good enough to hold the second-seed for a good part of the year before the injuries really caught up to them and if they can buy a little time with Bonner, or any of their younger guys for that matter, I'd be all for it.

As the regular season comes to an end, the rotation will shorten, the chemistry will be honed, and the roles -- fingers crossed -- should all be defined.

Bonner and the guys that helped to buy a little time will have served their role, and the Spurs will, hopefully, be all the better for it..

[ElNono]

Well Bonner as a starter would obviously be horrible, so let's hope something different comes up..it's still really early in training camp though, so there will be plenty of chances for Haislip, Ian, and Blair to show their stuff..

Well, I personally don't think that him being a starter is the horrible part. I think the really cruel part is if he plays over 10-15 minutes...

[Blackjack]

If Bonner becomes a token starter similar to how Rasho became, where they try to keep him confident and allow him to absorb a couple of minutes in order to keep someone like 'Dyess fresh, than it's not so horrible.

If it became a Fin-like scenario, well, that'd be more of an abortion than horrible.. But if he were just to say play starter minutes, that'd definitely be horrible.

The Spurs have to take a long-term approach and if it means playing Bonner, Haislip, Blair or Mahinmi more minutes than they probably warrant early in the season, I've really got no problem with it. Like I said before, this team has enough talent to capture the second or third seed without having to risk running their older players into the ground..

In terms of Harlem's OP, I pretty much agree.

Bonner is what he is and he's fine if you're asking him to do what he can do. He's a regular-season, situational player that got cast in a starter's role he had no business in. If he's at the bottom of your rotation and not counted upon night-in and night-out, he's an asset to have; definitely more of a luxury-item than a necessity.

[jb4g]

I think there is much worse options to have at the 9th or 10th spot on your squad. And as said before, there is always room in pops offensive scheme for a big guy that can knock down the three, proven by the fact that everyone of his three pointers last season came off an assist. He has a place in a limited role as long as he is willing to let it fly. If he becomes hesitant, then he gets buried on the bench.

[Spurs Brazil]

Thankfully, there is a difference. Pop absolutely loves Finley. He has a long history of finding room for Finley no matter what.

Do you think Pop will do it again?

Knowing Pop I think there's a chance of Finley starting in place of Mason Jr.

[thispego]

<------------ preparing to laugh at all you chodes when you start worshipping bonners taint when he leads the nba in 3pt% for half the year again.

[Agloco]

If you can call making 3.25 million in about 9 months time unfair then, sure.......

[BillMc]

Bonner is a useful rotation guy and a big who can hit the three. He stepped up and played as well as he could last year. He will be an asset coming off the bench as it gives us a guy with starter's experience to add depth. People (in my opinion) are way too hard on him. This year he'll be very valuable in limited minutes.

[MaNu4Tres]

People on here really are hilarious. Hey guys Bonner had the same PER as Jefferson. O M G guys that makes Jefferson so over paid. Hey you dumbass Jefferson had Ramon Sessions and Charlie Villanueva as his main players next to him in time for battle. Bonner had Tim Duncan and Tony Parker.

Hmmm I wonder why their PER was the same. Lets see Jefferson teaming up with Sessions and Villanueva or Bonner teaming up with TD and TP? Who has the better support? Go google Hollinger's picture and jerk off you statistical idiot.

[MaNu4Tres]

Yes, it does. I'm glad you see things my way.

Glad you ignored everyting else that made your argument laughable.

[Rummpd]

Nice guy but ship him out of here as soon as possible along with Finley please!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[wildbill2u]

Is Matt Bonner really that bad of an option to have off the bench?..I've criticized him as well, and he definitely frustrated me a lot of the time..I wouldn't be able to handle seeing him as the starter again, or playing big minutes..I don't think we could be successful with Bonner playing big minutes..

Is he a bad option off the bench though?..I don't really see it..I'm all for it if he gets outplayed by Haislip and loses his minutes, but I think a lot of people are being too premature with that assumption..we've fallen in love with the dunks and potential of Haislip, and we've forgotten what Bonner can actually bring to this team..

The issue with Bonner has obviously been confidence, and that will never change..that's just him..he was also overmatched physically by the other team's starting big men..let's look at the positive though..

He's a wet shooter from pretty much anywhere on the floor..he ended the season shooting 44% from 3s, and was shooting around 50% at one point, which is just ridiculous for a big man..it's not like he was taking 1 attempt per game too, he was taking over 3 a game..the only 3 big men in this era to have had a season with a higher 3% point than Bonner have been Troy Murphy, Mehmet Okur, and Toni Kukoc..

If a trade comes, Bonner would be a main piece IMO, and I'd obviously pursue it..but if he remains on this team, would he really be a bad option to have off the bench against other bench players?..at least in situational moments..

I know it is a short sample, but Bonner is playing pretty damn good this year and has improved his defense and rebounding. He's not Kareem or Shaq--but he can hit the 3.

In 21 mpg, he is averaging 8.2 ppg with 42.6 % 3pt and 5 rpg. He deserved some props.

[The Truth #6]

Bonner has occasionally tried to get tougher this year. So far its been random, sporadic, and comical. But it's a good direction.

[angelbelow]

Bonner has occasionally tried to get tougher this year. So far its been random, sporadic, and comical. But it's a good direction.

I agree, there are some moments where he plays tough.

I think that hes too laid back. Always joking around during interviews. I think some of that carries over onto court with him and that's why he doesnt have that mean streak. Im sure he has it in him, he just needs to bring it with him on court.

[benefactor]

He seems to be embracing his bench role...which is a very good thing. He is scoring in a variety of ways and he is competing on defense. He is even fighting for rebounds now.

Many have said, and I agree, that Bonner can be effective when in the right lineups when he is hitting his shots. As long as we don't wind up with the same situation we had last year I think he will be fine. We have enough options now that we don't have to worry about long stints of him and bad match ups that expose his physical shortcomings.

[YoMamaIsCallin]

Bonner is what he is. His lack of foot speed makes him a defensive liability. But everything else is pretty good. And you can't fault his effort and hustle. He definitely stretches and challenges the other team's defenses.