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Defense has been bad, and Nazr is famous for contributing to no defense.
I know I am asking for it by posting this thread, but I just thought this was some interesting food for thought. My intention is NOT to bash Nazr-- what I am doing is "lobbying" for more consistent minutes for Rasho.
Since the All-Star break, the Spurs are 18-6 with Rasho not starting. I said back then I understood advantages for the team to starting Nazr and having Rasho come off the bench, but my problem has been with those games where Rasho has hardly played. So I checked, and this is what I discovered. Apparently, I was not imagining what I thought I had observed.
Since All-Star break:
Rasho played > 20 minutes; Spurs 5-0
Rasho played 14<x<20; Spurs 5-1
Rasho played 10<x<14; Spurs 4-2
Rasho played <10; Spurs 4-3
I really think the team needs a little more Rasho and the stability he brings defensively. I see a team that hasn't been executing very well. I hope I see some Rasho on Pao tonight.
Defense has been bad, and Nazr is famous for contributing to no defense.
I think you may be onto something. If Nazr had continued to put up spectacular--or even adequate numbers--then maybe the change would have been justified.
But since that one game I don't think Nazr has done much to improve the rotation. We're losing games because of poor defense.
ploto, props for stat magic!
I still hope Rasho becomes the last adjustment before playoffs. like..the only player who can stop Dirk.
De-fense. Teams just don't challenge the lane as much when Rasho is in there, and he STILL gets more blocks than Nazr (almost double) in about 1.5 mins more per game on average.
Pop putting an energy/hustle guy who plays no D in the starting lineup over a defense guy was a huge mistake. I always thought it didn't make any difference who started, but teams are coming right out of the gate and attacking the paint, and once they can score there, they don't stop attacking. You could still get your extra rebounding from Nazr or Oberto off the bench.
Stats can prove what you want, you need to look behind them.
Spurs are 5-0 with Rasho playing more than 20, great but just look at these games :
- 3 were easy games at the end of February when Horry was out. We could have won at home against Knicks, Warriors and Sonics even without Rasho.
- 1 was against Houston : everybody here agree that Rasho is way better than Nazr against Yao.
- 1 was against Utah.
Rasho has in fact being helpful in 2 of this 5 games : one against one of the two players that give a lot of troubles to Nazr (Yao and Shaq) and the other against Utah.
Since the start of march (when Horry came back) : Rasho has played 10.7min/games for 1.8pts and 2rbs per game. I'm not sure that he deserves to play more. Spurs will play with a 3 bigmen rotation in the playoff (Duncan/Horry/Nazr) like they did last year. Rasho will only be used in case of foul troubles of if Spurs reach the final and play against Shaq.
Rasho has to start, Narz hurts our defence much more than he helps the rebounding.
Besides, having in mind that we prob won't keep Nazr after this season, and eventually do everything to get rid of Rasho, I think it's high time we gave Javtokas a chance. He's strong and ultra athletic and will fit in much better than Oberto did. I'd love to see him in a Spurs uniform.Scola as well if possible.
You did not address the other 3 facets. My point was not just about the top group of games, it was the overall impact. It means something that we are 10-1 when Rasho plays more than 14 minutes and 8-5 when he plays less than that.
I personally don't care what Rasho's numbers are. I care how the team plays when he is in there. The bench took the Dallas game over in the second quarter and the starters lost it. Now people notice NVE scoring, but do they notice who set the screen for him to get open??
I do not think it is a coincidence that since Rasho started coming off the bench and Nazr began starting that the bench has suddenly looked so much better- Finley, NVE, Brent while Manu has looked frustrated and Tony can't get all those lay-ups he was getting the first half of the year. As soon as Rasho enters the game, you can watch Tony salivate and get penetration the first couple of plays.
Again, I said, I am not saying Rasho should start, I am fine off the bench. I just want to see him play more, especially when the defense has SUCKED!!
Nazr will go and we will get 3 more players on rookie contract...
And Rasho will stay during those 2-3 years to be a tutor for newcomers.
Then why did we LOSE in Seattle when Rasho only played 7 minutes??
A 25 pt win is an easy game.
You can't say that we win by 25pt against seattle because Rasho has played 22 min instead of 12 min.
i think he's onto something here
when they signed rasho they acted like he was going to be a huge part of the overall team plan. havent seen that happen yet.
This 11 games were :
vs. SuperSonics
vs. Warriors
vs. Knicks
vs. Trail Blazers
at Lakers
vs. Lakers
vs. Rockets
vs. Hornets
at Rockets
at Clippers
at Jazz
Only 3 of these games where against playoff teams : Rasho is 2-1 on this 3 games. You can't say we have won these games because of Rasho impact : we have won these games because it was against crappy teams. You have just proved that Pop doesn't trust Rasho to play against good teams.
Since the start of the season Spurs are 17-3 when Oberto has played more than 10 minutes. 17-3 projected on 82 games give a 70 win season. Logic conclusion : we are behind the Pistons only because oberto hasn't played a lot of minutes.
That's why Tony says that Nazr has been great for them and that he hopes that Spurs re-sign him this summer ?
Not to mention that those three games were blowouts and a majority of Rasho's minutes were garbage time. That he is better against Yao's playoff eliminated team is great.
Up until the change in the starting center after the AS break neither Nazr nor Rasho had really taken it from the other. One had a misfortune (Rasho: ankle, Nazr: family problems), and the other center played well enough in the other's place where a change in line-up was not needed. Nazr, however, earned it with his play off the bench. Why Rasho is unable to do that I don't know.
Tha truth is that the Spurs defense has not been up to par all season. Not just after the AS break.
Rasho's a good guy. I'm glad he has his nut-riders. But I wouldn't mind exploring an entirely new approach to the center position this summer that doesn't involve either Rasho or Nazr.
I think it needs to be more balanced... Rasho is a better defender than Nazr and contributes alot to the offensive play making.. but hes too timid under the basket... alot of his missed layups should have been slams... Nazr delivers on the offensive as a powerful player in the paint, but isnt as good a team member as Rasho...
I think playing them with their strengths is better, if you play a team that cant get the offensive board by all means put Nazr in... but when you need someone on the defense who will fight for and grab the defensive board then , put my boy Rasho in.
They both fit well but they are both very different players.
He was the starting center until he got injured before the playoffs last year. Holt-Cat signs Naz. He was meant to be a big part of the overall team plan but he seriously injured his leg during a game. Good thing we got Naz though, he got us through the playoffs with little to no experience with the Spurs system.
Rasho will only play more if Pop thinks the matchups favor it, so don't hold your breath.
Chris Kaman Free Agent in 07
Position: C
Born: Apr 28, 1982
Height: 7-0 / 2,13
Weight: 265 lbs. / 120,2 kg.
College : Central Michigan
PPG 11.7
RPG 9.60
APG 1.1
EFF + 17.01
Young, cheap, and defensively minded.
Last edited by Chris; 04-09-2006 at 03:46 PM.
He won't be cheap.Young, cheap, and defensively minded
He will get or demand more than Nazr this summer.
Easily.
Kaman's contract will average 9-10 mil. Book it.
Kaman is not a free agent this summer.
He's also not on the block by any stretch of the imagination.
yes lets bash nazr because duncan's d is not even close to what is has been in the past
duncan could make nazr look much bettter if healthier
explains nothing about what i said
That's a good point, but begs the question: "Should we change anything because of Duncan's reduced effectiveness?"
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